The Prophecy

After spending the entire day at Pinkie Pie's, I decided to make a couple more entries in my diary upon returning home. It allowed me to look at the situation from the outside after some time had passed, and it also helped organize my thoughts. In this world with its insane rules, it was necessary to carefully weigh every situation and everything that had happened recently, since things happened quite often here. So, upon returning home, I immediately opened a blank notebook, picked up a quill and inkwell with telekinesis, and began carefully writing symbols on a clean page: «I should probably start today's entry with the fact that Pinkie really is strange. But if you compare her to canon, here she's a model of sanity, calmness, and order. It's kinda... weird. Although she did love popping up suddenly in the most unexpected places — out of a closet or even from under the bed — I didn't notice anything supernatural: just a regular, albeit hyperactive, nineteen-year-old mare. There was even a funny incident today where she managed to lose her own cake while trying to offer me a slice. And for some reason, I found it in the basement, which is pretty odd. The cake turned out to be tasty, but eating too much sugar is bad for your health, and I told her that right to her face. I expected her to get offended, but surprisingly, Pinkie reacted normally. At least I hope so... However, there is one detail I noticed purely by accident. Before Pinkie Pie's «unexpected» appearances, I'd catch a glimpse of some sort of glow out of the corner of my eye for a split second, and then she'd appear. I need to investigate what that is. Oh right, and one more thing before I forget: I need to inform Luna about two more potential candidates for the Lunar Guard that I found». Having written that down, I closed the notebook and put it in the drawer of the kitchen table I had bought the day before. There hadn't been any news about the Lunar Guard for a long time, and I hadn't really asked. But now that it was almost the middle of the Trade Month, it was becoming necessary to ask around. Especially since the excuse to talk to them and Luna was more than suitable. However, first I needed to deal with other matters. According to rumors, someone was supposed to arrive in town today, and I was curious who it might be. Leaving the house, I headed toward Ponyville, thinking about the situation. It was late evening, which led to various thoughts. «Who else would visit this town after dark if not Princess Luna? I hope so. Although, anything is possible.» There was another thought on that score, though: «I haven't met Trixie once, though she could have been here before my arrival in town. She usually attracts a lot of attention, and I would have heard about her almost immediately. But alright — I'll find out when I get there». Arriving in town, I decided to check the town square first, but no one was there. It was silent, and only a few residents walked by, still glancing at me with apprehension. Unfortunately, they still hadn't gotten used to me, but at least they stopped being openly afraid, for which I was grateful. Not knowing what to do with myself, I decided to visit Applejack's farm, and that was exactly where I heard dozens of voices coming from. — Gather 'round, everypony! — Shouted a female voice coming from behind a large, closed wagon near the farm. I chuckled and shook my head, noting to myself that I was right about Trixie. I recognized the voice immediately; the tone was narcissistic and proud. The blue unicorn herself was dressed in a typical, ridiculous wizard's hat and a colorful cape. The mare appeared on stage out of a mist generated by mechanisms hidden inside the wagon, away from prying eyes. I had noticed that on my approach. «Out of the fog comes the hedgehog, damn it,» — A random phrase ran through my head. I was skeptical of Trixie even when watching the cartoon, but now I was becoming even more convinced that she wasn't a very good person. But regardless, I walked closer to the wagon and began to watch. — Behold the Great and Powerful Trixie! The most talented unicorn in all of Equestria! The magician loudly announced herself and began her performance. Trixie conducted it exactly according to canon: creating a bouquet out of nowhere, releasing butterflies from the mist. The mare, apparently, had an inflated sense of self-importance: exaggerating her achievements, trying to dare those around her, and attempting to dominate in every way. But no one wanted to play along. Although this attracted the attention of the residents, including the Mane Six, it wasn't enough for Trixie. And then Trixie changed tactics, starting to pick on the Six, trying to get a rise out of the mares. I, in turn, watched her tricks closely, trying to understand the principle of their operation. After another one, I tracked the wave of her horn. After a short, barely noticeable flash inside the wagon, I finally realized that she wasn't creating items out of nothing, but teleporting existing ones. At the same time, the magician periodically stole glances backward. Genius in its simplicity, as it turned out. — Not exactly impressive, — I snorted, yawning demonstratively when Trixie finished her speech. She had managed to say a lot: about how strong, mighty, and exceptional she was, about her genius, and about defeating an Ursa. When I spoke up, everyone immediately looked at me. If the townsfolk just looked in my direction with concern, parting ways, Trixie shrank back in fear at the sight of me, her eyes darting nervously from side to side. However, the mare found the strength to continue her boasting and, regaining her pompous, proud look, replied: — Does that mean you want to challenge the Great and Powerful Trixie, big guy? — More like point out that you're teleporting items from the wagon, not creating them out of nothing like you claim, — I smiled, seeing her slight confusion. — Oh, is that so?! — Trixie shouted indignantly. — In that case, let somepony try to do what the Great Trixie could not! The blue unicorn scanned the crowd and noticed Twilight, who was whispering about something with Spike. Smiling slyly, the blue unicorn stomped her hoof on the ground and exclaimed: — Maybe you! — She pointed a hoof at the lavender sorceress with a snide grin. Silence hung over the crowd, but as expected, the Six immediately tried to stand up for their friend. Applejack was the first to come to Twilight's defense. She demonstrated her mastery of the rope, which she tied to her tail, in front of the crowd. Even I was impressed by her actions: the farmer snagged various small objects from a distance using the lasso. And that was just one example from her arsenal of tricks. Remembering equine anatomy, I couldn't understand how she did it, considering horses lack the necessary tail muscles, unlike my tail. I noted to myself that I needed to ask her about it later. And Applejack produced the desired effect: the crowd stomped their hooves loudly, applauding her. The farmer herself just laughed it off, saying it was routine and there was nothing surprising about it. Only Trixie huffed in displeasure. — Oh, nothing special, — With these words, the sorceress took off her hat, revealing her horn, which glowed with light blue magic. — Watch and learn from the all-powerful Trixie! Her horn glowed brighter, and the rope Applejack had laid nearby suddenly came to life, copying the behavior and movement of an earth cobra. Applejack watched the circular dance of the rope in fascination, while its opposite end reached for an apple on the nearest tree. The farmer was so mesmerized by the rope's movements that she only noticed at the last moment how it entangled her legs, causing the pony to fall onto the stage. The apple was immediately plucked by the other end and stuffed into the mare's mouth. «What a scumbag! Using magic that even a foal could master, passing it off as something extraordinary». Deciding it was time to end this farce, I took a step forward. — Totally unimpressive, — I said as snidely as possible, smirking, wanting to sting her harder. — So the magic of the Great Trixie doesn't impress you? — The blue unicorn asked with a giggle, then nodded at Applejack. — Maybe you have an explanation for this too? «Of course I do, and I'm going to say it!» — Even a foal can master such a simple spell! — I shook my head and clicked my tongue mockingly. — They learn that kind of magic in their first years of life. Better show something worthwhile, not kindergarten-level stuff! Someone in the crowd laughed, but the majority remained silent, watching the unfolding scene. I noted with satisfaction how Trixie's eye began to twitch. Applejack had hopped off the stage unnoticed during this time, where Rarity began untying her, but all attention was fixed on me. However, at that moment, Rainbow Dash flew up to me, landing nearby: — You really put her in her place, — The pegasus patted me on the shoulder, laughing. — Now I'll deal with her! I tried to stop her, but Rainbow had already started to step on the sorceress’s face. It was already impossible to stop the heated blue pegasus: — Ha! — The rainbow-maned pony flew up to Trixie and shoved her in the side, nearly knocking her over. — It's not cool to come to a strange town and humiliate its residents, show-off! Trixie dusted off her outfit and looked at Rainbow indignantly. The magician wanted to retort, but the flyer beat her to it: — Now watch me! — The pegasus shouted and began demonstrating miracles of «aerobatics». I had seen before how fast some pegasi fly, but Rainbow managed to surprise even me. Flying past me at high speed, compared to which some Royal Guard pegasi would look like dying swans, Rainbow did a backflip. But that wasn't even the amazing part; it was how she could gather momentum. Without stopping, Rainbow spun like a windmill and flew on, not reducing her speed. The mare shot upward, pierced through about ten clouds, causing a light rain. And, a few seconds later, the rainbow-maned pegasus was back next to me. To say I was impressed would be an understatement. «Holy shit! It's not that cartoonish or even explainable, but it looks fucking awesome! How does she do it?» — They don't call me the supersonic pony for nothing, — Rainbow Dash smirked, posing for the audience. However, the proud sorceress had an answer for this too: — After they see Trixie, they'll call you Slowpoke, — With those words, she summoned her magic again. Spinning the pegasus in a strong gust of wind, the sorceress threw the mare far out of my field of vision. — I think now every pony in this town will think twice before challenging Trixie. After her words, the whole crowd laughed in unison, and the Six noticeably grew disheartened. I just sighed irritably and ground my teeth. «Fuck! I really want to put this upstart in her place, and as harshly as possible! Although no, better not. That's unnecessary» — We need another unicorn who knows how to handle magic, — Spike said unexpectedly, nudging Twilight in the shoulder and glancing at me. Apparently, everything was going exactly as it should in the cartoon, and even my presence hadn't changed anything. The latter upset me, but there was nothing I could do. Twilight herself, despite the support of her friends, just stood in a stupor, thinking about something. But this didn't last long, and Rarity decided to go out against Trixie. To the blue mare's snide words, she responded by creating a gorgeous blue dress with yellow lines, a collar, a long hem, and something resembling a saddle. All of this was made literally from rags lying near the stage. Such a masterpiece took her only a minute, which couldn't help but delight the people and interest me. But Rarity didn't stop there; along with the dress, she also made her mane more voluminous than usual, styling it into a high hairdo. «To do that, a normal mane wouldn't be enough. I think she's getting hair extensions, otherwise I can't explain it» I didn't try to intervene, but watched, assuming the Element keepers would handle it themselves. And judging by what I saw, the magic of the Element of Generosity had some special property of its own that I couldn't understand. But Rarity's work didn't phase Trixie in the slightest. She smirked and cast a new spell with a sadistic smile on her muzzle. In a few moments, Rarity's mane changed color to green and slowly began to float like seaweed, just slightly missing the unicorn's eyes. It was an unpleasant sight, but I had seen much worse. And while Rarity ran away from the stage in tears to hide from prying eyes, I let out a loud cough and stomped my foot on the stage, making the boards creak loudly under me. «Alright, consider me pissed off!» — Well, big guy? — Trixie smirked snidely. — Want to show your tricks? I started scanning with my eyes for something to help me teach the upstart a lesson, and my gaze caught on a musical instrument sticking out of a crate, vaguely resembling a trumpet. — You know what? — I growled with hostility, sharply pulling the trumpet to myself with telekinesis. I pressed several keys with the power of my mind, causing a deafening honk that scared Trixie and knocked her off her feet, while the crowd laughed heartily. Satisfied with the result, I didn't wait for her to get up, but turned around and started looking for Twilight Sparkle. She had already headed away from here along with Spike. Not hesitating, I decided to hurry after her. — What a jerk! — I heard the blue unicorn exclaim indignantly, which made me turn around. — I remember you! — I shouted after her as she left. Noticing the fear in her eyes, I chuckled with satisfaction and continued on my way after the lavender pony. «Narcissistic piece of trash. Showing children's tricks to those who can actually do things and mocking them. Stupid bitch! She's no different from the canon one at all! Wait, stop!» I stopped and started recalling what was supposed to happen during the first meeting with Trixie. «Tricks, showing off, bullying the Six. And now... And what now?» — Ursa, — I drawled, cursing to myself. «Right, how could I forget! And soon such a chaotic mess will start that parasprites will seem like an invasion of tiny gnats compared to this star bear!» Rounding the corner, I saw Snips and Snails heading off toward the forest — two quasimode unicorns who looked downright ugly even here. As far as I remembered, they had brains to spare, so I had no doubt what they were about to do. Making some simple deductions, I realized these two were going to bring the bear into town. «Going after them wouldn't be the best idea — they'll get scared and run off», — I thought, weighing my options. — «Maybe I should prepare instead? Sounds like a plan!» Sensing the impending nightmare, I hurriedly moved toward the town exit, but bumped into Spike, whom I managed not to notice. He gasped and fell onto the grass, cursing filthily either at me or at Trixie. I lowered my head, noticing the little dragon, and helped him up, asking: — Who were you referring to just now? Those two unicorns who went into the forest? Did you talk to those two? — Yeah, I talked to them, — The dragon nodded, noticing my concern. — They're huge fans of that fraud. I tried to convince them that she lies like she breathes, but it didn't work. Spike cursed again, looking toward the forest. He shook his head and looked at me again. — And what else did they say? — I asked, hoping Spike had just advised them to take a walk. — They really admired Trixie's victory over the Ursa and wanted to see that act with their own eyes, — The dragon replied, glancing at the forest again, then back at me, tilting his head to the side. — What is it? I nervously sucked in a breath and widened my eyes. «What the fuck has he done?!» — Didn't you think they might bring that bear here to town? — I loomed over Spike, staring intently at him and grabbing him by the shoulders with my hooves. The young lizard hiccuped in fear, shrinking. — Bears don't live near here. Or did they go... When Spike realized what had just happened, his eyes widened like saucers, overwhelmed by a rush of emotions. — Into the forest for a bear? — He guessed, falling into a panic. — Holy Celestia! I'm such an idiot! I could only let him go and shake my head, trying to calm down. — Be that as it may, what's done is done, — I muttered quietly, sighing. — Maybe we can stop them? — I don't think we should, — I stated negatively, lifting one leg. Spike grunted in bewilderment at this. — Why? — If we follow them, they might try to escape and go deeper into the Everwild, — I nodded toward the forest. — You know how dangerous it is there. If I go after them, I'll scare them, and they'll run, putting themselves at risk. Better to wait until they bring the bear back; meanwhile, we need to prepare. — But I could stop them! — Spike persisted, puffing out his chest proudly. I shook my head again, as if saying: «won't work». — I don't think so. — Why? — The purple dragon asked again. — Ponies run faster, — I paused briefly and then waved a hoof in the air. — You walk on your hind legs, and they use all four legs. So who is faster? Spike looked at me with a doomed gaze at first, then threw up his claws, sighing heavily. — Okay, I get it, — The dragon crossed his arms over his chest and looked away. — So how are we going to deal with the Ursa? It's huge and scary! I sighed heavily and looked at the darkening sky, noting that sunset was very close. «Why are you so difficult, Spike?» His uncertainty was starting to irritate me. Maybe I was sometimes demanding of others, but the situation did not tolerate hesitation. «We need to save the residents and prepare for the worst, and he's just sitting there twiddling his tail!» — I thought to myself indignantly and looked at the little dragon. — «Time to give him a slap on the sluggishness» — I'll run to my house and grab something, and you try to quickly but unobtrusively convince the residents to evacuate the town. — What if I don't make it in time? — The purple-green one sighed again. — While we're talking, time is flying! — I growled back displeased, causing Spike to flinch and perk up. — Right! — The purple lizard exclaimed and nodded. — I won't let you down! I'm running. We nodded to each other and went separate ways to fulfill our roles in the plan. I ran quickly to my house. Once there, I first went to the training area where my weapons lay. For about a minute, I chose between a sword and a pair of daggers, but settled on the latter. I put on a harness with telekinesis — on Earth, it usually serves as a base for a saddle, but in my case, it was just straps running along the body. Making sure everything was securely fastened, I shot back toward town like a bullet. «Okay, the plan is extremely simple: when that beast runs into town, I have to neutralize it quickly and with minimal damage to myself, the town, and the Ursa itself», — I decided, realizing I was actually a bit scared. — «I hope I won't have to use weapons, though my intuition says otherwise». I made it just in time: Spike had somehow managed to convince and lead all the residents far outside the town limits. I found that curious, as I wouldn't have been able to do it all in such a short time. Arriving at the empty town square, illuminated only by the light of the full moon, I heard a loud ursine roar followed by the frightened screams of Snails and Snips. A few moments later, they appeared themselves, running in panic in my direction. — Run, run! — The mischievous unicorns urged each other on, trying not to trip. They threw a fleeting glance at me before rushing past. Meanwhile, I heard heavy approaching footsteps. From behind the houses appeared a huge blue bear, as if woven from constellations and mist. A bright blue star burned on its forehead, and the gaze of its narrowed golden eyes scanned around in search of prey. The bear itself was about four times my size. At the mere sight of this giant, my heart sank into my hooves, and uncontrollable trembling seized my limbs. I stomped my hooves on the cobblestone pavement a few times and bit my lower lip, trying to bring myself to my senses. A few seconds later, I managed to pull myself together just a little and rein in my fear. Ursa Minor roared deafeningly and rushed across the square toward Snips and Snails, catching up to them and crushing every building in its path. Fortunately, they were already empty, so no one was hurt. While I was thinking about how to distract the bear, Trixie unexpectedly crashed into my right side and fell onto her back, her squeaky voice noticeably distracting me. — Why you little!.. Out of the wa... The mare faltered mid-sentence when she saw who she had crashed into. She immediately screamed in fright and recoiled from me, instantly getting up and running away. «Bullshitter! Just as expected» I involuntarily rolled my eyes and pulled out my daggers with telekinesis, holding them at my sides. I took a lungful of air and yelled at the Ursa with all my might: — Fat beast! — I stomped my hooves sharply. — I'm talking to you, you starry ass! The bear growled in response but seemed to pay no attention, continuing to chase the colts. Finding no other way out, I grabbed a wooden table near a cafe with telekinesis and hurled it straight at the bear. Taking a hit to the head, it finally got distracted from the chase and slowly turned its head toward me. Its eyes filled with blood in a fit of rage. I gulped nervously, realizing what was about to happen. «Okay, part of the plan executed. Only, can I actually do anything to it, huh?» I lacked a clear plan of action. Yes, on paper I should be able to take it down somehow, but in practice, this turned out to be not such a trivial task. «What could I do to it? Surely dagger strikes will seem like tickles to it. Maybe just run and distract it until the Six comes up with a plan to neutralize it?» While I was figuring it out, the bear charged at me in a straight line, quickly closing the distance and smashing house walls. Before I could blink, it swung its paw and was about to hit me. At the last moment, I managed to jump back and strike its right paw with a dagger, driving it up to the hilt into the bluish flesh. The Ursa roared furiously and tried to hit me again, but I nimbly dodged to the side and squinted, retrieving the dagger with telekinesis and assessing the results of the attack. However, I saw an extremely unpleasant picture: the wound left by the deep cut healed literally before my eyes, leaving no trace, not even blood. «Holy shit!» — I growled in frustration and sheathed the daggers. — «Alright, plan changes! I'll try to knock it out the old-fashioned way» The same ill-fated table I used before went into action again. The bear swung again, but a crushing blow to the head forced it to stagger back for a second. Despite this, the starry beast didn't even think of retreating, and I decided to rain down blows one after another. But at one fine moment, the wood cracked, and the table split in two, leaving me without a weapon. The Ursa immediately took advantage of the respite and sharply struck me in the side with its paw, throwing me into the wall of the house opposite. «Fuck!» — I cursed internally, quickly getting up from the ground, feeling severe pain in the right side of my body. — «Why are you so fast! Take this!» I didn't expect the Ursa to possess such amazing attack speed. Even my reaction acceleration didn't work. «Looks like I severely underestimated it. Maybe run while there's still a chance?» Suddenly, the voice of one of the colts who lured the bear into town was heard at the edge of the square. He was shouting loudly about something and telling his friend, which couldn't go unnoticed. The Ursa and I simultaneously turned our attention to the colt. Snips, meeting our gaze, screamed and ran away, but his buddy Snails was seized by true horror, and he remained standing, unable to move. — Run! — I shouted to him, simultaneously throwing a wardrobe that came under my hooves toward the Ursa. The enraged bear swatted the object aside with its paw, and it was now flying toward Snails. «Damn it!» — Realizing what I'd done, I cursed, rushing to intercept the wardrobe. I wouldn't make it in time to deflect the object, and the only thing I had time to think about was how unicorns could create a shield around themselves for protection. I had seen something similar in the barracks during training, but it was rare. I hadn't had the opportunity to learn it, let alone apply it in practice, which I now regretted. However, remembering the psionic waves I used to scatter parasprites, I decided to use that. As if by intuition, I concentrated the energy between Snails and the wardrobe flying at him. A translucent purple dome appeared around the colt, and the wardrobe smashed against it, shattering. From the impact, I felt a sharp pain in my head, causing me to scream and roll on the ground, covering my head with my forelimbs. «Fuck! Why does it hurt so much! Bitch!» The pain was so intense I had to squeeze my eyes shut. It was as if I'd been hit in the head, not the shield. Like a drill boring into my skull. All I could do was roll on the ground and scream in pain. «This has never happened to me before!» — Flashed through my mind. — «It was a mistake, a mistake to try forming a shield at all!» At some point, I stopped screaming, and the pain faded for a moment. It seemed I had lost consciousness from the pain. When I decided to try opening my eyes, my vision was so blurred I couldn't see past the tip of my nose. Suddenly, I heard a loud growl next to me, feeling someone's hot breath on my coat. It wasn't hard to guess that the bear had taken advantage of my weakness, getting close. It pinned me sharply to the ground with its massive paw, then grabbed me with its claws and started bashing me like a toy. «That hurts, bitch!» — I cursed internally, feeling the integrity of my bones holding on by a thread. — «LET GO!» My whole body cracked, blood came out of my mouth, and my body went numb. On top of that, the headache didn't even plan on retreating. In desperation, I tried to telekinetically snatch one of the daggers at my side and plunge it into the bear anywhere I could. My head was splitting from unbearable pain, so I struck blindly. I managed to stick the dagger into the Ursa's upper jaw just as it opened its mouth to bite my exhausted body in half. The star bear roared loudly and staggered, then threw me somewhere far away. I heard only the whistling of wind in my ears and gusts of air in my mane. And in the next instant, water enveloped me. «Drowning is the last thing I need!» — I snorted mentally and, tightly clamping my mouth shut, tried to surface. My body refused to obey, air in my lungs was running out, and I started letting bubbles out toward the surface. Unable to cope with the urge to breathe, I began to choke. But unexpectedly, something grabbed me and immediately threw me onto the shore with a light pop. Finding myself on the bank, I began convulsively gasping for air, coughing. — Stevrian, are you okay? — A familiar female voice asked me. Through the veil of pain, I was able to see a purple silhouette in front of me and guessed that Twilight Sparkle had just saved me by teleporting me out of the water. Her friends stood next to her, looking at me with concern. — Yeah, I'm fine, — I decided to lie, coming to my senses little by little. It was unlikely I could continue fighting the Ursa in this state, but my condition didn't seem critical at first glance. But that didn't add any confidence. — Faster! — I heard Applejack's voice. — We have to save Ponyville! Stevrian, stay here, we'll help you once we deal with the Ursa. I nodded, and the Six headed into Ponyville. «What strength», — I thought, slowly getting to my feet. — «That must be exactly what my intuition was screaming about. The Ursa is even more dangerous than in canon. I don't even want to think about what could have happened if I hadn't warned Spike». I looked in the direction the ponies went and, limping, decided to follow them to see the outcome. Upon arriving in town, I noticed that Twilight had already managed to knock the bear out somehow. It lay on the ground right in the center of the town square, surrounded by all the town residents. — So, what are we gonna do with this carcass? — Asked Spike, standing next to Twilight. — Is it dead? — Someone from the crowd asked. — No, — The unicorn shook her head. — She's just sleeping. Wore herself out, poor thing. — Where did this destruction come from? — Rainbow Dash scratched her head with a hoof. — We just got here. It's like a battle raged here. — So what do we do with the bear? — Rarity asked, looking at her friends. — Leave her to sleep it off here? — No, — Twilight answered decisively and shook her head. — I know what to do with her, but first, someone needs to name the place where she was found. Dead silence fell. Snips timidly stepped out of the crowd, and swallowing hard, quietly replied: — Not far from the entrance to the Everwild, specifically from the side of that part of town, — The colt pointed in the direction where the parasprites had been chased a few days earlier. — There's a cave there. That's exactly where she was. — Thanks, — Twilight replied and turned to the Ursa Minor, lighting up her horn with magic. However, it didn't respond. The mare tried again and again, but nothing happened. Finally, after a minute of tense attempts to do something, Twilight cried out sharply, and the Ursa Minor vanished in a flash of teleportation. The unicorn herself could barely stay on her feet. Her friends actively supported her so she wouldn't fall. Seeing this, the crowd exploded with thunderous stomping, applauding their savior. At that time, Applejack walked up to me and offered her strong shoulder. — Let's get you to the hospital. Lean on me. You need medical help! — I'm fine, I can walk myself, — I started to answer, but felt a sudden wave of nausea, and my vision went sharply dark. I didn't have time to say or do anything before I felt myself losing my balance, and a foggy haze veiled my eyes: I lost consciousness right there on the street.

***

— Wake up, Stevrian! Come on, wake up! — A familiar voice pleaded. — In the name of science, please! I struggled to open my eyelids and, through the haze, managed to make out a dark blue silhouette sitting close to me. «Luna?» — I tried to think straight. My thoughts were a mess, but I could tell I wasn't lying on the bare ground anymore; I was resting on something soft. I blinked the sleep away and took a closer look: Princess Luna really was sitting right across from me, her muzzle looking sad and tear-stained. But she broke into a smile when her eyes met mine. — What happened? — Was all I could manage to force out. As soon as I said it, I squeezed my eyes shut and groaned, hit by a fresh wave of a headache. — Here, — The princess said, bringing a small vial of white liquid to my lips. — This will help you recover. — Is this a painkiller? — I croaked, wrapping my lips around the rim of the vial. — Better, — The nighttime alicorn offered a strained smile. — I grabbed this from my sister's stash. It's an ancient remedy, but it works wonders, even for ailments like this. «Wow! I didn't think she'd go that far for me. Here's hoping it does the trick» I was surprised by Luna's words, but I drank the liquid from the vial anyway. «That says a lot about Luna and just how much she values me» The healing potion turned out to be completely tasteless and thick, almost like syrup, but I didn't ask any questions and just drank until I'd downed every last drop. — Where am I? — I asked once I started feeling some relief. The headache was slowly beginning to fade, which was a welcome change. — You're in the hospital, — Luna replied calmly, though she winced a little. — When I flew into Ponyville, I found you lying in the street in a puddle of blood and vomit, with the Elements of Harmony running around you in an absolute panic. I helped bring you to the hospital. So, what exactly happened to you? I closed my eyes, trying to figure out how to explain my entire fight with the Ursa Minor to the princess. But my brain was still foggy, and I couldn't come up with an answer. I recalled my battle with the Ursa. All my moves and strikes. Replaying the fight in my head one more time, I came to the conclusion that the headache might have been the result of the wardrobe smashing into my magical barrier. — Wardrobe... — I dragged out the words, trying hard to force them out. — Shield... pain... Luna seemed to understand. Letting out a heavy sigh, she shook her head. — I'll definitely find out what happened, — The alicorn turned her head toward the door and signaled to the festral in the Moon Guard uniform standing there, — Frost, leave us alone. Don't let anyone in here. — Aye, Your Highness! — The mare snapped, and I heard the door close softly. — And you, rest, — The Princess of the Night said, turning back to me. — Try to get some sleep and regain your strength. You'll need it. I've prepared something for you. — What is it? — I asked, raising an «eyebrow» in mild surprise. — Information that will help you. You'll find out soon. With those words she left, leaving me alone with my thoughts. «I wonder what she's talking about» I lay there for a while with my eyes closed, trying to drift off. «I underestimated the Ursa. She could have actually killed me! And that was just a Minor! It's terrifying to imagine how powerful an Ursa Major would be. I don't even want to think about it» While I was lost in thought, I heard a scuffle outside the door, followed by the loud voice of the night guard: — I can't let you in, dragon, — Frost said sternly, trying to keep someone out. — It's the mistress's orders! — What mistress? — The visitor protested, whose voice I instantly recognized as Spike's. — Princess Luna, or what? — Yes, it's her order. — I have to see my friend! — The lizard insisted. — Maybe he needs my help! — I said no! — At that, a dull thud and the dragon's groan came from behind the closed door. — Try to get through one more time and I'll tie your tail around your neck. Do you understand? Her question went unanswered, but she immediately added: — Now get out of here, dragon! I wanted to get up and threaten the festral to make her back off, but the commotion died down instantly, plus I still couldn't walk right. «Dammit. She beat Spike. I'll have to let her know I'm not happy with what she did when Luna gets back» Snorting in annoyance, I leaned back against the pillow and closed my eyes again. Since I needed rest, the logical thing to do was take advantage of the quiet and finally go to sleep.

***

I spent several days in the hospital. Luna still hadn't shown up, though the Six had been asking about my condition. With each passing morning, I felt better, and by the end of the third day I could already walk normally again. The headache had almost gone away. But they weren't in any hurry to discharge me, saying I'd taken a serious beating. Despite all my protests, the doctors were adamant, and all I could do was put up with another couple of days. I soon found out that Gilda, a familiar griffin, was lying here, or rather in the next room. I decided to stop by and check on her for fun. I slowly approached the half-closed door to her room and knocked softly with my hoof. — Come in! — Gilda shouted from inside, and I opened the door and peeked in. The room looked exactly like mine, with only one difference: beside the bed she was lying on stood a large dresser that, apparently, held Gilda's personal belongings. — Oh, look who’s dropped by! — The griffin said sarcastically, clicking her beak venomously. — What? Did you come to make fun of my helplessness? — More like I came to visit, — I sighed, shaking my head. — I'm the one lying here. I seem to recall I gave you quite a beating. I'm curious to know if you're in good health. — Yeah, I heard, — She snorted contemptuously. — Don't you have anything better to do, you pathetic pony? «I see your way of talking hasn't changed. Still just as venomous and contemptuous of everyone» — I brought something, — I said, deciding to ignore her tone. I pulled a nice, juicy hunk of meat out of my bag and showed it to the griffin. The lunar guards had given it to me for breakfast that morning, but I hadn't touched it because I had no appetite. I didn't know exactly what had prompted such generosity from me, but I'd decided I wanted to get to know Gilda better and, if possible, get along with her. I carefully set the meat on the plate beside her bed and stepped back, giving her an inviting nod. — Eat. And figuratively speaking, I'm not exactly a pony. Gilda's eyes widened in surprise. — Then what are you? — She asked, shifting her gaze from me to the meat. — Half-dragon. And I'm not from around here. Gilda clicked her beak again and frowned, looking me over from hoof to ears. — You kidding, big guy? — Nope, — I said, shaking my head and meeting her eyes. — Besides, I grew up among you, among the griffins. For a moment I faltered, once again catching myself talking a little too confidently about things that weren't true. But since I'd already decided to play the part, I pretended my throat had just gotten scratchy and I needed to clear it. That seemed to sober Gilda up, though. Her eyes widened, and she smiled — well, it was hard to tell because birds didn't have much facial expressiveness. — Ha! — She finally said, rustling her wings. — If that's true, then at least somebody around here isn't a loser. Well, except for Dash, of course! «If you're going to lie, lie all the way. Hopefully she won't ask any tricky questions, because I definitely don't have answers for all of them» Not wanting to blow my cover story, I decided to steer the conversation in another direction before the griffon fully came to her senses. — This whole situation... — Yeah, yeah, it's stupid, I know, — Gilda cut me off with a frown. — The yellow one got on my nerves, but I went too far and acted in a way no griffin should. — You attacked first without even trying to challenge her to a duel, — I said, looking Gilda straight in the eyes. I'd read about the rules of issuing a challenge in a book about griffins, so I knew what I was talking about. And that seemed to calm her down a little. — Yeah, I lost my temper, — Said Gilda, lowering her head, and then she simply turned away from me. «Honor and martial skill are extremely important to griffins, even to those who don't worship Arcturius. What Gilda did was as dishonorable as it gets» I didn't blame her anymore, and I wasn't angry, though there was still a bitter residue deep down. — But even if I had challenged her, I wouldn't have wanted to dirty my claws on that pathetic little creature that pissed me off, — Gilda continued, now more calmly and rationally. — What the hell was I thinking back then? — It wasn't exactly right on my part to insult you and your relative either, — I said in response, but Gilda raised her bird paw, cutting me off. — No, it's true, — The griffin said, looking at me again. — I want to tell you something. But you have to promise this conversation doesn't leave this room. I quietly closed the door to the room and, after making sure no one could overhear us, nodded. — I swear on my honor, — I said, pressing a hoof to my chest before lowering it again. Gilda looked first at me, then at the door, and nodded. — So, — She began with a sigh, — I really am getting beaten because I don't go to the Church of Boreas. I let out a surprised little chuckle. «Boreas, huh? Interesting» As far as I remember, this is the god of wealth and domination. The priests of this god only trained griffins of noble origin, which meant that Gilda was from a noble family. — Are you being trained as a ruler? — I immediately asked a leading question. — I am the granddaughter of an earl, and my family is by no means the last of the nobles of the Griffonian Empire, — The interlocutor sighed heavily, — So yes, I am being trained to rule the rabble. «Now that's news. Not only did I hit a weak spot, I also guessed what was going on in her life. Interesting, very interesting» I gave a silent mental whistle, though outwardly I didn't show any sign of surprise. — But I don't want to do that, — Gilda said, clenching the fists of her four-clawed forepaws. — I just want to live my own life and pray to Boreas in peace, not listen to those dreary sermons about obeying the gods. «Oddly enough, I can understand her there» Unexpectedly, I began to realize that I was starting to feel a certain sympathy for the griffin. — Yeah, what they did to you was cruel, — I agreed, sitting down on the floor across from Gilda. When I noticed her head feathers bristle, I instinctively leaned back a little. — Cruel?! — She exclaimed indignantly. — That's putting it mildly! When your own decrepit uncle beats you like some hatchling, even though I'm already a grown griffin, fully of age! It's humiliating! — What about the rest of your family? — That's just it — there's no one left but my uncle, and he's a real monster! — The griffin snarled, spitting on the floor and clicking her beak angrily. All I could do was sigh and shake my head in dismay. — Maybe you should run away from him. — I tried, but they caught me and beat me again, — Gilda growled out and turned away from me. A tear of sadness and resentment ran along her beak, but she immediately wiped it away with her wing, pretending she just wanted to scratch her face. — I see, — Was all I managed, not knowing what else to say. — Maybe eat the meat and take your mind off the bad memories? — Oh, gladly! — The griffin gave a faint little «smile». — Won't it bother you how I eat it? Instead of answering, I just smiled and showed her my teeth, with my prominent fangs. — Heh, — She grunted. — Should've done that from the start! Gilda dug into the meat with obvious pleasure, as if she hadn't had any in ages. But even so, she delicately cut pieces off the slab with a knife she took from the nightstand. Despite her seemingly wild nature, she kept her aristocratic manners, which pleasantly surprised me. — The food here is fucking garbage, — The griffin swore when she finished eating. — But this meat is amazing. Where'd you get it? — From the castle, — I said with an indifferent shrug. — What, did you steal it? — They brought it to me themselves, — I explained. — I'm one of the very few in this country who eat meat, so they bring me some sometimes. Gilda smirked in response. — Really? I don't believe it's that simple. There's more to it, right? Ponies don't seem too fond of half-breeds like you. — Well... — I hesitated, glancing away for a couple of moments. — Maybe because the younger princess owes me her life. — You could use that, — She noted, setting the empty plate aside. — Maybe, but she does it willingly, — I said, glancing at the portrait of Celestia on the wall, which of course was hanging here too I let out an irritated huff and looked back at Gilda. — And after getting to know her better, I really don't want to shamelessly take advantage of her trust. — What's with her? — The griffin asked, lying back down on the bed and looking at me. For a second I thought about whether it was wise to talk to her about the princess. «Should I or shouldn't I? We don't know each other that well, but on the other hand, there's nothing wrong with it. All right, I'll tell her!» — Imagine being left completely alone, with no way to even call out to anyone, — I said seriously. — Now add a lifeless world, absolute silence, constant cold, and darkness. Got that? Now multiply it by a thousand years, and you'll understand what she went through. — Oh, — Gilda said, lowering her head as she took in what I'd said. — I take back what I told my pegasus friend — that mare is badass if she managed to survive that. I scratched my cheek thoughtfully. «Did Rainbow really try to justify Luna to Gilda? Now that's interesting. I'll have to tell the Princess of the Night somehow when I get the chance» — I think now you understand that not all ponies are losers, — I added with a smirk. — Yeah, — Gilda agreed, then looked at Celestia's portrait and pointed at it, — But some of them especially suck. — You mean Celestia? — Who else? — She spread her claws. — Every griffin in the Empire despises her for her softness and lack of backbone. I merely smirked. «So I'm not the only one who doesn't like Celestia? At least we agree on something» On the one hand, it felt good to know that someone understood me. On the other hand, something told me I was being too harsh on the older alicorn. I didn't like that split feeling, but there was nothing I could do about it. Still, I wasn't in a hurry to show how much I agreed with Gilda's words, so I simply asked: — And what exactly does that softness amount to? — You haven't been in this country very long, have you? — Gilda guessed, sitting up on the bed again and stretching her wings as if loosening them. — You could say that, — I nodded with a frown. — Her whole philosophy of harmony and friendship magic seems like utter bullshit to any sane creature, — My companion said with a smile, not bothering to hold back on the profanity. — I think so too. — Hm, — I thought aloud, looking off to the side and upward. — I was also told that friendship really is a separate school of magic... — Who fed you that bullshit? — The griffin asked with a smirk. — Celestia's student, Twilight Sparkle, — I said, looking back at Gilda. — The very one you almost strangled. She's as naive as a child, though, in fairness, she basically is one — she's only seventeen. — Yeah, she's an idiot, — The griffin said, lightly scratching the armrest of the bed with her claws. — Going after someone who's obviously bigger and stronger than you is completely insane. What the hell was she thinking? — No idea, but on top of that she sincerely believes any conflict can be solved through friendship and talking... I couldn't finish. Gilda burst out laughing, clutching her stomach, and if not for the armrests she'd managed to grab, she would've fallen right off the bed. — Seriously? — Gilda wheezed out after finally catching her breath, covering herself with one wing. — Dead serious, — I said with a shrug and a slight smile, holding back laughter as I watched the griffin openly laugh herself to tears. — Holy fucking shit, — She swore through tears and laughter. — What an idiot! I have never heard such nonsense in my life! Gilda wiped the tears from her eyes with a claw and gradually stopped laughing. — Thanks. I haven't laughed like that in a long time. Twilight is definitely the worst out of the whole bunch. What other nonsense has she been spewing? — None so far, — I lied, remembering how she'd tried to make me write «friendship letters». A creeping feeling told me I'd forgotten something. Then I remembered that we hadn't even introduced ourselves, and I decided to fix that. — By the way, we never even got around to introducing ourselves. — Oh, right! — Gilda smacked herself on the forehead. — I'm Gilda. Just Gilda. As she said that, she clenched her right foreclaw into a fist and held it out. — Stevrian Anlas, — I said, lightly bumping her fist with my hoof so I wouldn't put too much force into it. — But you can just call me Stevrian. — Nice to meet you, — She said with satisfaction, clicking her beak. — Listen, I stole a bottle of wine from the nurses. With that, the griffin pulled a bottle and two glasses out of the nightstand. — You want some? I'd never drunk alcohol before, because with my seizure disorder it had been dangerous. At least back on Earth. On the other hand, now I had a different, healthier body, and it looked like ordinary wine. After hesitating for a moment, I finally decided: — Sure, — I answered eagerly, moving closer. I didn't ask how she'd managed to steal alcohol right from under the hospital staff's noses. Gilda kept surprising me more and more with her behavior. By then, the griffin had already taken out two wineglasses and poured the wine. She took one in her claw, while I pulled the other one over with telekinesis and sniffed it. It smelled pleasantly of strawberries. — Well then, here's to getting acquainted! — The griffin said, raising her glass. — To friendship, — I said, and after a second's pause I decided to add, — The kind that isn't magic! Clink!