Moon Rise

Sunlight, which was illuminating the alley, had difficulties piercing the piles of grey clouds. People were luxuriating in warm beds this early winter morning, only sparrows and titmice, flying in search for food, were disturbing the silence. No one could interfere with the conversation of two creatures. A human, who was sitting comfortably on the snow-clad bench, wore the clothes unsuitable for this time of the year. He was dressed in dark-blue sports pants and grey vest with short sleeves. He was looking with a slight smile at his interlocutor, who was the white alicorn facing him. The weather was windless, but the pony's colourful mane and tail were flowing, enfolded with almost imperceptible magical aura.

"Lairy, explain to me what are you doing to Luna? Why could I not reach her in her dreams the second night in a row?"

"I make her so happy that she snores her head off after that"

"Her head off?!" - the alicorn was terrified - "What do you mean?"

"Celestia, I can show you, but the change of the surroundings will be necessary. Do you mind?"

"Change it" - she nodded, having eyed me from head to foot grimly.

The sun faded quickly, houses crumbled to dust, the alley disappeared like a mirage. Some rabble could be heard crackling under the feet, the outline of the unwelcoming ruins showed itself through the grey fog.

"Are these ruins?!" - Celestia's pink eyes widened in perplexity - "Did you bring Luna here for happiness at night, in the place full of rocks and iron?"

"Be patient, Your Majesty..." - I muttered, sitting down on a concrete pedestal - "And stand beside me, if you want to see everything clearly"

Tia looked through all my memories, till the very moment I had covered Luna with a blanket, in one breath, trying to take notice of every little detail. Having dispelled the mirage of ruins I restored the alley and saw the goldish tears running down Celestia's cheeks, shining in the morning light.

After a moment's hesitation, she stepped closer and gave me a warm kiss on the cheek.

"Forgive me, Lairy, for allowing myself to doubt the purity of your thoughts and actions. I have not seen Luna so happy for a long time... no, I have never seen her so happy" - having smiled shyly, she wiped tears with her wing.

"But what a nerve you have!" - she whispered from under the wing in surprise - "Not every stallion would dare to kiss my sister like that"

"Your sister had no objections" - I answered with a grin.

"What could she do? You gripped her head suddenly and gave her no chance to escape!" - the Day Princess protested, having flapped her wings loudly against her sides, but her eyes were shining brightly with joy - "You remind me of Discord"

"Who is that? And how we are alike?"

"There was some dragon-like monster, Spirit of Сhaos. You have the same smile, which gives no idea what one shall expect from you. You surprise others at your whim and for your pleasure. Fortunately, those are some nice surprises. Finally, your ability to change the fabric of dreams puts you on the same level with Luna. You would have been invaluable in Equestria" - Celestia summarized reflectively.

"Let me give you the visual demonstration of this ability, Your Magesty"

While sitting on the bench casually, I turned the palm of my left hand upwards and bent my fingers slightly. The thick green stalks, which had sprung out of the asphalt suddenly, entwined about Celestia's legs, body, wings and horn gently, lifting her up.

"The same smile..." - she gave me a puzzled look - "What do you have in mind?"

"It is nothing bad, just some pretty effects. I have no claims on the title of "Spirit of Chaos", but I know and use tactics of "the master of chaos" - I scratched the alicorn's chin tenderly.

The stalks grew a little, bent, putting the pony's elegant legs together carefully. She watched the involuntary body movements with caution. Great number of new stalks and leaves had interlaced with one another, creating a big soft couch, which my guest was moved onto.

Those stalks, that had been winded around her, got untied and became part of the couch, and the stalk, which had been coiled around the horn, bloomed heavily, before it withered and crumbled to dust.

Having observed these transformations with curiosity, Celestia settled more comfortably.

"Help yourself" - I offered.

Two huge crimson buds grew between us. The alicorn touch the bud, which was closer to her, with her nose and it opened like a bowl of dark nectar. Sweet, heady fragrance filled the air.

"Thank you, Lairy" - Tia leaned over the bowl with a grateful smile.

"A life should have its pleasantries, even if it is a dream" - I plaited a narcissus flower into the princess' mane - "Would you like some selected oats as well?"

The second bud opened next to the first one.

"However, Lairy, you know how to amaze"

"I like to amaze! The spine-tingling moment of astonishment, embarrassment, confusion and even a touch of panic fills my soul with such euphoria, that it is a pleasure beyond measurement, better than any gratitude. It is the main reason I like to be with Luna so much. Making her glad, I enjoy her amazement and happiness. And I am ready to amaze her again and again, while she is with me - her beauty is enchanting, when she is embarrassed and happy"

"It is comforting to hear such things about the one I had not seen for almost a thousand years" - having swallowed the oats, Celestia took a sip from the bud, which could never become empty - "Unfortunately, the news I have is not so pleasant. I still have not found out the reason, why Luna disappeared from the moon and found herself in your world. If I understand everything right, she ceased to be Nightmare Moon at that, and that is strange as well. I am grateful, that you are taking care of my lost sister and she is happy with you"

"Of course. Although, I agreed to help only out of curiosity and because of money at first, but now this assignment brings me great joy, so it pays in double measure. Besides, the task is similar to my job, so I am accustomed to it already to some extent"
"What is your job?"

"I help people to recover from their injuries and traumas mentally. Having suddenly lost an arm or a leg, people think that their life is over and get depressed. And I, then, shake them up mentally as needed, make them regain confidence, adapt, find new opportunities, discover hidden talents and live their lives maybe not with a song, but at least with a smile"

"So did you shake Luna up as well?" - having lifted a handful of oats magically, Celestia sent the food in her mouth.

"No, it was her, who had nearly shook the life out of me with her voice in the first moments of our acquaintance" - I grinned, having remembered how dirty, dusty and angry Luna was.

"Traditional Royal Canterlot Speaking Voice". Yes, she has this particular feature"

"I persuaded her to be quieter. And we got along"

"So I have seen. And I am looking forward to the moment, when I will be able to hug Luna"

"And what is this Nightmare Moon?"

"I would rather not tell about it. It is an old family matter"

"As you wish, Princess. And how the search for the way from the Earth to Equestria is going?"

"The Earth?" - the oats, which was lifted by telekinesis, hanged in front of Celestia's nose.

"Well, yes. The world, where I live and where Luna lives now, is called "Earth", or the planet Earth to be more exact"

"Thank you for the clue. It may be useful to me. The thing is there is an earth in Equestria as well, but the usual one, to walk upon it. As for the way, like I have said, there are no results yet"

"I wish you success in your search. I will provide Luna with all things necessary during her stay, while you are looking for the right solution. I will try not to tire her to excess, and you will be able to meet her in a dream next night"

"I hope for this meeting" - Celestia winked. Her sides rounded a bit because of the amounts of oats and nectar she had consumed.

A sparrow, which had flied in suddenly, sat down on my shoulder and began to squeak with a monotonous mechanical voice.

"It is time for me to wake up, your Majesty, I am glad to serve" - I saluted, feeling my body disincarnating quickly. The princess smiled benevolently.

***

Having still not awaked fully yet, I groped about the Chinese clock, which was stuck to the head of the bed, turned off the hysterical squeaking and sank into the blissful half doze. There was a cold wet spot near my mouth. The breakfast I had with Celestia in a dream caused enhanced salivation in reality. Having yawned noisily, I looked at the dial - it was 7:08 a.m. I did not have to go anywhere today, so I would be able devote this day to Luna and myself. Having come to the window, I noted one of the strange patterns of my life: I had been always able to have a good walk before the weather changed to the worse. There was a snowfall outside, so heavy, that the house across the street was not visible.

Having went out to the living room, I marveled at Luna, who was asleep on the sofa. Half covered with the blanket, she was lying on her back, her limbs were stretched out, and her muzzle had an expression of an absolute serenity on it. However, her ear turned instinctively, following the sounds of steps, when I went to the bathroom, passing her. Having visited the toilet and taken the shower, I sat down near the pony and tossed back the blanket carefully, looking at Luna.

The alicorn's chest was heaving and subsiding in regular fashion, the nostrils were stirring in tune with her breath, the mouth was half-opened, the eyelids were fluttering slightly. Having touched her neck with my fingers gently, I felt life moving through the arteries. Luna craned her neck instinctively, reaching out for the touch. My fingertips traced her muzzle, having lingered on her lips, and I pulled my hand away just in time, because Luna scratched her nose with the tongue drowsily. I touched her unfurled wing, fingering rough flight feathers. Having begun to stir in her sleep, the alicorn tried to turn onto her side, but the wing did not let her do it. I stroked Luna's chest soothingly, she put her forelegs round my arm and held it close. Scratching pony's chest and neck delicately, I freed myself from her grip, went to the kitchen and returned quickly with a large glass, which was filled to the brim. Having sat down on the floor by the sofa, I held the glass near Luna's head and blew a puff of air in her direction, so the scent could reach her nose.

"Omh-h" - the princess exhaled, having realized suddenly, that she had not been sleeping alone. She opened her eyes widely, the pupils became smaller abruptly. I had already known that it was a sign of a great panic. Luna pressed her hind legs to the belly unconsciously trying to protect herself. At the same time she made an attempt to turn around and get up, but her wings became entangled in the blanket and the alicorn fell backwards awkwardly.

"You?" - a sigh of relief came from the pony. Her pupils regained their usual size.

"There is no one, who can be there, but me. Here is your breakfast in bed" - I helped Luna with disentangling and handed her a glass. Having sat up, she sniffed it.

"Is there a banana?"

"It is a banana cocktail. Drink to your heart content"

"Were you looking at me?" - she asked, having taken the glass from me.

"Yes, of course!" - I chuckled - "How is it possible to pass by indifferently without taking a look at such a beauty? Or at least at some of her parts"

"So, which part of me did you like?" - Luna leaned her cheek on her hoof.

"I liked hindquarters" - I answered in a sweet voice and scratched a crescent on the pony's croup, giving her a predatory grin.

"Ah, the hindquarters... I guessed so. Even in my sleep I had a feeling that I was being devoured with someone's eyes. But still I was sure that those eyes would not eat me up"

Having sighed thoughtfully, Luna pressed her lips to the glass for a long time, swallowing the cocktail with little sips. Finally, she left the empty glass at the corner of the sofa, licked her lips and nose and turned towards me.

"Thank you, it was very delicious and nourishing. Lairy, during the last two days you have been looking at and touching every part of me you could and could not. Now I want to look at you"

"Nudity does not make you uncomfortable, does it?"

"Do you mean the lack of clothes?"

"Yes"

"Hm-m, am I nude in your opinion?"

"No"

"And the sight of me does not make you uncomfortable. Why should I feel uncomfortable looking at you?"

"I am not familiar with the customs of your country, so I would rather prefer to ask than to put you in an awkward position. Do you want to look? Take a look" - having moved onto the sofa, I leant back on the pillows, relaxed, providing Luna with an opportunity to see anything, she wanted to see.

"I had been in positions much worse than "awkward ", so..." - the alicorn looked steadily into my eyes - "I am grateful to you for rescuing me" - she said it a bit solemnly, having pressed her right hoof to her heart and bowed her head.

"It was my honor to help you, Princess Luna"

I touched her cheek, the pony burrowed her nose in my palm, the same way she did it after the supper in the first evening.

***

Holding Lairy's left hand with the hooves on my forelegs, I rubbed my nose against his palm, then pulled away, looking at firm fingers, which had flat claws and were covered with numerous small scars. My hoof slid along the forearm, tousling the short thin hair. The human pressed his fingers together and then uncurled them one by one slowly. I could see the muscles' movement under the skin. Having taken a look at my foreleg, which was free from the bandage, I moved my hoof and metapodium a little. It was curious to notice, that I had fewer muscles and they moved differently.

"Are you comparing the anatomy?"

"Yes. This is so unusual to be close to the creature from another world. And now I finally have a chance to examine it calmly, without any fears to distract me" - I touched the elbow, shoulder, enjoying the feeling of muscles under my hoof.

"You know, it does not seem like something very unusual to me" - Lairy wrapped a strand of my mane around his palm thoughtfully.

"Do you have pony princesses visiting you every day?" - having reached to the motionless ear, I picked at its edge.

"Hey!" - having jerked his head, the human grabbed my leg and pushed it aside - "Your hooves are scratchy after the yesterday trip" - he rubbed the jugged edges with his fingers.

"I am sorry. Yes, they need to be evened"

"It can be done with a file, probably. Well, let us do that after the meal. And as for the visitors, I did not mean it like that"

"Then what did you mean?" - having sat down right up to him, I passed my leg over Lairy's cheek, his stiff fair moustache, which was curved downwards, and curly dark beard gently. There was a small scar on the upper lip.

"For me you just exist, here and now. You are alive, made of flesh and blood. You can be touched, you can be talked to. And anything else... does it really matter? What matters is the attitude"

Lairy touched my lips with his fingers, then his hand slid down the cheek, neck, rested on the shoulder. The touch was strong and at the same time cautious, as if the human was careful not to break me with a wrong move. A pleasant surge of warmth rolled over the whole body to the tips of the ears and tail from his touch. Having closed my eyes, I tried to apprehend this sensation, which had overwhelmed me, to the fullest, but I felt a little confused. Having ceased to listen to the reason, the body took on a life of its own, responding to the love and caring. I had troubles realizing that my head had already rested on Lairy's shoulder and I had clung to him myself, hugging him.

"What is happening to me? Am I doing the right thing?" - I became anxious, vainly trying to get rid of the strange obsession - "For Celestia's sake! What liberties he takes, chewing my ea-a-a-arh-h-h?"

Having caught the ear, which was twitching nervously, with his mouth, Lairy was biting its edge gently. I tried to resist, move my head away or at least object loudly, but the blissful feeling of harmony enveloped me, dissolving my doubts, grieves and fears. The relaxed body was inexpressively heavy. All, what I could do, was to make an unintelligible hoarse noise, being on the brick of consciousness and trying not to lose it.

The head became dizzy from an unexpected move, it seemed to me that I was falling somewhere. A moment later I realized that I was lying on my back on Lairy's lap, and he was leaning over me with a smile, embracing me with one hand. His other hand was caressing the neck, chest and stomach tenderly, occasionally touching udder and soft nipples, as if it was by accident.

Author - Lusilie

"Oh, heavens! If he compels me to coition, I will not... will not be able to say no" - I looked at his face gingerly, vainly trying to foretell my fate. And was there any point in foretelling?

"Eh, cutie horsey, I have totally kawaii-ed you"

So, that was called "kawaii-ed"? I tried to correlate this unfamiliar word with my situation. The uncertainty was scary and alarming, the euphoria had passed, I was able to cut all these liberties short. But I did not want to. I was lying, filled with happiness, enjoying the caresses and rejecting the very idea that anything bad could happen to me. Lairy was dandling me on his knees, as if he was rocking me to sleep.

"Will you continue the examination or go to bed?"

I touched the smooth hairless chest with my lips.

"Is it just me, or you are somehow cool? Is it normal?"

"Yes, it is normal. And you seem so pleasantly hot to me" - having smiled, Lairy put his hand under the wing and pressed the palm to my side - "One can warm their hands on you"

Having unfold my wing, I touched his face and the tip of the feather slid along the black stripe, which extended from the eye down to the corner of the mouth.

"Tell me, what do these stripes mean? These are like theirs" - My gaze switched to the pictures of the cheetahs.

"It is a long story. And it will probably seem strange and obscure to you" - the human run his hand along the wing, tunneling the fingers in the feathers and tousling them slightly.

"And it is even more curious for that. Will you tell it?" - having smiled radiantly, I scratched Lairy's chin and neck with my wing. Suddenly, he made a low quivering noise. I was intrigued and touched the throat with my hoof, while keeping scratching. The sound repeated itself on the exhale. It was similar to the roar, which I heard after I had plunged into the wall of the corridor with my horn, but now it was softer, more prolonged and it did not have signs of annoyance.

"You see? You have a way with cats like me" - the Cheetah stopped purring.

"I want to hear that story, so - I guess I'll scratch you a bit more" - I responded to his move with a rhyme of my own and winked.

"That was not bad, no doubt of that. The story goes back a long way, will you listen to what I have to say?" - Lairy picked at my ear with his fingers. It was still slightly wet after his recent caresses.

"I'm ready to listen, I'm ready to see, for my curiosity is just killing me!" - I had to struggle a bit to find a descent way out of this sudden duel of poetry.

Lairy was telling me, that there were many different nations on Earth, and each of them had its own laws, customs and legends. And the main belief was the belief in a certain higher power, which had created the world and was giving life to all the creatures on Earth. According to some interpretations, a soul, as a part of that power, was being reborn in different physical bodies, living lives and gaining various experiences. Depending on the deeds, which it had been performing in the previous life, the soul could raise to the higher levels of evolution or fall to the lower levels to understand, live through and right the wrongs of its past.

I had almost cried, when Lairy described his demise at the hands of humans. But he was talking about that calmly, like that was something he had endured long ago and it did not hurt him anymore. I could not figure it out, whether he noticed my condition or not. Having sobbed a couple of times, I did not break into tears nevertheless.

Suddenly it flashed upon me. Could it be, that I was asking about something innermost and extremely personal? And what if Lairy's composure was just an attempt to hide his feelings? That thought made me sit up abruptly. The cheetahs on the pictures did not look like ruthless killers to me anymore.

"Forgive me, if I have touched on the sensitive issue" - I placed my hoof on the human's chest sympathetically.

"Sensitive issue? Do you mean my death?"

"Yes. If I understood everything right, you had been living as a cheetah previously, but you were killed and reborn already as a human? I got a feeling, that such memories could be unpleasant"

"You understood it right. And as for the memories..." - Lairy shrugged his shoulders - "It is just water under the bridge. The humans killed my body, but it is not so easy to kill a soul. And all my catlike features, which you have certainly noticed, are the influence of the memory from my past life. That is how I live, being the soul of a cheetah in a human body. The stripes, which you are asking about, are painted as a sign of a totemic kinship with the real cheetahs. More precisely, these stripes are tattoos, but I do not think that this is a word you can recognize"

"Now I know a little more about you. But, Lairy, you have become even more mysterious, than you were before" - I passed my hoof over the chest and muscular stomach. The eyes slid down unintentionally, and the grimace of terror twisted my muzzle, the ears flattened to the head, I tensed, expecting not knowing what. Was it the chase? The violence? Lairy reacted instantly, he lifted his leg and tilted the hip, covering the groin from my eyes. Having turned round quickly, I met his glance and read the light irony in it: "I knew". Yes, I was shaken to the very core, and if the human had touched me, I would have flied away, huddled up in the farther corner of the room behind the bedside-table with the box, and fought off with all my legs.

He did not move, having met my direct gaze, which could make the royal guards put down their tails, evenly. My heart was hammering, as if I had been galloping for a hundred miles at a stretch, escaping my fears. Having closed my eyes, I rubbed my muzzle with the leg, trying to regain my composure.

"Well, what now?" - I heard a voice with a touch of caring interest. I lifted one eyelid a bit, Lairy was still half reclining, his pose did not change.

"Do not cover" - I asked quietly, having put my hoof on the knee of his lifted leg - "Yes, it feels bitter to remember, what I had to live through, but still it was not your fault"

Having nodded, he put the leg down on the floor slowly.

"Oh, I hope I have not scared you? You see, my glance can make the horses fall" - I tried to make a joke nervously.

"I have nowhere to fall, I am already lying. And you are too charming to scare"

"Er-r... and what if I had attacked you?"

"I would have held you, winded the blanked around you and lied on top, until you calmed down"

"Ow, it would have been rough to me"

"It would have been the softest and warmest of all the things I could imagine"

"Oh, would it?" - My muzzle put on a very distrustful expression.

"Something like that" - Lairy threw the blanket over me, wrapped it so tightly, that I could hardly move, and held me close - "Is it cosy?"

He gave my nose a smacking kiss. I snorted playfully and was released at once. The human was not scared of me, indeed, and he was taking his strength into consideration, so I was enjoying the close physical contact a lot.

"Oh, so you can feed?" - feeling curious, I touched a prominent pink nipple on Lairy's chest with my hoof. He purred.

"No. I am male. The females can feed, but their breast is different, bigger, salient and round" - Lairy waved his hands, demonstrating visible size.

"Hm-m, I could have guessed it" - I answered, feeling slightly embarrassed. Could it be, that I also was "a female" to him? I should try to find it out with all possible tact. Having remembered, how tenderly he was giving me a bath, I felt even more embarrassed and started to wheeze, not knowing what to do.

"Why is it necessary to make conjectures and draw wrong conclusions? In order to know for sure, that the best decision is to ask directly" - it seemed that the human looked straight through my embarrassment, or did not bother to focus on it. At least, this "inattention" of his was saving me from having to explain the loud flapping of my nostrils and the way I was sitting with my eyes fixed on the pillow.

The purring sound arose, and it was definitely not guttural.

"Let me guess" - I pressed my ear to Lairy's stomach with a smile. The deep sound repeated itself. - "You are hungry"

"Yes"

"In this case the examination is over. Thank you, you are free to go"

"Okay"

"Where is your tail?!" - I gasped, as Lairy got up.

"What?" - he looked back.

"Did you lose your tail?" - I waved my own ostentatiously.

"Ah? No, the humans are born without tails"

"Really? And I have thought everyone should have a tail"

"It is normal for you"

It was warm at home, but Lairy left his room wearing clothes. Having taken the glass from the sofa, he made his way into the kitchen. I followed him.

"Do you want to eat too?"

"I want to have company. Wow, what on Earth is going on outside?!" - having sat down on the stool, I put my forelegs on the sill, looking through the window - "The pegasi would have had to work really hard to gather such a snowfall"

"It happens here easily even without the pegasi. We went for a walk just in time last night"

Lairy put something, which looked like a big pile of hay, into the bowl and poured boiling water from the kettle over it.

"Mph-h-h" - I sniffed inquiringly.

"It is spaghetti" - he elucidated, having powdered the meal with spices and shuffled it with a fork - "Or just noodles to put it simply"

The smell made my nose awfully itchy and I sneezed right into the bowl.

"Ow!"

"Well, here we go, there we are. Now you are going to eat the noodles, which you have sneezed at, yourself" - the Cheetah grumbled. He placed the second bowl far away from me, poured the water again and covered both bowls with plates. While the noodles were being steamed, I was rolling the fork along the table in a silent embarrassment, trying to take in with my hoof. Having taken a look at my fruitless efforts, Lairy took the fork away from me and moved my noodles onto a flat plate.

"Are you going to eat your noodles with blood?" - I was aghast at the sight of thick red liquid, flowing out of a bottle.

"Do you mean this one?" - Lairy showed me a picture on the bottle - "This is ketchup, vegetable seasoning"

"And I have almost thought..."

"Try it" - ketchup was poured upon my noodles as well.

"It is spicy" - I exhaled. My tongue felt like it was on fire.

"Some spices will not hurt you" - having snorted, he put a glass of milk on the table in front of me, and I was finally able to extinguish the flames in my mouth.

"The weather is beautiful outside, snow pegasi are frolicking"

"Pegasi?" - having looked through the window in astonishment, I saw only downy snowflakes. And then I felt that Lairy was pulling my leg.

"How dare you?" - I objected with an ostentatious austerity, taking my leg away - "Pulling the royalty's leg is treason!"

Lairy burst out laughing loudly. Having noticed no mockery or taunt in his voice, I held back my emotions nevertheless. The laughter was becoming quieter and quieter and then it stopped. The human was standing still with his head being thrown back and his shoulder leaning against the wall.

"L-lu-u-una, you are beau-u-utiful" - he groaned, wiping the tears from his eyes - "And I like you more and more"

"And what if I get angry right now?" - I narrowed my eyes meaningfully and began to wheeze.

"I will like you even though you are angry. In fact, I liked you even when you were yelling at me in the corridor"

"Even then?"

"Yes. Well, you can accuse me of treason, but all that I wanted was to wipe the oil, which had dripped on your leg"

"Wipe it" - I agreed much more indulgently this time, having noticed the spots, shining on the fur - "Was that a joke about the pegasi?"

"It was. But the humans like to look at the foul weather and imagine various creatures, which can be hiding somewhere deep in the elements"

Lairy wiped the oil from my leg and asked, having grabbed a fork:

"Luna, I have already noticed that you and Celestia are a classic pair of the opposites, you are like day and night. And I am curious, where did the pictures on your croups come from, and what do they mean?"

Lairy pointed with the fork.

I took a look, as if I wanted to make sure that my crescent was in due place, and bent over my plate, gathering the noodles and my thoughts.

"This picture is called a "cutie mark". It represents some talent, the pony's ability to do something really well, the vocation, given by destiny. That is why the cutie mark is also called "a mark of destiny". Usually pony get the mark only once in the early childhood, the mark stays for the rest of the life, and it is unique for each pony. Wearing cloaks or other clothes, which hide the cutie mark, feels uncomfortable. And if a pony wears saddlebags, their cutie mark is depicted on them as well. It is very important for the little ponies to have a cutie mark, to be able to see it all the time, to show it to the others. Those, who get their marks later, than their peers, become the object of mockery and feel inferior. But actually those little ponies with "blank flanks" are the most valuable members of the community. They possess inexhaustible optimism and the urge towards testing their talents in all possible kinds of crafts in order to find their destiny. I knew pony, who was successful in everything, he was attempting to do. But he had lived his whole life without a cutie mark"

"And how did you get yours?"

Having finished eating the noodles, I poured a glass of juice and put it into the stove to warm up. Before turning it on, I exchanged glances with Lairy. He nodded, confirming that I was doing everything right.

"Me?.." - listening to the rumble, which was coming from the stove, I put my forelegs on the edge of the table and rested my head on them - "This was very long ago, when ponies had only begun to settle in different corners of the world and make new places habitable. Celestia's sun was shining for them by day, and they were asleep by night, because nights were dark, and as for the starlight - what could it illumine? In the situations, when travelers were overtaken by night in dangerous places, ponies had to lit their path with magic or fire"

The ring sounded. The glass was burning hot.

"Take the towel" - the human prompted. I carried the glass to the table carefully, holding it in the hooves of my forelegs through the towel. Then I continued my story, waiting for the juice to become cooler.

"A family of Earth ponies had hoped to go through the mountain pass before the sunset, however, the night stopped them halfway. It was very dangerous to advance along the mountain trails, and it was impossible to use fire because of the heavy storm. I was travelling with that family and was the only pony among them, who wielded magic. All the eight of us were stuck on the slippery trail and had to stay close to the mountains to avoid being washed away by the flowing water. Just one wrong move could send you flying into the darkness of the abyss. At least I was able to see in the darkness and could fly"

I tasted the juice, it was still too hot.

"The cutie marks have a rule. Very powerful emotions are needed for them to appear, be it joy, fear, bliss, pride of your victory or sudden insight. It is individual for everyone, but the main point is common: a good shaking-up is essential. It happened to me as well. The water eroded the mountain above us, a huge boulder crashed down on our path. It was a miracle that it had not smashed anyone. One of the youngest foals was frightened and slipped into the chasm. I dashed after him through the rain and darkness"

Having sobbed, I closed the wet eyes and took a sip slowly.

"I managed to catch him by my magic and fly out of the chasm. The wind was tossing me like a bit of fluff, but I came flying to the family and brought the little one back. And at that very moment I realized, that since I had magic I ought to use it! I ought to help those ponies. Feeling firmly resolved, I blew that cursed boulder off the path with one magical strike. Then an unbelievable thing happened. I felt the entire world like the most beautiful, majestic, infinitely difficult conundrum, and something bigger, than those mountains, plains, forests and rivers, answered my call. The strings of the universe sounded in my soul with dozens of glimmering constellations and the closest was the night luminary, which echoed with a solemn chord.

Having jumped off the stool, I stood before Lairy on my hind legs, stretched up, with my wings being opened broadly. Having spread my forelegs at my sides slowly, I raised them above my head, waving them in a circle.

"That was how I raised the Moon for the first time. It was huge, white, bright. The shroud of the rain, suffused with the moonlight, was indescribably beautiful, like a countless diamond threads. The path could be seen clearly like during the day. Having made our way through the dangerous area, we were able to find a place to sleep. I did not notice the particular moment, when my cutie mark had appeared. I was so exhausted, that I fell asleep for the whole night and a half of the day"

Having suddenly moved up close to me, Lairy hugged me tightly.

"Well done, Luna. Your spirit is strong, I appreciate that a lot"

I could find no words, so I simply hugged the human too.

***

"Well done" - I repeated with a smile, looking at her happy green eyes and caressing features of Luna's small muzzle with my fingers. Having smiled modestly, she jumped upon a stool and buried herself in the glass.

"The princess is not used to praises?" - I winked.

"I feel flattered" - Luna nodded - "But I did not tell you the whole story. When this crucial event took place, I was merely a small, frail pony, just knee-high to you. And I was scared so much back then"

"Overcoming your fear is called bravery"

"And what is the fearlessness then?"

"It is madness"

"And weren't you scared to take that job from Celestia? It is one thing to do the talking in the dream, and the other thing is to make contact with an alien creature for real"

"The main problem for me was only our ability to understand each other in reality. That was why I declared your name and title right away then - you had to react to that. Everything else, as I have told you before, does not matter much"

"And what if I had not understood? That could have happened as well" - Luna scratched behind her ear.

"I would have had to use force. At first I would have talked to that dude and arranged his face a little, probably. Then I would have had to drag you on the chain and push you into the car. May be, I would even have had to bind you"

"To bind me?!" - Luna shivered.

"Well, the other option was to hit you upside the head with something heavy, so you would have passed out" - I shrugged my shoulders - "But you would not have liked that. And I would have preferred not to hurt you"

"Er-r, no, thanks, I had been hit upside the head already and had been bound as well. In response to my very polite request for help, I was stunned by the blow. When I had awakened, I found myself bound inside some smelly back of the truck. I felt hurt, bad and so offended, I could cry" - Luna's hoof slammed into the table in fury - "No one has ever treated me like that. And now it seems that you could have done the same thing!"

Having snorted angrily, princess almost fell from the stool and left the kitchen stiff-legged and indignant. The muscles moved under her fell, and the wings, which were raised up high, were trembling with the strain.

Having waited silently for the sound of her steps to die away somewhere in the living room, I followed the pony and saw that she was lying on the sofa and shaking her wings to lay them on her sides. Well, the good thing was that she at least did not try to jump from the balcony. She could be in the sulks as long as she wanted to, but she should stay home voluntarily.

I put the dishes away and then, in case it could yet occur to Luna to go outside, examined the locks on the front door, turned them up to the stop and hid the keys. I did not know, how furious the pony was and how long she would feel that way. However, I hoped that I would be able to ease the tension till the end of the day. I had to go to work, after all. She had to stay alone at home, and to tell the truth, binding her would be a very bad decision. I hoped for the mutually beneficial coexistence and did not want to take our relationship to the level of "torturer and victim" at all. That could only cause unnecessary problems.

The "relaxing" mare put her head on the elbow-rest and did not even trouble her ears to move. It seemed she took a serious offence at me. Having sat down next to her croup, I found the "fork-comb", which fell in between the pillows, and pulled up her gorgeous tail.

"Your Majesty, your anger is unwarranted" - I said calmly, smoothing her hair.

"It is" - Luna agreed sulkily. Lying flat, she tried to jerk her tail from my hands. But it was only the closest to the body part of the tail, which was responding to the movement, the rest of it was hanging loosely and resting in my lap.

"May be, you would allow me off the hook and stop being angry?"

"I have been angry for five hundred years on the moon" - Luna looked at me with one eye, without lifting her head from the elbow-rest. I pretended, that I was deeply involved in combing the tail and failed to notice her piercing glare.

"U-u-uh, I will be able to die and reincarnate about eight times during those five hundred years. There will be no trace of me in humans' memory, how can it be, that you still will be angry?"

"Eight times?" - now not only her eye, but the ear as well, turned to me.

"An average lifetime of a human is seventy years. I am thirty five years old, so you can say that I have lived the half of it. And everyone can pass away anytime. May be, I will go out of the door now - and whoosh, you will see me no more, you will feel the touch of these hands, caressing your skin behind the ear and brushing your tail, never again. Accidents happen, you know"

"Lairy!.." - the alicorn jumped up, having turned the whole body towards me. I gave her a long glare, condemnation and grief were frozen in my eyes. And there was also something else, which she has not been thinking about yet.

Startled, Luna looked away and, having ducked under my arm, pressed herself close to my chest.

"Never... please, never stare at me like that" - she whispered - "I have seen another universe in your eyes. And I am terrified"

"This is the lot of all the immortals - they do not appreciate life"

"I am not immortal, Lairy" - the pony looked into my eyes - "And I do not want to lose you"

"Let's not be angry with me" - I gave her an advice warmly.

"I am not angry" - she nodded - "I have already realized how foolish it was"

"Very well" - I stroke Luna's back between the shoulder blades. She gazed at me inquiringly and reproachfully, as if I had done something inappropriate to her, but said nothing and moved a little farther off.

"Have we made it up?" - she touched my shoulder with her hoof.

"Yes. It has no benefit for me to quarrel with you, anyway"

"Benefit?" - the pony repeated in surprise.

"I always act mainly for my own benefit, no matter what I do. If that benefit is not material, then it is spiritual. I accepted Celestia's job, because she promised me good money in the case of success"

"I understand, it is material side. And what about the spiritual?"

"Well, imagine some morose, unfriendly mare, spending her days in my apartment. She gorges fruits, vegetables, bread and juice every day. And she gorges those much more than I do, at that. It is impossible to talk to her, to laugh with her, to scratch her, to feast the eyes upon her, or even to argue properly. It is written in every line of her body, that I am an empty space to her. And to make the matters worse, this winged sight to behold claims that she would be angry with me for the whole five hundred years"

"Seriously, five hundred years?"

"Yes. And now tell me, do I want that to be around?"

"I think, you do not. But five hundred... ah, have you described me that way?! Am I so morose and unfriendly?" - the mare burst out laughing resonantly and covered her muzzle with hooves - "I feel so ashamed of myself, so-o-o asha-a-a-amed, oh!"

"That was you, who were sitting there like a storm cloud to look at. And I had to drag you out of this gloomy existence by your tail"

"So it was you, who was molesting my tail! I have found you, villain!" - the princess pointed her hoof at my direction incriminatingly and then rushed at me. The playful struggle began with clenches, holds and other body-checks. We had slid off the sofa onto the floor, where the wrestling continued on a larger scale. I was a bit heavier than Luna and my tenacious fingers gave me a significant advantage. The pony was more agile and fast lashes of her wings proved to be quite painful. However, she did not use the horn.

Growling and wheezing, we interlaced with one another, trying to put each other into more and more uncomfortable positions. The struggle was going with varying success. Once I managed to grab Luna by the throat with my teeth and clenched them a bit, having felt ravishing, wild trembling of life. I got a serious poke on my side from her hoof for that. A bit later I let her defeat me. Having stretched me flat on my back, Luna stood with her two legs on my chest and neck, feeling superior - with her weight she could instantly break my ribs and trachea, condemning me to an excruciating death. The pony bent over me, her muzzle approached my face with curiosity. I licked her nose gently.

Luna was not surprised or she was tired of being surprised. Having stepped back, she lay down next to me. Her mane was disheveled, the tail was tied up in a bundle, the feathers puffed up, being distorted. The look of the alicorn was extremely chaotic and at the same time peaceful. Only the horn, crowned with the top of the felt pen, seemed like an unshakable order incarnate.

"It feels so good to be with you" - she signed quietly.

"I am glad to hear that. I hope, I did not dislocate anything of yours?" - I enquired, crackling with my joints.

"I am fine" - the pony shook her head, craned the neck, got up, moved her wings, legs and tail. Then she lay down again - "But there is something about the horn..."

"You mean, when I grabbed it to bend you?"

"Yes" - Luna looked at me seriously - "I have already told you that the horn is used for magic, there are nerves inside of it, it is sensitive to the touch. You grabbed me, and I had a very uneasy feeling that my horn could break. And the broken horn drives a pony mad. It used to be one way to execute unicorns. It seems not lethal, since only the horn is broken off, yet still the consequences are dire. Please, keep in mind not to grab your friends' horns ever, under any circumstances"

"Okay. Thank you for explaining"

"I had to say that to avoid being crippled by you accidentally"

"You know, I am very interested in your wings. May I take a look at them?"

"And what is so interesting about them?" - Luna reached her wing towards me.

"That you have them to begin with. In our world animals have four legs or two legs and two wings, that is to say there is a total of four limbs, not six"

"Well, in this case, take a look"

Having sat down, I ran my hands along the whole length of the wing carefully, feeling muscles and bones. The wing was similar to the eagle's wing and its span was impressive. Having examined the pony's foreleg, I found the right shoulder-blade. But as soon as I put my palm on her back, something made the alicorn gave a quiet, pleased moan, arching up towards the hand. So it was easy for me to find the second right shoulder-blade, which was interrelated with the wing.

"Do you remember, that when I was bathing you, you told me that you were too weak to fly?"

"Yes"

"But yesterday you were flying really well. It seems that you ceased to be some helpless Earth pony and turned into a Pegasus"

"Oh, that is right" - Luna giggled, lifting her wing. I was examining it from below and from its side.

"I suppose, you needed not so much the food and rest as moral support to regain your strength"

"You are right"

"Let us get settled for training your wings without leaving home. This will not be a substitute for the real flight, but this way you will be confident of your abilities, at least"

"And how we can do that?"

I moved to the centre of the room.

"Stand above me, place your forelegs on each side. Your hind legs should stand on the floor between my legs. Now bend your knees a little and lower yourself a bit. I am seizing your back with my hands above and below your wings, and my legs are seizing your croup. This way I am holding you firmly"

Luna was a little nervous, but she followed my instructions.

"Why are you worrying?" - I asked.

"Perhaps, I will explain that later. So you are holding me. What comes next?"

"Work your wings, strive for flying up. And you do not have to try as hard as you can right away. Start slowly. Whenever you feel tired, stop the training"

The alicorn spread her wings with a sigh, and my fingers felt the powerful muscles on her back moving. After several vigorous flaps her heartbeat rate quickened sharply. The air was whistling because of Luna's wings. The pencils and sheets of paper were falling from the table. The pony craned her neck and raised her head a bit higher, so I did not see the expression on her muzzle, but I knew that she was focused on the movement. Having closed my eyes, I was lying at the centre of the whirlwind. Holding the heated up princess tightly, listening to her breathing, feeling this primeval natural strength of the mare, her indomitable, impetuous thirst for life, freedom, harmony and perfection with my every nerve, I merged together with her, having taken everything she was and having given to her everything I was.

"U-un-n-nh" - Luna exhaled vaguely, having stopped "flying". Then she stooped to me and gave me an inquisitive look - "Did you feel the same that I felt?"

"I felt unity with you" - I smiled happily - "It seems, the exchange of energy has taken place. I gave something to you, and you gave something to me"

"But what was that "something"?" - having turned away hastily, the pony sneezed loudly.

"Maybe we will find that out or maybe not. Let us go to the kitchen, we kicked up a cloud of dust here"

"Still I did not follow your advice and went all out at once. It felt really good. I think, I managed to lift you up a little" - Luna summarized, while I was wiping sweat off her sides with a towel.

"I liked it too, we shall repeat this training every day. I am heavy for you, but you should lift your own weight without any problems in one flap"

"It is difficult to lift you physically, but I would have lifted you magically with ease" - having taken a glass of warm juice from my hands, the alicorn thanked me with a nod - "If I can move the moon, your weight is a speck of dust for me"

"However, let me remind you, that there is no moon at your disposal here, but you are at my disposal completely. And I promised to Her Majesty Celestia that this disposal would be careful and cautious" - I put a straw into her glass and poured some more juice.

"And that is exactly what I am worrying about" - Luna waved her hoof edifyingly.

"Could you explain in detail?" - I asked, having sat down holding a cup of warm tea.

The pony sucked half a glass out, being lost in her thoughts.

"If you remember, I have been living on the moon for quite long time. And during that time I became disaccustomed to any physical contact. I keep that to myself, but your every move alarms me"

Luna began to sip the juice through the straw slowly. I was waiting for her to continue in silence, looking at the small column of liquid moving towards her lips. She was taking not only sips, but also her time.

"I will not conceal from you, that I appreciate your care greatly, you are a pleasant company. But at the same time you shock me often. Add there the bad experience I had socializing with the first human, I have met, and you will realize, that I have very good reasons to be afraid of you. I understand, that you mean me no harm, but I cannot help it. At least I cannot help it so soon, for I have spent only two days with you"

Having lowered her ears sadly, the princess looked at me with a guilty smile. I put my palm over her hoof and gripped it gently.

"Well, what in me shocks you?"

"It is your spontaneity and frankness. When I was living in the palace with my sister, there was always some distance between me and other ponies. Everyone treated me politely and cringingly, tried to please me. And everypony was a stranger to me. I knew, that they would serve anyone else just the way they were serving me. Do you understand?"

"Yes"

"And you... here you are, just next to me" - Luna moved her hoof a little under my hand - "That is much closer, than I am used to. And you help me sincerely, from the heart, without that false servility. I already know, that you busy yourself with me because it is beneficial to you, if I am clean, well-fed and in a good mood. However... yesterday it would be no trouble at all for you to send me to bed instead of driving me into some ruins so I could have a ride and fly there"

"I think you know why I did that as well"

"I know. And your constant striving for being near me, touching, stroking, hugging also allures and scares me at the same time. It allures, because I like that you caress me, show signs of attention. And it scares me, because I realize that my life is comple..."

Something massive crashed down upstairs. Luna looked up on the ceiling and picked up her ears guardedly.

"A drunken neighbor has fallen down" - I snorted - "Do not be surprised, if you hear a clutter of dishes as well. It is normal to him"

"Drunken... I see. As I have said, I am scared, because my life and I, as you were right to notice, are completely at your disposal. Your instructions seem obscure and ambiguous to me sometimes, and I do not know how to respond to them. You do not yell, do not give orders. You offer, but you do it in a way, that I just cannot decline or I have no choice. Or I am cornered" - Luna shrugged her shoulders - "And I do, what you have told me, silently"

"Is that so-o-o?" - now it was my turn to get lost in thoughts over the cup of tea.

"So this is how, thanks to you, I am balancing on a borderline between fear and pleasure"

"But could you tell me, when did I give you ambiguous instructions, which were embarrassing and scary?"

"Well, what I was supposed to think, when you had told me to stand in such a pose with my legs apart and hugged me with all four limbs to boot?"

"I had told you clearly from the start, it was to train your wings. What else there was to think about?"

"In that case, that was the weirdest pose for the training I had ever seen in my life. Only mounting the cloud and flying on your back while holding it could have been weirder"

"Everything is simple: I am holding you so you can flap your wings with sufficient power, but avoid flying up to the ceiling. My calculation was that you would not lift me"

"Were there any other scary moments?"

"I do not know if I should tell about them"

"As you wish"

"There is one question, but how should I ask about that?" - Luna scratched her chest.

"Ask directly"

"Well, right, so I should say the blunt truth?"

"What is wrong with that?"

"Okay, tell me, am I attractive to you, do you like me?"

"Yo-o-ou" - I examined the princess from horn to hooves with a deliberately skeptical look - "I like you and you are very attractive"

"But I hope you do not intent to... chase me around the room" - Luna's voice went uncertainly quiet at the end of the sentence.

To chase her around the room? What was she talking about? I gave my interlocutor a puzzled look. The pony seemed smaller than usual, having shrunk on the stool sadly. She looked at me humbly, as if she was waiting for a sentence.

"To be chased around dark, dirty cellar, dumped on the sacks of vegetables, tied and raped!" I recalled suddenly. Oh, my god... I shut the eyes, which became damp. She was afraid of going through all of that again with me.

"No, Luna, I will not chase and rape you"

"Really?" - She raised her ears timidly.

"Yes"

"Honestly?"

Having put my cup aside, I leant my hand upon the edge of the table, bending down right up to Luna. She did not budge, just craned her neck, moving the head aside.

"Gr-r-rm, and what does it avail me to tell lies?" - I asked quite aggressively - "You should understand it yourself, if I wanted to have my way with you, I would have done that long ago, many times and without facing much of resistance. But I am not doing that and I am not going to"

The pony pressed her hoof against my chest, making me draw back. Having leant against the wall, I opened the pack of biscuits and helped myself to a huge mouthful of them at once.

"This is one thing I understand. But allow me to ask, why are you not going to do that? Could you tell me the reason?"

"There are two reasons, one is moral, the other is material. Which one do you want to hear?" - I handed the biscuits on my palm to Luna. After some hesitation, she decided not to take them from my hand with her lips and took the treat with her hoof instead.

"I suppose, I know the material one, and I can even express it, using your favourite phrase: "there is no benefit". Am I right?"

"Mr-r-rm-m" - I agreed, taking a drink after dry biscuits.

"Then what does the moral reason consist in?"

"Sex is one of the brightest sides of life for me. It is the expression of an absolute trust in your partner, readiness to give yourself to them and take them as they are, to give them pleasure. This is a sacred act of creating a new life. Two creatures, merging together, give life to a new creature and take responsibility for its destiny"

I poured a little more water into my cup and drank it.

"That is why I think, that sex and violence are incompatible with one another in every possible way. To rape you, to make you suffer, to make you feel fear and hatred just to get a short satisfaction myself to the detriment of you is an atrocity, arousing the utmost abhorrence. I will never do that. It is a real happiness for me to see your bright eyes, lively smile, sincere joy, to hear your laughter and clatter of hooves, to comb your sparkling hair and caress your velvety side"

Luna was watching me with unwinking eyes. The biscuits fell from her hoof.

"Why would I want to ruin our fragile friendship and relationships, to "revel" in you against your will and then see you crying in the corner behind the sofa, scared, distrustful and shivering at every rustle? I would not enjoy that, not one bit. I want you to be happy with me, Luna"

Having descended from the stool slowly, the alicorn took a step towards me, walking on her hind legs. Suddenly I have found myself inside a dark-blue cocoon. Luna embraced me with her wings for the first time, and that, probably, was an expression of a particular closeness. In response I put my arms around her sides and back below the wings gently and held her close.

"Lairy, I am touched deeply" - she whispered.

"Me too"

"Still, I want to make something completely clear" - having released her embrace, Luna lowered her wings a bit and stood, leaning her forelegs on my shoulders - "There are some moments in your behavior, which indicate the desire for intimacy"

"What are they?"

"An earbite is one of the intimate gestures. When you were chewing my ear and then put me on my back and started caressing, I was shocked. My only hope was that, if you were to continue making love with me, then at least you would be gentle.

"However, I did not continue"

"Yes, and that surprised me a lot. I do not understand your actions"

"Animals often chew each other's ears. It is a sign of care, friendship, love. But it does not mean the desire for mating. I had thought, if I caressed your ears in such a manner, you would like that. But I had no intent to continue by turning all of that into sex"

"I... really liked it" - the mare smiled.

"Well, if you liked it, I can do that again on some occasion. Relax and enjoy yourself"

"But if I do not like something I will drop a hint"

"Drop no hints, Luna. I do not trouble myself with observing and decoding of nonverbal signals. I notice only the most prominent of your gestures and interpret them according to their resemblance to the similar gestures of humans and animals. I do not know what meaning you give to the gestures and words, which are customary for your world and its way of life. I can only make a guess. Is that clear?"

"Yes"

"So you do not need to drop hints. Do you like something? Say it directly. Do you dislike? Again, say so. Do you want anything? Ask. And take it easy"

"Well, Lairy, release me, I need to go for a moment" - Luna took a step back, I released her and the princess clattered toward the bathroom.

***

Having spent some time on the faucets, I turned the cold water on, washed my muzzle and leant upon the edge of the sink with a weary sigh, looking in the mirror. There were so many worries and occurrences in just one morning. While I was asleep, I was being watched and even touched, as it seemed. I was startled, given a drink, being caressed almost to the point of fainting, shocked, fed and laughed at. I had told the story of my cutie mark, managed to take offence for no reason, felt shock and guilt again, wrestled, "flyed" in an exotic pose, experienced the exchange of energy with a creature, who was alien to me, and on top of that I was finally convinced that I was not in the danger of being raped.

There were too many events for one lost princess in an hour, weren't there? And what a scarecrow I was now! Having splashed cold water on my muzzle again, I turned off a tap and sat down on the lid of the toilet. Having worked with my hooves and teeth for a while, I undid a knot on my tail. Having leveled and smoothed down my feathers, I found one oar feather missing. I had, probably, dropped it flying in the ruins.

Hm-mph... if I was to think in the Cheetah's terms, it was of "no benefit" for me to quarrel with him either. Who else would feed me, caress me and comb my hair? I tried my best to restore the look, which would fit my social status, but the mane resisted the actions of my hooves stubbornly and the state of the tail also left much to be desired. At the thought of caresses I roused myself, having felt slight excitement. How was it possible for Lairy not to know, what he was doing, and to caress me just the way he did, for no particular reason? And how could he know? Oh, enough with the worrying. If I do not like something, I will tell. But when his fingers were sliding along my fell, touching lightly sometimes and then scratching, how could I help liking that? Or did he know, nevertheless, or did he guess, at least, and was not crossing some line deliberately? And did he like to cause me pleasure that way, keeping me dangling in suspense?

My wings gave a start and rose a bit involuntarily. Those thoughts could lead me to the lasting "wingboner". The good thing was that I would not need to explain the reason of this piquant occurrence. I shook the wings, relaxing them. It was the second "wingboner" this morning and, yes, I had never expected my wings to rise so hard with anger. Having scratched my horn musingly, I went out of the bathroom.

Lairy was walking around the room on all fours, picking up the items, which had been scattered during the training. Those seemed to be some writing materials. I decided to help and also strolled, snatching up colourful pointed sticks with my lips.

"Thank you, Your Majesty. It looks like we have found all the pencils, except for maybe those, which could had rolled under the sofa"

"Oh, cat, you will call me "Majesty" when we are back to Equestria and the rightful crown is on my head. For now I am just Luna for you" - I replied, having spat my findings on his open hands.

"You are not just Luna, you are charming Luna" - the Cheetah objected with an openly impudent smile.

"Stop flattering me, or I will start to doubt the sincerity of your words" - I frowned

"Flattery is when someone is lying deliberately or exaggerating the merits. And I am not lying. In my opinion you look great, especially when you are smiling and laughing"

Hearing all of that, I could not help smiling.

"The point is that my look is not so great"

"And what does this look lack?"

"My hooves need to be leveled, they catch at the carpet, when I am walking, and it is very uncomfortable. And my mane and tail both need to be combed"

"Let us deal with the hooves first. I would ask you to bring the newspaper from the corridor. There is a batch of them under the wardrobe. And meanwhile I will go to the balcony"

What the "newspaper" was? Accidentally Lairy gave me a puzzle to solve, having asked to bring something I did not know. I took a look under the wardrobe and saw dusty shoes, colourful boxes and a pile of white sheets. Those, probably, were the newspapers. Having fumbled there with my hoof, I drew the upper sheet out and, having took it by the edge with my lips, returned to the living room.

The human brought long flat pieces of iron from the balcony. Having stopped by the table, he stabbed his finger at the big black box. Part of the box came off, Lairy took some transparent item out of it, examined it intently, reading the inscriptions, turned it over, put it back into the box, closed the box, pressed on something again and a pleasant female voice came out:

I made it through the wilderness
Somehow I made it through
Didn't know how lost I was
Until I found you

I approached the table, listening to the song in astonishment. I saw my lost feather right there on the table and rejoiced over its being here and not somewhere outside.

I was beat incomplete
I'd been had, I was sad and blue
But you made me feel
Yeah, you made me feel
Shiny and new

"How does it sing?"

"I cannot explain, there are too many things, you will not understand. But I can teach you how to use it to listen to the songs"

"I will listen to this one for now"

"Okay. Luna, lie down sideways and put your legs here" - Lairy spread the newspaper over the floor.

"I have an impression, that my hooves are being sawn off" - I said after a brief bustle with the file.

"They are, indeed. I am just grinding all the burrs off . And I did not have a chance to work with the horses before, so I am doing it solely at random"

"I am a pony, not a horse"

"I chose pony for a ride, they're like horses, only light" - this line from a poem is quite accurate and conveys the gist very well" - Lairy lifted the newspaper up by its corners, gathering the sawdust together, and set to work on my next leg - "Humans generally shoe the horses' hooves"

"Do you have horses?" - I roused myself. Could Equestria be closer, than I thought?

"Yes, we have. We have ponies as well, but they are different from you. They are less sentient, one cannot talk to them the way I talk to you, and all of them are "Earth ponies". There are no pegasi or unicorns"

"Still I would like to take a look at them"

"I think, I can show you. You will not see them in person, but still, you will see them well enough. I have one nice compelling movie in mind"

"Movie? What are you talking about?"

"Luna, I have forgotten that you were not of this world. And I am saying unfamiliar words again"

"Well, then explain it or show" - lying on my side, I managed to move my forelegs in an expressive gesture questioningly.

"At first we should resolve this matter" - Lairy tapped the hoof on my hind leg with a file, shaking the sawdust from it. His fingers examined the edges and he continued to grind the burrs off - "And then we are going to comply with other requests of Your Majesty"

"Hm-m... tell me, do you obey Celestia's orders only?"

"In the context of this mission - yes. What of that?"

"I am Celestia's younger sister and I am a princess as well. Can I give you orders as a royalty?"

Both hands of the human were busy with the hoof and the file. Lairy bent his leg and scratched his nose with the knee.

"Mr-r-rm, Tia did not say anything in particular on that issue. I think, yes, you can. But there are some conditions"

"Yes?" - I turned my ears directly towards him.

"An order must be logically relevant and clear, like this one about the hooves" - having taken the last untreated hoof in his hand, the human lift the leg a bit higher and thus turned me over on my back.

"Okay. Anything else?"

"An order must be doable, considering my capabilities. It is doable to bath you. But it is not doable to bring a star from the sky to you"

"I got it. Is that all?"

"No. Your order must not conflict with Celestia's assignment. I need to keep you fed, clean, warm and safe" - Lairy counted on his fingers, bending them one after another - "even locked up, if I find it necessary. That is all. I am ready to serve Your Majesty" - having folded the fingers up, he pressed the fist to his chest.

"Very well" - this guard-like, exact and consecutive stating of the terms was a bit stunning for me, and I fell silent, giving Lairy a chance to get my hooves into shape unmolested. The black box on the table was singing about the chrysanthemums, which had withered long ago, about love, flowers and plants.

"My knight" - I smiled gently - "Once you teach me how to listen to the songs, I will know, what order shall be your first"

"All right, Princess Luna" - Lairy gave me a look, which enkindled tender, timid warmth in my heart. I passed this test without averting my eyes. Finally, the Cheetah smiled and looked down, picking up the files and newspaper. However, I was willing to wager my throne and crown, that he was not a whit embarrassed, he just ceded to me. I was lying in front of him on my back with my hooves in the air, my wings were spread across the floor, the mane was hanging loosely, irresistible in all the glory.

Having taken the instrument away, the human put the singing box down on the floor, lay beside me and started teaching me how to handle the thing, which he called "stereo", although it did not look stereotyped to me. Soon I learned the meaning of those circles and arrows, which had caught my attention earlier on another box. I also found out, that the voice was stored inside flat transparent little boxes, which one needed to insert into the stereo in a certain manner.

"While inserting, try not to touch the tape with your tongue, lest you can damage it"

Holding the cassette with my lips, I placed it into the stereo carefully and closed the lid with my nose. Having aimed, I pressed the arrow button with my horn. There was the rustling and then the singing could be heard. Having turned the wheel with the edge of my hoof to adjust the volume, I listened to it for a while and pressed the button with a square on it, using my horn again. The singing stopped.

"Everyone knows, that I live alone. So, when you are listening to the music without me, decrease the sound level. There is no need to attract the neighbours' attention"

"I will keep that in mind" - on the second try I managed to take the cassette by its corners with the edges of my hooves, pulled it out of the stereo and placed it into the box.

"Well done, Luna, you are smart"

"I hope you will do, what I am going to ask you, as well. Let us go to the balcony"

It had grown notably colder, than it was yesterday. Shivering from the chill, I fluffed my feathers up and pressed the wings to the sides tightly. Lairy put his hands on the sill expectantly.

"There is a garden" - I pointed to the neighbouring balcony with my hoof - "Will you be able to get fresh leaves from there for me?"

The human, looking intently at the thicket, resembled the cheetahs, who were his totem congeners, a lot.

"Yes, I will"

Having followed Lairy into bedroom, I lied down on his broad bed and watched him changing clothes with curiosity.

"Ponies wear clothes too, but not so many"

"And why do you need clothes?" - Lairy asked, putting the second sweater on.

"First of all there are clothes for all sorts of weather. We wear hats and light cloaks in summer, warm jackets, scarves, caps and shoes in winter. Working clothes keep the labourers and employees from injures, showing their occupation clearly. Guards on duty are walking around in armour. And finally there are luxurious head-dresses and evening gowns for celebrations. But usually we do not wear any clothes"

"But how do you put the clothes on and off without hands?"

"The spell for clothes is cast on the clothes themselves and certain words or gestures activate it. Hence, almost all ponies' clothes are enchanted"

"So I could press the shirt to my chest, say "Shirt, be put on!" and bang, I would be wearing it. Is that right?"

"Yes"

"That is ve-e-ery convenient, there is no fuss at all" - Lairy checked inside the pockets, put a cap on and gave me a gentle pat on the head - "I will go and get the leaves"

I followed him into the corridor, watched him putting the shoes on and unlocking the door. There was a damp cold draught, blowing from the passage.

"Wait" - I hit his leg with my hoof.

He turned around silently. I stood up on my hind legs, leaning against the wall with one foreleg, and placed the other foreleg on his shoulder.

"You know, when I was angry, lying on the sofa... I did not think about what I had said... but I told you the truth - I do not want to lose you, Lairy. Please, be careful"

Having put his arm around my neck, Lairy kissed my nose gently.

"I'll be back"

The door closed, the locks clicked. Having been standing there for a while, I licked my nose musingly. Then I returned to the living room, sat down and began to rummage in the pile of cassettes, wondering, what to listen to.

***

The bright light hit the eyes, making me linger upon the threshold of the porch. The wind was throwing little shurikens of the biting snowflakes into my face. Having put dark glasses on, I closed the door and looked around, sniffing. Frosty morning air filled my chest with its freshness. Having let out a pleased purr, I strolled towards the shop.

The snow was flying, covering the heads of the street lamps with downy hats, settling down upon trees like a lace from fairy-tales, wrapping the world in the white shroud. The cars were cutting the winter linen stubbornly, sourly brushing the adherent snow off the windscreens with the wipers.

The low tree brunch with the crystal-clear, glimmering snow on it was overhanging the road. I took the snow with my lips, - it turned out to be unbelievably tasty.

There were a few people on the street. The young couple with their baby in the pram was walking in front of me. Being engaged in lively conversation, they did not notice something shiny fell at their feet. I picked up the lost thing, it was a hard pasteboard label from some product and it had a very beautiful holographic pattern on it: there was mosaic of variegated triangles, shimmering with all the colours of the rainbow. That was a real treasure for a child. Having wiped this precious artifact with my sleeve, I stepped up my pace.

"Hi, you baby has dropped a toy" - I touched the guy's shoulder.

"What?" - the young father stared in surprise. But I got used to the fact, that "tear-like lines" on my face often stun strangers, long ago.

"It is yours, is it not?" - I reached out my hand with a piece of pasteboard in it.

"Ah, thank you, it is" - the girl roused herself and, having taken the label from me, gave it to her little daughter. Having nodded, I went on. Across the street, I stopped the tea seller and asked for a glass of boiled water without anything.

The shop "Gloria" was located a block away from my house and looked like a narrow corridor with counters, reaching across the whole building. Having held the door for an old man, who was entering the shop, I headed to the video rental section, putting my glasses into the pocket on the move. The salesman was an unpresentable short man with tanned skin, thinning head of hair and shifty rat-like eyes. He greeted me with an indifferent nod.

"Mr-r-rm, do you have anything new here?" - having folded my arms over the chest, I leaned my elbows on the counter, which was made of planks, examining the rows of cassettes.

"Nothing. Everything has been the same for three weeks already" - the salesman waved his hand dolefully - "Do you need something?"

"I do. Do you have anything about the horses?"

The cassettes of "The Silver Brumby", "Crin blanc", "The Princess' Stallion" and "The Black Stallion" were laid upon the counter in front of me.

"Will you take them for a week, as usual?"

"Yes. And I would also like to buy some cassettes with long movies, no matter what they are about"

The horses were joined by "Mighty Joe Young", "Carlito's Way" and "The Fall of Berlin"

Having paid, I put the cassettes in a bag and wanted to leave, but salesman laid his hand on the bag suddenly.

"You know what? I will not be there the next week"

"Do they evict you?"

"Things happen" - he spread his hands - "Maybe you would like to buy something else for the future use?"

"Agreed"

Two dozen boxes were laid upon the counter.

"And I have been wondering for a long time, what do you need these long cassettes for?"

"I record TV shows about cheetahs and robots and cartoons sometimes" - having shaken the cassettes out of their boxes, I was looking at the amount of tape on reels, putting the ones with more tape into stack.

"A-a-ah, I see. Here is the number, call me in a week, I will tell you where to return the rental"

"Thank you" - I put the piece of paper, which had a number written on it, together with one of the cassettes.

After visiting the video rental section, I headed over to the shop, where the goods for women were being sold. There I got hold of shampoo and the excellent hairbrush with thick and soft bristles. At the toy department I inquired about transformer robots, but the range of goods was limited. I was not captivated with a pair of planes, made in China and coloured like a parrot. Still, having taken one plane off its peg, I turned the blister over, examining the model. It seemed to bear a resemblance to Starscream from the "Generation 1".

"How old is your child?" - the well-groomed, sleek lady wondered.

"I am choosing for myself, I do not have a child" - I hanged "Megatron's deputy" up to his place, where he would be bored again, waiting for the better destiny.

Having hemmed with disapproval, the saleswoman sat down. Having found nothing worthy of the collector's attention, I left the shop and walked around the building. Then I went down into the basement, where an arcade was set up with almost half a dozen TV sets and game consoles. I stood there for a while, looking at lads exchanging punches in "Tekken", making Lara Croft run through the catacombs of "Tomb Rider", breaking the boxes with Crash Bandicoot and tearing off the wheels on the roads of the whirlwind "Twisted Metal". But I did not want to spend my money and time on the games myself, even more so, since I left my notebook with passwords at home, and starting a game from the beginning without it would be boring.

Having had plenty of walking and already approaching the porch, I recalled the assignment of Her Majesty and the reason I had gone out into the street in the first place. I turned to the next porch. I knew where the owner of that balcony with a garden lived.

My ring was answered by a beautiful elderly woman, who opened the door. The pleasantly round features of her face were radiantly serene, it was the feeling, inherent in people, who had achieved a lot in their lives, dedicated to the work they loved.

"Hello, Galina Nikolayevna. I have a rather unusual thing to ask you. It is about your flowers"

...Unlocking the door of my apartment, I heard a quiet sound of music. Having left my bags, I sneaked along the corridor into the living room and peered around the corner. Princess Luna was dancing enthusiastically, flapping her wings to the beat of the song, managing not to bump into furniture and singing along with ABBA.

You are the Dancing Queen, young and sweet, only seventeen.
Dancing Queen, feel the beat from the tambourine.

You can dance, you can jive, having the time of your life
See that girl, watch that scene, dig in the Dancing Queen

Having sat down on the floor, I was feasting my eyes upon a graceful dancer. She was giving a new meaning to the song, filling it with motion and power. The breeze, caused by Luna's wings, was rolling over the room. Her hair was cascading like a shining waterfall.

Friday night and the lights are low
Looking out for the place to go
Where they play the right music,
Getting in the swing

You come in to look for a King
Anybody could be that guy
Night is young and the music's high
With a bit of rock music, everything is fine
You're in the mood for a dance and when you get the chance...

Having noticed me, the princess stopped in mid-stride and covered her muzzle artistically with the wing, as if it was a fan. The other wing was spread high above her head.

"Your Majesty, you are truly magnificent" - I applauded slowly.

Having folded her wings, Luna turned off the stereo and approached me.

"I am glad to see you, Lairy, even if you returned empty-handed" - she said, bending over me, and touched my nose with hers gently. The mare's breath warmed my lips.

"I did not return empty-handed. I just seldom carry something in my hands" - I responded by touching Luna's cheek with my palm and rubbing my nose against hers, enjoying the closeness of the charming creature. The green eyes were luring me with their unearthly beauty and the wisdom of the ages, which a human mind could not comprehend.

"Luna... I do not recognize you" - I whispered.

"Did I change so much?" - the alicorn asked quietly. There was almost no distance between our lips.

"Yes. You have become confident, calm and very beautiful"

"I need to thank you for that, Lairy. I would have been very different without you" - the pony bent her head, as if placing it on my open palm. I scratched her cheekbones and neck with my other hand, bathing in the warm blessed aura, which Luna was emitting, and absorbing the energy of kindness and happiness.

"Isn't it too hot for you?" - Luna noticed a drop of sweat, glittering on my temple.

"It is hot. But your company is worth it"

To avoid putting an unfair stress on Luna, I did not take all my clothes off, as I usually did, but changed into the dry ones. Having hung the sweaty clothes to dry, I came to the sofa with the bags. The princess sat down opposite to me. Her eyes moved from me to bags with curiosity.

"Thus, Your Majesty, the mission accomplished" - I announced in a deliberately grandiloquent tone, pulling the leaves, which were wrapped in newspaper, out of one bag.

"You have my gratitude, my loyal knight" - having accepted the parcel, Luna replied with the same grandiloquence. We looked at each other and burst out laughing.

"Oh, there are so many of them, and even the flowers are there as well" - having unrolled the newspaper, the pony was delighted, laying out the greens - "Which one should I start with?"

I picked a leaf of violet at random. It was dark-green, fleecy and had lacy edges. Luna's look followed it. Having turned the leaf in my hand, I run it against the princess' nose tenderly and raised it to her lips. She crunched the leaf leisurely and lingered her lips over my fingers, as if in a kiss.

"Thank you"

"Yes. If the leaves are placed in water, they will stay fresh longer. You will prolong the pleasure"

"Of course, we will place them there. How did you get them?"

"I came to the gardener and told her the truth"

"You have... told the truth... about me?" - Luna stared at me, looking bewildered.

"I said: the winged, horned, talking blue horse, who lives at my place, saw your beautiful garden and now her fondest dream is to treat herself with these very leaves. Please, be so kind to give her one leaf from every plant" - I made an exaggeratedly dramatic statement.

"Oh, yes, the truth, delivered in the form of nonsense, does not look like the truth anymore" - having smiled, the pony ate one more leaf.

"And that had worked"

"I am really glad. And what else do you have in bags?"

"There is a shampoo for you. There are chips. They are quite tasty" - I shook three bags of "Cheetos" with cheese, dill and sour cream out of the bag - "And there are those movies about the horses"

"They are a bit similar to us" - Luna looked closely at the box of "Crin blanc"

"We will watch it together. And now, Luna, close your eyes"

The alicorn looked at my hands and the meaningful "Discord-like" smile, which had already managed to alarm Celestia, inquiringly and with caution.

Do you want to kill me? - the shadow of a doubt reflected in her eyes.

She does trust me - I grinned archly, pulling the hairbrush out of the bag. Sitting with her eyes closed, Luna was moving her ears keenly, hearing the rustle of the cellophane. Having given a start, she strained, when I touched her head with a brush. Then the guarded expression on her muzzle changed to the one of amazement and joy. Letting out a contented sigh, the alicorn extended her neck and, of course, I could not deny her the pleasure of having her beautiful wavy mane brushed carefully.

"Thank you" - Luna whispered, having opened her eyes a little - "If I only could repay your kindness in a worthy manner..."

"It is a purr-r-re pleasure to help" - I handed the hairbrush over to her - "Your blissful look is already a worthy manner to repay me. And Celestia sends her regards"

"How is she?"

"She became more lively and sociable. I treated her to oats and nectar"

"Did you do that in dream?"

"Yes"

"I did not expect Tia to be able to act in dreams" - Luna turned the hairbrush in her hooves - "Usually the dreams are my domain"

"May be she had to learn that quickly to find you and make the arrangements for your rescue. However, when I was leaving the dream, Celestia looked quite satisfied with her life"

The younger princess sighed happily, looking at some blinking hairs, which got stuck at the hairbrush. Her thoughts were somewhere far away. She, probably, was remembering her sister.

Having taken the newspaper away quietly, I took leaves to the kitchen and placed them into cups, filled with water, which were on the table and windowsill. Having thrown the fridge door wide open, I sat down in front of it.

"Do we have anything to eat?" - Luna asked from behind the door.

"We have everything in abundance" - I rolled an orange under the door.

"Thank you" - having sat down at the table, Luna began to peel the fruit.

I warmed up leftovers of the soup for myself and had a banana for dessert.

"Hm, when you said, that I ate more, than you, you were exaggerating a lot" - the pony noticed with a grin, tossing up and catching the peeled orange with her hoof.

"I did that deliberately to show you all the ridicule of that situation. It is an absurdity to keep being angry for five hundred years with someone, who live only seventy years, is it not?"

"Is is not an absurdity for me. Five hundred years? Give me a minute" - Luna waved her leg, chewing the orange slice with concentration. Suddenly she ran out of the kitchen and came back shortly, carrying a pencil and a piece of paper in her teeth. Having pressed the paper to the table with her hooves, the pony was writing something with the pencil, which was hold by her teeth. Finally, having spat the pencil out, she reread what she had written.

"Well... the way I figure, I had been angry for the first five hundred years in the moon. Then I had been calming down for four hundred eighty seven years. Then I found myself in there. If I get everything right, the duration of the spell, which was cast by the Elements of Harmony, will expire only in thirteen years"

"So what?"

"So that. What if I come back to Equestria and Celectia will send me back to the moon to serve those thirteen years, merely on principal?"

"I do not think so. She misses you and is longing to meet you, at least in dreams"

"It sounds comforting"

"Yes, giving you comfort is also part of my assignment"

"Are you comforting me only because you were "assigned" to do that? And what if the things get out of hoof?" - having tossed the slice up, the pony caught it with her mouth deftly.

"That is not the only reason. You and I with the help of Celestia need to do everything we can to bring you back to your motherland. Even if nothing works and you are doomed to live in my world, I will not leave you"

"But this can drastically change your life, let alone mine" - Luna held out half of the orange to me.

"M-m-ba, what do I have to lose?" - I placed the alicorn's gift next to the plate.

"Well, I do not know about your life, I can only make a general assumption about home, family, job, friends, free time. And above all of those there is me" - the pony spread her forelegs, the unspoken question could be seen in her eyes.

"Luna, do not speak for a while, think it over and try to gather your thoughts into one sentence, if you can"

Having turned the paper over to the blank side and having taken the pencil with her teeth, the princess fell silent for a long time. I finished my dinner, ate the orange and kept waiting, while I was drinking the water. Finally Luna turned her charming gaze toward me.

"If I sum up all my thoughts in one sentence, it will sound like "I am grateful for all you have done, but I do not want to be a burden to you" - Luna breathed out with relief, as if she was getting rid of a heavy load.

"So, you cannot help feeling obliged, when you are being cared for and fed by me?"

"Yes"

"I see. Let us go, we will talk on the sofa"

"Let us go" - Luna agreed quietly and somewhat indifferently. She was the first to leave the kitchen. Was she already regretting bringing this topic up? I brought the banana, which was still warm, with me, and also took the pencil and paper, speckled with ponies' unfamiliar letters, from the table. Luna's writing was neat and small.

***

"Would you let me brush your tail?" - Lairy asked. He tossed stylus and paper on the table and put banana on the back of the sofa.

Having given the hairbrush to him, I lay down, as I had been lying recently with my head on the elbow-rest, and looked at the human interestedly, hoping to notice some pattern in his behaviour. Having sat down nearby, he drew the tail out longwise and put it on his lap. The hands ran the hairbrush smoothly, leaving no hair out of place. Indeed, the movements slowed down, became relaxed, as if the human went into a trance. Lairy was casting glances at me from time to time, and I felt his wandering look almost physically. It was gliding, caressing the curves of my body, but without lingering at any place for long.

"Luna, let us talk over all the things, which bother you, one after another"

"I am listening"

"My home is your home as well. While discussing the plan of how to help you with Celectia, I decided at once, that you would be living with me. And I was risking my life and my health, letting an alien unfamiliar creature stay at my place. After all, even Celestia could not tell, how almost a thousand tears of reclusion, let alone the contact with that... "human", would have had affected you"

"Were you risking?" - I wondered - "When?"

"Bra-a-avo. And who nearly deafened me, being offended by "demeaning" conditions of living here? Who was ready to impale me with a horn, which "only purpose" was supposed to be magic?"

Lairy hit my cutie mark slightly with a hairbrush. Having snorted in surprise, I tucked my leg. Being satisfied with my reaction, the Cheetah purred quietly and continued to brush the tail.

"As you can see, living with a princess is life-threatening for an ordinary person"

"I see" - I snapped in response, being puzzled.

"However, I undertook this assignment. There were other motivations as well, besides wanting to get you out of trouble. I wished for a new and unusual experience in life, and that is what I am getting. After all, you are a real adventure at home"

Having burst out laughing, Lairy hung the middle part of the tail round his neck and started to brush the tip with care.

"You know... I admit, that I went much further in my relationship with you, than your sister had asked me to. And Celestia was even angry. According to the contract, all that I needed to do was to feed you and keep you warm. But, Luna, I had seen what condition you were in"

Having leant over me, Lairy put his hand on the wing. I stared into his eyes intently, realizing, that he was going to tell me the most important thing. It would be able to confirm my guesses and dispel the doubts.

"And I deliberately transcended the confines of what Celestia had allowed"

I moved my wing slightly, wanting to encourage the human. He fell silent for a while, stroking the feathers and burying his fingertips in them.

"Luna, I am giving my love to you, without asking for anything in return. I had already told you the reason"

I did not expect that. Love? But... Having forced myself to suppress the raising wave of questions, I closed my eyes thoughtfully. If he had been talking about it before, why was I so deaf? Or did I not pay attention to his words?

Having put the well-combed tail near me, Lairy lay down, propping on his elbows, and continued to caress the wing, side and hip. His closeness and unconstraint were disturbing, my thoughts were scattering, they did not want to form a logical chain.

"Please... move away!" - having felt cornered suddenly, I probably asked about that too sharply and louder, than I should have. Having flatten my ears, I was shuddering nervously, still restraining myself from more aggressive and rash actions.

The human moved to the other side of the sofa silently, he did not look surprised or offended. Having buried my muzzle in hooves, I was wheezing frequently and tensely. Familiar, so disgusting, that it was making me sick, empty feeling of loneliness returned to me, and it was diluted with a bitterness of remorse. What did Lairy do to deserve to be treated like that? He was only caring. His attention, love, excessive closeness, caresses... Having been frightened, I rejected all of that and was alone again, left with nothing. Could I become so wild? No pony, who I was acquainted with, loved...

The sofa creaked. Having held my breath, I looked at the human askew. He took a little board, clean sheet of paper and pencils from the table, sat down on the sofa again and started to draw something, having put the board with the paper on his lap.

There was no glance, no word toward me, as if I was not there. The heart was squeezed down by an unbearable resentment. Bitter tears ran down my cheeks, I sobbed, hoping that it would not be heard.

No pony loved me. They were interested in my social status, the opportunity to get closer to the court, to build the relations they needed. They were interested in everything, except for me. And I, being free and independent, surrounded by glitter and luxury, had always understood that really well. So I was shutting the noble admirers out.

Having wiped the tears, I sighed. And what was now? I had no title, influence, connections, wealth, even the simplest magic. I was no one in this world and I was lonely again. And above all, I understood nothing. Okay, I was mainly a commodity for Celestia, and she would have paid to anyone to get me out of that basement. But Lairy was just a mercenary, doing his job. I grinned humourlessly, having remembered calling him "earth pony hillbilly". Now I would rather call him a griffon, than a pony.

How could I explain his behavior? Why does he love me, when I have nothing to offer him? It was clear, that he was attracted by my unusual appearance, just like the last human was. However, Lairy also was interested in my feelings and my worries. He tried his best to make me feel happy with him.

M-m-m, a hot bath, a substantial supper, sleeping under a warm blanket, going for a walk and for a ride, the exotic training of the wings, the leaves from an inaccessible garden, beautiful songs, heart-to-heart talks - everything was so beautiful. And still he says, that he does not want anything in return. It was enough for him, that I was lying next to him happily, allowing him to caress me. And how did I respond to him, being such a pony-flesh?

The unwonted thoughts made me grumble crossly. I knew that I could soon heap up a big pile of hay, and there would be no one to wipe up the mess, but me. No, it should not be that way. Having sighed heavily, I got up and approached Lairy, feeling the strings in the sofa buzzing forcedly under my legs in harmony with my whining self-esteem. I was not sure, that he would understand and would not repel me, like I did.

Having looked up, Lairy smiled warmly. Seeing that sincere friendly smile, I felt like not a princess, but a tyrant, I wanted to burst into tears. Having examined the picture, I was stupefied. The human drew me. I was angular with sharp pointed features, the mane and tail were winding strangely, and on the top of the masterpiece there was a small thundercloud above my head. Slanting rain was pouring out of it, and the lighting was striking at the horn. Blue lines were stretched from the eyes down the cheeks. Lairy noticed that moment of weakness and the tears.

The wounded pride was resisting, kicking my croup, urging me to give a haughty snort and go away. But I had already become fed up with leaving, rejections, hardships and loneliness.

Having bent my knees, I took the drawing with my lips, crumpled it and spat it out to the floor. Then I pushed the board away with my nose.

"Lairy, it was wrong of me to hurt your feelings" - having sighed, I rested my head on his legs.

"Yes" - the hand was put on my withers. Was it just me, or the fingers, being buried in the mane, pulled the hair stronger than usual? That even hurt a little.

"We told you so!" - my self-esteem and pride yelled all together.

"Kick off!" - having snorted, I sent both of them to some very familiar distant place.

"I understand... do you want to punish me?"

"No" - the fingers relaxed and began to massage the aching spot gently.

"But..." - having almost gotten up, I looked at Lairy's face - "Why?"

He took my head by the chin.

"You had told me, that you were afraid of me. I got to close and scared you by that. I understand"

"Will you forgive me?"

"Yes. You have already realized your mistake and its consequences, have you not? And whenever you would like to be left alone for a while, tell about that calmly, if possible"

"I understood" - I smiled, not knowing what to say in response.

"Luna, I have told you, that I do not demand anything in return for my love. But I will ask for one thing"

"What is it?" - I looked imperturbable, but felt tied in a knot painfully inside, expecting the worst.

Lairy fell silent for a while, caressing the features of my muzzle with his eyes and fingertips.

"Be that nice, kind, beautiful Luna, whom I love, all the time we are together, and I will be as happy with you as you are with me. That is all"

"Cat, you have scared me. I was expecting something impossible" - having had a laugh of relief, I put my hoof on Lairy's chest, - "Yes, I agree"

"It is nice to hear. And what can I ask of a winged pony, which would be impossible? I have already said, that I love you. It is enough for me"

"So, all I have to do is to be nice, kind and... HAVE YOU SAID, THAT YOU LOVE ME?!" - I have almost choked over these words in astonishment.

Suddenly Lairy clapped my mouth shut with the both hands. His glare become harsh, the wrinkles appeared on his nose and the upper lip was lifted in a predatory grin. I froze in fear, thinking, how to pull my head out of his hands and where to flee. Could I happen to bring up the forbidden subject?

"Luna, watch your voice. Otherwise I will uncover your mouth only when you eat"

"M-m-m" - I nodded and was released at once. I rubbed my lips with the leg, - "I am sorry, but I am really amazed. You have just said..."

"And I will say it again, - yes, I love you. One has to be a heartless brick to save such a beauty without falling in love with her. I am not a brick" - the Cheetah relaxed and yawned.

"I do not know whether I should be glad about that or not. I had been "loved" before, and that was unpleasant" - I sighed sadly.

"It was lust, not love" - Lairy frowned - "He had used you the way he wanted, with no regard for your feelings"

"I do not want to recall that" - I turned away.

"Then do not recall, I have not pulled you by the horn. You should replace your negative memories with positive ones"

"And what are those?"

"The pleasures of living with me"

"Still it is very strange..." - I looked the Cheetah up and down thoughtfully - "... to realise that I have become your special pony. I do not know what to do"

"Probably, we can wish a long life and deep love to each other? And what does the "special" mean?"

Having peeled the banana, Lairy held it out to me. I bit off half of it absently and my lips stuck together at once. This sudden problem allowed me to gain time to think the response over and to gather my thoughts.

"Special" means "beloved" - having finally swallowed banana "glue", I folded the hooves of my forelegs in pleading gesture - "Lairy, I rejoice at your love, but I am not sure I can reciprocate it and call you my beloved... human. Did I say that part right? Still, it is so unexpected for me, and it is too quick" - I scratched my ear confusedly.

"Yes. I will not press you. Just remember my request. And do not raise your voice to "Canterlotish", it is out of place here"

"I remember and I have already said, that I agree"

I looked at the table, and my gaze found a feather. I strained myself, as usual, but the expected glow did not appear around my horn and the feather.

"What sort of a life it is without magic?" - I moaned in annoyance and walked for the feather myself. Having taken it with my lips, I returned to the sofa, wondering at inconceivable transiency of the events in silence. Probably, the pace of time was different in this world, or maybe it was me, who became sluggish, and I needed to relax, be more flexible and quicker to react. Having sat down I laid the feather at my hooves.

"Lairy, it was an extremely strange day for me. Being in an alien world, I found out that a member of an alien race loves me. If you were a pony in the castle of Canterlot, I would push you out of the door. But here..." - I passed my hoof over the muzzle with an effort - "I have no doubt about the sincerity of your feelings. Since things have taken such a turn, allow me to introduce you to one of the ponies' customs, which is known to me"

I lifted the feather, which was lying on the hoof of my foreleg. Was it my right to take responsibility for entering into a relationship with someone I did not know at all? Could I be mistaken?

I was recalling banquets, nobles from high society, rituals, which bored me to death, odious talks, all known by heart, and those ponies, who were with me. I was able to tell beforehand what they would say and do.

Lairy reached his hand out to me with the palm upturned. My glance slid over the hand and I looked into his eyes. I have not seen any adulation, arrogance, greed, lust for glory, wealth or power, which I could read easily in others' eyes. There was only that unflinching composure, which was inherent in large predators. He was waiting. And I did not know what to expect from him. But his actions spoke louder than words.

The oar feather was lying on my hoof like a milestone of fate. There was no going back, since I offered him to learn a ponies' custom. Well, after all, I was not signing the marriage contract. And Lairy would perceive everything the way I was going to explain it. At any case, I was hoping for his understanding.

"If a mare find out about a stallion's love for her, if she likes that stallion and agrees to be his "special pony", then the mare can give the stallion some item, for example, a flower of the same colour as her coat. Or she can give a lock of her mane, a feather. In which connection, this case is considered a sign of peculiar favour and appreciation. Stallions wear these gifts proudly. So, Lairy, I give you my feather"

Having nodded with a smile, I hold it out, waiting for the human's reaction cautiously. He took the feather in his hands respectfully, like it was a precious artifact.

"I thank you, Princess, your gift is very pleasant to me. But with your permission, I will not wear it, because I would not want..."

"Because you refuse to accept my gift?!" - I interrupted indignantly - "Do not disappoint me! For the first time in my life I agree to be someone's pony altogether and follow this custom of giving"

Lairy put the feather on his lap.

"Lu-u-una" - he struck his finger on my nose affectionately a few times - "Hear me to the end. You do not even know, what I have wanted to say"

"Ah, to the end, then?" - I was still roused and indignant.

"Yes"

Having moved closer and put his arm around my shoulders, Lairy lifted the feather, holding it by the quill in front of our eyes and turning it in his hand slowly. I saw all my feathers a million times, I knew everything about them and did not pay any attention to that. But now it felt like I was looking at myself from the outside, watching the play of patches of light and tints.

"I do not refuse to accept your gift, Luna. But if I am going to wear it, it can be broken or ruined. Look, this feather is a part of you. It is an admirable, beautiful, sublime part. I will keep it. You will go back to Equestria, I will stay here. Years and decades will pass, but your feather will make me glad, reminding of happy days, I had spend with you, and of love, I had given to you"

Having reached out my leg, I touched the fingers. The human opened them and the hoof fit into the palm. Having turned around, I met Lairy's eyes suddenly. His arm, which had been embracing my shoulders, moved down slowly and began to caress the spot between the shoulder-blades tenderly, causing a sweet languishing sensation to spread over my back and wings, like a healing balm.

Feeling embarrassed, I tried not to think about how all of that could end if I lose control or Lairy drives me to the point of swooning again.

"Yes, I understand" - I was trying to fight slight dizziness and itching of the wings, which were starting to strain.

"Thank you" - Lairy gave me a tender kiss on the forehead below the horn - "Are you all right?"

"I may be... if you stop scratching me" - I smiled as confidently as I could, but as a matter of fact I was going crazy slowly. O-oh, those fingers, m-m-mgh-h...

"And one cannot tell by the look of you, that you are repelled by the massage. You are sitting here being so happy and dreamy"

"I am entranced!" - Finally, I gave up, being unable to hold back the tension and threw my aching wings open with all my might - "Lairy, your caresses are incredible, but, please, you should really stop scratching my back, if you do not need a crazy mare at home"

"Hm, that is a serious warning. So, this is enough then" - having taken the feather and pencils, Lairy went to the cupboard.

Being exhausted with voluptuous feebleness, I rolled up my eyes and dropped down on the sofa, having given a long moan. Rebelling wings rose like the sails. The head was dizzy, a smell of human's sweat sneaked into my nostrils, it was tart and strangely pleasant.

My knight was sitting on the floor in front of the cupboard, gluing the feather to the inside of the glass door.

"Lairy?" - I called him quietly. He turned back. - "Could you give me an honest answer to one question?"

"Ask away"

"Why did you give me that... "massage"?" - I faltered, trying to recall the word, I had heard for the first time.

"For no particular reason" - he shrugged his shoulders - "I saw that it was very pleasant to you. Why not please the loved one?"

"Thank you..." - I was hearing my heartbeat getting slower little by little and felt my shivery wings relaxing. Having yawned, I rested forelegs under my head. I have not felt so good for a long time...

For no particular reason. So he really had no idea about the power of excitement, which his very simple actions had made me feel. And he had been caressing the most sensitive spots unintentionally. In this case I cannot blame him...

"Luna! I see you did a lot of deeds here as well!" - Lairy was holding the figure, which I had helped to lose an arm.

Here we go, the day of reckoning for my curiosity has come - having sighed, I left the sofa, approached humbly and lay down in front of Lairy. I pressed my wings, which still did not relax completely, to the floor. I was remembering all the offensive words, I had heard from my previous "owner", with sadness. What else about myself I will find out this time?

"Yes, I admit, I am guilty. I had broken it accidentally yesterday. And I did not tell about it"

"And what was the pu-ur-rpose of not telling?" - the Cheetah's friendliness aroused my suspicions.

"I did not want to sadden that evening. It was too good of a time to scold me"

"To scold you? For this? Never mind, this terminator is jerry-built and held together with spit. Look" - Lairy threw the figure up. Having been dropped on the carpet from no great height, the skeleton lost another arm and both legs.

"Is that all?" - I was surprised when the figure was assembled again quickly and accurately.

"That is all" - having returned the figure on its place, Lairy took a small blue and white box from the shelf - "And this is a tape recorder"

"Recor...der?" - I looked back at the item, which could sing.

"That is right, but this tape recorder is a toy and it does not sing. Still, it has other features"

"Can it be thrown as well?"

"No, it cannot be thrown. It is different with this one"

Once again I was amazed by the accuracy and deftness of the hands. The white parts of the box were drawn apart and pulled down, then the blue parts were also moved. Before I could blink, a human-like creature was standing on the floor. I grabbed it with my hooves and examined. It was clumsy, angular with a big window on its broad chest, massive arms and legs and a small head, which had only one narrow and yellow eye.

"How is it called?"

"It is a transformer. Its purpose is to change its form. Try to assemble it as it was. It is not difficult"

Having looked at fingers and hooves skeptically, I thought unkindly of the lack of telekinetic magic and lay down more comfortably. Having examined the creature carefully, I found parts of a tape recorder on its belly and legs, but I had caught only a glimpse of its previous form. At first I moved its head down with my nose, however the yellow eye looked strangely somehow. Having given it some thought, I turned it round with my lips carefully and put it down again. Now the head became an integral part. The transformer was giving in to my actions reluctantly, with creaking and rustling. Having assembled its arms, still using my lips, I tried to determine, what it was made of, and even licked it, which made Lairy smile merrily. Was it wood, clay, stone, bone, glass, metal? No, it was not. Finally, having pressed the conundrum to the carpet with one hoof, I returned the legs on their place with the other.

"Ooh, it is done" - I was turning quite a heavy box in my hooves - "What is it made of?"

"It is made of plastic, man-made material"

There was definitely something inside the transformer behind the glass. I touched all the buttons carefully. The slot was opened, when I had pressed the upper one. Having turned the "tape recorder" round, I shook some flat black object out of it.

"Is it a cassette? And is it without a voice?"

"Yes, it does not have a voice. It only looks like a cassette"

"There is a deception everywhere" - I burst out laughing and placed a false cassette on Lairy's palm -"And how else can it look? Show me it, I will not be able to handle this small thing"

"It is not a deception. Transformers are meant to look like usual appliances"

Having pulled a head, a tail and paws out of the cassette, Lairy turned it into a little black cat.

"Hush, stand still, the jaguar is too close and can smell you" - he whispered and put the cat down on my nose. It seemed really huge there. Having crossed my eyes, I have been remaining still as long as I could, then I drew a small breath and the cat fell.

"You know, you have so many interesting and unusual things. What is the purpose of those figures and transformations?"

"The initial purpose is that those are children's toys, they are beneficial to developing finger dexterity and precision of movements. And for me they are collector's figures, and I like them for their ability to change form"

"It resembles some complex transformation spell. One needs to do everything accurately and gradually to achieve the desirable result. I do not remember, that such things had existed in my time, let alone such toys"

"Ponies do not have fingers. How could they be transformed without fingers?"

"With the help of telekinesis, probably" - I replied, being concentrated on my attempts to turn the cat back into the cassette with the edges of my hooves - "Show me more"

***

"More"? I helped Luna to fit Ravage into a tape deck of Soundwave and looked over my shelves with half a hundred of transformers on them. There was nothing good there, only military equipment, the machines, which were built for destruction and killing. Why should I explain the meaning of that fleet to my lovely pony? The less she knows about humans the better it is for her. She had already "learned" too much.

However, curious princess was ahead of me.

"What is this bird here?" - having risen slightly on her hind legs near the cupboard, she touched the wing of "Tu-134B" model with one of her forelegs. I took the model from the shelf to let Luna have a better look at it.

"This machine was created by humans for quick and comfortable flying. It is called airplane, because it can plane through the air. There are easy chairs and even food inside of it"

"There are easy chairs? So it must be large"

"It is quite large. Here is a cockpit, two humans are sitting in it. And almost a hundred people can take seats in the salon" - I ran my fingers along the frame of the model.

"A hundred... but how?" - Luna rubbed her nose thoughtfully. Imagining real proportions of an airplane seemed to be difficult for her.

"Do you remember the size of my car, by which we were traveling? It is big and comfortable"

"Yes"

"Well, then imagine that car, but with wings and several times larger. So it would be possible not only to sit inside of it, but to walk as well"

"T-to walk?" - the pony breathed out in amazement. Holding the model with the hooves of her forelegs, she moved her eyes between it and me - "And a hundred of humans... it looks like a real flying house!"

"Yes, it is like a house"

"It is amazing. But is it not easier to fly on your own wings?" - the alicorn waved her wings elegantly.

I took the model away from her and put it back into the cupboard.

"It is easier, if you need to fly to a nearby bakery and buy bread. But if the flight is long and the destination is far away, it is better to use an airplane like this one. Besides, humans do not have wings, so they made the wings themselves"

"Hm... I forgot about that somehow"

"You are accustomed to using wings, and you were thinking like you were used to. It is all right. And now take a look at this" - having closed the door of the cupboard, I showed Luna her feather, which was scotch-taped to the glass by its quill.

"It looks beautiful and it will stay safe. That truly is better, than wearing it yourself" - she approved. Having sat down on the sofa, I picked up my crumpled sketch of an angry princess and smoothed it out.

"Lunie, can you draw?"

"I do not know, re-e-eally" - she managed to shrug both her shoulders and wings at the same time very beautifully. Having run up to me, she snatched the drawing out of my hands, chewed it up and went to the corridor. The rattle of the trash can lid could be heard, and then there was the sound of the water. The pony came back, shaking her hind leg, and she looked a bit smug. I noted mentally, that Luna became more liberated and active in her actions.

"If you do not know, let us find out. Sit down" - I moved the chair to the table and, having brought a stool from the kitchen, sat down to the left of the princess. I glued the corners of the paper to the table, so she would not need to hold the sheet with her hooves.

"It will be difficult without magic" - Luna muttered, rolling the pencil by her hoof.

"You know, everything in this world works without magic. And your writing is beautiful, despite the fact, that you use your mouth to write. So just try" - having smiled, I gave her the pencil. The pony took it, smacked her lips musingly and bent over the paper. Having shook the coloured pencils out of the box, I put them next to the future drawing.

The features of a landscape started to appear gradually. There was a valley, a winding river, a huge, heavily wooded mountain. However, it was difficult for Luna to catch the pencils with her lips, as they rolled along the table often.

"Oh, Luna, I have an idea how to make it for you"

"M-m-hm?" - she looked at me inquiringly, with a pencil in her mouth.

Without bothering myself with unnecessary explanations, I pulled tight elastic medical bands on her forelegs, and tucked the pencils, which she used most often, into them. The little pony took a liking to that immediately. Now she was able to take the pencil of required colour into her mouth easily and it was just as easy to put it back. The artistic process became much quicker and more convenient.

Having finished drawing some castle with a couple of towers, which was located on a mountain slide, the artist smoothed a strand of her mane and exchanged looks with me. I have been watching her work silently for all that time.

"Well, that is all about it. It turned out to be a bit rough" - she made a dissatisfied face.

"May I try to beautify it?"

"You may" - she replied, as if it was the greatest sign of a royal goodwill.

No, if the self-assertion of Her Majesty was going to go uphill at that rate, I would have to tie her mouth up with a towel to avoid her giving orders in "Royal Canterlot Voice" any day now.

Having peeled the sheet of paper off the table, I began decorating it, every now and then taking the pencils off the legs of the pony, who was watching the drawing being changed. Sometimes she would wrinkle her nose and snort quietly, if she did not like something. But mostly she was wheezing approvingly. It was hard to draw, being distracted by wheezing and snorting, however there was a peculiar charm in that. Listening to the princess' reaction carefully, I was creating a colourful picture of her native world stroke by stroke. And it seemed like ponies' eyes perceived the same colour palette as humans' eyes did. Luns did not object, when I coloured the grass and trees on the mountain green and made the river and the sky blue.

"It looks much better now, thank you" - Luna pronounced with deep feeling, when I pushed a picture, which was quite complete, toward her - "You drew the clouds and the Pegasi, it is so nice"

"You have been drawing. I have just added some features" - I stroke the pony's head tenderly, she stooped down, offering me the spots, which were itchy. I scratched behind her ear, the back and the crown of her head. Having closed her eyes, the alicorn was wheezing with pleasure quietly. Whether it was accidentally or intentionally, Luna tilted her head back in such a way, that her horn touched my fingers. Remembering her words about the sensitivity of a horn, I took a careful grip on the coil, which was the first from the bottom, massaging it and the skin at its base with rotational movements. Having opened one eye slightly, Luna looked at me in surprise.

"If you do not like it, tell me to stop" - I preferred not to conjecture, what those caresses could have meant to her.

A sweet spasm passed over the pony's whole body, she closed her eyes silently, giving the initiative up to me. Probably, she did not want to admit openly, that it was pleasant for her, but Luna's condition spoke for itself.

Having caressed the base of the horn for a bit longer, my fingers ran over the muzzle, touched fluttering eyelids and lingered on the nose.

"That is it" - I scratched the edge of the nose with my nails.

"So you want to drive me crazy with your caresses, do you not?" - Luna kissed the fingers.

"If you want it too, then I do"

"How impudent are you!" - the princess protested jokingly, moving my hand away from her nose with the leg, - "And what if I do not want that at all?"

"Yes, certainly, I was driving past the garage entirely by coincidence, and suddenly saw a charming winged pony, who was taking a stroll near it. I caught her impudently, hauled her home, without listening to the pleadings about letting her go. I bathed her impudently, fed and put her to sleep, despite the desperate resistance of this touch-me-not from Canterlot. Then I left her alone for a whole day foully, without any food, and put a huge sack of meat in plain sight to give her a good fright. In the evening I pulled the wool over her eyes impudently, saying that I was not going to kill her, although there were pictures of killing hanging all around the house, ah-ha-ha!" - I narrowed my eyes wickedly, - "And then I drove the poor pony off, far away from the prying eyes, to some desolate ruins, and was chasing the exhausted princess cruelly over sharp rocks and pieces of iron for a whole hour, holding her by tail, while she was trying to run away from me. I brought her back, when she was more dead than alive, so I poured the boiled water down her throat by force, wrapped her in blanket and left her dying"

Luna was sitting there as if she was catatonic, looking at me without blinking and listening with her mouth open. And since she has not put two and two together yet, I was enjoying the moment, continuing messing with the alicorn's brain with methodical sadism.

"But no-o-o, this winged horned creature was up and about in the morning. I even touched her impudently, wanting to be sure that she was alive, then gave her the most delicious cocktail and made her please me. I subjected the princess to the most sophisticated tortures just to find out the meaning of that ornate mark on her butt. And when the worn-out pony was fighting me, trying to fly away, I had grabbed her, raking the tender shivery flesh with my claws, and had been holding her until she became so weak, having bled, that her heart was hardly beating in the chest. And she begged me to have mercy on her faintly, begged me to kill her and end her suffering"

Having hiccupped, Luna swallowed loudly. Her pupils narrowed, one ear was flinching and the other one flopped down awry in perplexity. I decided to finish the poor creature off altogether and made the final blow.

"And now, having fettered the little pony to the table with thick chains, I demand to draw the detailed map of Equestria for me, because I intent to conquer and enslave that country. And I will give my dear Lunie to no one. That is all" - I leaned on the table triumphantly.

The silence spun out. The alicorn moved her lips, muttering something under her breath. Her eyes regained their normal look gradually, both ears rose cheerfully, she laughed quietly, uncertainly at first, but it kept getting louder.

"O-o-oh, the stars from the heaven!" - Luna moaned with tears of laughter - "You have turned all my life inside out! Lairy, it is so good that you do not have any magic, or you would have Discorded me without much effort, I swear it. So, you think, I am some "touch-me-not from Canterlot". Well, okay" - having grabbed my hand with her forelegs, she put it on her head - "Go on, touch, I do not mind. You have already touched me all over, I cannot object anymore"

I wiped away Luna's tears with a tip of her tail, took her head between my hands tenderly, entwined my fingers with her mane, so she was not able to slip out, and shook gently.

"Luna?"

"Yes?" - she sobbed obediently, without looking away. Now it was possible to do anything to her.

"Why are you so contradictory? If you like my caresses, why do you reject me? If you do not like them, why do you put up with it? I always give you the freedom of choice, but your freedom always goes awry. Please, make up your mind, so the both of us would not suffer unnecessarily"

"I know, that my behaviour is strange, but I had told you before, that I want to be with you and I am scared of you at the same time. No one has ever paid so much attention to me, like you do. Being with you, I am in harmony at one moment and in chaos at another one. Celestia has never lived so close to you, she does not know, what it feels like. You are much more similar to Discord, than she thinks. You are unpredictable, and I cannot help being confused"

"And there is a chaos in your head because of my caresses" - I scratched behind both of her ears at once.

"How do you?.." - she strained herself and then wilted almost instantaneously - "Yes. There is chaos"

"How do I know? Luna, probably, you do not realise that, but your body and your beautiful eyes are very expressive. It does not take much of an insight to know, that you like everything I do"

"Yes, I like that!" - she said that in a sharp defiant tone, as if she had been taken in some indiscretion, and closed her eyes embarrassedly.

"Luna, why are you ashamed of something, which is pleasant to you? Are caresses forbidden in Equestria?"

"No" - now the pony lowered her ears, willing to lean away from me subconsciously. But she was hesitating still and has not pulled her head out of my grasp.

"Inward conflicts lead only to destruction and chaos. You need love, Luna. Allow yourself to accept love. You deserve it"

"Allow myself?.." - Luna's brows arched a bit, she was lost in thoughts.

"Allow yourself to love and to be loved, and all your fears will go away" - I stroked her ears, as if I was encouraging them to listen to my words.

"Fears?"

"You are scared of my unpredictability. And I may know the reason"

The alicorn's long eyelashes blinked, as if she has just awakened and looked at my face with interest.

"Behavioural patterns. Do you know what that means?"

"Yes" - it seemed possible to keep falling into the abyss of those green eyes for an eternity, without ever coming back.

"I am unpredictable to you, because my behaviour is different from the patterns, you are used to. You compare me to ponies or someone else, do you not? And you expect certain actions"

"That is right"

"Well, if you stop comparing me to the others, you will avoid making mistakes and will not be afraid to make them"

"Hm-m..."

I massaged Luna's temples, hoping to stimulate the thinking process.

"And am I... predictable to you?"

"No, but I do not compare you to anyone, I expect nothing and do what seems right to me at the moment. That is why I am calm, I am not afraid of you or of possible mistakes" - I took my hands from Luna, having saved smoothing her mane for last.

I should give psychological and philosophical conundrums to the alicorn more often. When she was comparing my words to the many hundreds of years, she had experienced, the pony was becoming very beautiful at those moments, filled with thoughtful contemplation of her inner universe.

"I did not expect such advice as "allow yourself to love" from you"

"The less you expect from me in accordance with your "patterns", the more good things you will see, and, probably, I will not look like "a spirit of chaos" to you" - I shrugged my shoulders, tearing off the double-spread page from the centre of a school notebook.

"Would you let me think about it by myself?"

"Yes"

"Thank you"

The princess went away to the kitchen. Folding the sheet of paper into the base square shape, I heard the refrigerator door banging, then there was a quiet clatter of the crockery, swish of water, clap of the stove door. It was clear, that Her Majesty has adjusted to the house chores quite well. So it was one less trouble for me, I needed only to refill the refrigerator in time now.

While Luna was eating, I made a traditional figure. The pony returned to me, licking the sour cream from her lips with pleasure.

"Sit down. I have a surprise for you" - I slapped my palm against the chair.

She sat down, not with all four of her legs being tucked this time, but quite human-like, having swung her hind legs off the chair.

"Here" - I showed her a bird with triangular wings, angular back, long neck and a tail - "This is a Japanese crane of happiness. According to the legend, if you make a thousand of cranes and give those to all your friends, acquaintances and just good people, your dream will come true. This is the first one. And here is one more thing..."

Having taken the bird by its chest, I pulled its tail carefully with my other hand. The little crane flapped its wings.

"How interesting. Is it made from paper?" - the alicorn took the crane in her hooves.

"Yes. It is made from one sheet of paper"

"Just one?" - Luna pulled the crane's tail with her lips, and it seemed like the crane was trying to fly away from her.

I unfolded the figure accurately right in front of the pony, showing a simple page of a squared notebook with some sophisticated geometry of folds to her.

"Well, it is surely something! And how is it possible to fold it back? Will you teach me how to play this game?" - the princess smiled charmingly, and her warm glance, reaching the very soul, was able to melt the oldest and the most durable ice of a bachelor's convictions completely.

"I will. This art is called "origami" and it is more than two thousand years old. Its title can be translated as "folding the paper". The point is that it is possible to make a great number of different figures out of a sheet of paper.

Having taken an old book about origami and a pile of colourful sheets of paper for the children's artistic activities out of the cupboard, I explained to Luna how to read the folding instructions, demonstrated the "mountain" and "valley" folds, corners, pockets and turns visually, cut some square blanks out of paper.

The alicorn folded the first basic "square" in her life by herself. Origami was coming much easier to her, than transforming the robots. Making a fold, the pony pressed the sheet of paper against the table tightly with her hoof. She was folding the corners down with her nose and lips, and managed to turn aside the pockets, pushing a pencil through them. That way the ancient Japanese art has gained a new and unusual fan.

The silence settled onto the apartment for whole two hours. It was disturbed only by the rustle of paper, clatter of the hooves against the table and occasional dissatisfied grunts of the little horse at the times, when she did not succeed at folding something like it was supposed to be folded. The inflatable frog and tulip, the leaping frog, the dog, which was able to nod its head, the disposable cup, the bottle, the swallow, the pigeon, heads of the crocodile and the fox, the catamaran and the flower-shaped box appeared on the table. Luna took a great interest in it and she asked me for help only once to have more blanks cut out of the paper. She was not able to handle the scissors. The remaining sheets of paper had been enough to make two more figures and Luna's eyes shone enthusiastically, when I brought the bolt of wallpaper from the closet.

"Thank you!" - having hugged me, she gave me a kiss on the cheek - "I will make big and beautiful figures!"

"Only what can be done to make you able to cut the paper yourself?" - I made some clicking sounds with the scissors, being lost in thoughts.

"Is is meant for the fingers, though" - the pony pointed her hoof at the instrument.

Having brought a knife from the kitchen, I put the bolt of wallpaper on the floor and unrolled it.

"I have never thought that I would teach a princess. Luna, place the corner of this band against its other side. There will be a triangle, one side of which will be across the band. Bend the entire band to this side, trample down the bend well, open the triangle and the square is made. Bend the band five times, overlaying the squares. Here is the knife, try to cut it along the folds and be careful not to cut yourself"

Holding the knife with her teeth, the pony cut the blanks out and examined them with great satisfaction.

"Those squares are huge" - she grinned, covering her head with a blank.

"It is possible to make them smaller. Bend the band from one side, as much as you want to make it smaller, cut off along the bend, you will get the rectangle. Then overlay its smaller side with the cut-off band, combine the edges, bend it again and cut the band of the same width off"

I showed her how to do that, using a knife.

"I am grateful" - having taken the book from the table, the alicorn sprawled out on the floor with the pile of paper. While she was concentrated at thinking over the scheme, I made a cocked hat and cut some slits for the horn and ears, having estimated their places by eye. I fastened the corners with the clips in order to hold the hat together.

"Luna, prick up your ears"

"What?" - she gave me an alarmed look - "Have I done something wrong?"

"What do you mean?" - I asked and we stared at one another, uncomprehending.

"Well, the phrase "prick up your ears" means that I am about to be told something unpleasant and I will have to hear that out. It is scolding, for example" - Luna explained reservedly.

"Is it some slang from the ponies' language?" - I asked for clarification.

"Slang?.. Yes. What of it?" - the mare relaxed a bit.

"I did not know the meaning of this phrase and was not going to tell you anything unpleasant"

"Okay, what did you mean, then?"

"I was asking you to hold your ears upward"

I set up the cocked hat on the pony's head, having put the horn and earth through the slits.

"It is funny!" - she laughed, peeking out from under the hat, which was a little big for her.

"What are you working on?" - I looked at the opened book.

"It is a dragon, and it is quite strange. I decided not to make some of the figures, because I do not know their meanings"

"Do you need any help with it?"

"It is more interesting to do it myself"

"Okay. When you finish, we will watch the video. I had promised to show you horses"

"Video?" - Luna asked to repeat. I held out the box of "Black stallion" to her - "Ah, now I know, what it is"

While the princess was struggling with the dragon alone, her loyal knight cooked himself a dinner and while lying with the plate on the sofa was watching his beloved spending time on the last curves of the dragon's tail assiduously.

"Ya-a-ay! I conquered it!" - the alicorn exclaimed, raising the finished lizard above her head. Having been made of wallpaper, the magnificent dragon was shining with golden tracery proudly.

"Congratulations on your victory. It is a beautiful masterpiece of Japanese culture, made by a beautiful pony" - I looked at Luna with admiration and noticed that her cheeks darkened. Trying to conceal her shyness, she moved the dragon to the table, rolled the bolt of wallpaper up and began to pick up the paper trimmings.

"It is enough for today, I have pins and needles in my both legs and croup, and also in my tail" - the pony declared, stretching the limbs. Having crumpled and trampled down paper rubbish well enough, she took it to the corridor. And the lid did not rattle this time.

"That is great" - having gathered the cassettes, I sat down next to the pedestal, on which the TV set was placed. - "Would you like to just watch or to learn how to watch it yourself?"

"I would like to learn. It is so interesting" - the pony examined the equipment.

"You already know about the tapes, on which voices are recorded. And here not only the voice, but also the pictures, which can move and talk, are recorded on these big cassettes. They are displayed on the glass part of this big box. The main thing, that you must remember, Luna, is that the events on the pictures can be vivid, emotional, even frightful, but those are just pictures. There is no need to be afraid of them. As far as I remember, the walls of my room were scary for you to look at" - I waved my hand to the posters with cheetahs.

"Yes"

"But you are not running away or hiding. It is the same here" - I shook the cassette of "White Mane" out of the box

"But, maybe, I am scared, but I have no place to run and hide" - the alicorn grinned, having taken the cassette with her hooves.

She got the hang of turning TV and VCR on and operating all that stuff quite quickly. Luna already was experienced in handling the stereo and she had learned the purpose of the buttons well.

The main difficulty turned out to be the impossibility to press tiny buttons on the remote control with a hoof.

"That is ba-a-ad" - I turned the remote control over in my hands, thinking how to adapt it to the pony's needs.

"Maybe, we can get on without it" - Luna waved her leg

"No-o, it is impossible to get on without a remote control, it is like getting on without magic"

"Do you say "impossible"?" - Luna strolled across the living room musingly, went away to the bedroom and came back. Having stopped by the table, she took the cocked hat off, put the pencils back into the box.

"I have an idea!" - she ran to me - "Give me the remote control. How should I hold it?"

I showed her how. Having clutched the remote control between the hooves of her forelegs, the pony aimed and pressed the power-on button with the blunt end of the pencil, which she was holding with her lips. The TV set switched on obediently.

"Well done, Lunie, it was a great idea!" - I caressed the princes' muzzle, which was beaming happily, all over.

In order to avoid accidental changing of the TV settings by Luna, I covered the tuning buttons on the remote control with a piece of cardboard and winded a masking tape around it. Now it was possible to enjoy watching the video in a pleasant company.

The movie was quite old, black and white picture was quivering, the slight noise appeared on the screen every now and then. But it was forgivable, considering that the movie was shot in 1953 and took part in Cannes film festival.

"Those are the foals!" - Luna sighed with admiration - "They are so cute"

I was sitting on the sofa, the mare was lying beside me, leaning her neck on my side. Having opened a pack of chips, I offered her one. Luna noticed it only when I rubbed a chip against her lips, and ate the treat without even looking at it.

"The taste of the cheese is just stunning!" - Luna licked her nostrils - "And why are all the horses without their cutie marks?"

"Those are the ordinary horses from Earth, they are not Equestrian"

"That is right, I have forgotten, where I am. But why are the humans chasing White Mane?"

"They want to catch him and make the steed serve them. The humans are too lazy to walk and they force the horses to carry them on their backs"

"Look at that" - the pony snorted - "They want to make him serve..."

"One might think, it was different with you. You had also been forced to "serve" a human"

"I had asked you not to remind me about that" - Luna remarked a bit harshly. She wanted to say something else, but at that moment her attention was caught by White Mane, who was raging about the pen, dragging the people behind him, and I stuffed the princess' mouth with chips quickly.

"Yay! He broke free!" - the pony exulted quietly. The steed, having broken the trunks, which were barring the exit, bolted away toward his freedom.

Luna was an emotional viewer. She was laughing, looking at the girl, who was running with a turtle, watched the humans' everyday lives with interest, was exasperated, when the herders began to chase the horse again.

"And Folko is all right, he proved, that he is strong-willed, can fight one-one-one and deserves White Mane's friendship" - she neighed approvingly, when the boy, covered in mud, was stroking the horse's neck. I stroke Luna's neck. Having sighed happily, she pressed her hoof against my hand - "Why cannot the other humans do the same?"

"The humans prefer to solve the problems by the means of brute force, frightening and enslavement. It is easier for them, then to act peacefully and with kindness. Usually they are not able to come to an accord among themselves, let alone to make friends with animals"

"Yet you were able to come to an accord with me"

"Because convincing you, instead of forcing, is beneficial for me. It is much more pleasant" - I scratched Luna's side.

"Oh, yes, I remember and I agree with you. No, just look at what they are doing! One horse is not enough for them, they caught all the heard in that pen. And White Mane is fighting someone"

"He is fighting for leadership"

"And the heard is standing and watching from behind the fence"

The steeds were rearing, biting each other till they bled, kicking. Luna was trembling, as if it was she, who was being bitten. Trying to calm the sensitive pony down, I was scratching her shoulder, wing and side. When injured White Mane appeared in Folko's courtyard, the alicorn became distracted and bit her foreleg carefully several times.

"Can you imagine, I did not know, that I could bite. And that is quite painful" - she looked at me - "I promise, I will never bite you"

"Thank you. I will remind you, if anything happens"

"Are they burning the swamp just to smoke the horse out?! And what about birds, fish and all the other animals, why do they not think of them?!" - the alicorn jumped up on the sofa.

Having put the video on hold, I pulled Luna's mane strongly, making her turn toward me.

"Keep jumping and you will hit me with your hooves" - I said in a quiet strict tone - "Calm down"

"I am sorry" - the pony sighed meekly and lay down the way she was lying before that. Having released her mane, I resumed the video. White Mane dashed through fire and smoke, taking his friend with him.

"The humans rarely think of anything, besides their immediate needs and interests. It is easy for them to burn a swamp, they do not care about what is going to be next"

"This is way beyond my comprehension" - Luna grumbled - "And what is happening now? Are they trying to catch a hare?"

"Yes, in order to eat it, I presume"

"But White Mane is catching it himself, without being prompted by Folko. He cannot be going to eat it, can he?"

"That is right. But you understand, that meat is food for me. Why cannot the steed understand, that this hare is meat for the human?"

"It was a waste of hare's life" - the pony pointed out discontentedly. White Mane and his friend had to flee without a chance to eat, and the horsemen, who were rushing after them, trampled the bonfire down.

The movie has ended, the VCR was rewinding the cassette.

"But did they reach the other side of the river?" - Luna asked, being not quite certain of that.

"They did not. The ending of the movie implies, that both of them had drown" - I was finishing eating the last chips.

"Then White Mane's decision was very stupid, and I strongly disagree with it"

"Why?"

"Do you not understand?" - Luna frowned.

"I did not say, that I did not understand. I asked, why. I am interested to hear your opinion. Tell me"

"If he loves his freedom so much, that he is willing to die for it, but not to yield to enslavers, then it is his right and his choice. Bui it was unforgivable and stupid to involve the other person in his choice, let alone to risk that person's life. Folko had known White Mane only for several hours, and trusted him blindly, relying on the steed's strength and endurance. And what did he do? He perished himself and betrayed him" - having folded her forelegs across her chest, the alicorn shot an accusing glance at the TV set - "He could have set the boy down on the shore, and then he would be free to go anywhere himself, even to the netherworld. In that case, I would have admired that. But in this case, I can only express my reprimands"

"You are right"

"I am right. And I do not want to be like White Mane for you. I do not want you to lose everything because of me"

It was obvious, that Luna was carried away by her emotions after the movie. She had a lot to say, and I kept silent, giving her an opportunity to speak her mind.

"You are helping me, Lairy, and I am infinitely grateful for that. You should not suffer. If I had gotten myself into this mess, I should get myself out of it on my own. I should not drag you into this incident with the lost Moon Princess. It is my life and my problems and I am the one to be solving them. I have no right to ask anything of you, let alone to allow you to devote your life to me. That is what I wanted to tell you in the morning"

Having put my arms round Luna's sides and shoulders, I brought her closer to me. She placed one foreleg on my shoulder and the other was placed on my chest.

"Princess, I agree with you completely. But allow me to correct you a bit"

"And how exactly will you do that?" - the alicorn smiled faintly.

"The first thing is that it is not your decision, so do not be hasty to take an unnecessary responsibility. In this case everything comes down to Celestia. If she manages to secure the connection between our worlds, there will be no problem for you and you will go home easily"

"And what if she would not be able to do that?"

"Then it is up for me to decide"

"And that is the whole point!"

"Stay quiet for a moment" - I covered her mouth gently - "The ability to hear someone out to the end is important everywhere"

Well, of course it is - Luna rolled her eyes, but she did not object.

"If she does not succeed the first time, Celestia will try again. Failure will not stop her. Since you got there somehow, you must be able to get back. If the attempts have to be postponed for the time being, or if it becomes clear that it is better not to try at all, then yes, I agree to spend all my life with you and that is my choice. Do you mind, princess?"

"I do not... do you... agree?" - Luna was looking at me with tears in her eyes, not daring to believe in what she had heard. I smiled and nodded. Having sobbed, she hugged me tightly and pressed the whole body to me.

"You are in no danger of repeating White Mane's fate"

"I am amazed. I did not expect that. Explain your choice, if you can" - the alicorn released me from her embrace.

"I am free from society and community. I have no serious long-term obligations. I do not have a family, I do not see the actual need for human wife and children. They represent only a lot of unnecessary problems in my eyes. I have friends, but if I tell them that I want to make away to the middle of nowhere, to the edge of the world, they will not hold me back. Job is a thing one can get again. The knowledge, which I possess, will be in demand in this place and in any other one. If it is required, I will learn something new, find a new job. And as for my free time, I am glad to have someone to spend this time with. And I am willing to give it to you"

I put my hand on Luna's shoulder. She gave a start, as if she got burned. I read the gratitude in her eyes.