The Prophecy

I found the next day in a daze. The events that had happened to me lately seemed so incredible that my brain refused to take them seriously. «What a crazy dream I had, as if I was entering the world of MLP, fighting with Nightmare Moon and…». The dream was suddenly lifted, as if by hand. The veil lifted, and the barracks room with neatly arranged rows of beds appeared before my eyes. The barracks was decorated in a Spartan way: dark brick walls, a white flat floor and a ceiling exactly the same indistinguishable from it. The beds were neatly made with military precision and looked quite modern, except that they were slightly different from the human ones I was used to: they were wider, and there was no backrest where a tired serviceman stretched his legs after the command "Hang up!". And somewhere outside the window, the evening sun was breaking through, falling on me. «So I didn't dream about it...», — I summed up, leaning back on the pillow with a quiet groan, — «How did I get here at all, being in the form of a pony... I remember as if everything was in a fog. Was I brought here or did I get here on my own? How many things have happened...» I tried to remember the events of yesterday, or more precisely — the night: the transformation, the chase, the fights, the pain… And then, in the end, I was turned into a unicorn in order to disguise the dragon as an Equestrian. I gasped softly again and turned on my side. At least no one bothered me now. Although I did not serve in the army, a friend told me what it was like to serve there. Fuss, shouting, orders… And here I didn't even hear the usual noise for army barracks — apparently everyone was on exercises or was already running errands. Now no one was standing over my soul and urging me on, so I was able to explore everything calmly: there were several windows in the room, between which there were racks with swords and spears, and there was a large closet with household items against the wall. I noticed that the handles of the weapon had an unusual shape, with bite marks, as well as a small protrusion on the side. It seemed as if this weapon was being held with teeth. In general, the barracks is like a barracks. And I was already getting bored of being in it, which is why not very pleasant thoughts began to get into my head. «And what should I do? No one who was dear to me is here anymore. No one will help, no one will tell you… Am I doomed to vegetate here far from my family and friends?» The realization of this fact made my heart very heavy. I wanted to see those whom I cherished and who supported me all these years, because here I was all alone and almost no one needed me. Tears rolled into my eyes. I sobbed a little, trying to hold back the feeling of grief, but I couldn't stop crying. I could only bury my nose in the pillow and cry softly but bitterly. For all its advantages, getting into another body and the world is, first of all, loss and separation from loved ones, and this is very difficult to accept. «We need to get a grip on ourselves. None of them would want me to grieve from this. It's one thing to suffer from physical pain, and another from moral pain», — After a few minutes of despair, I decided to grab an inner moral core and calm down. It didn't work out well at first, but at least I stopped crying, and now I just lay there, occasionally sobbing. And then my body responded with a sharp pain, so I wanted to hiss from it, but only a wheezing sound escaped from my throat. «I was seriously battered. I probably won't even be able to get up right now. I hope that I will recover at least in a couple of days», — I patted my eyes and sighed a few more times, and began to console myself with hopes. But after a minute I had to stop and prick up my ears: along the corridor that led to the sleeping quarters of the barracks, someone was very quietly clacking hooves. I've been here more than once. Less than a couple of moments later, a unicorn stallion with blue fur and a bright green mane entered the room. He glanced around the room briefly and then fixed his gaze on me, turning: — How did you sleep, dragon? — He asked, standing near the exit from the bedroom, in order to quickly retreat in case of something. It seemed that he was already aware of what was happening, but judging by his reaction, he was afraid of me. I noticed his dark purple eyes, which for some reason attracted me for a couple of seconds, as if mesmerizing me, not allowing me to say a word for several moments. I could barely take my eyes off the stallion and answer: — I just passed out like a dead man, and I was cold, — I answered honestly, shaking my head, — How long did I sleep? — Sixteen hours, no less, — He said. «How much?! I've been lying here for almost a day and no one has woken me up?! I got a lot on my first day in Equestria. Hopefully, at least without consequences in the form of intractable injuries. For now, I can only be content with the company of a single soldier. It's not much, but what can you do? Should I try to ask him something?». — I have one question, — Groaning slightly, I decided to at least get up on the bed and sit down, because I was lying on my side, and my body was numb in this position. The attempt was unsuccessful. The interlocutor tilted his head slightly, raising his ears: — Yes? — And why do your comrades speak one language or another? — Finally, sitting down on the creaking bed, I said, remembering how the dialogues took place in the palace. — Ah, it's all a whim of Mistress Celestia, — The guardsman looked away and sighed, — To be honest, I don't know why all this is, but I'm just an ordinary guardsman, and I have no right to ask questions. — Somehow everything here is strange with the language of communication ... — I replied in perplexity, slightly flexing my limbs and bending them a little. — Do you dragons have your own army to judge? — The blue unicorn asked curiously in response, a little emboldened, but still looking away from me timidly. — I'm not from the Dragon Islands, — I shrugged. The interlocutor opened his mouth a little in surprise. — Then where did you come from? — I'm afraid I can't say that, — I said with a sigh and shook my head. «And indeed: do not tell the first person you meet: Ehey. I'm a popadanets, guess what? Yesterday I ate my mother's borscht, and today I'm a cloven-hoofed animal with a thing on my forehead that helps to create magic. Cool, right?» However, the guardsman turned out to be persistent and did not want to let up in any way. — Why? — He asked suddenly. — I don't trust you yet, and neither do all the ponies, — I replied sincerely, trying to say the expression that was popular in the fandom on Earth. I've heard it on the Internet. — To everyone? — Yes, — I nodded affirmatively, and then returned to the previous topic, — By the way, in what cases do you need to use Equestrian? I decided to put special emphasis on the word «need», because I wanted to get the most comprehensive answer to my question. — Solely on duty, — Was the reply, — The rest of the time we can speak any language we want. But the most popular now is the New Equestrian, which some ponies from Stalliongrad came up with two hundred years ago. He snorted in displeasure, expressing his attitude to this, and I thought about it. «So there is a city of Russian ponies here? If there were brony here, they would have received a «loss of worldview», as the same Mikhail Zadornov said, the earth was glassy to him». — I have never seen such tyranny in my life, although I have seen a lot ... — I drawled with a gloomy expression on my face. — That's not the right word, — The interlocutor said, stamping his front foot, — Sometimes the princess surprises me and not in the best way. But she is still motherly kind and tries to take care of each of us. — He's trying, yeah? But really? — I narrowed my eyes suspiciously, assuming that the guardsman has «Stockholm syndrome», since he is trying to justify Celestia, even if he subconsciously does not love her. — It doesn't seem very good, — The stallion answered honestly, straining a little, but then sighing heavily, — Sometimes the laws are frankly not in favor of the people. Because of one of them. Honestly, I don't remember its name. My parents almost lost their homes because of other people's debts. «That's what I thought. It seems that this mare is not as beautiful as she is painted. We need to dig further. And for some reason it doesn't surprise me». — It's interesting that you confessed to it so quickly. It turns out… Do you trust me already? — I asked, raising my ears a little, looking into the other's eyes. — Well... — The soldier hesitated, — They just tell us one thing about dragons, but I'm talking to you now and I see something completely different. — And what do they tell you? — That dragons are bad, and your kind likes to bring us pain, moral and physical suffering, as well as steal valuable things, — Pony finally confessed, guiltily lowering his gaze. «Is it that bad? Isn't that how much you have to abandon the situation with them so that the ponies think that way about the local dragons? We'll have to find out more about it», — I thought, analyzing the information I received. — And what do you think about it? — I do not know what to think, — The guardsman replied, a little confused. — I prefer to trust my experience and gut rather than foal sayings, — He finished his thought. «Well, at least someone here is a sane stud, and not an illiterate hillbilly… Although, judging by Applejack, you can't exactly call her stupid, but the lack of education would not hurt her to level out, having received at least a normal education. If, of course, her character corresponds to the canonical one… And if not, we'll see as we go along. The main thing is that I am not forcibly taken to the Six to «learn friendship», otherwise I will definitely run away from here» — I chuckled, realizing that there was still such a possibility. Forcibly imposing a company, ugh. My heart feels that I will have to fight off Pinkie Pie for a long time, knowing her persistence in this regard. The guardsman shifted from one foot to the other, adding: — Here I look at you — you seem to be quite good. Maybe the dragons from the islands are bad, but those who grew up and lived away from them are quite pleasant personalities. Like, for example, Spike. — It's unlikely, — I shook my head, with a sad sigh remembering the canonical dragons from the animated series, — Most likely, we are the only ones like that. — Come on, — The interlocutor smiled slightly, as if wanting to cheer me up, — don't be such a bugger, otherwise I already have enough of our sergeant. I nodded, but at that moment my stomach suddenly cramped with hunger. I clearly felt my stomach literally curl up into a bagel, desperately demanding food. It seems that the biological needs that must be met by every living being are already reminding themselves. «How long did I sleep? Almost a day. No wonder I'm hungry — I haven't even had the opportunity to taste the local food here». — I'm sorry, but where can I get something to eat, because I haven't eaten for a long time... — I started moving my head from side to side, as if I wanted to find something to eat right here. But, of course, looking for food in the barracks — was a doomed idea. The guardsman smiled slightly. — In the common dining room, you can just be offered a lot of food from… — No, you don't understand, — I stopped him, raising a hoof up, — I need something meat. After my words, the blue stallion backed away in fright, trembling all over. — Meat? Don't dragons eat precious stones? — He asked cautiously and breathlessly. — I'm not,— I concluded glumly. «I can't imagine gnawing on an emerald with my teeth. And it's quite obvious that my biology is different from that of the local dragons. I'm not a local, I'm a popadanets. But meat will satisfy my hunger, but I'm unlikely to be able to get enough of apples and fruits alone. So. Stop… Do ponies eat meat? Won't it turn me inside out if I try to bite off a piece of meat flesh? Maybe I shouldn't have decided to cut from the shoulder so immediately? Maybe it's better to limit yourself to plant foods for the first time?». The stallion was clearly nervous. I've just noticed that I can see his aura, so to speak. It seems to envelop his body around, passing over its entire surface, pulsating easily either in time with the beat of his heart, or from some unknown reason to me. And now she began to distort her shape a little, pulsating more strongly under the influence of his emotions. — Um... — The stallion went to the door, falling to the floor in fear, — You look like you want to devour me… — Eat it? — I asked, perplexed, — No, I don't eat intelligent creatures. This will not affect my reputation in the best way. Although, it's much worse if your «princess» only keeps me here because of her younger sister. — Okay, — the stallion drawled slowly, calming down a little, — I'm glad you don't want to eat me. And as for the meat: recently, Her Highness bought a large batch of fish, but for what purpose is unknown. Maybe I can help you. I nodded again, and the guardsman visibly relaxed and sat back on his rump. But soon he tilted his head in interest, turning the conversation in a different direction: — And what happened in the palace there? I heard from White that you and Nightmare Moon had a battle, but I'd like to hear firsthand about it. «Hmm... He found a storyteller in me, and I found a listener in him… It is peculiar, considering the fact that I have never aspired to someone else's company. Rather, on the contrary, I shunned him. Maybe I should at least pretend that people around me are really interested in something? But I will force myself to do everything by force again… Oh, come on, I wasn't!». Having made a choice in favor of continuing the conversation, I decided to share my impressions of that night with him. — Yes... it was quite a mess, — I grinned maliciously, — If we don't go into special details, then our battle began immediately from the moment when Princess Celestia wanted to leave for the holiday, leaving me under the supervision of about a dozen guards… I looked around at the empty beds, thinking about those guards who caught what was happening that night. The stallion, in turn, listened to me very attentively, afraid to miss even a word. — ...But at that moment, a pitch black night mare burst through the window into the throne room, knocked Celestia off her feet and deafened everyone nearby with a scream. Only I could resist, — I grinned with pride, — While she was trying to do something obviously bad to the sunny mare, I couldn't think of anything better than to throw a helmet at her... I missed, but I was able to distract her attention. She then switched to me, and I decided to consolidate the effect with a couple of strong words, which, however, Nightmare did not understand. It was more than enough for me to knock her down, but only — Here I paused for a moment, and then finished on a slightly ironic note, — I stumbled myself. The blue stallion was silent for a few seconds, and then burst into loud neighing, clearly not expecting such a denouement. However, he calmed down quickly, and I was able to continue: — She didn't like it, and cursing, she decided to ram me with her carcass or pierce me with a horn in response. However, it didn't help her much, because I was able to grab her by the neck and hit the floor with all my might, — My interlocutor rolled his eyes, and I made a gesture with my foot, as if I were performing this technique right now, — Yes, but it was a bad idea, because I almost broke the wrist of my left paw. After that, she kicked me in the face with her hind legs, if I remember correctly, and decided to trample me, but somehow I managed to avoid it. I assumed a thoughtful look for added drama and then changed the intonation of my speech to a more sinister one: — In the end, she finally got to me and began to inflict brutal hoof strikes on my right shoulder. When it became very painful for me, I released all the accumulated anger and hit her so that she flew away a few steps — I smiled bloodthirstily while my interlocutor became more animated. — You should have seen her wound! After that, they become disabled! But the dark essence in the mare's body instantly healed her, as if she had never existed. I sat on the croup and spread my front legs apart, describing the scale of the situation with a gesture. I think I'm a really good storyteller — that's how he listened to me. He doesn't even risk interrupting and asking. Only now did the guardsman open his mouth to ask: — White said she was strangling you, — He reminded me when I paused for a long time, — Is that true? Then why did Nightmare run away after that? I thought about it for a second. Is it worth sharing what actually happened then? — To be honest or reassuring? — I offered him a choice. — Tell me honestly! Out of old habit, I looked around, although there was no point in doing so, because we were alone in the room anyway, and then quietly added: — Celestia thinks I'm a dark magician, — I answered honestly, making an emotionless face, — And that's why I was able to resist her. The young guard opened his mouth in disbelief. — Really? — He asked. — Yes, — I sighed, — That's what she said. In plain text. There was an awkward silence between us, during which we only looked into each other's eyes. Perhaps it would have continued further if my stomach hadn't been cramped from hunger again. And I snorted with displeasure at this, wincing. — Maybe you can show me where your dining room is? — I finally couldn't stand it, — I don't know anything or anyone here, I might get lost. — It's unlikely, — He waved away, — There are not so many rooms and corridors here — you won't get lost. — Then will you show me? — Getting out of bed carefully, I said, grunting from the pain in my back, — By the way, what's your name? The young stallion depicted a natural «facehoof», putting a hoof to his forehead, remembering that he still had not even introduced himself. — I'm a fool. My name is Dark Star, and you? — He held out a hoof to me. I looked blankly at his gesture, trying to remember how to greet new acquaintances. But then he realized and lightly hit his hoof with his own, answering: — Stevrian. Stevrian Anlas. We left the sleeping area, and he immediately led me down a corridor that went somewhere to the left. It was still unusual for me to move on my feet with missing toes, and therefore I constantly fell sideways, almost falling. Sometimes my body also gave off pain after everything that had happened to me earlier, forcing me to stop and breathe heavily. — Can I help you, Stevrian? — Seeing my ridiculous attempts to move around in a new body for myself, Dark asked. — It's okay, honestly, — I assured him, wheezing, — I just haven't gotten used to the body yet after the transformation. The guardsman shrugged his shoulders, and we moved on. We were silent for a while, and I looked around the corridor in the process of moving. There were various inscriptions and signs on the walls and doors, but I couldn't make them out corny, which made me seriously uneasy. It turned out strangely: I understood the speech of the Equestrians well, but their writing was perceived as a set of bizarre squiggles and runes. I expected to be able to understand their alphabet. «That's another incentive to learn to read and write like a local. And you also need to take into account the fact that they have more than one language. You need to get acquainted with history, geography, biology, anatomy, and also get knowledge of at least one or two more languages somewhere, since the local analogues of English in its two versions are extremely similar to each other», — I reflected. But I still don't even imagine how you can catch up in a short time. I'm unlikely to be allowed to go to school with everyone else. Maybe you should ask where the nearest library is located? I have not really liked books in my life, to be honest, but if there is no other choice to gain knowledge, then I will have to take up literature. I was interrupted from my thoughts by an accompanying guardsman: — Can I ask an indiscreet question? — Ask me, — I answered, almost stumbling once again. — How old are you? — The stallion immediately smiled guiltily, — Don't take it as an insult or something bad, but you definitely don't look young. — I'm only twenty-nine and a half years old, — I shrugged, resuming the movement. I decided to name my earthly age, not knowing what else to come up with. — Oh, but I thought you… — Old? — I interrupted him, making an ironic expression on my face. — No, no! Not at all! — He quickly began to justify himself, — This gray hair in your mane definitely suits you, but it… — Does the older generation give it away? — I interrupted him again, tilting my head to the side. Of course, I have a lot of patience, since I stop him in mid-sentence. — Well... — The green-maned stallion drawled timidly, — Yes, it is. — I'm not offended, don't worry, — I answered him with a smile and, wanting to know the same thing about him, I asked in response, — How old are you, if it's not a secret? — I'm twenty. — And you are very young, — Remembering that the age of a pony is quite commensurate with a human, I drawled. He smiled modestly in response. — Who knows. I joined the Guard in the prime of my life... By the way, here we are at the dining room. We reached the wooden door, and Dark Star let me go ahead, coming in after me. The interior of the dining room was very spacious and clean: a shiny tile floor, on which there was a row of six long tables, smooth walls and complete order in the room. A lot of chairs made specifically for the anatomy of horses were pushed up to the tables, and the large room was flooded with evening rays of the sun, which managed to make their way through the wide windows. And beyond them I could see the backyard of the barracks, where several stallions of earth horses were on duty. In the opposite corner there was a table for distributing food, near which sat an earth pony with an orange coat and a yellow mane with bright blue strands of hair. I immediately recognized him as a cook by his stained greasy apron. He half-closed his eyes and listened to music on headphones connected to a tape recorder. «Does the pony have modern technology?» — I was surprised at first, but then I mentally slapped my forehead: «Oh yes, Vinyl Scratch, of course. Naturally, they have at least some of the modern technology. The truth is only in places, because the guards still carry melee weapons, since there are spears in the barracks. This is logical». While I was thinking, Star did not hesitate to walk across the hall to the cook, and I could only keep up with him, loudly clacking my hooves after him. This sound attracted the cook's attention, and he took off his headphones, staring at us with displeasure: — They came to beg for food from me again, — Pony muttered, — You just have to... He stopped abruptly as he turned his attention to me. For a few seconds he just looked at me, looking up at me like a giant, and only after a couple of moments did he realize that this was not a simple pony at all. Of course: Star's height was only one and a half meters, and mine was about two, which made me stand out from my escort. Noticing the vertical shape of the pupils of the eyes, as well as the not quite standard tail behind my rump, he swallowed, silently backed up to the distribution table, and in his haste almost fell, hitting the corner. In pain, he cursed in unpleasant words, mentioning Tartarus and something else, and looked at me again with eyes bulging with fright. — My mother is Celestia. Who else are you? — The cook said softly and indistinctly, — What are you doing in my kitchen? — Sergeant Green, may I address you? — Dark Star asked in a military tone. — Permission granted! — The sergeant looked at his comrade and nodded. — This is… This is Stevrian Anlas, — The guardsman took a short pause, — The same dragon who saved Princess Celestia from the terrible demon Nightmare Moon yesterday! The sergeant sighed heavily and shook his head, trying to calm down. — Sorry, I didn't know, — Green rubbed his head guiltily with a hoof, — I only heard about you, but I didn't see you personally. What a giant you are! — It's not scary, I'm already used to being afraid of me, — Having said that, I smiled sadly, — Although this fact saddens me… — Did you want something? — Asked the yellow earth pony, — Although let me guess — to eat? Did I understand correctly? — Yes, that's right, — I nodded affirmatively, sitting down. My muscles were already aching from long exertion, so I decided to give them a rest. — I have precious stones lying around in the kitchen somewhere... — The sergeant wanted to suggest, but I interrupted him. — I don't digest stones. The Earth Pony started to stare at me in surprise, as if he was going to scream and run away. — How so?! — He asked with an extreme degree of perplexity. — And so, — I shrugged indifferently, — I eat everything that is edible, but I can't digest stones. — You're the wrong dragon, — Yellow pony muttered under his breath, — Then what do you want? — I heard you have meat, — I immediately got down to business, watching the muzzle of this individual acquire an increasingly frightened expression, — Chicken? Eggs? Fish? — Well... — He timidly tried to answer, but stumbled on the word. Only after clearing his throat briefly, he was able to continue, — There is no meat here, because it is stored in the princess's private kitchen for receptions of important guests from the Griffin Empire. But we have fish. Her Highness bought a large shipment from polar bears, although I can't know why. The Earth Pony shook his head in confusion, and then continued: — No one eats fish here. But I don't ask questions, and if our dear princess wants to have products here that no one eats, then it's her will. — Fish will do fine, — I confirmed, feeling saliva begin to gather in my mouth at the thought of food. Wow, I wish I could eat it already! I can't wait that long. — I just have one question... — The cook mumbled something, attracting my attention again and pulling me out of the stream of thoughts. — Yes? — How to cook it? — Oh, it's not that difficult really, — I grinned busily, — The biggest and most annoying thing that will have to be done is to separate the scales and bones from the meat… I stopped and froze in place when I saw the obvious disgust on the faces of Green and Star. — Sorry for the details, but I was asked a question, so I answer, — I continued, wanting to hush up the misunderstanding a little, — So, to cook a fish, you must first peel off its scales, cut off its head and tail, and then cut in half in the belly area. Then it is necessary to pull out a bag of caviar from it, if any, if possible, remove the most visible bones that the fish has, and finally fry in a frying pan until a ruddy, crispy crust forms, turning it over periodically. As I talked, I gesticulated with my hooves in a fit of expression that I had, looking dreamily at the ceiling and more and more clearly anticipating the taste of juicy fried fish on my tongue. My stomach was already openly rebelling against such violence against him and was already demanding food. Because what happened — to talk about food and not eat?! That won't do. My comrades clearly did not share my optimism and gastronomic tastes, but rather the opposite. Star looked as if he was ill with something, and the cook was muttering nervously and glancing at the floor below him. Noticing this, I sighed, and, smiling wider, added: — Come on. It's not as scary as you imagine, — Remembering that I had real fangs instead of ordinary teeth, I immediately removed my smile, — You're used to griffins, aren't you? — Well, there is such a thing, — Star answered my question uncertainly. — Then imagine that I'm the same griffin, only the size of an alicorn, and there shouldn't be any problems, right? — Perhaps, — The cook already confirmed. — Would you like to add something else to him, Sir Green? — Star looked at his commander and asked, — With his size, it will take a lot of food. — Yes, I have a lot of potatoes left in the warehouse, — The earth pony sergeant finally raised his head, — Private Star, come with me to help me in the kitchen, and you, Mr. Stevrian, wait here. We'll bring you dinner soon. Both interlocutors disappeared into the bowels of the kitchen, and I was left alone in the dining room. I now sat down at the table and waited. I had to carefully push the chair back with my foot — it was, frankly, too small for me. Various thoughts filled my head, and I looked out the window, watching the sun set over the horizon, then looked at my feet while waiting for food. «Come to think of it, I'm still not in a human body. It's a pity that I spent too little time in my real, dragon body, but on the other hand, even now I'm not a purely physical person, and that's why this body will do fine. Yes, it is possible for this», — I lifted my hooves a little, — It's going to be hard to adapt, but I'll get used to it sooner or later. And who's to say that I won't find a way to get my dragon body back? That's exactly what no one told me, which means even this is real. The only question is how this can be done and when exactly this opportunity will come. Okay, I'm still not used to making plans for longer than a week, so I'll proceed from what's available at the moment. It's still a good thing they didn't turn me back into a human. This glitchy and sick body had already tired me out on Earth. Another question that worried me was whether I had magic or at least something similar to it. It seems that outwardly and purely biologically I am a unicorn, and if it is without magic it is something out of the ordinary. Another point that should be clarified right away is the knowledge of the canon. So far, everything coincides, albeit with a bias towards realism, but for how long will I be able to say the right things from the point of view of the local world? I would like to hope that for a long time, but the life experience that I have gained while being in the company of people tells me absolutely the opposite. And will the canon remain canon with my entry into Equestria? Most likely, now everything will follow a different path, as the «butterfly effect» said, and no one knows what awaits me and Equestria in the future». Two angry voices and the clang of dishes were heard from the kitchen, as if our miracle chefs were having a real battle there right now. «If only they didn't ruin my dinner there in the process...» — I chuckled ironically, flicking my tail on the floor in impatience. For a while, there was a selection of swearing coming from the kitchen, which only confirmed the saying «in the army, they only talk with obscenities», but soon all these sounds stopped, and I smelled fried fish and potatoes. I licked my lips, almost choking on saliva. «Should I go and see how they're doing?». And just as I was about to ask my new friends loudly about dinner, I felt someone's eyes on me, and from the entrance to the dining room I heard the clatter of hooves and someone's new voice: — Green! What are you doing there? What is that disgusting smell? It's like someone is being fried alive with seasoning from some... — A brown stallion with a purple mane entered the hall, with a scabbard with a sword attached to it hanging on his side, and there was also a cutie mark in the form of crossed spears. When he noticed me, he first backed away and then forcefully pulled the leather belt going to the scabbard with his teeth. And then the hilt seemed to put itself into his mouth, and the guardsman firmly gripped the weapon with his teeth, getting into a fighting stance. He performed all his movements with professionalism, which surprised me a lot. «He pulled the sword out of its scabbard in just a few moments?! Wow! I didn't think the Day Guard could do that. If they were trained by Shining Armor himself, then my respects to him. But I have a question: how does he plan to wield a weapon in his teeth, especially when the point is on the right?», — I was really surprised, jumping up from my seat. At that moment, both chefs appeared from the kitchen, and Dark Star magically held a plate of fish and mashed potatoes in the air. Noticing such a sudden change of events, Star stopped and almost dropped the dish, and Sergeant Green abruptly ran up to the bristling guardsman, shouting loudly: — What kind of Tartar are you doing, Private?! — Protiching Equetria, shir! — He reported indistinctly, not letting go of the sword from his tightly clenched teeth. — Put it down! — Green ordered, — This pony is the dragon that saved the princess from Nightmare Moon yesterday. Put the weapon away before I shove it under your tail! The stallion hesitated for a few seconds, looking at me with obvious suspicion, but then sheathed his sword as quickly as he drew it. — I'm sorry, sir! — The black man snapped to attention. — Of course, I'm to blame, — He glared at his subordinate, scolding him, — If the princess herself were here, you wouldn't have lasted long in the guard. And I don't care that you are the most talented and the fastest to master the techniques of hoof-to-hand combat and swordsmanship. Mark my words, there have been many such cases. I sighed irritably. It was already getting tiring. «It seems that everyone will have to prove that I am not dangerous. Well okay. I'll get used to it over time. Anyway, why are they so intolerant of those who don't eat grass? Has there already been a negative experience? Pfft, herbivores». While the sergeant was scolding his subordinate, Dark Star crept up to me unnoticed and put a plate of food right in front of me. Despite their extreme inexperience in this matter, the cooking turned out to be notable and appetizing. The ruddy crust with which the fish was covered was as if cast from pure gold, and what a smell it was! The mashed potatoes that decorated the dish along with some spicy herbs also looked decent. I was about to pick up a fork and pounce on the food, when I remembered that I have hooves instead of fingers, and I definitely won't be able to eat normally. Star, noticing my confusion, asked: — Do you seem to have a problem? — Is it that similar? — I answered the question ironically with a question. — Yes, it looks like it, — He nodded his head. — And what should I do? — Use hoof kinesis, — He prompted, but after a few moments Star remembered that I didn't know how to do it, so he continued, — You just need to think about what you want to take in your hooves. In this case, just touch the fork and imagine how it «sticks» to the hoof. It's not difficult, try it. «I feel like a child who is being taught to go to the potty, honestly...», — feeling how obvious they are trying to teach me, I compared and then decided to follow the advice of an ordinary soldier. I stretched out my foot in the direction of the impressive fork and imagined how it was attracted to the hoof. To my surprise, the fork stuck to it as if it had been poured in, but after just a couple of moments it fell on the table with a crash. — You're doing a little wrong, — he came closer and picked up the fork, using the same hoof kinesis, — You just need to keep in mind a little bit the idea that the object is on your hoof. Over time, if you stay in such a body, you will get used to it and you will do it instinctively. — I get it, thanks for the explanation. I tried to pick up the fork with my hoof again. This time it turned out to hold the fork without any problems. I looked at the fish again and concentrated on the thought of making the fork take the right position in relation to the food. The fork suddenly obeyed my thought and smoothly shifted to the very edge of the hoof, turning the sharp part towards the food. — Wow! — Eyes wide open, the stallion exclaimed, — You quickly figured out how to change the position of objects in the hoof. — I just did as you said. And then I thought that if I turned the fork, it would be convenient, and that's what happened, — I pointed with my left front foot at my right, in which I held the fork. — Don't be modest, — The interlocutor smiled, — You grasp everything on the fly. — Thank you, — I nodded and didn't answer him anymore. I wanted to try it too much. However, it turned out to be a difficult task to detach a piece without having the fingers I was used to. Then the fork will accidentally fall off if I lose concentration. That hoof is blocking my entire view, and I haven't even seen the food. So I only made it on the third attempt, after which I carefully and slowly directed it into the mouth. When I started eating, the pleasure of the food made me shudder, and every piece literally melted on my tongue. It was an insanely pleasant dish. Losing my patience, I almost literally attacked the food, putting piece after piece in my mouth. The sergeant, meanwhile, finished debriefing with the black stallion and looked at how I was eating fried fish. — Well, how does it taste? — The cook asked me with a slight disgust in his voice. — Delicious, — I immediately gave out, swallowing the fish almost without chewing, — Very good. Thanks. — You're welcome, — He said in response, throwing the phrase more under his breath than to me, after which he turned around and headed for the exit from the kitchen, taking the almost attacked private with him. It was just me and Dark Star in the dining room. I continued to eat fish and mashed potatoes, talking to the Old One on abstract topics along the way. From conversations with him, I learned that nothing has changed in the country for the last three hundred years, and Equestria, in fact, isolated itself from the outside world. In fact, there is no army as such, and before the arrival of Shining, it was, frankly, a bad structure. Only under his command was it possible to maintain any discipline and the level of training of the guards. But even then, I've already seen how they performed in the fight with Nightmare Moon. In this case, nothing. Gradually we started talking, and despite my natural distrust, I began to perceive him as a good and able interlocutor. Except that I was confused by the fact that he managed to approach me completely unnoticed during the conflict with the swordsman, and I dared to ask him about it: — Listen, how do you manage to move so silently? — Well, — The stallion shuffled his hoof in embarrassment, — This is part of my talent. — What kind of special talent do you have? — Didn't you see when I entered the dormitory? — He was surprised. — No, — I shook my head, — I didn't pay any attention to it at all. — My special talent is related to exploration and night. — Hmm.… — I looked him up and down carefully, as if trying to figure out what the catch was. But no — there were no devices or clothes on the stallion, and he looked very simple, — And besides the silent movement, is there anything else? — Yes, there is, — The blue-haired unicorn nodded, smiling, — I can be invisible if I want to be. — How's that? — Literally, — The interlocutor replied, — If I want not to be seen, then no one will notice me. But it takes a lot of energy, which is why I often get tired when I'm forced to do this job. — But the skill is very useful, — I noted with enthusiasm, because I myself considered this skill incredibly useful. Not only in combat, but also in everyday life — You should develop it so that you almost don't waste extra energy, and then it won't be a burden to you. — I wish I knew how to achieve this, — The stallion sadly lowered his head to the floor. I thought about touching his shoulder with my hoof, but stopped myself in time, deciding that we were not friends yet to make such gestures. — It's okay, I think you'll come up with something, — I decided to limit myself to just words. He looked up and noticed an empty plate on my table. — By the way, you've already finished, — Star changed the subject, coming closer, — Let me help you. I'll take it to the kitchen and wash it. — I would not like to… — It's not a burden, don't worry, — He winked and, lifting the dirty dishes in the air, headed for the kitchen. «Whether I wanted to or not, it seems like I've already made a friend in this world. Well, it's not that bad. The main thing is that I should not be sent to study «friendship-magic», honestly. I would not have tolerated such a turn of events. And if you remember all sorts of fan fiction about popadans that you once read, then you can notice a tendency that in almost all of them, one way or another, the main characters are sent to study «friendship» with Twilight, and Celestia is all kind and fluffy. But then who wanted to kill me on the spot or do something bad? Who looked at me with hatred and disgust, even despite my help? And this is what they call gratitude and kindness?! Hypocrites! At least Princess Luna stepped in and helped. Maybe it's right next to her that I should stick with in the future. Hopefully, there won't be too many problems in the future». While I was thinking, Dark Star left the kitchen and beckoned me to follow him: — It's already night and lights out soon. Would you like to take a shower before going to bed? — No, thanks, — I shook my head, but for a second I thought he was looking down. — As you know, — Shrugging his shoulders, he beckoned me again in the direction of the corridor, — Let's go! The return trip took a little longer than usual. When we were heading to the dining room earlier, we didn't come across anyone on the way, but now there were at least two dozen guards present in the barracks. The fighters we met pressed themselves into the walls and hid their eyes at the sight of me, and someone whispered in fear. But one thing was clear: they were very afraid of me. — And these are called soldiers? — I snorted longingly, turning to my friend. This is not how I imagined Princess Celestia's guards to be. — For the most part, they are only recruits and are not used to seeing something scarier than their own shadow, — He remarked ironically, but then looked away a little, embarrassed, — But I was also scared at first… — At least you're reacting normally now. But what kind of rumors will now spread around the barracks among the rest — that's the question, — I sighed softly, — Are they really afraid even of their shadows? — Some of them are, — Dark Star squinted a little, — Do you understand? In Equestria in recent centuries, everything has become so peaceful that ponies have stopped fighting their own fears and are always trying to find salvation from the solar princess. Well, the guards, that is, us. He stopped and, smiling guiltily, pointed at himself and the guards, who were running past us at a brisk pace. — I sympathize with them, — I clicked my tongue a couple of times, — This is how much it is necessary to cloud the pony's brains with a sense of harmony and security, that at the slightest sign of danger, even if there is no danger, start panicking?.. Blues-hair left this question unanswered, and I decided not to continue this topic for now. And you never know — what if they still cling to me for being so critical of the Celestia regime? Thu… The dormitory was already in sight, but my gaze slid to the open door that served as an exit from the barracks, from where the night fresh air was blowing. — Can I go get some air? — I suddenly decided to ask, stopping. — You can, but I don't think it's worth going far, — Star clarified and then added, — Don't stay too long. — I'll take it into consideration, — I nodded and with these words left the room, going outside. It was a clear, cloudless night outside, illuminated by the bright luminous disk of the moon, around which billions of stars floated in a rhythmic dance, as if on a lake. I took a deep breath of the fresh night air, which only now, being in a calm environment, I could fully enjoy. I began to walk slowly near the barracks, simultaneously mastering the movements of my legs, practicing walking. Sometimes I accelerated, sometimes I slowed down when I stumbled accidentally. However, I was gradually getting used to the basic techniques, which was good. So life was getting better. I also couldn't help but notice that the light of the local moon makes me feel physically better. And she seems to attract the eye by herself... the main thing is not to say the same in front of Princess Luna, otherwise it will be awkward to accidentally mention the dungeon where she spent a thousand years in captivity. «Interesting… And what will happen to me next?» — I thought after. The barracks are barracks, but they won't keep me in it forever, right? They'll start doing something. They will send me somewhere or they will try to do something else with me… Or maybe they will make him the same guardsman? Who knows. He hoped they wouldn't turn him into stone, as they had done with Discord. I enjoyed a night walk and a relatively calm environment for some time, but soon I noticed a couple of curious eyes on me. I stopped and, squinting, noticed Star lurking in the dark. Although he tried to hide well, I could still see him perfectly thanks to his excellent night vision, which seems to have been transmitted to me from the appearance of the dragon. — I know you're watching me! — I waved my front hoof at him, giggling, — You don't have to hide. The unicorn came out of the darkness and stood next to me. — Sorry, I couldn't resist. You just spent half an hour outside. Lights out in a few minutes, and I thought you might need something... — It's okay, thanks, — I assured him, — I'm going then. Together with the Star, we returned to the barracks, where I was quickly allocated an empty bed. After that, the command «Hang up!» sounded, and all the guards went to bed, having previously removed all equipment and weapons. I followed their example, but alas. He tossed and turned for a long time, indulging in one thought after another. And I was able to fall asleep only after a few hours, for a long time and persistently annoying the rest with the creak of my bed.