“Starky!”
A familiar voice shattered the night’s silence.
I put the grass between my teeth and quickly wolfed it down. The familiar bitter taste of dried meadow hay tingled in my mouth.
“Starky, you there?”
“Yes, I am,” I mumbled quietly, grudgingly pulling my glance from the beautiful spiral pattern of the stars in the sky.
Hours ago the moon had rolled into the sky, embracing the heavens with its sparkling mane of stars. In its milky light the nearby village seemed frozen and cold like it was sculpted from a block of ice. Even the distant lake, which carelessly reflected the work of the sky’s master, looked unnaturally smooth and silent.
The normally familiar houses, potholes, and pegs looked so alien that they seemed to be caught in time-stopping magic as well. I knew that as soon as I came closer the illusion would disappear. It would dissolve with the first sunray, or rooster’s crow.
Life hadn’t gone anywhere, and the sounds of the night gave nopony a chance to forget. But for now, the cricket’s chirp and the bitter smell of hay filled my mind with a softness and comfort. I could’ve just laid on the grass, listening to the sounds of the fields and looking into the sky. The stars were so distant and bright… and so unreachable.
Quiet panting and the sound of rustling hay accompanied the night’s song.
“Starky.” Lea’s ginger muzzle appeared right next to my ear.
She panted loudly while crawling onto the hay bale, sitting next to me. She looked disheveled and her mane had pieces of hay stuck in it.
I shivered when I realized that my heart had started to beat faster. Most ponies only looked at the surface, and I can’t say that Lea was beautiful. Her tail and mane, usually gathered in tight braids, didn’t fit her at all. Because of her rough, tousled fur, she looked thick. But she also looked soft and fluffy like a rabbit. That look definitely gave her a certain charm.
But the most important thing about Lea was that she treated me… as if i was normal.
Some of the mares from the village were prettier than her, but I couldn’t have safely gone near them: the love for unicorns in this land was akin to love for locusts. Earth ponies laid as many curses upon the horned ponies that they could think of when it was time to deliver all of the best food to the unicorns, leaving themselves to live on dry hay.
I was born here, however, and I’ve lived here all my life. I’m used to constant grumbling behind my back and the sidelong glances. And, as time passed, other ponies became used to me, or at least tolerated me. I rarely spoke to anypony, and I could count the number of friends I had on my hooves. And Lea was the only one I could think of as a special somepony, if I decided to stay.
“Are you sure about this?” Her quiet voice barely made a sound.
“Yes,” I responded shortly before turning my eyes back to the stars.
The heavenly twinkles always stirred up special feelings inside me. My mother loved to watch the night sky. Her cutie mark was a bunch of stars, a very rare cutie mark for an earth pony. She was a dreamer who’d always reach out to something unusual or something unobtainable. That must have been the reason she fell in love with my father, who couldn’t stay to live in the simple village of earth ponies. She understood and forgave him.
I was always a bit angry with her, to be honest. I was angry at her dreaming nature and for her softness and obedience to fate. And now, as I watched the night sky, I thought about what I wanted to do in my life. I thought about all the goals that I wanted to reach no matter what and the ways I might achieve them.
I imagined that there would be a time where I would not just sit idly and watch the stars move, but instead, reach up and rip one down. I can’t remember for how long that the lone falling star that adorned my flank had been there, and I never knew what it meant. Was my talent to make wishes? Should I have followed a dream? Or was I just destined to watch the heaven’s roof? I hoped I’d know soon.
But, right now it was time to make the first step into an unknown world. I would worry about that later.
With a rustling, I slid down as my magic embraced the bags that I’d hidden inside the hay pile. I tightened the straps of my saddle bag and looked at myself -- the straps fit snugly, and were somewhat comfy. I jumped, leaving the low fence behind me. Now there was only the road in front of me, leading somewhere into the night.
Lea’s quiet clops resounded from behind him. Soon, they were accompanied by other loud and more confident clops, which swiftly reached me.
“So, you’re running away to the unicorns?”
I stopped and looked back. Now another pony stood next to Lea. In the shadows of the night, Ember’s fur looked carbon black, and he himself was just a mighty silhouette.
“I am a unicorn.” The night hid my involuntary grin.
“Don’t say it like that.” Ember stomped. “Those snobs are afraid to get their hooves dirty. They don’t think about us as equals, even standing next to us is an indelible shame. They think that we have to feed all of their kingdom just because a bunch of mages waste five minutes in the morning and in the evening raising the sun and then swapping it with a moon. Starky, I’ve known you since colthood. You’re not like them!”
“But I have a horn, right?” I said as I raised a hoof, pointing at it. “Do you think that by hiding my horn under a hat that everypony will just forget about it?”
“It doesn’t matter,” he said as he shook his head. “Your family is a bunch of earth ponies. Your home is here.”
“There are only a few who think the same,” I sighed.
“What about your mother? Are you going to leave her too?”
“She has to care for all the colts of the village. She has to do a lot without me. I’m only an encumbrance and the reason for the sidelong glances thrown her way. So, without me next to her, maybe she’ll finally find her special somepony.”
“Do you even believe what you’re suggesting?” Ember’s voice had a touch of scepticism in it now.
I kept silent. Of course I didn’t. Mother liked it when stallions made signs of interest at her, but I think she still believed that father would come back someday, that there would be someplace where all the races could live in harmony and help each other, and this belief in such a miracle was what still heated her heart.
No matter how foolish it was, she would never give up on that hope. But her talent was also a curse. To see an endless ocean inside a big puddle, an ocean with dangerous and enthralling adventures. To see the opportunity to get on a boat and set sail, looking at the sparkling spray. To not only understand the foals, but think in the same way, to take in the beauty of this world without seeing the darkness. To believe in fairy tales…
But who will happily see how the crops rot and the roads get wet? Usually when adults see puddles on the roads they’ll curse the pegasi. But she does not. And that’s why colts and fillies love her even more.
But I can’t be a colt anymore.
“It’s for the best, for all of us,” I said, hoping it sounded confident. “I’m the alien.”
Lea came closer and nuzzled me on the side of my neck.
“You’re not alien to me…” she whispered. “Starky, can you read my fortune one last time?”
I smiled. I had a special trick which nopony had seen before. I believed that now, when I was leaving, would be a perfect time to show them. A new spell, which I had never used for others before.
Obeying my magic, my bag opened. Next to father’s worn scrolls that contained the basics of unicorns magic, lay a deck of fortune cards. I was only a colt when I found it deep inside a chest and the old, nearly blind granny used to tell me the meaning of each card. She taught me how to use them. She never touched the deck, only saying that all cards must know only their owner.
The cards were harmony and chaos. There were many cards in the deck, but only all of them working together could lead me, and show me the way. Cards were the only thing I could rely on. Reading them was the only thing I could do.
I could make horoscopes and tell fortunes. I was familiar with the stars too. That was the little bit of myself that my mother gave to me. Movement of the luminaires and constellations were one of the few things that I had gotten from her. Other colts had no interest in such matters.
I concentrated and the cards moved like a frightened flutter of butterflies. A sparkling circle flushed in the air. I was very proud of this spell as it was the second spell I’d combined by myself. It had failed a lot at first, but I had finally made it work. Beautiful… Seeing these streams of light dancing in the air always made me proud. I believed it helped me to tell the fortunes better, more precisely…
It was flashy at best. But I spent many days drawing these lines, finding the right patterns, again and again transforming them. Made them like the constellations in the sky, and put the comet at the center, just like the one I have on my cutie mark. Glowing threads spun into the air and cards stuck wherever they crossed, as if on a web. And then in a flash, I was plunged into darkness, with glowing figures of every shape and pattern, constellations and images from them, lighting up the empty space. I don’t know how it looked from a different perspective, but I understood that Lea was waiting for me to say something.
I moved forward and examined the images. They were foggy and unclear, but my inner voice told me the right directions to look and connected them into one picture. The many bright dots in the dark became one -- logical and simple. The image of the future stood out through the fog.
This card represented Lea, the ace of the cup. The figured chalice moved across the sky. A nice pony who has no enemies. One that does not care about bits or physical forms around her, but is instead more interested at the inner aspects of others. I knew it anyways, but smiled unwittingly.
There was a three of coins. A nearby future? It could be a pony she wanted to care about. The three of coins is a supporting influence of the next cards, and can be the symbol of — I sighed — getting married. Well, I didn’t think that was too unexpected for the young mare. Nearly every fortune telling for any village mare led to this.
Next…
The sun was on the left, shining and eternal, and I slowly passed by this image. It is the most favorable card in a deck. Indeed, Fate itself smiled upon her: the sun is the promising virtue and can interpreted as a happy marriage. And next to it the four of coins: a sign of peace, stability, and prosperous life. Quite, long and usual…
The images shivered slightly. Their figures started to fill with luminosity until everything was drowned in white and, with a flash, disappeared. Some visions crumpled into one pile, and then, the stream of events rushed before my eyes. So clear, connected and real that my head swam. Never before had this spell worked so well, and taken so much energy.
I hadn't realized at first that I was back at the night road and that to the right of me the magic circle was losing its last sparks while my cards slowly fell in the dust. I swiftly embraced them with my magic and put the deck back into my bag. My head spun a little.
“So?” Lea smiled sadly.
“You’ll get married and have a happy life,” I returned the smile “It will be boring, but everything will be fine.”
“And that is all?” she huffed. “Fortune tales always come to that. And there’s never any details. If I only knew who I’m going to marry…”
I beckoned her with my hoof, and when she bent to listen, I whispered in her ear:
“If you knew everything, there would be no fun.”
Lea laughed, stepping back.
“Look after my mother,” I added in a casual tone.
Ember came closer and offered me a hoof.
“Good luck,” he encouraged me. “You’ll need it.”
I nodded and gave a hoof bump.
There was the farewell… with a friend? He was always beside me when the other ponies bullied me. The stallion was a blacksmith’s apprentice. He was bigger and stronger than most of others, and held some weight in the village. The way ponies respected him, his strength, his status — I could never achieve anything like that in the village.
But now we stood as equals. And now, when the time came to cut away everything that linked me to my past, I looked at Ember in a new light. I looked upon the pony who wished me bliss. I looked upon the pony whom I’d never see again. When I stood beside him, I always felt like a little colt, and only now I saw that I was taller. A bit, but still. Even though my puny body was no match to his size, the feeling of his superiority had disappeared.
“Look after Lea. Take care of her for me,” I whispered to him, nudging him closer.
The pony gave a subtle nod.
To look back is a bad sign. I trotted away, feeling the night’s breeze blowing away the last signs of the spell with each soft breeze. I Imagined how Ember and Lea would look into the night, while my silhouette disappears in the darkness. And then they would turn away and go back to the village together. The spark of jealousy grew in my chest, but soon was drowned in the warm happiness for these ponies. I’ve loved Lea as a sister. And as a friend.
My hooves carried me forward. It was unusual for country ponies to be awake the whole night. The morning was always bustling, full of chores, and mostly hard work.
Night, however, is a time to relax; a time of silence, tranquility, and peace, the darkness washing away fatigue, hiding flaws, and embracing all in its cozy wings. Trotting through the night with a slight breeze was pure pleasure. I was hurrying to reach suburban villages by midday. There were rutted tracks in the road ensuring nopony could get lost. And if I was lucky enough, I could join the traders which supply the city.
For my short life, I had nearly never left my home. I had been at the neighboring village twice and had maybe walked in the forest once. But now I had to trot to “the unicorn’s land.” If I hurried, I could get to Hornhold before the fall festival. Everypony had heard the rumors from hawkers about luxuriant feasts in unicorn cities.
Somepony had said that the earth pony towns were as different from unicorn ones as night is from day. They talked about different magic trinkets, about the rich citizens who nearly bathe in gold, and about castles that scratch the clouds.
To others, those were just merely fairy tales from another world. Every one of these magical cities was not so far from earth ponies’ village. But unicorns have never liked peasants who trot across their lands and, of course, never welcomed them to the festivals. Come to think of it, what did they celebrate? The end of harvest… which we collected? I smiled. There was a void between “us” and “them”. But it seemed not so hopelessly huge since I jumped through it.
The sun slowly crawled over the horizon, painting the forest in crimson. I trotted towards the sunrise, leaving my whole life behind and starting a new one with only a saddlebag full of things and a mind filled with dreams and ambitions. The future was foggy.
Soon I saw the small trails of smoke that marked the nearby village. The road twisted in another direction, and I had to follow it. Surrounding me were tempest meadows, a motley of grass, rife thickets of sagebrush that exuded a bitter aroma.
With each step indignant crickets jumped to find more peaceful places, just to be disturbed again moments later. Leaves of the maple tree were my breakfast. They were filling, but not really tasty. Now my stomach let me know that I had better move on to the more scrumptious repast. I was glad to find a patch of red clover. Taking two flowers, I chewed them, trying to get to the sweet part.
Soon I found the perfect place for a rest. It was small, covered with rocks by a contour spring. A few intertwined apple trees nearby cast a pleasurable shadow and offered a good chance for a tasty snack. This time of year isn’t as hot as the summer, but to trot while the sun was at its zenith was always a sweaty work. There is no need to the disturb the spirit of midday.
I blissfully lowered my mouth to the freezing water and drank deeply. High grass was better than any other possible surface to lay on to rest. After a night’s trot it was everything I could dream of. I laid in the shadow and found a couple of apples and gnawed on one. It was rough and a bit sour, but it was much tastier than clover anyway.
It had been pointless to take some food from home, since much more can be found just growing around. Soon every apple around was collected inside of my stomach. I wanted to rest until the sun fell closer to horizon.
I placed my hooves under my head as a slight feeling of restlessness tickled my body. That was usual after a sleepless night. With the warm day, cool shade, whispers of the wind blowing through branches, everything around led me into a lull. And with the tiredness slowly growing inside me, my enthusiasm and confidence that had inspired me the last few days went away.
I recalled the first prediction I made for myself. It wasn’t as clear as Lea’s. Following the foggy images of the future, I left my home right before the fall festival and would meet the unicorn who helped me to find the meaning of my life. I hadn’t seen all the details, but I felt its importance. I knew only that I would meet him at Hornhold. But was it true? I tried to avoid the idea that it wasn’t.
But now all my confidence was gone. A wave of worry cascaded over me. Would I find the right place? Would I meet the right pony? There was only the hope that everything would solve itself when I got there. Of course, it’s naive to think that somepony would take a young unicorn who can only show tricks with a deck and make glowing circles appear under his hoof. But I cherished the hope that my visions were true. And everything would be exactly as it was supposed to be. I just needed to relax and nap.
I was woken by slight poke under my ribs.
“Hey, you’re not allowed to sleep here.”
“Why?” I murmured, rubbing my eyes.
I fixed my vision on a slate-coloured pony, awkward and puffy and generally lookinglike an oaf. He was surprisingly perplexed at me, tilting his head a bit, thoughtfully. And as he looked at me, a smile of understanding slowly crossed his face.
“Well I’ll be darned. It’s a unicorn!” he exclaimed, surprised. “Guys, it’s a unicorn!”
I carefully got up. Along with the slate fatty, two other strangers had walked to the spring. They were the typical outdoors ponies. Faded under the sun’s light beams, and worn fur on their thin faces.
“You’re not a herald,” the flea-bitten colt said, narrowing his eyes. “What are you doing here?”
“Just walking around,” I answered carefully, looking at the amber-red pony.
This one just silently watched, and his eyes showed… No, not hatred. There was some weak, extinguished rage. Like it was gone long ago, but smoldering embers were ready to burst into flames at any moment. He slowly went towards me, and I recoiled.
“Hey, Spars. Stop,” he called to the colt. “Leave him be.”
Spars stopped with the same sluggishness as before, and turned away, but at the last moment his hooves swiftly raised in front of me and all of my world was blown away with a hard kick under my ribs.
“Hey, you! Stop there!” a hoarse voice resounded. Somepony trotted away, the sun’s rays reaching me once more. I rose carefully, rubbing my sore chest.
Before me stood a vaguely familiar pony stricken by the years. His dirty foxy fur was covered in dust and his black-brown mane stuck together with sweat. It seemed like his eyes had seen many things in his life. A red apple with few bits behind it adorned his flank.
“Hey, are you alright?” He leaned over me.
I shrugged. “I’m okay.”
“Hey, Avenger, you have a problem?” Suddenly my defender shouted at the pony who had moved away. “This pony grew up at the village a few farms from here. He worked more than any of you and starved just the same.”
Now I remembered: this pony was Malus the Apple, a merchant, who was a frequent guest at our village.
Spars snorted, but didn’t say anything and just continued his his way to the village.
His friend trailed him with his eyes.
“He isn’t a bad colt.” He shrugged guiltily. “Must’ve understood how he was wrong. You should forgive him, his sister died this winter. The unicorn’s queen celebrated her anniversary this year, and they had to give more food than ever, even though the crops failed. Now he’ll be ashamed of what he’s done.”
“I’ll catch up to him, he should apologize,” suggested the slate pony.
“No need,” I sighed. “Just tell him that everything is alright; I hold no grudge.”
Both ponies nodded and ran after their friend.
“Aren’t you going with them?” I heard Malus as he came closer.
I shook my head. “Heading for the city.”
“Then wait a minute, we should go together.”
While Malus snorted loudly, drinking from the spring thirstily, I decided to take some apples with me, but when he finished and found out what was I doing, he quickly suggested to throw away the fruit like the trash it was, and for him to give me a real fruit.
His wagon, covered with linen cloth, stood on the road. The merchant looked inside, just to reappear again with the dirty chunk of cloth that was his hat. And without any chance for me to objection, put it on my head.
“Wear a hat, egghead. If nopony will assault you in this village, then you’ll get it from another. Ponies never touch heralds, but regular unicorns… there are too many resentful ones.
“I’m not planning on visiting villages any more,” I mumbled, adjusting the unexpected present on my head.
“Are you going to Hornhold?” Malus looked surprised. “We’re going there too.”
A yellow muzzle with a white curl of the mane looked out from the wagon. The stallion blossomed instantly.
“I’m sorry, cupcake, did we wake you?”
“No, I wasn’t sleeping,” the mare smiled softly, hardly stifling a yawn.
“This is my wife,” Malus explained, “Hover. And this is Starky from Meadowfield.”
“Nice to meet you,” I nodded.
“Likewise,” the stallion snorted. “Alright, we should be moving already. Together is more fun, and there’s less chance for you to do something stupid.”
The merchant skillfully harnessed himself, took few deep sniffs, and trotted, moving the heavy wagon forward. I hesitated for a moment, caught by surprise at how he managed to pull it. But Malus easily put on speed and soon was moving at a steady trot.
I leapt to catch up with him.
“Do you want an apple?” A red fruit flew from the wagon and I barely had time to catch it with my magic.
“Thanks.”
“Are you traveling too? We’re almost always moving somewhere.” The pony interrupted me, before I had something to say. “Trade. Buy something here, sell it there. Not everypony wants to carry food or goods, seeds or fruits, or even vegetables. Sometimes we help gather supplies for unicorns and pegasi… well… recently we’re not into helping the pegasi.”
I almost open my mouth to ask “Why”, but had no time for that.
Malus winked at me and shook his head.
Hover stepped out of the curtains, sat on the edge of the vagon and, dangling with her hooves, start to chatter unobtrusively about everything around us, and what lay ahead. About fields, about different types of hay, even the advantages of the scarecrow when passed by one. About the weather and the harvest. About the price for food. By the evening, I knew everything that had happened last month at all nearby villages, and even those which I hadn’t known existed.
Hover was not embarrassed that Malus and I simply nodded to her chatter. Only when the Sun was ready to set on the horizon did the mare start to fall asleep. She nodded-off a few times before we found the place to stop and make lodging for the night.
While Malus unharnessed, Hover stepped down from the wagon and slowly started to flex her hooves. It was easy to see her full tummy under her cape.
“You’re…?” I was shocked.
“Yes, we’re expecting,” the pony smiled.
“And you’re travelling like this? What if it happens… you know… right on the route?”
“It happens, yes,” Hover laughed. “This is our third. Our daughters are with their granny now, while we’re traveling.”
Hover laughed even harder, while I only felt more confused.
“To be honest, I always ask her to stay home,” Malus shook his head. “But she likes to travel and I don’t want to upset her. Are you ready for dinner?”
The stallion yanked the blinds and pulled a fruit basket out.
“Let’s bake apples in the clouds!” The mare yelled “We haven’t had those in a while!”
I was immediately given the mission of making a campfire. After a short search, I found I had to go into the nearest grove after some brushwood. When I returned, I saw some strange movements from inside the wagon. White puffy clouds slowly seeped through the open blinds, heading to the sky.
“Hey, where do you think you’re going?” Hover was on alert.
She quickly dropped her cape and after few mighty flaps, she soared to the cloud, pushing it to the ground. She quickly started to pushing it back into wagon. I had never seen anything like this before. I came closer and touched the cloud with my hoof. Like a thick fog in the morning, it was imperceptible, but in the pegasi’s hooves it was like soft feather bed.
“I was too careless and ended falling in love with this feathered devil,” Malus smirked. “But nopony has any love for her kind around here, so we have to be careful. It helps a lot that we’re travelers. But I guess a unicorn should understand that.”
I winced. This kind of trouble stopped my father. Either that or he had counted on me and my mother as being not valuable enough to make his life a bit harder.
“But if a pegasi is born…”
“Yes, won’t be easy,” Malus nodded. “But we always thought about finding a place to live. Being a traveler merchant is good and all, but I want to find place that we can call home, where I can have a business that I can pass to my foals and build the family name, and that all of my family will be proud of.”
“You’re thinking of working with apples?” I asked, putting the brushwood into the prepared hole in the earth.
“Well, I’m not only an expert on apples. I’ve been around, working a bit everywhere. I was on a rock farm for a while, as well as on a few apple farms. I helped in a garden when I was a colt. I have some experience, although, I’m not sure if can grow it as well as I can sell it.
Hover pull an apple out of the basket and started to skewer them with a stick.
“My cousin worked on a rock farm. She told me that it was the most boring thing in the world, to only move rocks from place to place all day. You can't even bake anything with rocks.
“You have no idea how good her pies are.” Malus winked. “I thought about being a farmer for a long time. But it’s not that easy. It’s a great risk too. I’ll have to spend a small fortune to buy good lands. And I also have to find good seeds, which will turn into a good harvest in only a few seasons. I’ve pondered a lot about it, but I can't decide for sure.”
I struck flint at the withered grass clump I’d collected. Tiny sparks twinkled and fluttered before finding their treat.
“It must be good to be a unicorn. So convenient.” Hover looked at me, thoughtfully mumbling.
“I can also tell you your fortune, if you’d like,” I said, and within a matter of seconds my deck was already flying before me. “That’s the least I can do.”
Obeying my magical touch, the knight of coins shuffled back into deck.
“No need to. I’ll be going towards my goal no matter what, or I’ll regret it all my life. And that being the case, then what’s the reason to know the future?” He gave a smirk as he finished
“But if you know, you can avoid mistakes in the future…” I looked at him, surprised by his decision.
“Mistakes are often the best teachers.”
Knight of coins. It meant careful, mature, provident, talented. The Traveler, who made links between other ponies. That was definitely Malus’s card. But more so was the knight of coins the patron of the fertile and wild. He didn’t need some stupid prediction to know how to live his life. My deck slowly floated back into its spot in my bag, and I started to string some apples on the stick, wondering what they would taste like.
We spent four days on the road to Hornhold. During that time I learned a lot about the city. I also learned everything about Malus’s and Hover’s pedigree for twelve generations, and most of the news from the neighboring villages. I had never thought that so many events can occur at such a short time.
It seemed like the only word from the villages was of problems, fights and intrigues. Somepony got married, some other ponies cussed. Everyone had their own troubles. Even the cows that lived by a huge tribes at the far villages where the best meadows were.
We only had a couple of cows in my village. They were reclusive, walked to the meadows on their own and didn’t care about village life. They didn’t have their own houses, but for the shelter and food they needed, they traded milk. Especially in winter. It was unbelievable that somepony could gather cows by the dozens.
On the morning of the fifth day Hornhold showed itself on the horizon. The town beckoned travellers by its numerous roofs, which reflected the sun off of their yellow tiles. Every house was much nicer than those I was used to seeing at the village, and much, much, bigger.
But what was even more fascinating was a huge castle at the center of the city. It was just a little residence of the royal family, and nopony lived there besides some servants, but for me, it was a giant that could scratch the sun with its twisted spires.
I bid farewell to Malus and Hover at the entrance gates. They were going to the market while my path was to the fair. My inner voice beckoned me there, today, right now. The call had appeared when I had made my spell for the first time, but now it was so clear that it nearly dragged me there against my will.
Celebrations spilled all across the edge of the town, partly taking over some of the inner streets, pervaded between houses by motley clothes, loud groups, the music that was even louder. Banners and streamers with the coat of arms, tents and booths -- everything made from motley cloth that had been embroidered by a master’s hooves.
No matter how hard anypony tried, everything just seemed to blur together in one colorful kaleidoscope. Magic flares flew around, sparkling as one revealed, and after a second the next flare would show. The sounds and colors that forced minds to go wild and celebrate as I felt myself slowly grow excited, staring around wide eyed as I felt like a little foal again. I felt small and lost. My confidence was gone, like I never had it. The excitement had been exchanged by fear I was unable to cope with.
Finally I realized that I was just standing in one place, not even blinking the beauty reflecting in my eyes. I made uncertain step aside when somepony pushed me, only to be pushed again. I stood my ground that time, instead, straining my ears, trying to hear all voices of fair.
“Try your luck and get a prize!” Some voice fervently shouted somewhere.
“Chocolate! Best chocolate with grated hays from nicest meadows of Grassfill! Unique taste made by famous chocolatier Hans Sloane. Come and try new samples!” sounded from another side.
“Sweets from bamboo extract! Secret recipe from Zebraria! Van Zackerwait crossed the ocean and trotted half of the world to get this one!” some unicorn shouted loudly, continuing to roll a stick inside of a sparkling plate. The stick quickly grew with a white, cloudlike essence. Some colts bounced nearby, watching in awe as the unicorn made this miracle.
As soon as stick was ready, the unicorn exchanged it with a mare for hoofful of bits, and started to work on another. I looked on rapturously as this thing flowed before my eyes.
The colt caught sight of my interest and waved at me with it in hoof, enjoying my envy. Then he nodded to me and, while his mom turned away, he passed me the cloud on the stick. I bit off a little. The cloud was sweet and melted in my mouth. I give off a bliss smile, and the colt, smiled with me... He bounced after his mother somewhere into the crowd, trying to levitate his delicacy above. I looked after him.
That was fascinating -- did the real clouds taste the same? I didn’t think so. Otherwise all the pegasi would eat them and would never demand some simple carrots or radish. But if the clouds were like that, what type of rain would they make?
I shook my head and move further along. Somewhere in this festival was my destiny!
I walked around trying to avoid the loud troupes of musicians, jugglers and ponies on stilts. Moving around some tents, where the air was filled with catchy tunes, some ponies mesmerized an audience with motley costumes, fantastic stories, and decorations. It felt like I walked all day, but in fact, the sun had just barely moved across the sky.
All this wandering without purpose finally lead me to the edge of the fair, where some nimble unicorns were preparing tents, and most of onlookers tried to stay close to whatever had caught their eye. The huge dome had a signboard on it that read, “Circus of Miracles by Crafty Trick.” The whole area was covered with banners, tents and platforms. Ponies sorted out wagons, some containing costumes, others with props.
One tent in particular, decorated with images of constellations, caught my eye. A lanky light blue unicorn with a neatly laid mane and tail with a white pigeon on his flank ran between tents, and just had come by to check up on that tent.
“Where is Madam Gloria?! She should have been here hours ago!” he shouted to other circus actors who were passing by.
“Stop shouting, Stan, you know already,” some pony with a piece of string on his back said as he stopped nearby. “She sent a letter, saying that she wouldn’t be able to make this one. She’s visiting her grandcolts and is still there. She said that the happiness of her family is more important than few bits for card tricks that she makes here.”
“You must be kidding! Who am I going to put in her place? Darkler?” The unicorn nodded at an earth pony worker.
“Why not?” the pony turned and answed. That was his mistake. The wooden plank that he had held fell on the stage, crushing a few of them. The unicorn hit his forehead with a hoof and nodded, his face full of exasperation.
“We already have a lot of problems this year, and now we don’t even have a fortune teller!”
I felt a shiver run across my body. That was a chance I was waiting for.
“I can tell the future,” I made a step forward, with as much confidence as I could manage to show.
“Who are you?” The unicorn turned to me, somehow looked surprised and cautious simultaneously.
“I am Starky. Tarot cards and horoscopes is what I can do.”
“Are you good at it?” He drilled me with his eyes.
“Well… I predicted that if come here today, then I’d find a job.”
Unicorn recoiled slightly and laughed:
“I love this guy!” He bumped on my back “Gather your luck, kid, and do not shame our tent. Today we’ll look at your worth. If you’ll do well, you can join us. At least you have a silver tongue.” He rolled his eyes and mumbled barely audible “Instead of this hag.”
“What did you say was your name?” He looked at my flank “What’s that? Starfall? Swirl? Comet tail? So you are Starky a Comet? Good. I’m Stunt, or Crafty Trick on a scene. I’m leading these motley. We all have differences, but keep together, so, if you have no place to go, you can probably join. Your task for today just to sit at the tent and tell the future to everypony who comes in. Tell some florid things, something incomprehensible and pretentious. You know how to do that.”
I nodded.
“Simple Hoof!” he shouted. “Bring a good plank here, and write… write… geez, just write something amazing, work on it! Yes, and take new clothes to the fortune teller!
Soon I stood above the signboard, with a hasty made inscription on it “The Great and Powerful Starkler a Comet -- the prophet and the seer!” A package with a tinsels was on my back, along with a cape and cloak, encrusted into faka stars and gloss. I sighed and walked through veil.
Twilight welcomed me inside. Except for sheeted table and few chairs, everywhere were scattered lots of things of unknown for ponykinds purpose. A crystal ball rest on the rack in the form of coiled ivy. Colorful rocks on strings, which hung nearby an exit, reflecting random lights. At the cup before me smouldered some grey stick, filling tent with smell of lavender.
I wore the weird cape, threw the mantle over my back and sat, waiting patiently for any wanderer to come by.
The first visitor was a plump mare, entirely wrapped in a shawl. Every question she had were about love. To be honest I didn’t memorized her quite well. The spell was faint, without any visions, just cards.
I mumbled some of possible interpretations, half about love, getting married, luck and so on. However she was fine with that. She nodded meditatively, as if understood anything, but left quite satisfied, dropping a pile of bits on table. I grabbed them into small bag, put it under table and waited.
There were not many visitors. Mostly, mares or even fillies. Some were disappointed to see a young stallion telling their future, young ones teased me about signboard. I didn’t care, just made a job and was paid for it. Nopony was interested in something important -- just casual chatter about life or themselves.
I lit the circle and told misty predictions… or just looked at the visitor and made a characterization. It seemed nopony was really interested at what I was saying. It was more about having fun than making serious decisions. I was only glad they didn’t demand much. If I had to do the same spell as I cast for Lea, I would be resting under this table already.
After midday, Simple Hoof came to see how is it going and count the bits in the bag. He also brought me some apples, cakes and water. The thin stream of visitors became even smaller. I felt bored and was swinging one of the wire pendants when the veil at the entrance quivered and a young mare at the mantle and cloak entered inside. I couldn't say if she was pretty or not.
She was… foreign. Never in my life had I saw somepony who were that many jewelry and worn such glorious clothes. I could have estimate skill of tailor who made it, of jeweler who made all this trinkets or fortune of her family, but not the pony who was hidden after that.
Unicorn looked outside, and hastily closed the veil.
“Prophet and seer, the Great and Powerful Starkler a Comet? Is it you? Where is your Comet?” She waved a hoof before my eyes.
“On my cutie mark.” I growled.
“Oooh…” visitor turned her bored glance over tent. “Okay. Let’s go, tell me something. Future, past, whatever you are telling here.”
“Do you wish to know something specific?” I tried my best to sounded important.
“I don’t know… I heard so much about my future already. Just make some predictions about my nearest future. Who will I be when i’ll grow up? Where should I make connections with other ponies? Should I look over dragon or gryphon empires? Whom should I fear? Oh, just give me something while i’m here…”
Suddenly veils moved again, and silver-haired stallion came inside. At the mantle encrusted with a golden string he looked like a wizard. At least I have always imagined them like that: wise, eccentric who put all his life on the altar of understanding the world and its secrets. I blushed a bit, imagined as mine mantle looks against his, nothing more then crumpled rag.
“Missis Platinum, you once again run away from your escort,” he told very carefully and didactically. “Everypony searching for you, you should feel ashamed for such behavior.”
Mare pouted, sitting down at the table.
“I wish to linger. Now this little pretty colt will tell me my beautiful future” Her snake tongue sang.
I felt my ears turn crimson.
Old stallion only shook his head.
“Your stargazers made a horoscope for each your day. Just admit it, you’re doing all of this just to make me mad. What would your father say?”
“My father is far away” mare winked, “and you should to take care of me and not get between me and a bit of fun.”
Stallion wanted to said something more, but instead signed and closed his eyes.
“Well, let’s be it. Tell her whatever she wish. I will pay.”
The bag flew under his mantle, a little bit bigger then what I’d already earned for whole day. I shivered. I couldn’t fail here. She was a too important guest, and if she would be disappointed...
I gulped, levitating cards before me. Today I’ve casted this spell a hundred times, but on this one I had to overdo myself. Sighing, I took every magic I had left and started to draw element after element into a familiar pattern. I had to calculate my powers, to use as much magic as possible, but to leave just enough to go on.
That was the hardest type of divination I was taught. Glowing design opened once, then another, and at the third time; silver dust fell from the circle, enveloping surroundings in a misty fog. Cards flashed and rushed into air, mixing and dancing into invisible vortex over whole tent. Then, suddenly, got at the deck in the center.
The mare start to clop at excitement while old stallion was looking at the show with slight interest. It looks I got their attention and surprised them. Adding last element I throwed cards on their positions, while room vanished into familiar darkness.
I saw the old stallion raise his brow.
Three cards would explain the character. Four cards would tell about important ponies. Three would reveal the future. And two would make a total.
Cards stuck at the pattern. I spent so much magic for the spell I already lost the link with reality. There was no tent, no ponies around. I trotted through the twisted glowing lines that crossed constellations while everything around me flew around, lighting up images on the cards. Now it was important to understand everything and to not be tricked. There were too many cards and to many possible treatments. The spell must be done correctly.
The queen of cups hanging above all other cards. Impulsive, emotional mare. Mood of the queen changes constantly. She tended to dramatize, to exaggerate pros and cons of others.
Nearby is nine of coins. Figure is not adapted to life, see through her hooves on troubles around her, ignoring them. Phony authority. Her social status not proofed by her character. I wasn’t surprised, but I doubted she’d be happy by this characterization. It seems I have to go further. Find something new, extraordinary.
Future surroundings. Three figures that made the most impact. Rolling seven of cup. Pony who built the worlds of illusions, of some ridiculous dreams, who tried to avoid reality by fiction.
Knight of blades stood at the cloud’s castle. He’s shaking his weapon. Irascible, Impulsive. He couldn’t follow the plan. Agressive... Probably a soldier.
The last card was the king of cups. Sedate, creative figure. Teacher. Mentor. Third card had the least impact of all. It’s a pity. I would like to follow this card among others. Or else…
What’s awaiting this pony, who was surrounded by such cards? I stepped through two patterns that hanged in the air. Next card was far away, and I had to trot a bit before reaching it. Five of coins. Collapse, losing wealth. Getting new experience. Learning something? Quite questionable perspective, regarding price it would be to expensive for this tenderling.
The eight of buttons was reversed. Inner contradictions, unconfident, lies, critique, fights, disharmony. Actually I thought I knew what I should to tell her. Just to listen to elders. But it should to be told somehow floridly, to not hurt her, just how Stunt suggested.
But while spell worked, I wanted to see further. Nine of blades. The stream of negative emotions, panic, inability to make right decisions. Inability to face fate’s pressure. Hysterical personality, fear of the troubles. Nothing new.
Suddenly, my hoof stumbled into something spanned. I looked, surprised, on one of the strings inside the pattern. Were they always material? I stepped over it, closely looked at it, and made a step back. My hooves met the void and I felt myself falling into glowing well.
Shattered visions flew faster and faster. The card of a madpony flew by me, like now I was a part of it’s image. The madpony and abysm. You’d made lots mistakes, now you have to reap what you’ve got.
A Sudden flash forced me to shut my eyes, and when I opened them again I found myself in the sky, between cold clouds. I could see halfly abandoned castle at the ground. The tower. Crisis - That’s the consequence of her attitude, shattering and turning point in life.
For some reason, the Tower was covered in snow, and on one side there were already huge snowdrops. The cold air whistle at my ears like a mad. I looked at it, helplessly to slow down and was ready to the impact, but it never comes. Instead I was drawn by some fuzzy figures and pictures somewhere into darkness; I could feel the dark and cold breath from this abysm. What’s that? Uncertainty? Future that could not be seen? Maybe I messed with a spell? Or maybe the spell is too powerful for me? It gets colder with each second pass.
Slim whistle of air and darkness. I felt myself sick shiver, there were no reason to find out something at this state. The only thing that shattered the darkness was a neighing far away - scaring, immobilizing. Something so foreign, that it sounded like another whistle of the snowstorm, like a creak of the snow at the deadly freeze, that taking over body and gnawing through to the bones. Like shatter of the ice.
I thought I could see caustic blue eyes, watching me from the darkness. And then I got really scared. I heard the whisper. Barely audible, discontinuous whisper. My lips moved unwillingly, whispering simple verselet.
Visions flows before my eyes. Stream of images, darkness, freeze, cries, argues…
Everything stops. I barely understood where am I and why is so hot there anymore, just helplessly tried to hug the fire. Some officious shouts tried to reach my mind. I sighed; tent appeared through the blur. The only card that still hung in the air was Tower. Others were covering floor already.
“How… How dare you insult me!?” voice of young mare finally found way to my ears. “You want to say that my ruling will be catastrophic? That’s nonsense! Absurd! All other predictors told that my future is nice and glorious!”
“Please, missis Platinum, calm down. I’m sure this young unicorn just made a mistake,” old unicorn told confidently, trying to push mare from the table.
“But he insulted me! Insulted! Me!”
I just blindly watched the mad mare. She was still a foal. In my village ponies her age were still sitting with dolls or playing tags. Few ponies in polished armor trot into the tent, together with panicked Stunt. Guards wanted to kick him from the tent at first, but Darkler covered him with his mighty croup, and they reasonably decided to not go against the earth pony-giant.
“What’s happened? Why somepony shouted?!” Stunt looked nervous and frightened at the same time.
“This unicorn, he insulted me,” mare whined, shaking her hoof at my direction.
“I’m sure he didn’t want to” Stunt grimace distorted by spanned smile. I bring my apologies and hope that we can make up for it.”
I sat still in my place, unable to understand what was going on. I watched the card hanging in the air. Darkler was already nearby.
“Get him out of my circus, quickly, we have enough troubles without him” Stunt whispered through teeth, instantly returning to apologize.
I felt few pushed at the back, to the exit. Still couldn’t understand much. Somepony dragged me somewhere, told me something… And then dipped me into trough with water. I shivered, finally coming to life. Tower swing before my eyes and started to fall down. I tried to catch card, but it was too late. The card fall in water and started to eagerly soak it. Old paper got darker and sets come in sight. The tower was spoiled. Crash of all hopes and expectations.
“What have you done? Don’t you know who that pony was?” Darkler leaned to me.
I shook my head.
“What cave did you came from? This was princess Platinum, beloved daughter and heiress of unicorn’s king. Listen, you really should vanish quickly. Princess can be really angry. And send somepony to make one unicorn horn a bit shorter. To insult her is the last think anypony would want to do.”
Darkler vanished inside the tent for a moment and then reappeared with all my bags. Without another word he threw my belongings to the ground.
I gathered all my bags and, still on a shaking hooves, went from the town. Some cold void constricted my stomach, like somepony raked all my hopes and dreams with a shovel. Well, that was my mistake. I should to look upon my future by myself and not rely on some cards. I just need to go forward and never stop.
Darkness and cold. Creaky neighing echoing at the sky. Pieces of ice, sharp like knives thrown everywhere by freezy whirlwind. I stuck in the snow on the chest, tried to move, but couldn’t force a single muscle, and just watched as snow froze me to the core. I gave all myself in to make a step, and… awoke.
Cock’s cry as usual defined the morning for me. This dream haunt me from day to day, and it gets stronger. No matter how warm it is when I go to sleep, yet, I always awoke shaking, chilled to the bones, like I slept inside a snowdrop. Night gave me no rest anymore. It brought only cold, pain and exhaustion.
Rolling out of my bed I dunked my head into a water, washing away everything that remained from my recent nightmare. Plate with porridge and a jug of milk were already there, but after such night I felt no hunger. Leather frock flew all way from the anvil to my neck, levitated by my magic; I think I should to start to work earlier today.
Smash was already gone to buy some coal for forge, and, it seemed, he would turn at another village on the way home. Looks like he’d be back not sooner than tomorrow morning. I had only to inspect my working inventory at my work list. The winter would gone soon, pegasi would move clouds away and we would need to grab shovels and clear fields. I closed door to smithery and inspected my instruments.
I hated this so much. There pass half of a year since my dreams about living between unicorns crushed to dust. And I made a new goal. That wasn’t a dream like I had, about magic or future telling. I just picked a job. Decided to become a blacksmith. Even though no earth pony loved me, they always respected a blacksmith. I became used to that fact when I was a foal, so, even though nopony adored, they at least tolerated me.
Leaving Hornhold I just wandered from village to village, until didn’t find a blacksmith who agreed to take me under his hoof. Yes, I missed an earth pony’s strenght, but my magic gave me some advantages on any job. I made a goal to learn, get used to and to love this job. I took it with clenched teeth.
First week was hard. The next it became unbearably hard. For a half year I accepted it; Hated, but accepted. Even now I constantly find new, unpleasant sides of my profession. I burned myself often, singed my fur sometimes, coughed acrid smoke. Scars started to appear on my legs and cracks on my hooves had no time to grow together, before I got another. Fur on some joints was worn down to skin.
I tried to use everything to protect myself, but it made my work even harder. Smash always did everything skilfully; without magic, without any protection. He had no fear for his fur, neither for his eyes. It seemed like he was enchanted against fire, metal and dust. He was a master.
But no matter how hard I tried to convince myself that on my flank was a fading spark, birthed under blacksmith’s hammer strike, I was just fooling myself. I sighed. There was a bunch of rusty shovels, pitchforks and rakes in the corner, and I was to renew them.
Dust, soot, ash. I fired forge up and took a grindstone.
That was when I heard a trumpet. It seems herald came to reconcile taxes for harvest and to get know when snow will melts.
I pushed the bolt. These were preposterous problems, and not mine. I had my own business to do. I sat and, trying to keep shovel as far as can, carve a few sparks by moving grindstone over it. Then carve another pair of sparks.
There was long day ahead full of shovels and unrelieved carving and hitting with a hammer. Then there’ll be night full of cold and nightmares. And then the day comes again, full of fire, soot and ash. Showel and grindstone dropped on the ground. How meaningless can our existence be?
Knock at the door drew me away from my thoughts. I flinched, realizing that, staying without a movement for a while. Forge started to cool down. I pushed bellows a few times and pulled my hat up. I didn’t want to remind other ponies about my horn more frequently than I have to.
On a doorstep stood a young unicorn. His groomed fur was covered in mud, which was usual for this season. Blanket with the arms and a small bronze necklace every herald wore.
“Are you Smash the Hammer?” He looked timid, if not scared.
“No. He’ll be back by tomorrow.”
“I can't wait that long!” the herald looked childishly lost. “I have a troubles with my horseshoe. I can't possibly move to another village at such condition.
“Come in,” I sighed. “Let’s see that problem of yours.”
I opened door, inviting the herald. He quickly moved inside.
“My foreleg is hurt. Seems like something inside…” He stopped suddenly, looking at rough instruments before him.
I catched this fearful glance and couldn’t stifle a snicker. “Well, that’s not a pedicure salon.”
“Yes… yes of course.” He murmured something. “I am Vociferous.Or you can call me Voice.
“Starky,” I introduced myself. “Put your hoof here.
Special stand for hoofs found its place in the center of the smithery. Unicorn came timidly, and showed his right back leg.
“Rinse it first” I moved a pelvis to him, sighing.
Horseshoe revealed itself under layers of mud. I never saw anything like it - jewellery accurate metal from some unknown fusion. Even figures and engraving on sides. A bit battered, but still.
“Where did you find such miracle of unicorn fashion?” I shook my head.
“At the capital’s salon. It’s top model.”
And obviously heavy. The work and quality is far above any earth pony blacksmith could ever offer. They did not spare metal to forge it. Thickness of one was at least twice as normal horseshoes have. I would never pick this for myself. It’s simply impossible to move all day without having hooves to hurt.
“Garbage,” I drew a line. “This horseshoes are fine for a town with roads, not mud, no need to rush, but it’s useless at autumn-spring to move by ground. You didn’t say you were going to run through the mud?”
“At capital’s bootique?” Unicorn looked at me frantically. “Everypony would laughed at me if I said so!”
“Yes, of course,” seems that pony was hopeless. “That’s your mistake. I can find something, but it’ll cost you a lot.
Herald just smirked. What’s a lot for simple earth pony - just a knot of seeds.
I took a rasp and in few movements released his hooves. Under the horseshoes there were pieces of some silk, that now was nothing but rotten rags. There was a lot of sand and mud too, so I picked up the knife and started to clean it. The unicorn shivered, but keep silent.
Choosing from bunch of horseshoes one, I adjust it to his foreleg. “Same size. But I must to change all four of them, or you’ll get stuck between villages” I told him, throwing horseshoe on coals.
“Hey, what are you doing?”
“To heat it.” I shrugged.
“For… what exactly?” The unicorn look really scared, and tried to make few step backwards.
“Do you want this horseshoe to adjust your leg just right? Do you want it be protected from sand?”
“But that’s outrage! That’s… To burn! Such a barbaric ways! I’m not an earth pony!”
“Do you believe that earth pony and unicorns have different hooves?” I looked at him with disapproval. “I wear such horseshoes myself. Burned them and have no troubles.
“You with your barbaric ways can not understand,” the unicorn scowled. “You can cut your tails and manes and burn your hooves as much as you like. We - are unicorns, and we’re above your standards!”
“It’s too late to cut the rye when the snow is falling. You cannot move without horseshoe for long. Especially harnessed.” I picked pliers with my magic and took a horseshoe from the forge.
“And, by the way, I am unicorn too. You can never know how life turns, and where you will find yourself.”
Herald’s eyelid twitched. He could hardly imagine himself clearing dung and forging horseshoes at some remote village.
I pressed the horseshoe to his hoof and caustic smell of burning bone filled the room. The unicorn twitched, coughed…
“I didn’t feel anything,” he confessed, surprisingly.
Have Checked on print, I pressed felt and attached an horseshoe. Repeating the same simple movements three times, I looked with interest at the wincing unicorn’s face that twitched each time the sizzlingly hot metal touched his hoof. Caustic smell slowly filled the air, making eyes tear up. I opened the door, herald was not used to it, and I didn’t want him to suffocate.
I made few last moves with rasp to destroy what remained from capital’s manicure.
“Here you go. Not too elegant, but reliable,” I made a verdict.
Unicorn stand and made few careful steps, trying his new horseshoes.
“Thank you.” He nodded “By the way, I remember I heard your name somewhere.”
“Unlikely,” I shook my head.
“No, no! Now I remember!” He trotted outside and soon return with the bag full of coins and wooden cylinder encrusted with symbols. “You’ve got a mail! Here. To Starky a Comet, grey unicorn. From Sidereal the Light.
“I don’t know that pony,” I shrugged.
Herald’s jaw nearly reached the floor with surprise. “That’s the most famous and respected wizard of our time,” he started to gibber. “How can't you know him?”
“All the more so. The letter is important, and you must have mistaken the addressee.
“This letter is without an address!” he barely listened to me anymore. “There’s a lot of them, each herald holds one in a case that he’ll meet the addressee. If I were making mistake, you couldn’t read it. The letter’s enchanted. Anyway just take it. I got it to you, and now do what you want.”
I took the tube, looked at the unicorn as he harnessed and pulled his wagon away down the road, then moved into smithery and ripped off the stamp. The scroll gradually fell to the ground. First I thought that rich parchment was decorated by dense pattern, but the more I looked at it, the more I could recognise letters between curls. It seems that pony who wrote it knew what he was doing. All ponies I knew could barely scratch their names with their teeth, and even then it was hardly readable.
“Dear Starky a Comet. My name is Sidereal the Light. We met at the fair at the late fall in Hornhold, when you told your prophecy to the princess. Unfortunately I had no chance to speak with you alone. I was truly impressed by your spell. I would like to talk with your teacher about the opportunity of your transfer to collegiate school.
Rip this scroll and it will teleport you at my office, or signed for an audience at Shaldenmage inside of collegium tower.
Sincerely, mage of the seventh grade, magister of high council of collegium, Sidereal the Light.”
I read it again, just to be sure if I understood everything correctly… and threw it into the chest with all my stuff. What did he want from me? Why my destiny wanted to tempt me once more? Should I once again cut all the ties? Was that what I desired? Was that why I left my home village? I wouldn’t go with my feelings again. What if that letter was nothing more but some twisted vengeance of the princess? It’s quite coltish to think that this mare trying to hunt me down. I thought I was just tired. Enough of empty prophecies, predicted future and foolishness with cards.
But for some reason I walked in circles and couldn’t find a place. I had no desire to work anymore. Well, I suppose I would finish my work a bit later. Once again explored my table. Porridge was tasteless and milk had a disgusting foam.
Cooled forge hungrily devoured a few logs and bench lured me with warm blankets. I needed to relax. I slept badly this night, and nap shouldn’t hurt. I rarely suffer from my visions at the day-time nap. I wrapped a blanket around myself and closed my eyes.
Snowstorm, cold, and a piercing creak far away.
I shivered. It was night already. Few beams of moonlight leaked inside of a doorway, curving around figure of the stallion. I gazed on him, until didn’t awake completely. Seems that door creaks, I should add “lubricate the door” to my to-do list.
“Smash? Why are you so early?” I murmured.
“She got married,” blacksmith explained sadly, lighting candles. By dim moonlight it was possible to see half of his cheek below his eye glistening with tears.
“I’m sorry,”
“No need to be. I’ll ride to another village. There’s many good mares, a lot of opportunities.”
When the incense holder was filled, I could not hide my condition from my mentor any longer.
“That happened again?” He looked worried.
I kept silent.
“Did you finish with the shovels?”
“Sorry,” I could not find right words.
“Forget it. Anyway, I don’t want to sleep today.” He sighed. “I have to finish it by tomorrow. And you have to get some sleep.”
Easy for him to talk. I was afraid of sleep. Whole night I spent curling into a blanket, trying to relax. But nothing could help. All my body was shaking. I lifted my hoof - it trembled, like it was hold not on furnace but inside of an ice cob. I awoke before first cocks.
Inner voice, it did not speak, no. It shouted. Shouted at full lungs, pushing me from inside. When I stopped, my body twitched, and this voice pushed me somewhere. I wanted to run, to trot in circles, anything, just to forget this freeze and hearing. Everything was unbearable, it was impossible to sit or to lay still…
I pulled my bag off my chest and empty it out. The scroll fell the last one. Smash still snored on his bench, hanging hooves down. I looked at him last time, and thanked him for everything, before ripping the scroll apart. The lair of two celibatarian faded away. Instead of thunderous snore, comfy crackling of fireplace resounded around and I breathed in the unfamiliar smell of dusty scrolls.
Cozy cabinet came into sight through the white blur. A lot of shelves filled of books and scrolls. Walls were decorated with carpets with images of different towns on it. There was Hornhold on one, but the other ones were unfamiliar. Rough stone floor was hidden under some of carpets, and table near the window still kept the gloss of polishing and varnish, even though it didn’t have any for years.
Old unicorn pony sat under the table, handling the quill, which obviously were from some absurdly luxury bird. The unicorn would squint every now and then, while the quill made new curves on the pergament.
Even though the fireplace heated the cozy room well, the old pony was covered in a blanket. After finishing a line, the quill took a rest in an inkwell, and only then the host raised his surprised look to me.
“Em… Hi!” I looked around, mouth agape, make a step forward and, clinging to the carpet fall on the ground.
The unicorn stood up to examine me, and after few moments came a light-weighted recognition.
“Ah, Starky. I nearly lost all hopes that any letter will find you. What is that? What happened with you?” He looked worried.
I raised, still disorientated after the spell. Examined myself.
“Nothing happened. That’s my usual attire. I'm village’s blacksmith.”
“Blacksmith?” Old pony’s brows raised to the nape. “You’ve been making prophecies.”
“I do not anymore,” I shook my head. “After I cast that spell at the tent I cannot find rest. Nightmares tortures me night after night. With every day they become stronger. Everything around just doesn’t fit in. I rise every morning with that feeling. I can't stay in one place, cannot eat or work. And I don’t know when this madness will end. I didn’t want to come here, but I had no choice.”
“Prophecies and time’s spells very mystery and thin sphere to work. Without proper training mages should to work very carefully on these two,” unicorn answer. “Long ago, at the tent, I was truly impressed. I never seen such spell before.
“I wanted to talk with you, but suddenly you vanished. I tried to find you, but tent holder said that they’ve kicked you out and don’t know where you went. I asked every unicorn I could, but nopony could answer me. No mage ever taught Starky a Comet. You just appeared from the thin air, told your grim prophecy, and then were gone. Who taught you?”
“Nopony. That spell, it didn’t work. I made it up by myself.”
“By yourself? Wait, how could you made such spell without any lessons on magic?”
“I had scrolls.”
I levitated the shabby brochure and it slowly fell to unicorn’s hooves. He picked it up and studied it carefully.
“These scrolls were distributed by collegium about thirty years ago,” he raised his eyes to look at me, “Where did you get them?”
“That was among my father’s belongings.”
“These lessons - there is everything at once. Nopony used that as a tutorial for years now. Most unicorns just gave up barely reaching the midst. The way it provides information is just too terrible. It goes from very simple, but in the last chapters it has tons of ridiculously hard magic elements. Did you understood all of it?”
“Not quite. I tried to make different spells. But could have finished just this one. It’s based on the stars and tarot. I connected it to the symbolism the cards provide, and made a few algorithms, like I did with horoscopes. It made a circle. Few elements for controlling time flows. I’m not completely sure how it’s working, but I think it had improved future telling.
“Temporal elements… What in the…”Unicorn stood from the table dropping plaid. “Starky… This is genius. You must tell me everything in detail, but first… Prophecy. What do you remember about it? What have you seen at the princess's future?”
“I… I saw that princess used to put herself above others, and think that’s normal. Other ponies play along, even though she’s done nothing to earn such regards. Three characters in the future will influence her. First will dream between fantasies and absurdity. The second will be an impulsive soldier. She won’t be able to not control them with her phony authority. That will cause a conflict. Nearby her will be another pony, the seeker, the sage. If princess won’t listen to him, it will cause terrible consequences. Awful troubles.”
“Of what sort?” unicorn frowned.
“I don’t know,” I shook my head. “I saw only fear and ice. And see it every night after. Every time I close my eyes.”
“That doesn’t make it much clearer.” old unicorn looked troubled.
“What did I said to princess? Why was she that upset?”
Unicorn didn’t answer. Instead he opened table and showed me another scroll with text-curls. I started to look at it. Closer…
“What’s wrong?”
“I’m sorry i’m not used to that curls, that so hard to read. I’ve always read smooth letters.
Old pony smiled. “I didn’t even think that you… Well, I’ll read it for you. You said that:
“Cranky princess holding throne
Looks at twisted world alone,
Respect you others not for a bit.
You've made your bed, now lie in it.
Arguing with sky and ground,
Harmony will be never found.
At bitter cold cave she discovers her end,
The darkness and snow will be ruling this land.”
Sounds like verselet for foals. I surprisingly looked at the unicorn.
“This prophecy… Is it true?”
Sidereal sighed.
“I think it’s close to the truth. We saw the shadow in princess's future before. But even collegium could not influence the royal family.
“Can you help me?” I looked at him as if he carried the only hope I had.
“I think, that if you want to stop seeing your nightmares, you have to prevent the prophecy’s coming.”
“Are you kidding me? I couldn’t even be good blacksmith.”
“Now you are blacksmith, but I can’t let such a talented unicorn remain one. I offer you to become a student of the collegium and my personal protege. Believe me, if you managed to understand this scrolls, then with access to library and best teachers there are, there will be nothing you can’t do. Just tell me, you feel better since you came here, am I correct?”
Inner voice was silent. My body didn’t shake anymore. I noticed that just now.
“It’s seems so…”
“The spell is leading you. But it’s up to you to decide. The more you’ll study, the more chance for you to seize your connection with the prophecy. You will be giving us a chance to try to prevent it, and write a better future for all of us.”
I was lost in thoughts. Wasn’t that the chance I was looking for? Not just a trickster, but the unicorn of collegium? All chaos and horror I saw at my dreams - it will begin, and everypony will feel the darkness and cold. Could I live calmly, knowing what’s coming? Forget, and just get rid of nightmares?”
“You can start your training, you’ll have plenty of time to think”
“I agree.” I smiled, sadly.
“I never doubt.”
Sidereal took new parchment and started to fill it up.
“Starky a Comet isn’t your birth given name, right?”
“No. That’s name was given to me by other earth ponies.”
“Spell your real name.”
I spelled memorized words. The magic burst and the sound of a bell resounded behind the door. Milky-white unicorn trotted inside, throwing me squeamish glance on the run. Sidereal gave her the scroll.
“Jubilee, darling, this young unicorn has enrolled at the collegium with a special status. Please, show him around.”
“Of course master Sidereal,” she knelt now looking at me with much more respect. Seems like she was examined every cell of me, with all my rags, burns and dirt.
“You can go. Jubilee will show you everything you would need.”
When I came out of the office, I finally felt the trueness of my deeds. Inner voice became quieter. Maybe now the future wouldn’t be so dark and cold. And even if it would, the ray of hope will erase the darkness and heat this world.
I looked at my future mentor. He just nodded and added:
“Welcome at the collegium, Star Swirl.”
