Wild finally received the list of ponies that could help him with practically everything he wanted, from picking what to study to job searching, from solving small interpersonal issues to developing himself into a leader. Simply put, if it could be named, it was on the list. It was honestly mind-blowing just how many options he had, how many paths he could take. In truth, it was quite overwhelming. For all the difficulties his life had had, it was relatively simple and straightforward. Now that he was presented with far more options than he honestly knew what to do with... he decided it would be best if he retreated, at least for the moment.

Wild put the list away, taking a mental note to review it later down the line. Aa part of him whispered that he would never pick it up again but he brushed it away. He would, but... just not now. There was still time, and he didn’t need to do everything right away. There were more important thing anyway, like the first item on his agenda - finding a job. After all, he was actually an adult - even if he didn’t feel like it at all - and an adult needed to have a job. Or, at the very least, he knew he was supposed to have a job as an adult, to pay for his own life. He was told he wouldn’t be kicked out of the Royal Orphanage, and he did believe it despite the skepticism he felt, but he would much rather be independent. This independency, however, was not something he could easily achieve, certainly not with how he was at the moment.

Wild was perfectly aware he needed help. Humans - and ponies - were not made to act alone, to live a life without companionship or assistance. But he felt he had already taken far too much without giving anything in return. For plenty of people, taking it all without a second thought would be natural, but he wasn’t like that. He had asked for more than he felt he honestly deserved to get, and even this far he was no longer sure he would ever be able to repay for it all in his entire lifetime, however long it would turn out to be.

Wild met with Artful, who shared good news with him - the proposal for the branding of changelings was struck down completely and utterly with just a small minority of ponies supporting it, which a nation-wide survey showed clearly. The most vocal proponents of this measure were people Wild considered the most detached from reality and the concept of empathy - the wealthy and the powerful. Thankfully, Princess Luna and Princess Celestia both opposed the branding of changelings, and Wild was very glad for that.

Wild asked Artful to remember the names of those who wanted to brand the changelings.

“Why?”

Wild swallowed, then forced his answer out vocally: “Because they... will not stop. They want it. Even if... even if not with changelings,” he grimaced, then signed that he wasn’t explaining it right, and what he meant was that it likely wasn’t the first time they wanted something awful done and it definitely wouldn’t be the last. Thus it made sense to keep an eye on those people so that anything evil could be spotted before it became reality. Wild, after some hesitation, spoke up again, “And it does not matter law not allows it. If they can do it... they will do it. Even if law not allows it.”

Artful nodded slowly.

“I guess it makes sense,” he frowned, “I just... don’t want to think some people don’t have anything against something as bad as this.”

“Many people are evil,” Wild said with conviction, “They do what they want no matter what.”

Artful decided not to comment on that, and Wild was thankful - he suspected Artful was smart enough to recognize that Wild had personal experience with it.

“Well, even if the changelings aren’t going to be branded, there’s still stuff about restricting their movement, jobs, all that,” Artful continued, “But that doesn’t help anyone. Don’t they understand that if they make all that into law, it will only drive changelings back to people like Queen Chrysalis?”

Wild signed that perhaps it was what they wanted.

“Why?” Artful blinked at him in confusion.

Wild explained that if they profit from this in any way, then that was the reason why.

“That’s disgusting!”

Wild nodded - it definitely was. He then signed that many people just want to see others suffer, and they would not stop at trying to get more from it.

Some time later as they continued to talk about politics, Artful spoke thoughtfully.

“You know, you’re pretty good at pointing all these things out,” he said, “I think you’ll do really well in the Politics Club.”

Wild grimaced and shook his head.

“No,” he said, “I... am not good in talking a lot. And, in the club, it is a lot of talking in...” he then made a gesture of a circle because he forgot the word for it, “I do not want that.”

“It’s not always like this, but...” Artful deflated, “It often is. It can be pretty frustrating, yeah, so I understand. Just, I think you’d be a great politician.”

Wild knew it wasn’t intended as an insult, but him, a politician? That sounded like a joke. He tried to imagine himself wearing a suit and a tie, standing there with a polite but fake smile doing... things politicians did, like lying and ignoring what people wanted. Even if he had a chance to be a honest politician, which he could probably be if he ever somehow got the job, he barely knew anything about what it all entailed. In all fairness, that didn’t exactly make him any less qualified than many others. However, he firmly believed it would not be a good idea to give him power. Perhaps he was right when it came to the changelings, but what about anything else? It was entirely possible for him to mess up and cause more harm than good.

However, there was a certain appeal to make things run like how he wanted them to run. Unfortunately, he had no idea what solutions he would propose to various problems, what policies he would want to make into law, and how to enforce that law. It made his head spin just thinking about the law, considering just how many laws there were - or, at the very least, he expected many laws to be there. After all, he knew only the basics like no murdering and stealing, but there were taxes and some other things that he knew precisely nothing about, and those topics were very far from being simple.

In the end, thankfully, Artful distracted him with another, entirely different topic.

“Are you going on a Canterlot trip?” he asked.

“What... trip?”

Wild silently cursed himself for being so unaware of things that he had completely missed something that Artful obviously expected him to know. He needed to pay more attention to things around him, that much was clear.

“Well, just a trip to Canterlot,” Artful shrugged, “We’ll ride on a train and then visit places. I can’t wait to take a look inside the Royal Canterlot Art Gallery! They have so many beautiful pieces, you know! I saw pictures of them, but to see them in person, to look close and see the brush strokes...” he blushed, “It’d b-be amazing, that’s what I’m saying.”

Wild remembered how he wanted to discover more of the world around him, and perhaps... perhaps this trip would actually be just what he needed to start. He had already seen Canterlot, but he would rather not have a repeat of that night. A peaceful visit during daytime would be much preferable, and he would also be able to see the details of the city and not just the general outline that he knew from his memory. As the capital of Equestria, Canterlot would undoubtedly have many things of interest for him to look at.

Wild decided to ask if there was anyone else he knew that would be going. It didn’t hurt to know, after all.

“Not sure, I don’t think so?” Artful flicked one of his ears thoughtfully. Something inside Wild tingled at the display, and he didn’t know what it was. He suspected what it was, but he decided not to look any closer, “The trip is also for everyone who’s over thirteen.”

Wild asked why the age limit was there.

“Well, it’s uh,” Artful’s face reddened, “It includes possible visits to, uh... like, more adult parts, you know? Not foal-friendly.”

Wild’s eyes widened, and he couldn’t help but ask if Artful was joking.

“No, why?” he looked at Wild oddly, “It happens all the time.”

Wild knew for a fact that something of this sort would never happen on Earth. Whether it was for a good reason or not... he wasn’t exactly sure. He decided to ask Artful what it all entailed.

“Well, there’s the Museum of Sexuality,” Artful managed to say with more or less a straight face despite his blush, “It’s, uh... well... history of intimacy and stuff in our, um, society. Like, did you know Starswirl the Bearded was really, um, promiscuous, and, uh, used magic to erase pretty much every STD?”

Wild asked what STD meant.

“Uh, sexually transmitted diseases.”

Wild nodded slowly at that. Magic, it appeared, could be... definitely quite neat. If he was calmer, he’d probably found this historical fact amusing.

“So yeah, that whole thing sparked a bit of a, uh, sexual revolution,” Artful tried to shrug casually but his face remained red, “So yeah, this stuff and that stuff. And... well, more stuff. You’ll see.”

A younger version of Wild would probably be sold on the idea. As he was now... he wasn’t sure. Sexual things continued to bother him, and not in a good way either. However, he knew he would have to deal with sex somehow if he wished to overcome the trauma of his past. Safe exposure would... likely do him good. He wasn’t entirely certain, but he was willing to try, and that had to count for something.

Wild asked when the trip would take place.

“Eleven days from now,” Artful replied, “You also gotta sign up. I guess we can do that right now if you want?”

Wild hesitated for a brief moment before giving a nod. If he declined, he knew he would be thinking about it way too much and way too hard. It would be easier to get himself signed up now so that he wouldn’t have to worry about making a decision about it later.

“By the way, did you pass the, um, sexuality education test yet?” Artful asked as they walked. Wild shook his head, “Well, you should pass it. You, uh, know everything, right?”

Wild signed that he wasn’t that far ahead but knew the basics already, and he would take the test soon. He then admitted that he knew about sex, and he felt his own cheeks heat up a bit.

“Oh, uh, good then.”

They didn’t talk for a while as Artful led Wild to the pony who would lead the trip. They were called Summer Winds, a dark-gray pegasus with a long and messy mane and tail of blue and cyan, and they had a couple earrings on each ear as well as a ring in one of the nostrils. Their talent mark was some kind of a geometric pattern Wild couldn’t tell the meaning of. The name seemed familiar but he couldn’t place where he read it, and he was certain he read it and not heard it.

“Hi,” the pegasus was in the middle of filling some paperwork when Artful and Wild entered, “You’re here to sign up for the trip, right?”

“I’m already signed up, my friend Wild is going with me,” Artful said. Wild felt something warm up inside of him at being called a friend, and... perhaps he could call Artful a friend too. It seemed right.

“Oh, Artful, right?” Summer Winds looked at him, “Yep, remember you. So,” she turned to Wild, “Who might you be?”

Wild licked his lips and opened his mouth.

“Wild,” he said, loud enough to be heard, but he knew he wasn’t quite loud enough to come off as confident.

“Wild, uh huh,” the pegasus nodded, not commenting on Wild’s tone at all as far as he could tell. They then scribbled his name on the list, then eyed him for a bit before adding the appropriate colors next to his name, “You’re lucky, not many spots left for that day. Alright, done. Anything else I can help you with?”

Wild shook his head.

“Alrighty, then I’ll see y’all there!” they gave both Wild and Artful a beaming smile.

Wild sighed internally in relief - now with that out of the way, he could only wait. And, of course, there was still the matter of passing his sexual education test, and he hoped he would be able to go through the entire book about it soon despite how much trouble it had been giving him. Introspection was not something he was often willing to do, yet it appeared he had to do it if he was to learn all that he needed to know.

Life was going forward, and he had to move alongside it.

***

Wild had another session of swordsmanship training and, if he were honest with himself, he was growing bored and less enthusiastic about it. He was strong, he was agile, and he, no boasting required, was the best at it among everyone else in the club. Of course, his skills were a lifetime commitment, so he was still improving day by day, but... something was now missing, and he believed it was the difficulty. It hadn’t been particularly hard ever since he joined, but it had become an absolute cakewalk recently. Now that he could utilize his thought-catching ability, he often could feel where exactly and how his opponent would move. It was more difficult the more his opponent relied on muscle memory, as Wild didn’t have much time to react there, but it still gave him enough of an edge that he was just a tiny bit faster than he would otherwise be, and that was enough for him to consistently win every spar.

Wild thought that perhaps he could pick up a different weapon to train with, something new that would force him to learn, to adapt. He preferred his saber, which he was the best at, and his second weapon of choice was a longsword, which he was also good at if not to the same degree. Perhaps he could pick up crossbow training or even a bow - whichever would prove to be more difficult. Perhaps he could train with a spear, but spears were generally universal weapons that anyone could use without much training, so he didn’t expect he would like it very much. He could probably pick up dual wielding: a sword and a shield or a sword and a dagger, something of that sort. Not having physical hands to get in the way did somewhat allow for dual wielding of identical weapons, but the weapons themselves could get in the way of each other, so it was not the best option. He could admit that it did have an appeal in terms of dramatics, but Wild didn’t think he was a particularly artistic person. Of course, as a child, he did all sorts of spinning and other tricks after seeing Star Wars, but that was hardly anything that could be used in a real duel. Swordsmanship, he had learned, was not nearly as flashy as anything he had ever seen in the movies.

Fortunately for him, it appeared his boredom would be alleviated soon - after his latest swordsmanship training, he was approached by his trainer Swift Strike.

“I am recommending you to represent our club in the nation-wide tournament,” he declared without preamble, “I’ve never seen a student as skillful as you, and I am proud to say that you deserve to represent the best of us to the entire country. Do you accept it?”

Wild nodded - he was looking forward to another tournament, and he might as well get into something as important as this. Besides, it would be a great test, allowing him to put all the effort he possibly could towards winning.

“Good,” Swift Strike nodded, “It will take place in Canterlot in around forty days from now - the exact date isn’t specified yet. There will be a monetary prize as well as access to the Royal Blacksmith who will forge a weapon of your choice for you - should you win, of course. You will be fighting against many opponents from all corners of Equestria, including Canterlot nobility. They have been trained in dueling since they could walk, and if you know anything about how ponies grow up, you know it’s very nearly from birth. Without a doubt, you will not find it easy to win - which, I imagine, will make victory even sweeter. I will send you a list of rules as well as guidelines over how participants are graded. Any questions?”

Wild thought for a moment, then shook his head. He would figure things out if problems arose, but everything seemed relatively straightforward so far.

“Good. This is a great opportunity for you, and it will bring honor and glory to our club should you do even half as well as usual,” Swift Strike nodded, “And I hope you will go above and beyond in order to win.”

Wild left with a spring in his step and a goal in his mind - winning that tournament would surely put him closer to achieving something in his life, and having some starting money would, at the very least, make it easier to set up his life once he was out of the Royal Orphanage. If the sum was great enough, perhaps it would act as a starting point. He had a feeling that this tournament would not skimp on rewards, considering how large it would be and how important it was.

Wild would be ready.

Author's Note

Another early posting. I've had a bit of a burnout with writing, so I am actually taking some rest until 20th of November. Honestly speaking, once I am done with this story, I will likely spend at least a couple of months doing nothing and worrying about nothing. Plus I really do need to have some proper psychiatric evaluation done, see if proper medication can help with my focus and energy levels.

Shorter chapters actually usually come when I'm struggling to write. I still do my best to update regularly, but it's definitely an uphill battle. No worries, though - there are plenty enough chapters that I will never run out on Fimfiction. But when I post on Boosty, there are delays and pauses because I gotta wrangle with my own brain sometimes.

Wild also has some mild ADHD or something similar, signs of which you can spot throughout the story, but it's not enough to seriously impact his quality of life. He has enough problems as he does, and I'm not gonna inflict more of my own on him, that's for sure. He has a decent support network and he will eventually become better even though this sort of stuff is something you have to deal with for the rest of your life. We're all made by our own experiences, after all.