The Unwanted One

“Have you done it?” “I guess. Take it.” I handed over a piece of cloth to Rarity with a curved line on it and extinguished the horn with a big relief. “You’re making progress, dear.” She smiled, examining the result of my job with a gaze. “Is the sensitivity coming back?” “Bit by bit. But I still can’t feel the needle very well, I have to stick it by-sight from the reverse side, aiming deliberately… It’s slow.” I cringed. My dressmaking skills — when I was a human — were enough, at most, to sew up small holes. Now I suppose I could fix something with telekinesis, too… ten times slower. I had not been able to do that even a few days ago, so my telekinesis training with Rar was definitely paying off. I learned to cook as well, which was something I knew how to do before, so I only had to learn a couple of local dishes, and the only thing I wasn’t good at was shredding. It was a bit large, a bit crooked… But I was already cooking better than Sweetie Belle, and Rar has even trusted me a couple of times to take care of the kitchen… I lived with her now, by the way, in “Carousel”, right in the workshop. Rar didn’t have that lot of rooms, so this is why I live here for the time being…It’s not as quiet and peaceful as Twilight’s not-so-popular library, but without the cool protocol and heavy-handed glances at my back, that Celestia’s student gives me now, clearly in no hurry to forget her distressed mentor. In fact, Rarity has suggested I move in with her just after she stopped by to see me at “Golden Oak” — apparently Twilight’s fake smile and my strenuous — because it was really starting to get on my nerves — couldn’t-care-less attitude didn’t deceive her. I was a little nervous at first, but then I thought… And, well, screw her, that nerd. But honestly, I came to a conclusion afterwards, that my presence would hardly help Rarity’s business… What an idiot… But I couldn’t go back, could I? So I tried to provide at least some benefit to the unicorn. However, some benefit was already brought by my mere presence: when a word got out that I was living here, the fashion designer got back in just a couple of days a considerable amount of debts, which she did not demand from anyone with force, either because of her character or because of a certain indifference to money. “Rarity!” Sweetie appeared on the workshop’s doorstep, pulling me out of the memories. “Miss Sparkle has come to you!” “To you”, definitely.” I chuckled. “She has been stopping by pretty frequently these days, and sometimes even more than once… I partially heard and partially saw a few times of her “To Rarity”. Comes in, says hi, hesitates under the awaiting gaze, refuses from tea with a nervous giggle, “absolutely accidentally” — read dead on end — asks how it is going and what’s about Nightmare, goes off in a hurry, referring to pressing businesses. “I’m going.” Unicorn rose, putting aside the result of my trainings with a barely noticeable sigh. I think these visits are getting on her nerves as well… “I’ll join you.” I stated, following and being happy about a break in thought: I’m tired a bit. And I slept pretty badly on the pills, as usual — again, I didn’t get a good night’s sleep, and I don’t know which time it is… And also a couple of question arose to Twilight on the topic of me, awaiting the invitation to Canterlot. I don’t say I don’t like being here — I mean in Rar’s… But I think, that the capital should have remembered about one black horned-winged problem — how much time has passed? Five-ish days? And there’s still silence… Strange. “Greetings, Twilight!” Rar cheerly welcomed her friend right from the stairs. I hastened the pace, noticing, that I’m not keeping up while in thoughts for almost a stair flight. However, it’s even better — the talk will fasten up… “O!.. “E-ehm… H-hello! And I’m… E-ehm… How are you doing? Is everything alright?” Twi said swiftly, in typical tone during her last visits. Yeah, I can feel this big experience of talking… “Quite good, thanks.” I outran the house’s owner with the answer, showing myself up on the stairs. “N-Nightm-mare?” The lavender mare got confused even more. Yeah, I came to her for the first time during these three days… “A… This…” “Any letters from Celestia?” I said right off the bat, making the voice more chilly. “For me or maybe about me?” “N-no, none.” Twi got a little bit of grip when Tia has been mentioned. “Are you sure?…” “Nightmare, please…” Rarity touched me and caught my gaze, shaking her head scoldingly. “She’s lying.” Backing off, I moved a wing indefinably and moved back for a step. “She goes here as frequently as if here was free cider. Or will you say you do it at your own will?…” “I’m just, ehm… I’m just, well, w-worried about my friend…” Turned red Sparkle mumbled under her breath. “Even if so?” The designer looked at me with clear dissatisfaction, and it seems, that she didn’t hear Twi’s mumble. “Lying is bad of course, but Her Highness’ task could have been a secret one!” “Okay, never mind.” I waved away, cringing from the level of “secrecy” in thought. “If there weren’t letters, send mine then. Wait a few minutes.” “Nightmare…” Rarity’s sigh caught me, when I was already coming upstairs.

…

“Greetings, Princess. I have ended my affairs in Ponyville. Made peace with Gilda, as you wished, and even found the “lucky one”, who caught my magic beam accidentally, and apologized to her as well. Waiting for your call. NM. P.S. If you’ve changed your mind about this — just write it. Then I’ll start to think of where to settle down.” I ran my eyes over the text one more time, folded the sheet in four, hoofed the folds, and, tossing a brand-new pencil — my own! — into my bag, headed downstairs. I’m tired of sitting on pins and waiting grass grow under my feet… “Enjoy your meal.” I wished to the unicorns, descending and entering the kitchen, when both of them were spending time with tea. Rar was trying to get Twilight talking with some excitement; she was blushing and paling and giving one-word answers, clearly uncomfortable with simple communication. In the corner, Rarity’s cat, Opal, was crunching her food, and she vanished into the unknown when I stepped into the kitchen. Sweetie was complaining, that she’s completely intolerable, but for me it’s a normal cat, he-he-he… “Thanks, Nightmare.” Rarity nodded, smiling. “Would you like to join?” “No, thanks.” I shook my head and turned to Twi, who is looking at the tea bowl, forcefully feigning, that she’s not here: “Here, a report for Celestia. “I’ll wait for her answer.” I put the folded sheet onto the table next to the Princess’ student and headed back to the stairs. I’ll wait for her answer… And hope, that this answer comes at all.

…

“Fuck…” I shook the box hopelessly, trying to get the non-existent contents onto the table, and shifted my gaze to the empty blister lying there, next to the glass of hard cider. I missed the moment I ran out of pills, idiot! I’ve been gradually reducing the dose every evening, down to a minimum of two pills from as many as six — this is why I thought there are so many of them… But I didn’t notice anything yesterday for some reason, managing to put an empty blister into the box in the holy confidence, that I still have a couple or so?.. Damn it! That’s bad… That is fucking bad! I went to the pharmacy this afternoon, just to buy more drugs, but the pharmacist I knew just shook his head sympathetically: it’s out. And I waved this away: will look for it tomorrow, I still have some for today… Damn… Maybe I should go, breach the door and rob the pharmacy — maybe he lied to me?.. “Nightmare?!.. “I said it loud?..” I specified indifferently, turning back to Rarity, who came up to me. “Please, calm down, Nightmare! What happened? Can I help you?” She started to rattle on, accidentally moving to the doorway and clearly preparing to hold me from injudicious actions. “It happened.” With a sigh, I agreed and dropped the empty blister and box, which became empty really suddenly and it’s really unwanted, onto the floor in front of the unicorn. “I won’t sleep today. Because if I do — I’ll regret this…” “Oh…” She drooped, understanding quickly the things before her. “Too late to buy. It’s empty. So…” I took the glass and drank everything in it, not feeling the flavor. “A really beautiful night awaits me. And even if I fall asleep — the same fate awaits you and Sweetie, when Luna’s executioners will start to tear my wings and I’ll start to scream while dreaming…” I stared through the glass at the light fixture, that has turned into a bright cloudy spot, and put the container on its place with a clatter. Fucking hell, a… “Oh, Nightmare!..” Rarity almost sobbed and came closer, getting on her hind legs and hugging me around my neck, tickling my nose a bit with her violet-scented mane… You cannot be indifferent, Marshmallow… Who am I to you?.. “Nightmare, I… I can’t help you, but…” Mare broke the embrace and caught my gaze with pity and sympathy in her tear-filled shining eyes. “But I can at least brighten your miserable night and stay awake with you!” “What do you mean?.. I stared at the unicorn perplexedly. “And I thought you must complete your dress tomorrow to this, to this?.. She’s like brown…” “Beauty Wind is chestnut!” Rar became outraged. “And I’ll do the dress even without it!” “Keep saying.” I sniffed. “Take a sleep.” “And leave you alone? I didn’t come to help you once, when you needed support the most.” She knitted the brows gloomily. “Don’t make things up, okay? And if I’m against the wall — the pharmacy’s way is still intact.” I chuckled quietly. “Don’t do it, please!” “I know, I know…” I sighed and flapped with my wings a bit angrily. “Why would I if they ran out of it? Maybe I can look for a stash… Which is not there and cannot be. At least I won’t fall asleep while doing some shenanigans over there…” “No! Destroying a pharmacy to… to not fall asleep?..” Rarity boiled over. “All the better if I just spend this hard night with you by my side, over tea and conversations.” I gritted my teeth, realizing, that my joke seemed to have finally convinced Rar to have a show of solidarity here and sit up all night without sleep. Good job, damn it…

…

The slightly dimmed light of the magic lamp. The fragrant smell of herbal tea. It’s cozy here… And there was darkness outside, watching us with its innumerable starry eyes, and the wind, whose gusts hit the glass in the windows, breaking the silence with a quiet hum and a barely noticeable rattle. I want to sleep… “…Have you read this?” “Pony and love”?” I shuddered and woke up at the sound of the voice, and snorted as I looked at the familiar cover of the book, with a symbolic heart, under which two mares were passionately kissing the satisfied stallion on both cheeks. “I have, to my regret.” “To your regret?” Rarity raised her brows in surprise. “Yeah. It seems clean, and no one would even think, that you just change your wifes and husbands for a night and stuff without any shame.” Cringing in thought, I made an indefinable gesture. The interlocutor made her eyes round. “You see, I wanted to understand your building of relationships here…” I sighed longly. “It was more adequate earlier in my life…” “Oh, darling…” Unicorn shook her head somewhat with loss. “I… I think I understand you… Have you read until the end?” A rhetorical question. I’ve had enough already at the half to be impressed enough… I shook my head wordlessly. “Well… Unfortunately, for understanding of our way of life it might be really a bad book… Maybe even the worst one out there! It’s a collection of stories exactly about unusual relationships, you know? Although its compilers obviously wouldn’t have minded more of them, but…” “In this book you will see all facets of true, genuine love!” Or what was it in the preface?.. “Uh-oh… No wonder it made such a monstrous impression on you!” The interlocutor drooped her ears and sighed. “Do you want to say that it’s not a widespread method?” I poked the book distrustfully. “Of course it’s not!” Rarity moaned, dropping her head onto the table and laying there for a few seconds. “In an ordinary, usual family, like mine, Twilight’s, Applejack’s… was…” She faltered for a moment. “At most — a stallion and one-two mares. Even herd made up of three is already a rarity, at least nearby. In the South, they say, couples live much less often… And what is described here is exotica! It’s like 5 percent of the equestrian families! And a small statistic is brought up at the end…” Yeah… Well, five is not the smallest number I’d say… Fifty thousands on a million isn’t exotica for me… And by the way… “Fine if so… Why do you need it then?” I nodded at the book, chuckling archly. “Love exotica, m?” “You got to face it — the annotation didn’t promise something special…” Rarity became confused a bit. “And I like books about relationships, about love… Isn’t it beautiful, Nightmare? “He kissed her, and their hearts trembled, beating in unison!” She quoted something with a gasp, putting her wrist to her forehead. “More like “he kissed her, her brother and their griffon-husband”, judging by it.” I nudged the book across the table to the unicorn, chuckling. “Nightmare!” She looked at me indignantly, but then hesitated and waved away hopelessly. “Oh, you don’t understand romance at all, dear… It’s love, after all!..” “You know… That’s better for me.” I chuckled in my thoughts, turning a deaf ear to the Rarity’s big talks, feeling my leaden eyelids try to droop. I want to sleep…

…

“Nightmare! Nightmare! How are you?” “Huh?!..” I rubbed my face with my hooves and looked up at the unicorn, who was looking at me anxiously with flushed eyes. “I’m dreaming, I can’t…” Yes, when you don’t get enough sleep all the time, you have to sit and cope in the middle of the night… Oh, man… But, by the way, I didn’t expect Rar to be so relaxed about her being awake at night, but she’s held her own so far. But I was already floating away and began to pass out as soon as I closed my eyes… Even with my eyes open, to be honest… “Maybe you’ll try to fall asleep?..” She offered, shyly picking the table with hooves and hesitating. “Maybe this time nothing will appear?..” “I doubt that. Why wouldn’t it?” I shook my head gloomily. “Well, then you… Felt a threat?” She assumed wanly and sighed. “And… It will be getting only worse, won’t it?.. And I… I, alas, don’t have powers to help you at all…” I shook my head furiously, chasing the dream away. Yeah, it will be worse, fair point… But dreaming?!.. Hell no! I shook head again. But of course, maybe there’s a bit of logic in Rar’s words… “Maybe you’ll try to get asleep?” Unicorn sounded again after a few minutes of my merciless fight with dreaming. “I… I could wake you up, if suddenly…” She hesitated. “You’re not helping, Rarity!” I eyed the saboteur with a heavy stare and sighed. I want to sleep even without you, God damn it!.. “Sorry! But I just can’t see your suffering anymore, Nightmare!” She nestled her ears against head contritely. “There’s no way self-torture is better than your dreams, even so awful!” Listen, pal… I put a hoof onto my forehead with a moan. Nah, without the shoe it’s not the sa-a-ame… Damn… Maybe I’ll give it a shot, m?.. I… I want to sleep so bad… “Make tea.” I grumbled instead of an answer. Rar, after giving me a long sympathetic look, reluctantly rose from her seat, picked up the long-empty kettle with her magic, and tapped the floor towards the sink. Ehm, damn, wait until it boils… I put my head, that gradually becomes heavier, onto the table. I shut my eyes, listening to the rhythmical noise of water… Now… It’s over… “Nightmare! Come, please!” I was suddenly wrapped by the shoulders with magic and pulled insistently from the stool. “Wha? Whe? What are you do-oing?…” I mumbled protestingly. It was so warm… And the table is so comfortable… But I still had to stand up to not fall. Da-amn i-it… “You… You have to rest, please!” Rarity begged desperately. “Come on!” What do you?.. I!.. A-a, fu-uck… Something… I can’t anymore… “Come-come, j…. Just don’t scream already-y…” I mumbled under my breath and cringed. Clip clop. Clip clop. Clip clop. Sle-ep… A, a da… Damn it… M, hallway. Hallway? Wait, why are we here, we were on the kitchen, weren’t we?.. A-a, yeah… But when we passed the stairs?.. Door. E, not there, it’s room of Swe… Nah, it’s there, it’s worksho-o-op… It’s right… A mattress, a sleeping bag — an uncomplicated bed on the floor. I almost fall onto it. That’s it… “Everything will be a-alright, yes?…” Unicorn whispers, swallowing nervously. “D-don’t be afraid, okay, Nightmare? I’ll… Well, be with you, just in case… Ye-a-ah… Pony’s lips touched my cheek softly. “The dawn will come, bringing a new day Believe in the best, just be grateful and lay…” My eyelids finally closed, and the words of the softly sounding song began to drift away sharply… Damn it… I’ll regret it…

…

She left me. Alone. Here. “Why?.. Come back, please!…” It’s scary. It’s painful. Why is everything… So?!… I’m… This is a dream… But I… Damn it. Again Moon. Again loneliness. Dream… At least not dungeons of thestrals-vivisectionists… I’m sure that I wouldn’t believe in them anyway… I don’t know… And believing in this is a lost cause… Luna… Why did she leave me?.. F-fuck… I… Nightmare… It’s so… The heart is pounding so fast in the chest. Tears pour down the cheeks. I… I can’t look at this… Why?!… This blue bitch told me once, that I’m somewhat a specialist in dream walking now — and what?! Where is it?! Why should I close my eyes and see… It all over and over again?.. I can’t… I can’t take this anymore… “Why did you leave me here?!” The scream rips my throat. Dead silence. Only the abyss stares blankly from above with its innumerable eyes. I feel that gaze. Anticipatory. Waiting for something… Damn it… This is a dream. This is a dream. I just need to withdraw and… And to feel the tears, streaming down my face, and a huge chunk of my soul being ripped out. I can’t… Why is this happening?!… I don’t want to!… I don’t want to see it anymore! Luna, come back, I beg you… You know perfectly, that she did not come back! Fuck this then!!! And this cursed past as well! And this cursed memories! And this cursed dreams!!! “ENOUGH!!!” It’s like a wave of energy ran through my horn. I feel someone’s touched me behind. Who?! I hit without looking, jumping back, turning around, getting ready for… for something. Gaze… This gaze in my back, wherever I turn… It’s impossible to hide from the Abyss… She’s everywhere… She’s always with me… Heck with it!!! Let her stare at me and Rar drinking tea, it’s not a pity! She still will have to go away, when Celestia rises the Sun! It’s strange. The starry sky above my head is just wonderful. Damn, I’ve never seen this in my whole life… Maybe only on some fantastic arts… But why does it scare me?.. And where this gaze in the back comes from?.. I turned around with a jerk. Still the same grayish-white sand with sharp contrasting shadows on it. Starry sky. And no one. And the gaze in the back. Not expectant, but surprised, perplexed. Who?.. “Show yourself!” Turned around again. The nostrils flared angrily, tail whipping at sides. Like an actor in some stupid show, watched by a hidden camera, and the director chooses the best shots… Director. “SHOW YOURSELF!!!” The voice is double, as it was then. The horn burns… …I’m standing on a sand-filled stage. A starry sky is painted in the background. Above, a battery of spotlights stabs my eyes. Strange, massive cameras all around. A director’s stool. A pony-like figure made of purple-black smoke, shivering like hot air. One glance is somehow enough to see the utter incomprehension and shock in it. It’s him! It was his look! He’s the one who forced me to look!!! “DI-I-IE!!!” Throat is once again ripped away by the scream. A blinding beam rushes from the horn into the figure. My head throbbed with pain, the base of the horn stinging nastily. The figure disappears with the sound of shattering glass. And I…

…

“Nightmare! Nightmare, wake up already! Please, dear!..” Desperate and frightened voice goes through like through cotton-wool, somewhere from afar. Fu-uck… Hea-ad… The horn pulsed, making me think of a blinking, half-dead fluorescent bulb and giving me an indescribable sensation, and my feet were frozen by some kind of strange draught. “Water…” I spoke hoarsely, not opening eyes. “O-oh…” Rarity sighed with relief and sobbed. “Thank Celestia, you have awoken!.. I’m so…” Unicorn sobbed again and, not ending the speech, clopped somewhere aside. Fucking he-ell… What was that?.. I remember myself, dreaming about Luna and the Moon again. And then?.. And then, if I’m right, I was outraged and thought of something… I think I thought of Luna, lying to me about realizing, that I’m dreaming and the fact, that I’m the chief there now. After that, the dream began to crack, and I also thought that I looked like an actor in it, and the director was sitting here somewhere… and so it became. And the director came into view, too. And I hit him… And judging by the result — I hit him hard… Oh, damn, it’s so painfu-ul!.. I opened my eyes carefully and slowly right for the time to see a white blot, coming into the room. “Take it, Nightmare.” Something like a glass with water was put down before me onto the floor. “How do you feel?” “I’ve had w… Ah, f-f!..” I casually put the magic into the horn — and immediately regretted it. I think only a couple of sparkles broke out of the horn. “Nightmare!” A frightened exclamation nearby. “Oh, it seems you have an overcharge… I’m sorry, I… I didn’t think it was like this… I’ll help!..” A blue cloud enveloped the glass, that finally appeared in front of my focused vision, and it floated up to my nose. “Don’t…” I wheezed mechanically, as I carelessly opened my mouth and immediately felt the cool glass and life-giving moisture with my lips. I spit on unnecessary objections and took a couple of big sips, draining the container. Yea-ah… Phew… “Thanks, Rar…” I put the head back onto the floor, closing eyes. “My head splits… And so chilly… What was even that?..” “It’s my fault!” She sighed heartbreakingly. “I’m so sorry, Nightmare. I shouldn’t have insisted and told you to sleep! But… You don’t get enough sleep as it is, and you’ve had a sleepless night… I’m sorry. I only wanted what was best for you.” Rarity finished with sadness. “That’s not what I meant.” I waved away faintly. “What was with me? And do you have something from headache?” “Oh, I’m terrible!” Unicorn almost whined. “I’ll bring it now!” In less than a minute, I had another glass of water and a pill, hanging before my nose. “Thanks.” I thanked dully, swallowing the offered. “You’re very welcome.” The mare sighed and lay down beside me, gently nestling against my side. “It’s all my fault…” “What was going on with me?” I couldn’t hold some displeasure in my voice. Damn, Rar, will you give it a rest?.. “Well… At first everything was calm, and then tears started to pour down your cheeks…” This is why the fur on my cheeks is dragging… And heck with it, damn it: why is there a hole in the wall next to the window and no window at all — only the remains of the frame sticking out?… I looked around the room and stumbled with astonishment at the traces of destruction. There, by the window, stood the mane… ponikin with the dress, that Rar has to hand out tomorrow… Ah, there it lies… half of it, slightly melted… with half of the dress… “…Then I tried to touch you to awake and…” Meanwhile, Rarity continued, while I was trying to get a grip and gauge the damage done. “You… Twitched, but haven’t woken up.” The unicorn, for some reason, gingerly touched her right cheekbone, where I could see an abrasion and a growing bruise… Fu-u-uck… “Twitched, yeah?.. Sorry, I’m…” “Don’t apologize, dear. It’s my fault.” Rarity sighed. “I shouldn’t… Hm. Sorry. Then you started screaming for someone to show himself, and then… And then, with a creepy voice, you shouted “Die!”, and you shot the beam right there.” She said, shivering, pointing to the hole in the wall I’ve seen already. Damn it… A circular melted hole about twenty centimeters in diameter — in a wall a decent brick thick… My head definitely has something to ache from… For example, from what I will do now. Shit. “And then you just collapsed exhausted and fell silent. You could even barely breathe… I tried to wake you up, but you didn’t respond to anything… I got so scared…” The unicorn hugged herself with her front legs and pressed her head into her shoulders. “Sorry, Nightmare. I…” “You apologize too much for a victim. If you were under that beam… I also ruined your order for tomorrow.” Damn me Abyss… Nice nap, fucking shit. But… What that was in the dream? *** “Nightmare, don’t spin around!” “A-apf-a…” I rolled my eyes and let out an indefinable, wistful groan and took my old pose. “How much longer?!” “Not a lot! Just a few…” Minutes?… “…Hours and I think we call it a day!” What?! I opened my mouth to object, but after a second, I slammed it back with a clatter, making a long-long exhaling with a heavy-heavy tone. You have to make up for it somehow — one, no one made you talk — two. So now I’m stuck in the middle of the workshop, while the unicorn is enthusiastically assembling on pins and needles another prototype of a dress from her new collection right on me. “The Shining of the Night” or what is it?.. It wasn’t exactly a cheap night… I glanced over at the massive ring on my horn. Medical, this time: I can press the latch and take it off right now, but shouldn’t, because it’s easy to make myself even worse by witchcraft, and my relationships with control… Damn, I got so used to magic and telekinesis, that only when a cup was busted I understood its absence. I knocked it off the table by accident, but I didn’t even move to pick it up — I just reflexively reached for it with my magic… which went no further than the ring, and the mug met the floor. Yeah… In addition to the broken mug, there was a destroyed ponikin and a new dress on it, which also cost Rar the order itself: distraught Beauty Wind could no longer wait for a new one, having gone to some party without a dress in tears. And to crown the picture of destruction was a broken window, a broken frame, and a very lucky hole in the wall, for the proper repair of which I have to dismantle part of the wall above and lay it again… Only about a meter to the roof, it seemed, but the price tag for this repair was by no means insignificant… Anyway, the only thing I had left to offer Rarity was my body, which she was eager to use, and she began to forget to eat and sleep as soon as she was sketching for her new masterpieces Which, by the way, I have to present at the show… With a cheerful smile. In front of cameras. Oh, my gosh… What kind of life is this?.. “Nightmare, lift your left wing, please.” I complied, and, trying to do it quietly, stepped from foot to foot, trying to somehow shift my weight from my more tired legs to the less tired ones. It didn’t work: everything was already tired. Sighing quietly again, I returned to my thoughts. A thing, that came out of the blue, if long story short… Yeah… And, as if all this was not enough, I was left without the horn as well. As soon as it dawned, Rar firstly dragged me to the hospital, to the doctors. In fact, the sparking horn was not such an alarming symptom in and of itself — but not when a pony already has some problems in that area. So, as a result, I got a categorical ban on magic up to telekinesis and a decoration on the horn for at least three days, so as not to inadvertently, reflexively, suddenly do not use it. Chuckled: “Playing safe” and, when I returned from the hospital, the first thing I did was trying to witch and broke a mug… And damn me, it’s like without arms when you don’t have the horn… Ah, yes… I chuckled sadly. Without arms and with legs all over the body. Damn, it’s so hard to live only with one hoofkenesis! It’s been only a little bit less than half of the day, and I’m already ready to whine and go up the wall, if to be honest… “Nightmare!!! Don’t itch, it’ll all fall apart!!!” “Sorry.” I mumbled wistfully, and straightened up again, looking sadly at the enthusiastic modeler, shining a black eye on her right cheekbone, barely visible through the makeup. It must have been a hard blow, but Rar didn’t even try to blame me for it, saying it was her own fault. She tried to say something about the mess I have made, too, but I couldn’t take it. I don’t want to make her pay for it, I really don’t… I remembered her idea about the new collection and me modeling it, so I gave up, thinking that if the sales were successful, Rarity could at least cover her losses. The thought of getting into dresses and glittering on the catwalk was deathly depressing, but what else could I do for Rar without feeling like an asshole — I had no more ideas. And so… “O-oh! It would be matchless! You can let your wings down, darling. What about the hemline?..” My tail was unceremoniously grabbed by magic and lifted higher, making me grind my teeth and control my hind legs from a reflexive urge to introduce the insolent to a pair of hooves at one time. I hate when she does that. Yeah… How does one say that?.. “Got your foot in the wheel — whine, but you must run”?.. Damn it… But at least one thing suddenly came out as a good one from all this mess: I slept like a log last night and, for the first time in a while, I have woken up alive and caught up on sleep. No nightmares, no hints of them, no dreams — just turned off and on. At last… And something tells me, that the reason for this is exactly where the hole in the wall came from. Haven’t Luna been lying about the dream world’s powers back then?