Amicitia est paenitentiam

Spring came to Equestria earlier than usual. Nature had already woken from its winter sleep and looked less sleepy and uncertain. Every day it begins to come into its own and gain strength. Water in reservoirs in spring is clean and renewed. In it, you can see the azure sky and clear sun. The sky is filled with the cries of migrating birds returning to their homeland. With spring come warm days and a new life.

The sun was very warm in spring. Ponies love spring because it brings back from distant lands ringing nightingales and larks. Well, along with the snow, hearts also melt. The soul is filled with feelings of joy, awe, faith in the best. It's so easy to love everything and everyone around you. Spring is a time of renewal of nature and the birth of life. During this period, people fall in love and give flowers. That's probably why there are so many of them everywhere.

The colts have happily split up for spring break...almost all the colts, to be exact. The trio of bosom friends forgot about games and entertainment – as punishment for a couple of "incidents", teacher Cheerilee gave a difficult task.

«Before the end of the month, you will need to capture on paper some unusual natural phenomenon, a rare animal or bird.» grumbled to herself red Pegasus, crouching down to the eyepieces of the binoculars and trying to look at least something in the ash-gray sky. «How can you detect something if the whole sky is covered? Although if Dash will begin to clear the clouds».

«Scootaloo, do you see anything?» Sweetie Belle, the white unicorn, asked, sitting at the blank sheet of paper on which the results of their work should be displayed.

«Alas, nothing.»

«What do you girls have? I brought us something to eat.» On the threshold of the clubhouse appeared the owner of glasses and a gray mane with a basket in her teeth.

«Thank you, Silver, very nice of you.» Apple Bloom accepted a basket of food from the filly and began serving a simple snack. «How are you doing, by the way?»

«I'm fine, thank you very much.»

«Oh, it's you.» Pegasus muttered, turning back to watch.

«Don't worry.» Sweettie whispered, putting her hoof around Silver Spoon. «Eventually Scootaloo will notice that you corrected, and you will be friends.»

«Yeah, probably.» the filly sighed. She and her friend Diamond Tiara hurled taunts at the three of Cutie Mark Crusaders every day. Only now did Silver realized how cruel and heartless she had been, and for what a stupid reason – they just hadn't had time to get their marks yet!

Yes, of course, she had done many wrong things and now she must earn trust and forgiveness – but it seemed wrong to just leave her old friend. But Silver wanted to change, and Tiara, on the contrary, was becoming more irritable and aggressive every day. Their last meeting had almost ended in an big argument, and it was to be hoped that Tiara's vacation trip to Mainhattan would correct her misbehavior.

Scootaloo, hearing the growl of her hungry belly, was about to put the binoculars aside and eat some sandwiches, when suddenly something appeared in the distance, something dark against the clear gray sky.

«What is it?» Scootaloo was surprised. «A bird? A Pegasus? An object from other worlds?»

Pegasus sharpened her focus – the object falling from the sky was unlike any bird she had ever seen. Too disproportionate legs with dark yellow scales, strange brown wings hanging helplessly in rags, and...another pair of wings? No, they were just more paws – with the same scales and claws! And the sound that this unusual feathered creature made was more like a cry for help from an ordinary pony.

«It definitely looks like an end to our homework.» have realized to herself Scootaloo rushed to the exit.

«Scootaloo, where are you going?» yellow pony asked in surprise, frozen with a sandwich in her hooves. «I thought you wanted something to eat?»

«No time, I've seen something new.» pegasus said excitedly, dropping pencils and a piece of paper into her saddlebag. «Apparently, a bird unknown to science has fallen into the forest, and if we find it first – then the task is in our pocket!»

«The Everfree forest?» Silver Spoon asked, startled. «But it's dangerous, there are predators there, or you can just easily get lost!»

«Nonsense!» angrily snorted Scootaloo, tossing her mane. «Five minutes there and back, I've already run there a couple of times…Okay, along with Rainbow Dash, but I definitely remember the local glades. Or are you only brave with your Tiara buddy?»

«No, I'm not a coward,» said gray pony. «I'll be the first to find this bird!»

«Don't fight, let's join forces,» the white unicorn added softly. «If a bird has fallen, it is most likely injured or ill. We'll run and see – if the bird is big, we'll come back and ask for help. If it's small – we'll report it ourselves.»

«Sounds like a plan.»

And all four of them, led by orange pegasus, rushed into the thicket, not yet suspecting that this meeting would greatly affect the entire Equestria.

I couldn't remember how long I had been floating in the dark. I listened and did not hear, feeling only the howling of the wind and whispers in my ears. But even these unpleasant neighbors were better than the thoughts that haunted me.

«It's all over now – you're going to die. But is this such a bad outcome of your life? You died in battle defending the ideals of the order, as befits a knight prior. »

«No – you are not lost, your fate is worse than death, and you deserve it. You failed to protect your order, artifact, you sent young acolytes to their deaths, and Annabel is dead because of you. And you will be forever arriving in this Limbo, eternal sorrow and suffering without the possibility of redemption – and praise the Lord for mercy, because the lowest circle of Hell must wait for you.»

«But I'm not a traitor! I'm not Vortiger! I did not succumb to false persuasions, to his inhuman reasoning of a madman about a new world order, his hatred of morality and virtue was punished! »

«Was it? You didn't even see his dead body, did you? You are also a liar to everything, so the breath of eternity awaits you. A monstrous wind...»

The wind? It hasn't been there yet, what's going on?

I held my breath as I continued my slow descent into the dark waters of the Abyss. My heart was pounding in my chest, and my palms were wet, but I could still feel the weight of my sword and shield, which was comforting.

The air changed from a light breeze to heavy, moist, suffocating – my chest could hardly accept such an offering.

«Pull yourself together, open your eyes»

I manage to pry one of my eyes open – my left one is still closed, covered with nasty sticky goo. I gasped in surprise at the sight that lay before me, so beautiful in its beauty. The forest, which stretched for hundreds of miles around, was bright, picturesque, and more like a single organism, exuding clouds of bright butterflies or songbirds whose voices were not familiar to me until now. Everything about it was correct – even from this height and with one eye I was aware of the beauty of the geometry of these forests. Every tree, every leaf, stood properly, forming a single picture that could not have been completed in any other way.

«Lord, is this the Promised Land from which we were cast out? And all this time it was right under our castle?»

The lower I descended, the heavier and warmer the air became, and I could clearly feel my body covered with beads of sweat under my armor. The speed of the fall increased, the cloak fluttering in the wind like a banner. And only now, to my horror, did I realize that I was really falling!

I shouted, and my desperate cry was echoed, rushing after me straight into the forest canopy of giant trees. I tried to pull myself together and slow my fall, but it was not an easy landing - I broke the tops of trees and hit branches, landing heavily and awkwardly, hitting my head on the roots of a tree and rolling down the shingle and sand. The flight down the slope carried me down, hitting boulders and pebbles. I had already lost count of the bruises on my face and could only guess how badly my limbs had been damaged. The helmet mercifully softens the last blow of my head on the ground – I finally stopped and stretched out to my full height, completely exhausted.

What now? Is this just the beginning of my torment? Well, I accept them – I deserve such pain, even if it is not so severe – the flagellant rites, which I resorted to in moments of doubt, caused much more suffering. Yes, I remember my quiet murmur of prayers of repentance, the whistle of the bullwhip, and the gurgling of blood....No, the blood is not gurgling – what is that sound?

I could distinctly hear the rippling and splashing. There was no doubt that there was a pond or spring somewhere nearby.

«To get to him, to wash, to wash away the blood, to drink. Just a drink of water. It's too early to give up.»

I tried to move – it cost me a flash of monstrous pain all over my body, as if every bone in my body was broken. But the pain sobered me, snapping my passive state like a cobweb from a corner. If I'm in pain, then I'm alive. When I looked around again with my healthy eye, I actually saw a spring. It was small and dark and trickled down in a thin stream, barely breaking through the black blocks. Gritting my teeth to a grating sound of pain, I managed to roll over on my stomach. Slowly I dragged myself along the ground, inch by inch, my sword and shield still in my hands.

After many moments of suffering, I finally reached the edge of the pond. I pulled my body closer to the water and looked at my reflection with a shudder. Incalculable cuts and abrasions, a laceration across the entire forehead that covered the second eye with thick blood, a terrible look of sunken eye…

I pulled off my glove with my teeth and scooped up water with my bare hand. The water was cold, but not icy and at the same time soft and velvety. With difficulty, I brought the water to my mouth and drank it in small sips, ready to spit out the poison at any moment. A sudden soft warmth ran through me, bouncing off every part of my body. With renewed strength, I scooped up another handful and drained it in one gulp. The terrible pain receded, and I began to treat it in earnest-I washed my broken forehead with water, washing away the dried blood, washed my face, and then boldly removed my boot from my foot, which had been hit by a bouncing fragment of rock.

The wound didn't look good – the knee was badly swollen, red, and aching from just looking at it. I crossed myself, filled my hip flask with water, and began to pour the wonderful liquid slowly and methodically over my injured limb. I laughed softly with joy, watching the redness and pain go away – the swelling was scarred by another scar under the kneecap.

When I had drunk my fill and filled my canteen, I said a silent prayer of thanks for my rescue.

«And maybe this isn't Hell or Limbo? What if this is a new test that I must use to atone for my failures? Yes, there is no doubt – this is my personal repentance, which I must earn, suffer as best I can, and only then will I be granted forgiveness. But where am I? What is this place?»

I looked around for any landmarks, without success. I had been told that you could somehow navigate by the growth of moss, and I was familiar with the basics of astronomy, but the whole sky was covered with a haze of thin clouds, and the trees looked more like those that grew closer to the East.

«I need to look around.» I decided to myself, and throwing my shield on my back and my sword in its scabbard, I climbed the tallest tree I could find in the clearing. After a couple of minutes of climbing up, I was able to look around – my surprise was unlimited. A couple of hours away, the village was clearly visible – even from a distance, I noted the fact that the architecture was not like the Knights with their stone castles, nor the Vikings with their rough simplicity and asceticism, nor even the Samurai with their fragile grace. Everything was bright, positive, inviting like fire attracts night moths.

«Do not be deceived by appearances, it is quite possible that not the most peaceful peoples live there. In fairy tales, a witch lures kids to a gingerbread house before eating them.»

I made other discoveries: the forest was apparently uninhabited. There may be predators here, but I haven't seen or heard one yet. There were a lot of birds here, but they were all unknown to me, so I couldn't tell if I could eat them or not. On the other hand, I didn't have a bow or crossbow, and I didn't know how to make snares, so I'd have to settle for fish and berries I knew.

I decided to do the following for myself: to set up a safe and hidden house, find a path to the settlement, and at dusk go on a reconnaissance to find out about an unfamiliar place, but first – the business of the day. Especially since I finally felt hungry and the growl of my stomach confirmed it.

I examined the contents of my belt and pouches, a gift from Annabel for my twentieth spring. I sighed bitterly at another stream of sad thoughts and opened all my pockets in turn. There were not many items – a few rye crackers, a piece of cheese wrapped in a rag, and a hand-made rosary with obsidian beads. A leather-bound codex of my order was strapped to a chain around my waist, and behind my right boot, in a secret scabbard, was a three-sided misericord dagger that had saved my life many times in battle. It should have been enough to start with.

The forest was hospitable – the cave was found in the next clearing, a minute's walk from the stream that flowed into a small pond.

"Dark and small, but it's dry and quite cozy," I decided to myself. After setting up branches, I made a bed for myself and prepared fuel for the fire. The largest of the branches passed for a makeshift fishing rod – instead of a hook, I bent a pair of rings of chain mail with a dagger, and took the thread from my already battered cloak. The bait from the cracker bore fruit – a minute later, on the rod was a shiny fish, similar to a carp, but larger and thicker. The catch looked so juicy that I couldn't resist the temptation – I muttered a hasty prayer, washed my hands in the same pond, and began to carve my prey.

"I will eat a small piece, otherwise I will feel bad. I'm not a good warrior with a bad stomach."

I'm lucky again – the fish turns out to be female, so I get not only delicious meat, but also caviar – an exquisite delicacy. Having satisfied my first wave of hunger, I am preparing to cast again, when suddenly my ear caught the crunch of branches. Someone was coming at me from both sides at once-either they were predators, or…

I didn't bother to guess, but ran for the cave, hiding behind a rock at the entrance. The sword and shield took their places, and I was all ears as I heard voices, quite loud ones.

"I think he fell in here?"

"How should I know, but most likely yes."

"Shh, Scootaloo, and if it is a bird? If she's injured? You can easily scare her off!"

"Look, there's a fishing rod! Who decides to fish here?"

"Children? Here in the middle of the forest?" I was surprised. The voices seemed to belong to children, girls, to be exact. For a moment I felt ashamed – a grown knight hiding like some bandit from small children. "You can't be too careful, where there are children – there are adults. Besides, they probably know this place like the back of their hand, and they can quickly sneak out and report you. And then…"

A child's scream cut through my thoughts like a whip, deciding my fate for me. It no longer mattered who these children were, where they came from, or whether it was dangerous to talk to them. The snarl of the predator that followed the startled cry put an end to it - the children were in danger, and I must do my duty.

Silver Spoon crawled away from Timberwolf's unblinking gaze, trying to find a way out with her back – but only bumped into a tree trunk. The other three foals froze in place with fear, staring helplessly at the predator that appeared in the clearing, indifferent to its prey – whether it was a rabbit or a stray youngster.

The grey filly watched in shock as the wolf flexed its legs, tensed like a spring, and sprinted forward, stretching out its entire body.

"Is this the end?» Silver Spoon thought as she stared into the bottomless, open mouth of the tree wolf.

"Ad profundis!" a sudden loud cry, a flash of lightning, a thud, a screech of pain, and a huge shadow that took the form of a tattered cloak with a cross embroidered on it – all this was intertwined for the foals in one second of a lifetime.

Apple Bloom gasped – something incredible had just happened. Instead of an angry predator ready to eat helpless foals, an unfamiliar figure appeared in the clearing. It was a tall creature, even taller than Princess Celestia herself, clad in heavy armor the color of dull copper and mail, standing on its hind hooves and yet surprisingly balanced. There was no face to be seen, and the head was hidden by a mail hood and a strange helmet that looked like a spiked hoop, but even standing with his back to it, the stranger could inspire both fear and hope.

The creature jerked its hind hoof back and thrust its shield forward, shielding the foals from the whimpering wolf that had lost its paw and front teeth – the bash of the shield was devastating.

"In the name of the Holy Church, I will not allow such misdeeds." the voice was hoarse and quiet, but it also sounded confident and insistent. Sweetie Belle shuddered – if the unknown rescuer had screamed furiously or hissed ominously, it would not have been so creepy. But it was the calm and even somewhat melodious voice that frightened and fascinated. Such a voice should belong to a mother soothing a frightened child, or to an old mister Waddle, but not to one who has just rushed at a ferocious predator with the recklessness of a maddened yak.

Timberwolf was discouraged – he was already looking forward to a feast that would satisfy the hunger for a couple of days, but he went into the territory of the predator angrier and larger. This mistake had cost a foreleg and teeth, and could now cost a life. The once-evil wolf, whining softly and with its tail between its legs, carefully took the severed paw in its maimed mouth and limped back to the forest to lie down in its lair.

«Girls, run! » before I can get my breath out and let my heart settle, I hear a yell from behind and the sound of several pairs of feet kicking up a cloud of dust.

"Wait, I don't want to..." I turn my body around and realize that I'm talking to nothing. "...cause you harm"

"Please" a small voice from somewhere below brings me to my senses. "Don't eat me, I don't taste good."

I look down, expecting to see a startled girl-all I have to do is sit down next to her, put my hand on her shoulder, and calm her down. Tell her that I am of the order of Saint Balaur, that it is my duty and virtue to protect the weak, and that I will take her home to my mother and father. But the last thing I expect to see is a small creature that looks a lot like a horse, but with a rounder face, large eyes squeezed shut behind glasses, and a strange symbol in the form of a spoon drawn on the rump.

"Great, I don't need to declare myself as a horse thief. I need to take the horse to the owner, I hope that they will listen to me."

"Please don't eat me." The horse was talking! It didn't look like a trick, was it heresy or malice? No, you can't beat a demon with a sword.

I plunged my sword into the ground, clutched the rosary, and dropped to one knee. The beads were chattering like teeth in a fever, and the lips were already making a prayer of their own.

«Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name…»

Hearing a strange muttering, Silver Spoon carefully opened one eye. Instead of the wolf, another creature towered before her, no less frightening. Its eyes and most of the face were hidden by a hood and an eerie-looking "crown", but the thin lips that whispered strange words and the terrible paw with pinched rusty claws that marked Silver Spoon's head, belly and shoulders made the filly tremble with fear.

«Your kingdom come, Your Holy Spirit come upon us and cleanse us…»

"It's some kind of spell? It's the evil wizard? He just wants to eat me!" the filly went through in her head all the possible options. “He will roast me, boil, erase in a powder or just swallow whole? I’ve told the girls that it’s dangerous – why nopony ever listening to me?”

The creature moved a paw around his hip, untied a strange dark vessel, like a jar. Again this strange gesture of the four taps at different points and the sound of a pulled tube, no doubt about it, she now eat, and in the flask some kind of potion from the spiders or sour sauce.

"For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory" the voice became a cry, and the paw with the flask swung. "For ever and ever, Amen!"

Silver Spoon squealed in surprise – having just been doused with icy water.

"Hmm, no burns, no ashes scattered in the wind-so you're not a demon. To be sure, they also advise you to spit on the tail, but this seems superfluous."

"That's right, thank you." the voice, hoarse with screeching, sounded strange to Silver. "Don't spit on my tail or other parts of my body, it's rude. And I'm not a demon, I'm a pony."

The voice sounded puzzled, as if its owner, who had fallen helplessly on both knees, had completely lost the thread of the story. Silver Spoon tossed her sodden mane and plucked up the courage to stand on all fours to get a better look at her companion.

"He looks scary and behaves strangely," the filly noted to herself, looking at the creature's armor and sword stuck in the ground. "Mumbles some strange speech, pours cold water, pokes with his claws. But he saved us from a Timberwolf that would have eaten us for sure – maybe he's not so bad. But he looks lost, as if he came from somewhere far away. His armor is battered and all scratched, and his cheeks are sunken – he was severely malnourished or ill."

I've never felt so lost in my life – I just didn't know what to do or what to do. An hour ago I was in a world of endless war, bloodshed, and fighting for my life and honor with the worst traitor and fratricide the world has ever seen – and now I am in the Promised Land, inhabited by wolves of branches and intelligent talking horses. What is my purpose here? How can I help them? Am I mad? Lord, if you can hear me, give me a sign. I just don't understand…

"My name is Silver Spoon, and what are you?" a child's voice snapped me out of my stupor. When I focused my eyes, I saw a grey hoof held out to me, shivering with cold or fear, but the owner was trying to be confident and friendly. May be…

I took the proffered hoof in my hand, as if I were afraid of breaking a crystal vase, and sealed the acquaintance with a weak handshake, even if only from my side.

"Gabriel...my name is Gabriel."