The Prophecy

The month of the «Sun» is ending. The local equivalent of June, to be precise. There are only twelve months on the planet, just like on Earth. But their names are completely different: the month of awakening, the month of late winter, the month of flowering, the month of fun, the month of warmth, the month of the sun, the month of the last grain, the month of trade, the month of rains, the month of wind, the month of cold, the month of ice. It's a little late for me to find out about it, but the main thing is that now I definitely won't embarrass myself in conversation. As much as I hate to admit it, I began to get used to the reality around me. Even the walls of the barracks became almost like my own. Anyway, I've been here for a long time. It is not known how long. Maybe for life. No matter how much I miss my family and friends, from now on this place is my home, and I had to come to terms with it. This means this planet, not a state called Equestria. That's what I was thinking, walking along the corridor of the barracks, waiting for the sunset to go for a walk around the city again. This was my second dismissal, albeit an illegal one. But I was looking forward to it. During the time that has passed since my last meeting with Luna, I learned that it was now «June» of the thousandth year «after the exile of Luna» or as the locals call it — the thousandth AEL. The name seemed funny to me, but at the same time familiar. I didn't think much of it. But at least now I knew the Equestrian chronology. But returning to the old problems, I thought about my absence to the city. This time, my friend Star, who is already in the Day Guard barracks on his last day, took it upon himself to help me carry out my trip outside the gate. The day before, he submitted an application to Captain Shining Armor for transfer to the Lunar Guard, to which he gave the go-ahead. Soon, Star will leave the Day Guard forever. I was proud of my friend's achievement, but bureaucratic delays did not allow me to do anything right away. And so that night, Dark Star guarded the gate from the castle with another guard. It was his last watch. We agreed in advance that he would distract his colleague and open the gate, and I would slip into the city unnoticed. However, considering what happened to me last time in Canterlot, he made me promise that I would be back before two o'clock in the morning and no later. He also asked me not to look for trouble. I had to agree with that. But that was not all: it was necessary to pass by the day. He probably won't fall asleep like he did last time, so I have no choice but to bribe him with something. And fortunately for me, I had something to do. The day before, I received a bag of bits from Celestia, which came as a surprise to me. She gave it to me through her maid, ostensibly «in compensation», but what exactly was not said. I accepted this gift without question and now I was thinking about where to spend it. This is where the opportunity presented itself. While I was looking thoughtfully through the window at the setting sun, I heard footsteps and saw one of the guards. It took a while, but I remembered that it was he who was taking over the post today, and therefore immediately approached the stallion: — Hello, Blue, — I said to the guardsman with the blue coat and gray mane, — You're taking over the post today, right? — Yes, — He nodded, — Did you want something, Stevrian? — Yes, I wanted to, — I awkwardly ran a hoof across the floor, collecting my thoughts, — I want to go out into the city today. Let me through and I'll buy you what you want. There was a short silence between us, and the guardsman frowned without answering. — And how can you buy anything at night? — Blue suddenly grinned, — The shops are closed at night. «Well... I'll have to play one of my trump cards. Namely, some «secret» knowledge about where and what can be purchased at a low price». — You misunderstood a little, — I snorted, shaking my head, and immediately moved closer, looking around warily. No one seemed to be eavesdropping on our conversation, so I continued: — The palace kitchen has its own small shop, where all sorts of goodies from the tables of the nobility come true, and that's where I'm going to go. Another awkward silence, only now Blue's face takes on a surprised expression. I guessed that he was aware of what was happening, which I decided to use. — How did you know about this? — The stallion raised an «eyebrow» in surprise. — There were rumors, — I shrugged innocently, — And I saw it all myself. Briefly. Blue thought hard, and while he was silent, I continued to speak: — I'll buy everything, but within reasonable limits, of course. I put a slight smile on my face to make sure: — Don't worry, I have the money, — I telekinetically took out a small bag of bits from the bag behind my back and showed it to Blue for a few seconds, winking. The blue-haired stallion carefully followed the bag, which was transferred back to my bag, and then sighed heavily: — How long are you going to be in town? — He looked at me sternly. «He almost agreed. It's good. I'll try to do everything in a short amount of time. In any case, it's better to say a smaller figure». — Until two o'clock in the morning at most, and then I'll be back. As it turned out, the change in my line of conduct turned out to be a small mistake, because Blue laughed, shaking his head. — Why should I believe you? — The stallion asked, narrowing his eyes in disbelief, — We were made clear before we brought you here that you should not go outside. If you get caught by civilians, what are we going to do? I sighed heavily in response and put my foot on the shoulder of the intervening daylighter, looking into his eyes. — Look, — I smiled a little wider, — It's in my best interest. I'm not going to get you in trouble. And anyway: don't you want something «like that»? Any goodies, as an example? — Since the question is posed in this way, — The interlocutor frowned, as if still not believing me, — Can you then buy me a chocolate bar, a few kilograms of rye bread and milk? «Wow! You have a draconian appetite», — I was mentally amazed, but outwardly I did not show that I was surprised. — I'll buy it on the way back, — I nodded calmly. — No, no, no, — The stallion immediately interrupted me, — You will buy this before you leave, otherwise I will not let you out. Is it okay? «That's a tricky bug! He understands that I can safely ignore his request if he gives in to me — he will not be able to formally complain about me. Otherwise, he will scold himself for violating the order.» — Okay, — I finally agreed, — Why exactly such a set of products? It looks strange... — I just need it and you don't have to worry about the reason, — Blue interrupted me again. I could only shrug my shoulders in response. — Okay. There are no questions. Is that a deal then? — All right, — The stallion handed me a hoof. We bumped them as a sign of a sealed agreement, and then, promising to return soon, I hurried to the palace kitchen. While there is still time before sunset, I wanted to do what needed to be done. When I passed through there a few weeks ago, I remembered that I constantly heard a strange noise from there. At first it seemed to me that this was a normal work environment, until one day I decided to accidentally look in there. By that time, I was already fully allowed to walk around the castle, even if not everywhere. I could finally afford to study it in more detail. However, someone was constantly in the kitchen and one of the guards stubbornly escorted me out of there, arguing that I would not interfere with any of the cooks. It sounded reasonable, but suspicious in my opinion.

***

One day, out of curiosity, I looked into the kitchen at the moment when the guardsman on duty had gone somewhere. Presumably to relieve himself. An amazing picture immediately awaited me in the kitchen: two guards were yelling at the servants to quickly close the «shop», which caused them to fussily run around the kitchen, rattling dishes and almost in a panic removing everything unnecessary. And the curses in the air were such that even the speech of the soldiers in the barracks was on the level of the solemn speech of Celestia at a solemn ball. — Um, — I looked around and involuntarily made a facehoof, noticing this scene then, — I'll come back later then... Everyone in the kitchen slowly turned to me, stopping in mid-sentence. — Fuck! How did you get here?! Didn't they teach you to warn? The guardsman closest to me breathed a sigh of relief, gradually calming down. — We thought the princess was coming here, or at least three pegasi. You're pounding your hooves like you're galloping. — Okay. Okay. I was just passing by. And what are you doing here, rattling the dishes like that? — It's none of your business! — The second guard snapped menacingly, but his companion put a hoof on his shoulder, shaking his head. — This is Stevrian. Sergeant Green told me a lot about him. He speaks well of this stallion. I took a closer look at the interlocutor: the guardsman was subordinate to the sergeant-cook, and he often also milled around in the dining room, helping Green. I was pleased to realize that there are those in the palace who stand up for me. However, the first of the guards looked at me suspiciously, still not trusting me: — An acquaintance of Sergeant Green's, you say? Well... then maybe there's something I can share with you. You weren't followed? I looked out the door for a second and, after making sure that no one was in the hallway, shook my head: — Nope, no one. So what did you want to share with me? And they took me to a local dealer of cheap products, who sold them at a lower price than in a regular market. As I was told, they are doing this for volunteer purposes, to help hungry and poor guards, and all this is done purely on enthusiasm. However, none of the high-ranking officials knows about this «underground» market in the palace, as well as the local pegasi, who were known for their fanatical devotion to Celestia.

***

That's how I got to know the local «Sidorovich», where you can find everything a soldier needs. When I approached the kitchen today, I slowed down and then, seeing the door closed, I knocked rhythmically on it several times. One of the guards opened it a crack and looked at me, nodding in greeting: — Oh, it's you. Is everything clear? If so, then come in. As before, I looked around, making sure there were no extra eyes and ears, then entered. They reacted to me calmly — they were used to me, and my ability to keep my mouth shut was not in doubt. — I'm on business — With these words, I took out a purse with bits, showing it to the others, — I need to buy something. — Ah! — A woman's voice was heard in the far corner, — Come in, come in. A young-looking unicorn mare in a maid costume came up to me and beckoned me over. Pushing the kitchen cabinet aside, she opened a wide passage in front of me, which ended in a staircase down. The stairs led to the basement, which at first glance looked rather neglected: gray cracked walls, a lot of dust and cobwebs in the corners, as if it had not been cleaned for a long time. And the opposite end of this room ended in a narrow opening boarded up with thick wooden planks. My companion wasted no time walking up to him and knocked several times, beating a strange rhythm with her hoof. There was a soft rustling from the other side, and a second later, a voice belonging to an elderly stallion rang out: — Password! — Princess Celestia hates tea, — The mare said calmly. The planks moved aside like a curtain, opening the way for us to move on. I was no longer surprised by this: the boards only seemed nailed down, but in fact there was a whole mechanism working here that pushed them aside when the lever was pressed. We found ourselves in a huge room, several times larger than the previous one. It was full of old crates. The room itself was divided into two parts by a metal grate, which was lined with boards made of dark wood. And behind it there were a bunch of boxes stacked on top of each other, and all together they formed several pyramids up to the ceiling. In the dividing wall there was a wooden door and a small window at the height of an ordinary stallion, that is, about one hundred and sixty centimeters. The door itself was so small that I definitely couldn't have got in there on my own, let alone dragged the boxes in there. This suggested that there was another way out of this warehouse-like room. After completing a brief overview of the room, I looked around once more and saw a black-colored stallion with a graying mane and a cutie mark on the rump with the image of a wooden box at the grille. — Oh, Stevrian Anlas, did you come for the goods? — The «salesman» asked me, smiling. — Yes, sir, — I nodded, — I need some help with something. — I can understand, — The elderly stallion shrugged, — The activity is illegal, but very profitable and useful for the common people. I nodded a little irritably. I would not like to waste time on an empty concussion of the air. — But okay, to the point! I need a bar of chocolate, several loaves of rye bread and a liter of milk. — Interesting, — The interlocutor scratched his head, — For what purposes do you want to purchase? — For a friend. — You want to bribe the guards, — The stallion replied calmly. He seemed to have guessed something. I immediately stared worriedly at the storekeeper, blinking my eyes. — Why would you say that? — I was the only one who could say it. — They take this kind of thing from us most often for such purposes, — The elderly pony shrugged, — I won't condemn it. You'd better go to that drawer over there. With these words, he pointed with his hoof at a large box the size of himself that stood near the window. I obediently went to the box and waited, and the stallion went into the fenced part of the room. He searched noisily for something there for a while, and then returned with a large account book and a pen with an inkwell on a tray, which were fixed to his chest with a retainer. The pony came up to me and put all the items on a nearby box, then unfastened the mount and explained: — Sign here, — The black stallion pointed to the last line. I did not miss the opportunity and reviewed the previous entries, noticing that past customers ordered about the same thing, but in a larger volume than me. This raised some questions. On the one side, I understood the soldiers who wanted extra food, and on the other hand, I did not expect that such a large number of customers knew about this not the most legal point. When I finished studying the list, I took a pen with telekinesis and carefully began to write my initials in Equestrian, which I came up with during my training. After signing, he put all the writing materials on the next drawer. Then the stallion asked me to open the box I was standing next to. Inside were the necessary goods, packed in separate bags and separated by partitions. — Please, — He pointed at me, — You’re a hundred and thirty-two bits. I counted out the required amount in my wallet and telekinetically handed it to the seller. When he nodded at me and went into the fenced-off part of the room, I began to move the groceries from the drawer into my bag behind my back. «Damn it... It seems that I do «magic» training every day, but endurance and control still leave much to be desired», — I noted this fact with displeasure, noticing how the goods tremble in the air while they levitate towards me, — «Even I can barely hold a bottle of milk with telekinesis. It's an outrage!» When I finished moving the groceries, I nodded to the earth pony who looked out of the window and smiled at him. — Thanks, because I heard that these products are expensive. — It's true, — The elderly merchant let out a light laugh, — The shops are deliberately inflating prices, and we are correcting this injustice, albeit not in a completely legal way. By the way, your magic is interesting. I've never seen anything like it. I was about to leave the warehouse, stopped in the doorway and turned around, grunting questioningly. — What exactly are you talking about? — Unicorns usually have a horn and an object that they use magic on, but you have a train that leads directly to the object. — Apparently I'm unique in this regard, — I shrugged my shoulders, — Thank you again and be careful, otherwise sooner or later you will be caught. — Don't worry about it, — The stallion smiled, — We have everything set up. — I really hope so, — I waved my hoof and left the room, heading back to the barracks. Then everything went without unnecessary shocks, and already at sunset I gave the products to Blue. Before lights out, as usual, I just waited in the barracks and thought about all sorts of things. But after the command "Hang up!" and the guards left, I carefully and quietly left the dormitory. I walked past Blue calmly, nodding at him. He just watched me go, but didn't say anything. Then everything went according to plan: Star took the guardsman aside, loudly telling him some life story, and he left the gate ajar before that. There I slipped into the city like a shadow. I already went along a pre-determined route, constantly looking back so as not to catch the eye of patrolmen or random ponies. Fortunately, I remembered that Guard patrols rarely go here, but my walk was in any case a risky activity. However, that's why I loved such night walks around the city: the risk, the adrenaline, spread very pleasantly through my blood, giving me vivacity and cheerfulness of spirit. The freshness of the night air inspired new exploits and gave strength to live on. I was already so sick of being in a stuffy barracks for almost two months that it was only here in the city, outside the concrete walls, that I felt truly free. I wished I had wings and dragon form, but there was nothing I could do about it. I could only dream and complain about the impossibility of flying: «How I would love to soar into the night sky! Eh... it's like I haven't learned to fly — the feeling of flying is more important!» After thinking more, I realized that I was jumping to conclusions, forgetting about safety: «Perhaps not, not more important. I need to learn how to land first, otherwise the flight may be the last.» The night seemed surprisingly cloudless today. A warm wind was blowing, which pleasantly brushed the fur on my body, and the distant singing of night birds could be heard. I didn't want to hurry at all, and I walked slowly, enjoying every moment of freedom and breathing deeply. From the observation deck of the palace, the houses looked beautiful, but at night this beauty became even more noticeable. Like last time, I couldn't help but notice that literally every house is a work of art. However, at one point I heard the distant clatter of hooves on the pavement, and quickly realized that someone was coming in my direction. I immediately hurried to hide behind the nearest house and close my eyes: I have long noticed that they often give me away in the shadows, since they glow no worse than a cat's, if not stronger. The clatter of hooves got closer and louder, and I hid, afraid even to breathe loudly, sincerely hoping that they would not notice me. But, fortunately, it got through, and the guards passed by without paying attention to the dark silhouette in the shadow of a large house. I went unnoticed. My walk continued, but now I walked more slowly and cautiously, as if I were now in the camp of the enemy. Although, to be honest, I really needed to be careful. But today I was definitely not destined to take a normal walk and return successfully. I couldn't even imagine that the problems themselves reach out to me every time I try to just relax. I had to make sure of this once again. As soon as I reached the square, suddenly, somewhere a hundred meters in front of me, something flashed, and then a deafening explosion thundered. Someone in the distance screamed loudly, and the lights went on abruptly in all the surrounding houses. «What the fuck is this? Not a day without incident, bitch!» Against my will, I stood frozen, staring at the smoke rising from the explosion. It took me a few seconds to just figure it out and come to my senses, and then I realized that it wouldn't hurt to hide, because there would be a lot of ponies here soon, especially the Guards. I started frantically looking around in search of the nearest dark alley, but when I turned around on the spot, I felt someone hit me at full speed. — What's going on? — It immediately burst out of my chest. I lowered my head and noticed in front of me an orange-colored stallion with a black mane, who was clearly in a hurry somewhere. «Who is this? Eyewitness? Victim? Just a scared pony? Fuck! I’m burned out! Okay, no panic!» I wanted to ask who he was, but the pony deftly turned around a hundred and eighty degrees and, like in the movies about Jackie Chan and Kung Fu masters, loaded his hind legs into my face. Blood immediately spurted from my nose, and I sat down on the pavement, growling. Meanwhile, the stallion slipped like a shadow between the buildings and disappeared. — Son of a bitch! — I yelled at him, getting up. He made me lose my temper on his own, and I felt like a real fire was boiling inside me. «Why did he do it at all?! Should I pull his hooves out now?! Ruined my mood, idiot!» But as I was getting up, cursing, another shadow fell next to me, and a familiar voice called out to me: — Stevrian! — The mare, who turned out to be Vulpa, said angrily, — What the Tartarus are you doing here? Gone for a walk again? I wiped the blood on my nose with my foot and was about to answer, but the thestral woman abruptly threw up her leg and rudely interrupted my unspoken answer: — Fuck it, — She swore and then pointed in the direction of the smoke, — Do you see that smoke from the explosion? He could make Her Highness feel bad! He must be urgently found and neutralized. «Wait, wait! What? The explosion? Her Highness? Bad? That pony that hit me?» For the first few seconds I didn't realize what was happening, but when it all came together I felt my legs start to tremble and my face contort into a bloodthirsty, fierce grin. «What the fuck?! That bastard dares to harm Princess Luna? I'll find him and disembowel him like a pig!» Vulpa, noticing my abrupt change, was a little taken aback on the spot, and then hastened to add: — Sit here and leave it to the professionals, Stevrian. Stay out of it! Vulpa said it as sternly as she could and soared into the air, flying in the direction of the explosion. I wanted to tell her, but I realized I couldn't contain myself any longer and glanced in the direction where the earth pony had run off not so long ago. «You asshole! You can't live!» In a fit of anger, I rushed there quickly, navigating by the distinct odor of sweat that the stallion left behind. I didn't even notice how in a couple of minutes I reached the big three-story building of the city bank, where this pest was supposedly located. As I approached, I slammed the front door with force. The force of the blow was such that it flew inside the building with a crash and fell to the floor. The alarm didn't go off, and there was no guard on duty, but the lights were on, in fact, everywhere. That told me that all was not well here. Squinting, I slowly looked around the main hall, which looked something like a theater entrance hall: tiled floor, huge chandelier on the ceiling, portraits of prominent figures on the walls, and a lot of tables around, chairs and benches. In the middle of the hall there were marble columns supporting the ceiling, a balcony on the second floor and various booths with windows on the first floor. Walking inside with a loud clatter of hooves, I began to inspect every corner: I went into all the booths where the bank employees should be standing, checked under the tables, looked at the staircase that led to the second floor, went up it. «The thing that hurt me and Luna had to be around here somewhere», — Was all I could think of. Finally, with my peripheral vision, I saw a glimpse of someone halfway to the third floor. I couldn't see it visually, but my auric vision clearly showed the outline of an earth pony that was cautiously making its way upstairs, trying not to make any noise. — There you are, motherfucker! — I roared. Suddenly I felt my telekinesis suddenly start to intensify, and my power burst out like a volcano. In the next instant, the cash register flew off the table and with a loud «Take that, asshole!» it flew with the speed of a projectile into the stallion. I wouldn't have been able to do that in normal life, but now I didn't even notice the change in my telekinesis: the rage was too much in my eyes. The stallion dodged at the last moment, and the cash register flew into the wall behind him, shattering into several pieces and leaving a dent in it. The earth pony got up and tried to run back to the third floor, but I threw a second cash register, which discouraged him from continuing upstairs. So he started down in the opposite direction. I roared again and in anger I threw the third register ahead of him, but because of poor control I missed. The cash register damaged the support of the second-floor balcony where the pony was. — Where are you running to?! — I asked in a raised tone of voice, — Why are you delaying the inevitable?! I will make you suffer, for there is nowhere to run to! I picked up an iron chair with my telekinesis and threw it at the stallion, but I was having trouble aiming, for the chair hit the damaged balcony support, breaking it. The balcony fell with a crash, collapsing to the second floor with us, kicking up a cloud of dust. I took almost no damage, so I got up immediately. My opponent did the same and tried to get away. «No way, you're not getting out of here alive!» I picked up the first object in my hoof, which turned out to be a typewriter, and threw it at the orange like a stone, hitting him on the right hind leg with pure physical force. It crunched into his croup. The stallion shouted something profane back at me. It was not enough for him, however, and he hurried away behind a pillar. — You bitch! I'll chew your legs off and open your belly as soon as I get there! Shouting again, I quickly ran to the pillar, circling it. As I turned around, I tried to kick my hind legs into where the orange pony should have been, but instead it left deep dents and cracks. The part of the second floor that hadn't collapsed yet swayed threateningly, risking to bury us both underneath, but I didn't notice. I looked around for my opponent and saw him running for the exit. Shouting to him that he was already dead, I grabbed the table near the exit with my telekinesis and swung it toward the earth pony. The impact was so strong that the stallion flew to the other end of the room like a doll. However, he quickly got to his feet and ran into the nearest stall, which he was next to. — You can't hide from me! When I reached the cabin, I turned around and, with all my strength, knocked out the wooden wall separating us. Despite my efforts, the pony was more nimble than me and managed to get out of there before I could open the barrier. — SON OF A BITCH! - I shouted so loudly that it could have been written off as an imitation of the King's Canterlot, — HOW DARE YOU HIDE FROM ME?! In my blind rage, I was not aware of what I was doing, but I still had a modicum of reason. All I wanted to do now, however, was to kill that thing! As I caught sight of the stallion, I sped up and knocked the stallion to the ground, knocking it to the side, knocking over several chairs along the way. My size did not allow me to get back on my feet quickly, and thus my opponent gained a second's head start. The stallion headed toward the exit again, trying not to limp. — Where the fuck are you going, motherfucker?! — I growled loudly, seeing the frank fear in his eyes. With a jerk, I stood up and quickly dashed toward him, knocking over what was left of the bank furniture along the way. I was faster than the pony, pushing the stallion toward the wall. Then I came up quickly and brought my hoof to strike, but the stallion quickly bounced aside, and my heavy foot left a giant dent in the wall. «Bastard! He dodged again! If I catch him, I'll leave nothing but mush on his face!» My rage continued to overwhelm me, and I grabbed the nearest chair with my telekinesis, throwing it at my opponent. This time, to my delight, it hit him in the side, knocking him to the floor. But even that was not enough for him, and he got up again, dodging the second chair along the way. — You're a tenacious bastard, — I growled, noting that he'd been hit so many times already, but he kept running and jumping and dodging, — Well, you'll get it, you freak! I'll bite you in half! But the stallion kept running away, fighting for life. — Come back here, bitch! — I shouted after him, seeing him trying to turn toward the exit. When I noticed a candlestick-shaped electric lamp on the wall, I used telekinesis to rip it out of the wall. In another deceptive maneuver, I slammed it into the stallion's head, causing him to fall forward, knocking over a table of papers. Blood spurted from the back of his head, staining his mane burgundy and scarlet, and I ran up to him, roaring victoriously. I lifted my opponent with my foot to the level of my muzzle, looking down at his bruised and wounded face. — Pathetic bastard! — I threw the pony right under my feet with force. That was just the beginning, and grabbing him with my hoofkinesis, I began pounding the earth pony's back against the floor. One blow, two, three. The stallion screamed and tried to pull away from me, to slip out of my grip, but the blows kept coming, risking breaking his spine. I let him go, back under my feet, and bit his neck, tasting his blood. It was at that moment that I felt satisfied! «He's screaming! He's in pain! I'm going to give you a hard time, you bastard!» It was a wonderful feeling that I enjoyed and reveled in. I wanted more and more. In an attempt to hurt my opponent even more, I grabbed him with force and threw him into the column. However, even with all the damage I had done to him, he found the strength to get up. He staggered from side to side and began to move toward the exit. — WHERE ARE YOU GOING?! YOU'RE MINE! — I shouted after him, feeling a strong vibration at the horn. «Yes — there she is! Power!» When I noticed the nearest iron chair, I immediately grabbed it with my telekinesis and threw it at the stallion. The piece of furniture flew across the room with the speed of a bullet and caught up with the unfortunate pony, splitting, hitting the back of his head. The stallion itself flew out of the bank from the impact, sinking down by the sidewalk, ceasing to move. Breathing hard from exertion, I walked up to the almost unconscious earth pony and stepped on his back with my hoof. My opponent's appearance was depressing: his fur was torn out in places, especially on his neck and back, and his entire face was a hematoma with shards of glass. One eye was swollen shut, the back of his head was bleeding profusely from a large laceration, and my teeth were imprinted on his neck. «What a miserable creature, but extremely tenacious. My respect for the latter quality, but I will end your suffering, and at the same time I'll reward Luna». I raised my hoof to strike right at his skull, anticipating the sweet sound of bones breaking, but a familiar voice interrupted me: — Stevrian, — The voice was stern and commanding, — Let him go! When I heard the voice, my rage was swept away like a tail. My mental clarity returned at once, and I looked around quickly. I was standing over a half-dead body on the sidewalk, and the sky, which had been clear not so long ago, was already dark. Moreover, rain was pouring down on us, gradually turning into a downpour. Lowering my gaze from the sky, I saw Princess Luna a few meters away from me along with a few other ponies. And the ponies surrounding her were from the Lunar Guard, judging by their uniforms: they were all wearing a full set of leather armor the color of the night sky. And among them were two earth ponies, Vulpa, one unicorn, and one pegasus. Five in all. But everyone except Luna and Vulpa looked at me with frozen horror on their faces, seeing me as a monster, no other way. — WE SAID LET HIM GO! — The princess repeated her order, switching to Royal-Canterlot. The rage vanished instantly, as if it didn't exist. It was strange, but my mind was on something else. I realized only now that I was still standing motionless over my opponent, who was no longer resisting, so I hurried to get my feet off him and move away. — What the hay happened here? — Vulpa was the first to speak when I gave the command. Luna stepped forward and briefly examined the half-dead stallion, sternly remarking: — Stevrian, what did you do to him? What happened here? — This bastard, — I pointed with my hoof at the orange stallion, — Hurt you, and I couldn't ignore it. And I... — And you decided to lynch him, — The night mare interrupted me, then shook her head, — Yes. He did do it, but lynching is not acceptable. Especially in such a disgusting way. — You think it's so easy? — I was indignant, trying to justify my behavior, — He could have escaped or hurt someone else! And I couldn't just let it go. — I understand how you feel, but I've only done this when I was young, — Luna said calmly, coming closer to me. — I couldn't have forgiven myself for your death, either, you know? At that moment, a nearby Vulpa frowned and bared her sharp teeth threateningly. — Address Her Highness properly! — She interjected. — He has the right to address me as «you», — The princess turned her head toward the fester, stomping her hoof. She bowed guiltily and muttered in a more subdued tone: — As you wish, mistress. After receiving the answer, Luna went back to talking to me and smiled slightly at me: — Stevrian. He'll get what he deserves. I promise you that. — Okay, — I sighed, and turned toward the bank at that moment, taking stock of what I'd done that night. The door to the bank was broken down, part of the second floor and one of the balconies collapsed. One of the cubicles was knocked out, and almost all the furniture, including chairs and tables, was scattered everywhere. «What a mess I've made!» — I summarized, lowering my ears, — «What I wondered was why there was no security here, since this was a bank? It seemed odd». — I've done something really bad... What do we do now? — Nothing, — The mare replied, reassuring, — We'll take him to the prison, and you wait outside the castle. Then I'll come for you personally, and we'll go back to the barracks before they miss you. — Then I'll head back now, — I nodded, hoping I wouldn't be stopped at the gate. The guards would only increase after such an incident, so it would be even more difficult to pass unnoticed. Luna, having finished with me, turned toward her subordinates and ordered them: — Guards! Take the culprit to the castle prison, quickly. — Roger that! — They answered her in unison and began to carry out the order. — Get up! — Vulpa came up and ordered the prisoner. He barely moved, but still found the strength to lift his bloody muzzle and look at her with one whole eye: — I... I can't feel my legs, — The orange pony gurgled, barely audibly hissing, — I can't feel anything. Having said that, the stallion fainted. — Then, — Thestral turned to the rest of her colleagues, — Pick him up and carry him to the prison. — Roger that! — All the remaining guards answered in unison again. I did not wait for the end of the «performance» and decided to head for the castle, completely ignoring the rain and wet wool. I prayed for only one thing: that no one would notice me on the way back. Sure enough, there were more guardsmen on the streets. But I successfully turned down another street and avoided the place where the explosion had recently rumbled. Many soldiers had gathered there, cordoning off the neighborhood. When I reached the castle walls, I found that almost all of its windows were lit, even Celestia's window. I could hear loud voices and the clanking of armor from the barracks. «Apparently the entire castle guard has been alerted. This is fucked up... My absence will not go unnoticed». I panicked, sensing that I was going to be in trouble. But I decided to rely on Luna's insight and just waited. Fifteen minutes later, she came up to me, and together we moved toward the gate. But as we were about to pass through, we were met by Star in full battle gear, who asked in a panting voice: — Stevrian? What have you done? The soldiers are looking for you now! Quick, run to the barracks, or else... — Or else what? — Luna, who was glumly hovering over the guardsman, spoke up. — Your Highness? — Star was startled, — I'm sorry, I didn't see you! — It's alright, — She raised a hoof in a condescending gesture, — I'll vouch for him. Keep doing your duty. — Thank you, Mistress, — The guardsman nodded, — But I still have to distract my, for now, coworkers so that you reach safely. — Thank you, friend, — I smiled back, brushing the wet mane out of my eyes, — You always help me out. Star smiled and nodded. The clanking of armor was heard at the same moment, and Star hurried to intercept the patrol, to report something to them and just stall their time for us. We made our way into the palace grounds unimpeded, but suddenly Luna grinned and winked at me, pointing somewhere to the side. I headed there without further ado, and the princess concentrated, applying some kind of spell. In a second, there was a quiet pop, and both mine and hers were completely dry. — It's better this way, I hope, — The princess said, tying her no longer ethereal mane into a ponytail with a rubber band. — It's a useful spell, — I shook my head, shoving the mane out of my eyes. — Really, — Luna grinned, — It seems like a simple spell, but it took me a long time to memorize it when I was young. I hummed thoughtfully, heading with the mare already down one of the castle's corridors toward the barracks. — Will you tell me about your past, sometime? — I asked her. She shook her head in surprise, looking at me. — Don't you know that? — Unlike some, — I pointed to Luna with my hoof, — I don't read other memories. — Then yes, I will tell you, in due time, — The princess of the night smiled, — Now let's go. We entered the barracks quietly and as I thought everything was calm and quiet, but just outside the dormitory, we were suddenly blocked by a group of the guardsman in full battle attire, and right in front of them stood Captain Shining Armour, who looked at me sternly. «Looks like I'm really screwed...»