The Prophecy

I started the morning with a cold shower, although I had never taken it before. I didn't consider it something useful for me back on Earth, especially considering what I was sick of. But now I was doing it more in order to wake up, because I did not find coffee in the house. Two days have passed since the nightmare attack, which I spent practicing, «writing» and drawing the view outside the window. I've been able to draw since I was a child, but I've done it very rarely. Now, when I had a lot of free time, I took it seriously. Yesterday I even thought about selling my drawings when I could finally show myself in front of an honest crowd. But after thinking about it, I eventually came to the conclusion that it was better not to do that. I was not yet ready for such an activity. However, today I decided to test my fate by going to the Everwild Forest. There was just the house of one mysterious resident — zebra Zekora. I wasn't afraid of getting lost in the forest, or of encountering creatures - I could still fight back. Even with the reputation of the place, I was sure that nothing would happen to me. So I moved into the forest at a leisurely pace. At one point I almost stepped into the blue flowers, but I noticed them in time and went round the side. I remembered exactly what these plants were capable of: they wouldn't kill, but they would make for a fun day of hallucinations. I continued walking forward, and after a while, the ravine that I had crossed on that fateful night a few months ago appeared from behind the next trees. This surprised me, because I had not planned to go so far into the forest. «The old castle of the sisters is located somewhere in the depths of the forest, and I, consider, passed only the edge! It's weird». Chuckling, I looked towards the ruins of the castle, and then turned around and headed back. It seems that the local forest violates the laws of physics, among other things. I decided to remember this fact for the future. After some more time, I finally found what I was looking for: Zekora's hut. The dwelling itself, as expected, was located inside a twisted tree and was not much different from what I had seen in the animated series. I didn't see the door inside right away, but when I visually discovered it, I noted that the passage was too small for me. Some amulets of unknown purpose were hung on the branches near the entrance, and four totems were installed around the hut. They seemed a little strange to me, but I put it down to the quirks of zebra culture. «Everything is as in the canon. Well, almost. It's better to know what I'm going to deal with in advance than to hit myself in the forehead with a paw... well, that is, with a hoof». After finishing my examination, I was about to leave, but suddenly someone shorter than me hit me in the side. I looked around and found to my surprise Zekora lying on her side and rubbing her bruised head. «Oops... okay. If she noticed me, then I don't think there's any problem with that. If I remember her character correctly, then she won't tell anyone about me if I'm not a threat, the stump is clear... I should help her get up, otherwise it's inconvenient somehow». Smiling awkwardly, I sat Zecora on her croup and waited for her to recover from the collision. Soon she shook her head in exasperation. — Who did I run into? — Zebra asked, first looking at my legs, but then she began to look higher until she stopped at my eyes with vertical dragon pupils. For a second, I thought I saw a shadow of fear in her eyes, but it immediately disappeared. With a meaningful chuckle, Zekora calmly continued: — What an interesting creature, — She tilted her head to the side, — Who do you call yourself? «It turned out strangely... This is not the first time that I have felt someone else's fear relying not on empathy, but on appearance and smell. Maybe it's because I'm a dragon, and they're capable of that? But after changing the appearance, the physiology also had to change, didn't it? Or is that not how it works? I don't understand it in any way». — You are silent, — Stated Zekora, while I was thinking, — You are strange. «Celestia and Luna said that the transformation was not completely completed. This may explain why the habits of the predator are gradually beginning to take their toll. Well... it is necessary to take these features of your body into account. The most important thing is not to follow your instincts, rushing at the first person you meet in a desire to taste meat». — Stevrian, — I looked at the zebra, — Stevrian Anlas. — Nice to meet you, Stevrian, — Zekora smiled amiably. Only now I noticed that she has an accent similar to that of Africans if they learned Russian. In general, the words were clear, but it was not easy to make out complex phrases, especially if she spoke them too quickly. — I'm here, — I scratched my head and looked around, — Looking for berries. That's all. — Berries don't grow in the forest, — She said, smiling slyly, — You want to see my house. «She's smart. She quickly figured out what I really came here for. Well, since she decided so, I won't cheat». I shrugged and nodded towards the front door, which was clearly too small for my size. — Even if I wanted to, — I answered after a few moments, — I wouldn't be able to get in. — You don't have to, — The zebra grinned, — You can always look out the window. «I know she's Zekora», — I realized, — «And she never introduced herself. So I guess I'll have to play the part of the clueless pony... or the dragon». — Excuse me, what's your name? — I tilted my head to the side, smiling once more. — The ponies call me Zekora, — She said in response and walked away from me a little. We stood in silence for a while, but then the zebra spoke again: — Would you like to see my humble home? — Could, — I shrugged and walked closer to the tree with her, peering through the window. There were various dried herbs and potion bottles on the shelves, totems pressed against the walls in the corners, and a large cauldron in the middle of the room. I didn't see a bed, which surprised me, but I didn't ask the landlady about it. Looking at the totems across the window, I suddenly felt a strong fear and an urge to move away from Zekora's hut. I didn't understand the reason for my unease, so I hurried to move my head away from the window and look back at Zekora. — It's an interesting dwelling, — I drawled, sighing heavily several times to calm down, — So you're an alchemist? I see you have a lot of herbs and potions there. — I'd prefer to call it something else, but yes, — She nodded. — Why do you live here, Miss Zekora? — I asked, relaxing a little. — I'm more comfortable here, — The zebra looked around, — Ponies don't get along well with us. «What else is there to say... Equestria is very tolerant of sexual and other minorities in some aspects, but they are still racist when it comes to non-ponies. It's sad». — I even wonder why? — We are different, — Said Zekora, — The color of the coat, eyes, character and culture distinguishes us. The points of contact are not visible. — Are there any other zebras on the continent? — We're afraid that we're the only ones here, — The zebra sighed sadly, — But enough about the sad, can we change the subject? «It's reasonable. It's even a pity that she's all alone here. But since we're two outcasts here, maybe we can find a common language?» — I think I'll agree, — I nodded, — What are we going to talk about? — For example, — Zekora poked her hoof into my chest, — About you. — What about me? — I shook my head, hiccupping in surprise. Although it was quite an expected question, however, such an unexpected statement took me by surprise. However, Zekora has already asked her first question: — Where did you come from? — From Nova Gryphonia, — I said, calming down. It was already a mechanical response, which now flew off my teeth without any delay. And he was able to hit Zekora, judging by the exclamation that followed him: — Interesting! The pony that lived among the griffins! — Strictly speaking, I'm not a pony, — I sighed, slightly irritated. The appearance of the pony was temporary, so I tried not to associate myself with it. Sooner or later, I'll learn how to turn back into a dragon, and therefore it's stupid to get attached to the shape of a pony. — Not a pony? — I'm a half-dragon, — I said proudly, smiling. — How is that possible? — Zecora asked, even more amazed, eyes wide. — Ponies can't have children with dragons! — I, — I pointed to myself, — Am living proof that they can. «Let her think so. If I confuse her more, it's a better cover, I think» — It's amazing! — The zebra kept admiring, — There is nothing to surprise me more. — And don't tell me, — I said, slanting my eyes to the side, then looking at her again, — Back to the original topic... Yes, I'm a half-dragon raised by a griffin, and I've lived most of my conscious life with other griffins. There was a short pause between us, and then Zekora slowly came up to me and stopped at my right side, grunting. — Surely the accommodation was not the best there? — The zebra asked. — How can I say, — I pondered, pausing, — They were rather afraid of me. «Why do I feel drawn to griffins all the time?» — I worried, — «Why do I feel drawn to tell you exactly about the fact that I grew up among griffins? From the first time I was asked where I came from, that's exactly how I answer... Why?». On the one side, I didn't want to tie myself to this country, but there was no way out. I had originally said that I had been raised by a griffin, but that was all I could say. And now I was giving away too much. How could I know how the griffins themselves would react to a dragon? It had been bugging me from time to time. «I should be more careful what I say about anything anyway», — I corrected myself. — I can imagine, — Zekora looked at me thoughtfully, — You've been raised to be a tough character, I can see it in your eyes. I only nodded at such a thing. «She can't imagine how right she was. However, education has nothing to do with this issue. But the difficulties on Earth have managed to harden me. Still, living in Russia you will learn to live anywhere» — Griffins don't have it any other way, — I shrugged. After my answer, we were just silent for a while, but then Zekora nodded at me: — I showed my house, — The zebra pointed in the direction of her tree house, — Now let's look at your house. «Oh, this way of speaking in poetry... I hope not all zebras are like her». Nevertheless, I agreed to take her and the two of us headed through the woods towards my house. After a while, we came out of the woods near my home, and I did not waste any time, carefully examined the surroundings for the eyes of others. Fortunately, I didn't find anyone. So we quietly went into the house, and I invited her to sit on the sofa, and I settled on the floor opposite. — A very ascetic style of your house, — Zekora chuckled, after examining the main room, — Did you pick up a house like this on purpose? — No, — I replied, — When I moved in here a few days ago, everything was the same as it is now. — Even the basement? — The interlocutor tilted her head to one side. I choked on my saliva when I heard that. Squinting at the entrance to the basement, masked by boards, I frowned and said, trying not to betray my surprise. — I didn't say anything about the basement. — There's a slight breeze blowing from under the floor, — She explained, pointing with her hoof to where the passage down was. — You're observant, I'll see, — I mentally grinned, and then nodded to the interlocutor: — Yes, the basement was here. But it was bricked up, so I had to cut a hole in the floor with my hooves. There just didn't have the right tool. Zebra nodded back and looked up somewhere. — What is the situation above the floor? — Zekora asked a question. — It's practically empty, — I shrugged, — There's only a bed, a window and nothing else. — Is it bad, — The interlocutor shook her head, — Could Celestia have provided a better house? «This is too much! She's too knowledgeable for someone who met me less than an hour ago!» — How do you know she's the one who gave it to me? — Switching to «you», I squinted, feeling uncomfortable with the situation. However, she gave a completely innocent answer to herself: — It makes sense, — And shrugged her shoulders immediately, smiling. «All right. At least it looks like some kind of explanation. However, the more I talk to her, the more amazed I am at this zebra's awareness». At this time, Zekora looked at the door that led to the backyard, and then pointed there, wondering: — What's in there? — The courtyard, and at the same time the training ground, — I replied with a shrug. — Are you a warrior? — The interlocutor looked at me with interest. — In a way, — I grinned, puffing out my chest a little, — I grew up among griffins. A spark of interest flashed in Zekora's eyes. She got up from the couch and headed towards the exit to the backyard. — Show me what's in there. I didn't keep it a secret from her, so we went out to the training ground. There, Zekora stopped in the center of the arena and looked around. — There's a lot of room here, — Zebra whistled, — To accommodate a squad of ones like me, perhaps. — And I'm the only one who fits here, — I giggled, lifting my heavy hoof and swinging it from side to side. — Your house is not bad, I admit, — Zekora chuckled, — Thank you for showing your house. — No problem, — I smiled, and then I put on a serious face, — But I don't want anyone to know about me. For now. — I swear that I will be silent, — The zebra turned to me, — I will be silent like a stone. — I believe you, — I nodded. We had tea at the house and then said goodbye. Before leaving, Zekora told me to look in on her in two days. She didn't specify why, but it interested me. Apparently, she had something to show or tell me. I spent the rest of the evening painting. The conversation with Zekora, as well as her image, reawakened my interest in this case. I decided to draw her and was almost done when there was a sudden knock on the door. As it turned out, it was the guards who sent for me, and they came to take me to the capital to be sworn in. After that, I will become a full-fledged citizen with rights and responsibilities. I immediately began to prepare for the hike, and therefore the rest of the evening flew by unnoticed for me. We got to the palace secretly — only under cover of night. Friends from the guard who guarded the gate, noticing me, greeted me joyfully, and I greeted them in return. I was escorted directly to the throne room, where the two princesses were already waiting. They were sitting on their thrones in front of me. I entered, stopping a dozen meters from the thrones, and greeted them loudly: — Be healthy, princesses! Celestia frowned a little when she saw me, but Luna smiled a little. — You have the honor of becoming a citizen of our country, — The day princess began, — Please don't be sarcastic. — Don't be so ranty, my sister, — Luna turned to Celestia, — He wished us both good health. The white mare sighed heavily and shook her head. — Good. Just be serious from now on, Stevrian. «Yes, she's right — no kidding. This is a serious matter». — So, you have been given the greatest honor to become a citizen of the most beautiful country in the world, — The words of the daytime princess seemed to echo off the walls, which gave this moment a special solemn shade, — From ancient times to this day, it was necessary to swear an oath to me. Celestia slowly and elegantly pointed at herself with a hoof, and then took a deep breath and continued: — But now my sister has returned, — She looked at Luna, and then returned her gaze to me, — And from now on there is a diarchy here. You need to choose which of us to swear allegiance to. Celestia lifted her head proudly up and, smiling maliciously from the corners of her lips, continued: — Choose wisely, because you will not be able to change the choice after. «Does she really expect that after everything I've seen, heard and experienced on my own skin, I'll become her loyal subject? It's unlikely!». I snorted inwardly, deciding that I would take the oath to Luna. I looked at both princesses, and then I went up to the throne of Luna and, before reaching it about six steps, bent my front legs, defiantly bowing my head. Those were the rules. Turning my attention to the nearby throne and Celestia for a moment, I could barely contain my laughter: the day princess's right eye was twitching in a nervous tic, and her muzzle was clearly expressing indignation. I closed my eyes and waited. A second later, I felt something cold and sharp touching me — apparently it was a sword. — You are now an Equestrian citizenºᵉ, — Luna decided to say in Old Equestrian, — We accept your oath of allegiance to Usºᵉ! Stand upºᵉ! I, who was expecting something more serious, shook my head a little in disbelief, but stood up straight. I would not have thought that the oath would end so quickly. — You are now Our subject and subject only to Usºᵉ, — Said the Princess of the Night solemnly. — So be it! — Solemnly declared Celestia, adopting her usual emotionless «mask». «I hope that Celestia will no longer have any reason to put pressure on me if I now answer only to her sister... I really hope so», — I hoped, realizing that perhaps there would be one less problem now. — Are we done with the official part? — I asked, a little disappointed. — Yes, — Celestia said, — Only the formalities of the paperwork remain, and you are officially a citizen of Equestria. — Should I still be hiding in the house from the prying eyes of the Ponyvillians? — For now, — The white mare nodded, — In a week and a half we'll be ready to introduce you to the public. — I hope they don't throw rotten tomatoes at me, — I shrugged. — That's how I envision the sight, — Luna giggled into her hoof. I smiled innocently at her, and that was the end of it.

***

The next morning greeted me with the rays of the sun that fell on my eyes, which made me close my eyes in displeasure. I couldn't sleep at night, even I couldn't figure out why. I usually didn't have any problems falling asleep, but here it is. My whole body was falling apart, as if I was human again. «I need to work out a sleep regime for myself», — I decided, getting up from the couch with difficulty, — «If I stay awake for eighteen hours a day again, as when I was a human, I will quickly exhaust myself. I absolutely do not need it. For the future: fall asleep at a maximum of eleven at night, if possible, but no later than midnight» The first thing I decided to do in the morning was to take a cold shower. However, even that didn't cheer me up. I was still falling apart. «I won't be able to sleep during the day anyway, so I'd better start cooking». My breakfast consisted of scrambled eggs, salad with a local equivalent of onions, peas, corn, and some meat. At the moment, I had no problems with protein food, not like in the barracks. But I still tried not to overeat meat, but to consume it wisely. Egg white in Equestria was the only one that did not disgust ponies at the sight of its use. Moreover, when I was still living in the barracks, I saw several times how several guards drank raw eggs. I have never tried to do this — I was afraid of diseases that may be in raw protein. But all other animal food when eaten, including fish, caused a negative reaction in the pony. To make myself a normal breakfast, I had to fry five eggs at once, crumble almost a kilogram of salad and add half a savory piece of meat of some animal. My gluttonous large body seemed to want to walk to the fullest. «At this rate, I'll get a bill for more than a million bits someday, no other way», — I mused, poking at the prepared dish with a cutlery, — «And yet I wonder whose meat is this? Somehow I don't care if the creature itself was intelligent, but I would like to know its name. I'll ask Celestia or Luna when I see them». When I was full, I washed the dishes and then decided to go outside and get some fresh air. Before that, I put an apple on the table, deciding that I would eat it as soon as I got back. Standing in the shade of a tree near my house, I looked around my apartment and made sure that there were no charms. But it is very well painted in the color of the forest and does not stand out from the general background. Perhaps that's why the ponies didn't notice anything suspicious. After standing by a tree for a while, I decided to walk a little further, closer to the river, but without entering the city itself. When I reached the river, I stopped at the shore and looked at my reflection in the water. Frankly speaking, I didn't look very good in it: even through the wool, bags under my eyes from lack of sleep were visible, the mane had grown longer than necessary, and my eyes seemed to have dimmed. «It seems that the intensity of their glow depends on my condition. After a sleepless night, it's no wonder I don't look so good». I sighed sadly and turned away from the reflection. At the same moment, I heard a quiet voice. Pricking up my ears, I turned one of them in the right direction and realized that the voice did not belong to the pony at all, but to someone else. A little childish, squeaky, with a slight wheeze. «Spike!» — A thought flashed through my head. Without waiting for the outcome of events, I immediately rushed in the direction of my house, but already at the very door I heard a clear «Hey, stop!». Terrified, I closed the door with a horseshoe and closed the windows with homemade curtains that I made immediately after the attack of the «nightmare» a few days ago. However, mentally I already felt that I had caught myself too late. «What an idiot», — I swore at myself, — «I got caught out of the blue. What will I do? He saw me!» Judging by the patter of small paws, Spike was already at the door. I quickly began to figure out what to do, but I couldn't think of anything. «Maybe let him think that no one lives here?» — I thought to rely on «maybe». — Wow! — A voice exclaimed almost at the door, — Where does the house come from?! I was silent and tried not to move, but after a prolonged silence, an apple suddenly fell off the table. The treacherous thud of the fruit on the wooden floor gave me away. — Hey! — Spike shouted, — I know there's someone here! Come out! I continued to be silent and stare at the door, still not finding a way out of this situation. — I'll tell Twilight everything! «Holy shit! That's what, and I can't allow that!» I was really scared, but I went to the door anyway and opened it after a short delay. I looked down and saw a small purple-green dragon. He didn't even reach my chest, but in his proportions and appearance I didn't see a single hint of similarity to the cartoon version. Only the color and some features, like the proportions of the eyes to the head, were similar. «If I didn't know who he was, I would have taken him for a colored dinosaur rather than a relative», — I remarked ironically, chuckling. And surprisingly, I did not see any hint of fear in his eyes, but rather, on the contrary, interest. In turn, the young lizard curiously studied the mysterious dragon-like stallion in front of him, that is, me. The silence dragged on for a long time as we looked at each other. I could feel his uncertainty and at the same time his desire to learn more about me. This was not typical of anyone I had known before. Even the same Star treated me with fear at first. But the courage of the little dragon surprised me. — Wow! — Finally, Spike exclaimed admiringly, breaking the silence, — This is the first time I've seen this! I raised an «eyebrow», not expecting such a first reaction to myself. — Hello, — I began a little confused, — Who do I have the honor to talk to? — I'm Spike, Twilight's inimitable assistant librarian, — He introduced himself, and then added softly, smiling, — And also her little brother. I chuckled, noting the slight growling accent in his voice, which was typical of my speech, but said nothing in response. — And who are you? — The purple dragon asked the question. — Stevrian, — I paused, — Stevrian Anlas. — Nice to meet you, Stevrian, — Spike chuckled, looking me up and down again, scratching his head in surprise, — I've never seen a pony like you. — Figuratively speaking, I'm not a pony, — I replied, — I'm a half-dragon. — I would never have thought that such a thing was possible... — But as you can see, the proof is right in front of you, — I pointed at myself, tapping my chest with my hoof. — Twilight will be stunned by this! — Spike turned around and was about to leave, but I ran forward and blocked his way. — No! — I shouted, — Neither she nor anyone else should know that I'm here. Do you understand me? — But why? — He asked the question indignantly. I took a deep breath and decided to tell him the truth: — Celestia and Luna want to introduce me to society in a week, and no one should have seen me until then. But you noticed me. Do you understand what this means? — That I tore off your disguise... — The dragon sighed sadly, lowering his head, — Forgive me. His tone caused me to feel some kind of pity for him, and I was a little sorry that I was talking so sharply to him. — In that case, — I paused, considering the thought, — You don't tell anyone that I'm here, but you can come here as soon as you have free time. Ok? — It's been noticed! — The dragon offered a clenched paw, but it took me a couple of seconds to figure out what he wanted. — You know what? — I decided to suggest, changing my tone to a softer one, — Let's just say you didn't see me. Not at all. — I think I get it, — Spike nodded affirmatively, — But I still know where you live. I do now. — In that case, — I paused, thinking about the idea, — You don't tell anyone I'm here, but you can come here whenever you have free time. Okay? — Okay! — The dragon gave me a clenched paw, but it took me a few seconds to realize what he wanted. I put my hoof lightly against his paw and smiled slightly. — Please, it's very important. Will you help a kin? — Mm-hmm, — Spike sighed admiringly, — How big you are! — Yeah, — I sighed, — I'll take that as a yes. Watching him was interesting and even funny. But I didn't show such emotions, only smiling slightly. As he scrutinized my face, I pondered: «So small, not a drop of fear. Surprisingly. I'm starting to like him». — Oh! — The dragon remembered something and tapped his forehead, — I was supposed to help Rarity! — And who is she? — Having decided to continue playing the novice, I asked. — The most beautiful, sweet and generous pony of all, — The purple dragon raised his paw up. «Hmm... so he loves her here too. It will be interesting». I noted this fact in my head for the future. «It seems that in this regard, his object of lust did not differ from the canonical one. It's even good. It remains to be hoped that she will not stand up to her young boyfriend» — Since you promised to help, then go, — I smiled, — Only you haven't seen me and my house. — Of course I didn't see it, — He headed towards Ponyville, waving his paw at me one last time. After making sure that the dragon was really gone, I closed the door behind me and sat down on the sofa. «What was he even doing a mile and a half out of town? What a day, for crying out loud». I leaned back and closed my eyes. «I just hope he won't talk about me», — I thought, and then an idea came to mind, — «By the way, this is an idea! I'm going to draw Spike».