The Prophecy

— I had to get myself in such a mess, — I swore, doing an inept impersonation of Master Yoda. It had only been a few hours since I had returned to the barracks. Luna and I walked down the corridor toward the throne room, which was lit only by the rays of the rising sun. A difficult conversation with Celestia was approaching, and the princess of the night and I understood this. But on the way there, Luna stopped suddenly and looked at me: — Look, this whole situation is bad, — She took a deep breath, — But I'm going to get you out of this. — How? — You were with me at the time and we were discussing your citizenship, — The mare looked around as if trying to make sure no one was around, — The Moon Guards will confirm it. — Thank you, — I smiled, — I hope that's enough. But I have a question. — Yes? — The princess perked up her ears. — Why are you helping me? Luna looked away, sighed heavily and said: — You helped me deal with Nightmare Moon: first, — She stomped her hoof, — Second, I've seen your past and guess what? I hummed a little, tilting my head to the side. «Yeah, well, someone's got a knack for memory. But on the other hand, it did bring us closer together, which is good. Probably» — So what is it? — I asked quietly. — We have a surprising amount in common, — She smiled slightly, — And there's a lot of potential in you that we shouldn't miss. I hummed again, noting to myself that she was right. The difference in age and experience was huge, but we had similar things in common, like bad relationships with others, loneliness, and isolation from the world. She and I are trying for someone else's good, but we are disliked by everyone and appreciated by only a few. As it was on Earth, so it is here. — It's so unfair, — I muttered faintly, my head down, remembering the past. I didn't notice that the princess was listening to all of this. — Did you say something, Stevrian? — Luna was interested, stepping closer to me. I mentally cursed. — It's nothing like that, — I shrugged it off, — Just a thought. — Well, — The princess hummed sadly and lowered my head to her eye level, — Don't be sad. — Okay, — I nodded. — Pull yourself together, for we have a long conversation to have with our sister, — She said, trying to speak in her old manner, returning to the subject, — You must behave like a true stall... Alicorn faltered at that word, but correcting herself, continued: — Like a real dragon, in a good way. — Good, good, — I cheered and lifted my head, chest out, — I'm ready. We walked further down the corridor until we heard the chaotic clatter of hooves at the door. Deciding to let the ones exiting, we moved away on opposite sides of the door, and when I saw those who appeared in front of us, I was greatly surprised. — Luna, — I breathed, pointing to the two stallions that had come out. — Yeah? — The mare looked at me. — Those are the stallions that Star and I caught not too long ago. — Really? — She looked at the stallions again, — They look strange. — That's what I mean, — I nodded, — They walk like some kind of robots and their eyes... — They have golden pupils, — The princess of the night answered for me. — What could it be? — I don't know, honestly, — Luna shook her head, — But I don't want to find out. — But I'm interested, — I grinned, looking at the departing, possibly former guards, — Their gaze seems to be directed into the void, and I have a theory. — I'm listening, — The princess said, her ears perked up. — They could have been brainwashed. — But why? — Luna wondered. — To make them obedient, or at least not dangerous? — I shrugged. «If Celestia really is using magic to subdue and keep the unruly in line, it's even worse than I thought. Not to say I felt sorry for the rebels, but what if she was doing the same thing to regular ponies? That's got to be a scary sight. Though she probably doesn't do it often... I don't know, the general attitude!» The princess said nothing to me and opened the door to the throne room, where the day mare stood majestically on her throne, reading some papers. We leisurely walked over and stood right in front of her, and for a while we stood like that, glancing at each other and at Celestia. Luna finally coughed to get her sister's attention. Hearing this, she finally pulled away from her reading. The older alicorn's gaze and slight smile fell on Luna first, but when she looked at me, all her positive mood faded away. Celestia was looking at me with a hidden anger under the mask of nonchalance that was on her muzzle most of the time. Seeing that look sent a chill down my spine. This was the second time I'd had such a serious conversation with the princess, but now I could feel the oppressive atmosphere of this room. «I could get sentenced here if I don't behave like this», — A thought ran through my head. I could feel the intense nervousness from the elder alicorn's emotional background as well as my own. I had to make an effort to remain calm. — Stevrian, — The mare stood up from her throne and began to walk down towards us, — You have only justified my trust in you... Surprisingly, Celestia spoke in a calm voice that didn't seem to match the emotion in her voice. The alicorn paused for a moment, as if waiting for something to happen. — But now, — Continued the day princess, — You've undermined him. The tone of the princess of the day's voice became darker, and iron notes appeared in her voice: — What do you have to say for yourself? «Am I a prisoner?!», — I wanted to be outraged out loud, but instead I said otherwise: — Is it a crime for me to leave the barracks? — Where have you been? — Celestia's tone changed to a dominant one, as if the question was being asked by a being of great authority. I bit my tongue and thought about it. «What does she want to hear? That I left the barracks unauthorised and nearly killed her subject?» Suddenly, the princess of the night intervened in our conversation: — Sister, he was with... — Shut up, Sister, — Celestia replied sternly and firmly, looking at Luna. — Sister! — The night mare said indignantly, — What are you doing? It's not like he's a prisoner. — I'm doing what I need to do for my little ponies... — Your ponies?! — Luna got really angry, — Since when are they yours? — Since... — Celestia started to argue, but the night princess interrupted her: The night princess came close to her sister and looked up at her angrily: — Hast thou forgotten, our sister, the errors of past days? Celestia raised a hoof to protest, but changed her mind and looked down. She was silent for a few tense seconds, but then she shook her head and changed her tone: — Yes, Lulu, you're right, — The mare replied in a sad voice. Looking at Celestia, I realized that her mask had given a significant crack. A few moments ago, Celestia embodied a strong, powerful creature and instantly became a mere mortal who «forgot the mistakes of the days gone by». Now I saw the real her. «So she's not as cruel as she seems? Or maybe it's all about the power that perverted her?» And her next words confirmed my theory: — Power corrupts, — She continued, — I forgot that I am first and foremost a ruler, not a tyrant. Forgive me, sister. At this unexpected reaction, Luna froze, watching her sister, unable to find something to say. After a few moments, she looked at me, then at Celestia, and finally answered: — We forgive you, — She raised her hoof to the level of her chest, — But this lesson should not be forgotten. — I won't forget, — The sun mare smiled slightly, but looked at me with a mask of indifference, — And yet, Stevrian, where have you been? I was about to reply with a pre-prepared phrase, but there was a sudden knock at the door, and without waiting for an answer, Vulpa entered the room with a stack of papers. They were in a translucent bag on her right side, and there were a lot of them. — Excuse me, Mistress Luna, — She turned to her, — I have prepared the necessary papers that will expedite citizenship for Stevrian. — Good, thank you Vulpa, — Luna smiled dutifully and pulled the papers from the festral's bag and ran her eyes over a few of them. — Oh, — Vulpa noticed the sun lady, — Hello! With a hint of disdain, the festral said hello to the day alicorn. Celestia frowned in response, but remained silent. — He was with me, — The night princess broke away from her papers, — We were discussing his citizenship. Putting the papers back in her bag, Luna turned to her sister and continued: — That's exactly what I wanted to tell you. — So you discussed citizenship, — Celestia repeated what she had said earlier, — Why didn't you notify me, Lulu? — Would you have reacted differently? — Yes, — Celestia nodded affirmatively, — Warn me next time, okay? — Okay, sister, — Luna sighed guiltily, glancing at me furtively. The room fell silent again, interrupted only by the breathing of those present. But then Celestia smiled slightly and looked at me, wondering: — How much did you discuss? — Not much, — I answered, — We didn't touch on how the citizenship process works. We didn't have much time. For clarity, I shrugged my shoulders. — In that case, I must notify you, — Celestia said, — Previously, this required an oath of allegiance to the reigning ruler of Equestria, which is me. The mare pointed a hoof at herself. — But now that my sister has come along and officially become Diarch, there is a choice. It's up to you to decide who you swear the oath to. — But it won't happen soon, am I right? — Well... — Celestia hummed thoughtfully, — It could be done next week, but it would take a long time for full citizenship. «Okay. Either way is better than bowing to Celestia or going to jail. Let it be that way». For some time we stood in silence, until the silence was broken again by the princess of the day: — Didn't you hear about what happened last night? — We did, — Luna replied, — Vulpa said they caught the dangerous criminal who set off the explosion. Festral, who had been standing beside her mistress all this time, fiddled unhappily, but did not interrupt her, and meanwhile Luna continued: — But no one was hurt... Except for the detainee who resisted arrest. — Because, — The festral threw her chest forward, — That bastard was so twisting and turning that we could barely catch him... — At the same time, you defeated the central bank, depriving the treasury of a significant amount of money, — Celestia countered, squinting unhappily. — That git almost killed... — Vulpa glanced at Luna and corrected herself, — ...a lot of ponies! What if there had been a family in that house? — A house? — Raised an «eyebrow» at the white mare. — The explosion was in a house on the outskirts of Canterlot, — Luna nodded, — No one was there, for the house was for sale as far as I could tell from the report. — The Moon Guard had time to make a report, too? — Celestia was even more surprised. — Exactly, — Vulpa replied, — We're a well-organised force that doesn't go through eleven circles of bureaucratic Tartarus, unlike some ones. I chuckled involuntarily, mentally delighted to see Vulpa wiping Celestia's nose. «I'm starting to like her sass. As long as she doesn't go overboard». — I see that you are working quickly, — The Sun Princess finally smiled strainedly, — But this criminal is a nobleman of the House of Winter, as well as the largest banker in the country. The mare looked at us with a look that was neither mild anxiety nor concern. — Your actions led to the fact that he was paralyzed. I'm afraid he won't be able to walk now. He might not be able to do anything and die in bed. «She said paralysed? So now he's going to be an invalid for the rest of his life, unable to walk or live? Frankly, he deserved it. But on the other side it's unpleasant, because it goes against what I went into medicine for in the first place. But still, he'll never be able to hurt anyone again, especially not Luna». But what struck me was what I was capable of in a rage. Potential and abilities were both pleasing and very frightening. Though I tried not to give away my anxiety, the realisation made me involuntarily gulp. — Nevertheless, — Luna added, — My soldiers have performed at their best. I agree with the lieutenant about the possible casualties. — Lieutenant? — Vulpa was greatly surprised, shifting her gaze to the princess of the night. — Yes, — Luna nodded, smiling, — From today you will be commissioned as a lieutenant of the Moon Guard. There will be an initiation tonight. The night alicorn looked at the festral carefully and smiled slightly. — Don't be late, Lieutenant. — Yes, Great One! — Vulpa smiled broadly and made an army gesture with her hoof, standing at attention. — At ease! You can be free for now. Having said that, Luna looked back at me. — We'll talk about something, and I'll get back to you. The festral woman bowed briefly and left us. And when the doors slammed behind her, I dared to ask a question: — Going back to where we left off, is there any special knowledge required for the oath of office? — Yes, — Celestia nodded, — I don't want to... stress your sister, but I think she can teach you how to do it right. — I will, dear sister, — Luna nodded, — Trust me, I will. — And Stevrian, — Celestia said, a sudden change in her muzzle expression, — Sorry me for being abrupt. I mentally sighed. «Yeah. At first she is rude, rude and threatening, and only then apologizes. I've never liked this approach, although it was better than not admitting my own mistakes. Hopefully, Celestia will understand that I'm not a danger to the state or Luna, but just want to survive». Glancing over to Luna, I closed my eyes and said: — I forgive you, — I said and quipped with my tongue, — I hope there will be no future misunderstandings. After listening to Celestia's further lamentations about her hasty actions, we said our goodbyes and left the room. Vulpa was waiting for us there. — Lieutenant? — Princess Luna was surprised, - I think I ordered you to go to the location of the moon guard. — I know, Mistress,— the festral bowed apologetically, — But I was worried about whether you would need help. At that time, the newly minted lieutenant of the Guard looked at me, and I gave her a barely perceptible nod. Today's «performance» had literally saved my skin, and for that I was grateful. — Vulpa, — I said, making a brief bow, — I owe you one. — You're welcome, — She smiled, — You don't have to thank me... No, you do. When I figure out what to do for you, I'll let you know. I nodded, and the three of us went about our business. I headed for the kitchen first. After this conversation, I could use a little refreshment.

***

The end of the first week of the month of the last grain. My oath of office to one of the ruling princesses was expected in a couple of days, and I was actively preparing for this event. Specifically, I studied the books given to me according to the rules of etiquette. The stallion Blue Tea, who joined the company outfit that very night, disappeared somewhere, but the deputy of Shining and the barracks of Blue Sky was transferred to a neighboring city, the name of which I did not remember. However, the captain's immediate deputy, a pegasus named Black Blade, remained. He was a real bastard and constantly yelled at his subordinates. The stallion drove them back and forth, so it did not inspire any hope of a quiet pastime at all, and the soldiers understood this too. In my spare time, I watched the soldiers' classes, trying to learn a few more moves. Sometimes I participated in unicorn training duels myself, learning a new level of telekinesis, but not on a given day. Unfortunately, one day, when I was studying the theoretical part of parrying techniques in magical combat, reading a textbook, I heard a cheeky voice addressing me: — Hey you! — This voice belonged to the deputy Shining, whom I already know, — I want to challenge you to a duel of honor! Everyone training around stopped their activities and looked at us. «Oh, no! Oh, my God! Are you kidding me?! Why is everything going to shit lately?» I mentally resented it, realising that now he'd decided to get through to me too. «What the fuck does he want from me?!» — I didn't mishear? — I raised an «eyebrow», slowly turning around, — A duel of honor? — What did you hear, half-breed! — The lieutenant said angrily and threw a hoarding at my feet. «It seems to be the local analogue of the gauntlet thrown from one potential duelist to another. Once again I am amazed at how much this country resembles medieval Europe... If only it had trains» The guardsman stood in front of me and grinned angrily, as if he was ready to attack right now. From such insolence, anger began to rise from the depths. «You got me. Well... I won't back down, so I'll try not to embarrass myself and play at least a draw. I'll punch you in the face, you nit». — I accept the challenge, — I said firmly, lifting the hoarding with telekinesis and placing it on the nearest table with weapons. Now I have an official reason to put him in his place. For myself and the other soldiers. Dueling over anything was still a tradition, despite the passage of more than a thousand years. It was a tradition of the pegasi, who were the most aggressive of the three nations. It was a way for soldiers to clarify relations, officers to defend their honor, to show their fighting skills, and in practice the duelists were trained in close combat with weapons. The dueling rules weren't too strict, but each of the three had their own restrictions. Plus duels were usually fought before first blood. The duels themselves weren't a frequent occurrence, but the spectacle was unforgettable according to those who saw them. So very quickly, Black and I became the centre of attention on the training ground. — The rules are as follows: no sneaky blows, do not go outside the court, — The stallion earth pony that announced the rules, looked at the pegasus, — Do not fly high and do not fly outside the yard. «That sounds fair. Maybe it's worth just knocking him off the court, using the weight advantage, and the victory is mine». The problem was that in addition to the main walls of the barracks, there were four more, partially enclosing the site itself and you need to knock them out, or knock out the enemy using only training weapons. Unicorns also had their limitations. And the judge then announced them to me: — No magic except telekinesis, no kicking. Is that clear? — Yes, sir! — Black and I answered at the same time. I was calm about magic — anyway, I couldn't do anything except telekinesis itself. «Kicking? Well, I'll try to remember how I threw chairs and cash registers at the bank a week ago. No, I'd better not, or I might kill you». We stood opposite each other and took a sword: I used telekinesis, and pegasus deftly snatched it out of the weapon rack with a hoof and took it in his teeth for a «dental grip». I stood in a defensive stance, slightly sideways, so that I could see the opponent and not lose sight of him. Pegasus, on the other hand, stood in an attacking pose, strictly straight, looking at me with an evil look, ready to throw, like a wild cat. I decided to clarify while the fight has not started yet: — And why did you even challenge me to a duel? — Fo inshulting me, — The pegasus said in a slurred voice, — And for makhing love to tshat faffot! I didn't quite understand who he meant by «faffot», but I remembered my old conflict with him. The one when he got all scared at the sight of me. But now it doesn't look like he's afraid of me, and he's decided to take revenge for the insult. I got ready and lowered my neck a little, preparing the weapon. Black, without waiting for an invitation, rushed forward first and with a wide swing, turning the sword by the hilt with his teeth on the move, tried to strike at me in a wide arc, but I managed to take a step back. The blade whizzed by, but only stirred my fur. Then I realized what his statement meant and growled irritably. In response, I counterattacked from the bottom up, aiming my sword with telekinesis, but the pegasus turned out to be agile and, contrary to my expectations, did not soar into the air. Instead, he abruptly moved to my left and stood on his hind legs. Intercepting the sword with his right hoof in order to increase the attack distance. And so he tried to make a sword thrust in order to deliver a stabbing blow. Even though I retained the dragon's reaction speed, my body was not so mobile, and therefore it was only at the last moment that I was able to pull my body away from the blow. In turn, I tried to hit the opponent on the head with the hilt of my sword. I missed again, and the pegasus jumped up and turned sideways in the air, ending up on the opposite side of me. The stallion hit me in the face with the hilt. The blow was not strong for me, but it was tangible. However, I managed to throw my opponent back with my shoulder and attacked again with my weapon, aiming at his right front leg. This time my attack hit the target, but the sword only left a bruise, not a cut: still, it was not a real blade, and its blade was blunted, so I did not win the fight. The pegasus, in turn, did not let go of the weapon from the grip of the hoof of the kinesis and, rushing to the nearest wall, jumped on it to abruptly flap his wings and fly straight towards me. The opponent aimed directly at my torso, but I swung a wide vertical swing right in front of the pegasus and knocked the sword out of his hoof. Left without a weapon, the pegasus braked sharply and quickly landed on all four legs away from me, driving along the floor for about another meter by inertia. The fight was just gaining momentum, and after regaining his weapon, pegasus threw it at me. My sword whistled through the air nearby, driven by strong-willed efforts and with difficulty knocked the opponent's blade aside. But this was just a distraction: the opponent, while I was defending, had already risen into the air, and flew at point-blank range to me. At the last moment, he suddenly leaned back, doing something that I could not have expected in any way, and began literally flailing his hind legs at me, often flapping his wings so as not to fall on his back. In order not to get hooves in the face, I shielded myself with my sword, but each blow on it gave off a sharp headache, which became stronger each time. «I didn't think that trying to hold a sword with a telekinetic grip was also accompanied by such sharp pain! Damn it — when will he run out of steam?!» A tear had already come out of one eye, and my head was literally bursting at the seams, but I still continued to parry his blows, waiting for the moment to counterattack. After the eighth blow, I suddenly struck with a wide arc at random, because the pain became so severe that it was impossible to look without tears, and my vision swam. Judging by the thud that reached my ears the next moment, I did hit it. The blows on my weapon stopped immediately, which gave me hope of victory. When I opened my eyes and blinked, I saw Black trying to get up, being about three meters away from me. I didn't touch him and waited patiently for him to get up. Walking around the stallion, I stood to the side of him and took a fighting stance. «Hadn't he already lost by kicking? Or is it within the rules?» He stood up and, uttering a furious roar that sounded more like a barbarian war cry, rushed towards me. Coming almost at point-blank range, he turned around and put his front legs on the floor, jumped up and struck my chin with his hind legs. I didn't have time to parry, so I felt the pain in full. I had to take a few steps back to keep from falling. — You almost knocked my teeth out, you little scum! — I was just getting started, — He grinned, and took advantage of the moment to dash to the side where the sword lay. I did not wait for him to raise his weapon, and with telekinesis I threw the opponent's sword aside with my weapon. I didn't have time to come to my senses, as such a maneuver unexpectedly required a lot of energy, as a blow from the pegasus's hind leg flew into my chest. I dropped my sword and almost fell on my back. I lost my breath and coughed, but I wasn't going to give up. I gathered my strength and started to rise from my knees. But then I got hit again, this time on the back of the head. I fell to the ground and there was a whistling in my ears, and it went dark in my eyes. I tried to get up, but I got another blow on the back of my head and I almost lost consciousness. Someone was shouting, but I couldn't hear anything, I was just trying to make sense of what was happening. «Fuck!» — I could feel the anger boiling up inside me. Through the pain I could only distinguish a few shouts from the watching soldiers, «not according to the rules!» and «duel not for!...» «He's just trying to kill me, not win the duel! That's why he needs it! He can't live!» I already knew what was happening to me — telekinesis began to fill with new power, and I, growling loudly and overcoming the pain, tried to get up. There was something very wet and sticky on the back of my head. I tried to jerk himself off the ground, but almost fell again. Still, getting to my feet, I looked around, trying to find this thing that was beating me while lying down. And this stallion was not far away: I saw how the other guards were trying to calm Black down, holding him with all their might while he was shouting something at them. — Hooves off! — He shouted loudly at those around him, — This monster is mine! When he saw me, he let out a «battle cry» again and rushed towards me with all the speed he was capable of, completely forgetting about protection, and I took advantage of it. Quickly picking up the sword closest to me from the floor, I hit the stallion right in the stomach area, but hit a little higher, which caused the crunch of broken ribs. I did not stop there and a new blow with the hilt flew into his chin, almost knocking out several teeth from his mouth. The force of the blow was such that the opponent flew back several meters, to the very weapon rack. He tried to get up, but he staggered violently, and pegasus vomited right on the floor. «What, unwell? That's for Star!», — I thought, grinning evilly. My head still hurt, as did my body, but I still found the strength to hold on and not fall to the ground. I also tried to overcome the desire to respond to the enemy with the same coin, although the desire to kill him was on the periphery of consciousness, repeating one word: «kill!». However, this was the end of the fight, it was pointless to continue any further. In fact, I lost, but Black lost technically, breaking the rules, so the victory was mine. «He lost!» — I thought with a malicious grin, but the guardsman's further actions quickly wiped it off my muzzle, — «Or not?» Here Black slowly, but still gets to his feet and looks at the weapon rack, in which a combat sword was stuck. And then he smiles maliciously with a mouth from which blood was flowing. «The fight is over! What the fuck is he going to...» Before I could think of it and calm my newly growing rage, he pulled out a real sword with his teeth, threw it high up, and jumped after him with all his strength, caught it with his wing. Spinning with it in the air, the guard made several turns around himself and threw the weapon at me at a perfectly right horizontal angle. There was no longer any strength or time to dodge. «...do...» — I thought to myself as time suddenly froze around me, like the night I'd fought Nightmare Moon. «Wow! I didn't know pegasi could do that! Stop... Fuck you in the arse!» I looked around at the scene before me: the pegasus that had thrown the sword at me had already landed on his feet, two guardsmen were running toward him, and one was hovering in the air above him, probably intent on pinning him to the ground. The sword itself is dangerously close to me in a horizontal position, right at my eye level, giving me no chance to dodge even if I wanted to. «What the fuck? But... Fuck you! How am I supposed to get out of this situation? Wait! Is time slowing down or...» While this mysterious ability was working, I tried to figure out what to do next. «I can't move my body, I can't breathe either. So I have to look for so-called «crutches». I don't want to compare them, but similar to computer games, I need to find them. Otherwise I'm fucked!» I tried to come up with a solution, trying not to panic, but it was hard to stay calm. «No, it's definitely not the time. Precisely! This is my reaction working at the maximum possible limit! This explains a lot now, but I still don't understand how to control it... It arose spontaneously and will also disappear, right?» I once again examined the space around me, fortunately time did not move while I turned my pupils. The pain in my head abruptly subsided, and my vision finally cleared up, which allowed me to think better and see my surroundings. Even the rage disappeared somewhere, being pushed to the back of consciousness. But while I was thinking and looking around, I noticed how my lungs gradually began to hurt more and more. Obviously, I was suffocating. «This is bad, very bad. I have to find a way to save myself, otherwise I risk dying of asphyxiation or intracranial haemorrhage. I understand correctly that due to the extreme work of the brain, there is no blood flowing to it, right? If there's no blood flow, there's no oxygen. Makes sense. So, if I don't get hit by an enemy weapon before I do, I'll at least lose consciousness. It's a matter of luck. Whatever you say, it's the worst possible situation». I started going through my options, trying to see what would fit. Until finally, my gaze locked on my weapon, which I was still holding with my telekinesis. «What if I try to fight off the sword with my own? I did it a couple of minutes ago. Even if the training weapon breaks in the process, the blow will definitely deflect. It's not torture to try». I began to make efforts to move my weapon towards the sword flying at me. With great difficulty, but I managed to do it. My lungs were already beginning to contract from lack of air, and I wanted to breathe more and more often, but as the sword advanced, time began to gain momentum again, and I began to worry seriously. «My weapon might not be able to block the blow or it might slip past too quickly and I'll die», — It was spinning in my head. I was not afraid of death, but the thought that everyone who cares about me will be left here alone, as well as the realization of the annoyance of interrupting my existence by some moral freak, caused fear and a new wave of indignation in me. I was completely focused on my weapon and the sword flying towards me. I didn't even pay attention to what was happening around me, because the whole world turned into a narrow strip for me, where every millimeter could cost me my life. Luckily for me, my weapon was in time to knock the sword flying at me aside, and it was only when the long clang of metal reached my ears that I was able to exhale calmly and catch my breath. Time restored its course to the fullest, and I heard something heavy fall to the floor and a choice soldier's swearing. Shining and two other soldiers in full armour galloped into the barracks. The Captain of the Guard looked at all of this, extremely surprised at the scene unfolding before him. The soldiers all, as one, froze at attention, while the pegasus that was lying on the ground, swearing, tried to get up. Finally, Shining Armour asked a leading question: — What the hay is going on here?! The pegasus got up from the floor and ran up to the captain with his face twisted with rage: — That half-breed, — Black pointed at me, — Wanted to kill me! Shining looked at him first, then shifted his gaze to the wobbly me, barely on my feet, and frowned. — I demand the execution of that bastard! — The lieutenant continued his angry tirade, — He dared to offend me, a member of the House of And... Without listening to the impudent nobleman, the unicorn struck the pegasus in the face with a sweeping blow, knocking him out. There was silence for a while, but then the surrounding guards howled with a storm of applause and enthusiastic shouts praising Shining. And he looked at me calmly and said: — So that tomorrow an explanation of what happened will be on my desk, — He looked around, — And come yourself too, but first go to the infirmary, urgently. The unconscious pegasus was ordered to be taken to prison, and I was sent to Miss White's infirmary. The fight was definitely over now, although my limbs were still shaking from excitement. I didn't remember how I managed to get to the infirmary, but I finally came to my senses only when I heard the melodious voice of our nurse: — How could you survive after such blows? — Miss White asked. — Is it that bad, Doctor? — I asked, clenching my teeth and squinting in pain. — Stevrian, — The doctor said with concern in her voice, — Black Blade is considered the strongest pegasus in the army. «The strongest? What about Bulk Biceps? Or is he out of this world?» — Believe me, I've seen an earth pony beaten by him before, — She shivered, remembering, ’The stallion is still in a coma, even though it's been two years. «That bastard! If I have epileptic seizures again, then I will kill this «member of the house» by tearing off his head with my teeth and the fourth one on the spot», — I roared in rage in my mind, remembering with what sadism he struck me, — «The fact that I may have broken his ribs is that he got off easy. Next time I'll bite off his head for sure!» — Hey, Stevrian! — White clapped her hooves in front of my face, noticing my face twisted in anger, — Are you okay? I immediately came to my senses, looked at her perplexed and shook my head: — What happened? — You were just looking over there, — She pointed to the wall behind her, — And growling. I could have sworn I saw your eyes turn blacker than the darkest night for a moment... «What do you mean? What's wrong with me? All this anger... even being in a human body, I noticed this in myself, but not so radically. Maybe it's because I'm... a dragon?» Such a thought made me a little scared that the fur on my back stood up. «What do you mean, black eyes? Is this how my rage manifests itself? That doesn't make any sense at all» — I don't think it's important, Doctor, — I said uncertainly, trying to change the subject. — It's important to me, — She insisted firmly, — I need to know what I'm working with. — I need to think about it myself, thank you, — I nodded carefully, so as not to give myself another headache. — Okay, — The mare shrugged, ’Here, go to the bathtub in the next room and lie on your stomach so I can clean the blood off and examine your wounds. I did as I was told and put my head down on the tub. When I felt the water on my hide and mane, I realised how much better it made me feel. At first I even expected pain from the water on my open wound, but I felt nothing. — It's... strange, — Miss White said, rummaging through the mane at the back of my head. — What's wrong? — I don't see a wound, — She scratched her head thoughtfully, — It's the first time I've ever seen that. — Well, yes, — I stated, — There is no blood without a wound. — Exactly, — The doctor confirmed, — Even with magic... Right! Healing magic doesn't work on you. It made me think for a moment: «Yeah. Healing won't work on me, as I've already ascertained, but maybe there was something else? What's that got to do with it, though?» — Maybe I have something that allows me to regenerate that kind of damage? — I dared to speculate. — Maybe. But I wouldn't want the experience to be repeated, even though the researcher inside me wants to do the experiment. Miss White grinned, looking at me strangely. «Oh, no. No. No. That's the kind of happiness I didn't order». — It's better to let him sit there, — I chuckled in turn. — Anyway, I'm prescribing you painkillers and sleeping pills. — What are sleeping pills for? — I was surprised. — Sleep is the best medicine, especially when you are being treated by other means. —I thought Equestria had banned the import of drugs, — I remarked, getting to my feet. — Yes, it is, — The mare nodded, — But these medicines are legal. — At least something good, — I muttered, already getting ready to go back to the barracks. But Miss White hurried to take a pen and write something on a piece of paper. — Here's a prescription for you, — The doctor handed me a piece of paper with the name of the drugs, the dose and his seal on it, — Tell them that I will pay for the expenses myself, and then come again before lights out so that I record your condition after painkillers. And come back in the morning to... — Shining told me to come to him in the morning with an explanation, — I interrupted Miss White, sighing. — Then come right after that, okay? — Yes, ma'am! — I replied in an army manner. I was already getting tired of this day. I wanted to pass out as soon as possible and forget about everything. But when I was about to leave and staggered to the door, I turned around and decided to ask the nurse: — Why is Black so angry at Dark? There was a deathly silence in the room. But then the nurse sighed and answered: — He... hates those who prefer relationships with members of their own sex. — That's how it is, — I chuckled angrily, — Homophobia means. I'll keep it in mind. With that, I left the office and closed the door behind me.

***

In the evening of the same day I met my friend Dark Star, who was dressed in a dark blue outfit, with a white half shirt and a badge in the form of a month as a hairpin, as if he were going to a ball. When he saw me, he smiled happily and said: — Oh, Stevrian! — He came up to me, and we bumped hooves, — I'm about to be sworn in, and how are you? — Nothing good, — I took a deep breath and looked away, — I'm tired, that's what! — Brony, what's wrong? — Star asked. Star turned his head to the side and looked at the back of my head. His eyes widened as he noticed something there, but then he looked at me with a look of compassion: — Brony, what... — I know you won't tell anyone, but remember that incident in the city a week ago? — I interrupted him. He staggered back a little. — I remember, — He nodded, — You were also accompanied by Princess Luna. — Yes, — I drawled, — That night it was I who was responsible for the destruction of the bank and it was I who caught that fa... — I cleared my throat, looking guiltily at my friend, — Freak. — I'm not offended, — The stallion grinned, — You beat him up badly, as far as I understood from what I heard. — He's paralyzed, — I said dryly. There was no regret or joy in my voice anymore. It just is and is. — It's worse for him, otherwise I would have killed him, — Dark replied angrily, suddenly gloomy. This surprised me a lot, which made me even raise an «eyebrow». I've never seen Dark in a bad mood. — Why? — This faggot's name is Bit Ritch, and he's exactly the stallion that almost made my family lose their home. I was very surprised by this. There was a twofold feeling: joy for helping a friend and a slight guilt for making someone disabled. But I quickly forgot about the last feeling, as soon as I reminded myself of the one I left disabled. But while I was thinking, suddenly Star hugged my chest and said: — Thank you so much, Stevrian, — He smiled broadly, — My family and I will not forget this. — Um, — I hugged him back with my front leg, confused, — Please. — But what does any of this have to do with the blood on your?.. — Star wanted to ask, but I beat him to it. — Yes, — I took a deep breath, — Black Blade tried to kill me. — That bastard?! — The stallion was really pissed off. For the second time, I noticed the anger rush to him. «Yeah, I can imagine how much he suffered from both freaks», — I thought sympathetically. — In the end, I gave him the heat anyway, and Shining also added, — I grinned. — The captain will always not leave his own in trouble, and not only that, — Star smiled dreamily, but then returned the seriousness in his gaze and asked a question: — So what happened? I sighed and told him the whole story in full and in detail. Periodically, the interlocutor snorted angrily, muttered something obscene under his breath, and at some moments sighed, admiring me, which even made me feel a little flattered. However, at the very end of the story, he got really angry, like me, and wanted to kill Black, but I forbade him, trying to calm him down. When I finished with the story, Star remembered that he should be in the half of the castle where Princess Luna sits, and not hanging around the barracks of the day Guard according to old habit, so he thanked me for the story and we parted. When I was going to sleep at night after my second visit to the infirmary, just before the «stand down!» command, an earth pony mare in a maid's outfit came up to me and told me to keep my head down for the next two days and then go straight to the Luna. Why complicate everything so much, I still did not understand, but I decided to act exactly as I was told and keep my head down from the barracks these days. — I've had enough adventures. I hope I'll have a different, more peaceful, and measured life ahead of me, — I thought before I drifted off to sleep.