Author's Note

This one took a while. Was really busy with certain things, so I made this chapter a little longer once again to compensate. Enjoy.

Chapter 15 - First Day in the Town (Part 2)

We walked for some time in silence at a hurried pace to reach the shade of the trees further down the road quicker. The thoughts of our recent talk still spun in my head, though this sweltering heat was getting nasty and distracted me from my thoughts. Luckily for us, a refreshing cool breeze started blowing — quite an anomaly for this arid place.

“What a relief,” Saphira said as we entered the shade of the roadside trees that had replaced the fields behind.

“Yeah, that’s nice, and this light breeze, too.” I looked at the two-story workshop with a green roof before us. “This place looks a bit dilapidated, though the house itself is in good condition,” I commented as we neared the workshop.

“This little mess is just the lack of a mare’s hooves around, I’m sure. The piggery in some of the male drones’ quarters was sometimes a sight to behold…” Sapphira said, chuckling. “This place needs a bit of care. I was often tasked with cleaning and bringing various places in order when our food stocks were full. The ‘nobles’, how ponies call them, had never let me just rest when I had little work to do. At first, I didn’t like the term ‘nobles’, but after seeing some in the flesh, the similarity in attitude makes this term so precise…”

“Aren’t you the same — type as them now?”

Sapphira looked up in thought. “Technically, yes. But I feel myself different from them. In a lot more ways than one. It’s hard to explain — your perspective shifts greatly when you resist the hive mind, which is always trying to press down on your own, and everything changes when you break free from it completely. I’m not even talking about how you… ‘directly participated’ in my transformation. I’m sure nobody else ever got such a privilege,” she smiled.

“That feeling when your girl is one of a kind.” I laughed.

Sapphira bumped my thigh with her rear playfully. “I can tell the same, honey,” she replied, giggling.

The yard before the house was in disorder — various empty crates, planks, ropes, old tools and other similar stuff was scattered around, while old flower beds by the sides of the lawn were overgrown with weeds left without proper care. Not a single flower grew on them, a stark contrast to every other house we passed by. To the right, under a wooden awning, stood a modest, size-wise, four-wheel open-bed cart. Some muffled rumble and fast-paced clopping of hooves could be heard coming from the inside of the workshop, along with what I thought was an angry cursing.

“Did we come at a bad time?” Sapphira asked with hesitation.

I shrugged. “Who knows? I knew some people who always cursed when working with something manually. Always.” I laughed briefly. “So let’s knock and see for ourselves.”

“But I can feel…” Sapphira’s phrase was interrupted, however.

“Those useless pegasi!” a male voice shouted angrily from behind the door, then we heard something metal being hit. “Ouch!” The voice hissed in pain. “Oh, horse dung, that hurts! Useless crate, buck it! Who left it in the way… Oh hay, that was me. Idiot.”

My raised hand, which was ready to knock on the door, halted and slowly lowered back.

“Seems you are right, Sapphi.” I scratched my head. “Welp, let’s come here some other time, I guess.”

Sapphira nodded, and we turned around, but before we could go away, we heard the door slam open with force, hitting the wall.

“Wait, wait! I was not cursing at you, sorry!” the same voice shouted from behind, so we turned around.

There was silence for a while. The light-blue stallion before us was staring at us. His eyes darted between our figures, while we, too, were staring back at him. He had a very, as I would say, manly chin. For a stallion. He lacked only an unshaven stubble to complete the image of a hardworking man married to his job, and perhaps a construction helmet would make it complete. His teal mane somewhat resembled a crew cut, and his tail was crudely trimmed to the minimal length.

“Seems Berry could find at least somepony, must thank her later. I don’t even care if it’s a changeling.” He mumbled the last phrase quietly to himself. “Come, come! We have no time for chatting, you two, so quickly hop into the cart! I’ll give you a ride.”

“Whoa, whoa, buddy, let’s slow down first. We came here to — er-r — buy a hat, or at least to order one.”

“No-o-o! What I’m gonna do now…” He brought his hooves over his head in desperation.

“Hold on for a second. What happened? Why the panic?”

“Those damn pegasi!”

“What’s wrong with the pegasi?” Sapphira asked in bewilderment, tilting her head.

“They want to make a downpour this evening and it will be in one hour, maybe two at the best. And my delivery from the minotaur kingdoms… The tools, black iron, rare leather and other stuff. It will all become spoiled! I’m doomed, doomed!” Hopelessness was in his blue eyes. “Could they at least make a warning a day before? Half a day before? But no-o-o, they didn’t! Idiots!”

I opened my mouth, but was interrupted by the stallion. He grabbed my hand, rearing himself on his hind legs. If this could be called a grab at all.

“Please help me! I’ll give you any hat you like for free. Any! These claws of yours must be good at grabbing and carrying stuff, right?” He intently looked at my hand he was holding.

“Hands.”

“Pardon?”

“Hands, they are called so. I have no claws.”

“Ah, yes, yes, sorry. And the changeling lady, I know your kind can use magic, just like unicorns. Please, it’s all because of that tunnel collapse. The delivery was delayed for a day and both my workers have a day off today. I did not pay for storage, and my goods are just lying there near the platform under the open sky.”

Stallion frowned, looking towards the city. “Those two scoundrels must be getting wasted somewhere in the town, or chasing mares; could not find them at all,” he grumbled with irritation. “I thought I could ask my neighbors, but they will be free only by the time the rain starts. That damn rain! I can’t allow my goods to be soaked. Can you — help me, please? The supplier stressed I must keep it out of rain.” he finally asked in a low voice, with pleading eyes.

Sapphira looked at me, raising her brows, waiting for my reply. That usually meant she was fine with either option.

“Please, it won’t take long. If I’m alone…” He sighed. “I will waste a lot of time. These,” — he showed me his hooves, balancing on the hind legs, — “are not too good at hauling heavy things quickly.”

I sighed, thinking about his predicament. The offer seemed quite good, honestly. A hat for an hour of a simple manual labor? I guess I’m in. The stallion nervously waited for my answer, unblinking.

“Alright, we agree,” I finally replied, crouching slightly, offering him my hand.

The stallion hesitated for a while at the unfamiliar gesture, but soon stretched his hoof forward, so I grabbed and shook it.

“Oh, by the way, name’s Stout Bodkin. You can call me just Stout.”

“Ray, a human, if you’re curious.”

“Sapphira.”

“Oh, great! Never heard of your kind, but that’s irrelevant. Jump into the cart. I’ll give you a ride, like I said.”

“Won’t it be better if we just… walk or fly?” Asked Sapphira.

“I’m an earth pony to the bone. Even a foal can pull an empty cart. Pulling carts is almost our life, so to speak,” Stout said jokingly. “At least I’ll work my muscles a little before the actual work.”

“Fine.” I said, climbing the cart. I was surprised to find two large folding seats there, designed for a pony. They were more or less soft and covered with leather.

“Ha-ha, like it? Made those myself!” Stout said proudly, after opening the gates. Then he harnessed himself to the cart with skill and pulled.

I noticed his cart, despite the simple design, had springs. Coupled with the seats, it offered a minimal level of comfort on this uneven road by my standards.

“Have you personally made this cart? It’s not like the majority of carts in the town — there are springs and other stuff.”

“Ha! Good eyes, Ray. I certainly did. Well, almost. Remade the simple cart I bought in Silver Wheel a year ago. It was new and sturdy, of course. I just like to fiddle with things to make them better when I have time for that.” He increased the pace to the gallop, pulling the cart with the speed of a running man.

The road was empty, so he wasn’t afraid of hitting anyone. Ponies, despite being quadruped, had much shorter bodies than their wild counterparts on Earth, making their running speeds just slightly higher than an average human, and I’m almost sure the human athletes will come out on top against the pony ones. Considering this, he currently ran quite fast, even while pulling the cart up the slight slope. The cart itself shook mercilessly on the shabby dirt road.

“This thing is shaking too much…” Sapphira grumbled in a low voice, her voice jerking along with shaking cart. “But anyway, it won’t last for too long.”

I could only smile wryly at her comment. “Damn, Stout, you are fast!”

Stout laughed heartily. “Of course I am! Told ya!”

“You don’t seem to be from around this place, right?”

“You mean the lack of a local accent? Yes, I’m actually from the north. Been born in a small village there. Went to the frontier as soon as I came of age. Couldn’t sit still in that boring hole of a village. I worked almost in every place which was considered a frontier. Good times, if you ask me. Got all my skills there. Leatherwork, metalwork, woodwork, some construction, all this stuff, you name it — I make it. The last one was Crescent Bay.”

“That new port city in the south?” Seems I finally found out its name.

“Yeah, that one. Now it’s more or less a common port town, but still a lot of construction is going around. I left the place a year ago. Thought it was time to settle at last and take a breather. Crescent Bay is a bit too chaotic, so I moved here. You know, I never stayed in one place for all these long years.”

“So, what made you change your lifestyle?”

“I hit forty not that long ago, but I was fine living the life of a young stallion. I liked it, and the jobs there usually paid well, too. However, everything gets boring sooner or later. So here I am, trying to keep this bucking workshop afloat. The things are looking good, but it appeared slightly harder than I thought it would be — the place was formerly just a rundown small shack. Not that I’m complaining.”

Stout returned his pace to a trot as we entered a more populated area. He was quite a chatterbox of a stallion. Seems he doesn’t have a lot of friends here and rarely has a chance for an unrestrained talk with somebody. As he told us, now he specializes in crafting leather hats and work clothes, like protective hoofwear, blacksmith aprons and such things. The hats are popular among the local male population, and even some females like them. Mercenaries are also his usual customers when it comes to repairing their equipment. A rare skill for a pony, but it is in demand around here. I have a hunch I’ve found the right — pony for my specific needs. Maybe he’ll manage to make some kind of decent boots for me. His mark is a toolbox, a pretty generic thing, but maybe he really is a jack of all trades.

The rest of the way I and Sapphira were mainly listening to him while he talked non-stop, occasionally asking us about our own story. Though his chatter wasn’t annoying as he talked about many things we are unfamiliar with. Quite useful for somebody like us, who doesn’t know a shit about the country. Sapphira may know something from her hive memory, but that’s just fragmented, oftentimes outdated, or incorrect knowledge.

“We’ll take a roundabout to the north. Fewer folks loitering on the roads there.”

“As you say, Stout,” I replied.

“Never been there before,” Sapphira added.

“Nothing special there. It’s the same as the area around my workshop, but with more orchards. Most of those lie to the north. Apples, pears, plums, apricots. You can find any fruits there, except those grown in the jungle or in the snowy lands. It’s said the Appleloosa started with just one apple orchard some tens of years ago, thus the name of the town.”

Traveling on the uneven mud road, it wasn’t long before we reached the bustling eastern side, with the already familiar noise — and dust. Sapphira even sneezed from that.

“I think I’m starting to hate this dust,” Sapphira complained.

“I don’t like it either, but what can we do about it? It’s a bucking desert all around us! Well, almost a desert,” Stout said.

We have finally reached the cargo platform. Stout walked to a mare in a uniform, showing her some papers. She pointed with a hoof somewhere further down the platform, to the place with piles and piles of crates, boxes and bales. We jumped off the cart and, led by the Stout, carefully navigated it through the space littered with various cargo, under the intent stares of diamond dog guards.

“Here they are, my lovely treasures!” Stout stopped the cart near one of the piles of goods, unhitching himself once again. He checked everything with the list he had on his hooves and nodded in approval. “Everything is here. Let’s not waste our time, my friends. The rain won’t wait for us. I want you to load everything on the cart.”

There was an awkward pause.

“Er-r… Stout, are you sure you want to load all of these on the cart?”

“Yeah, why?”

“Are you sure you can pull it up the slope?”

“Well… It may be hard, but I’ll manage somehow. Come on, let’s get to business.”

I noticed Sapphira tried lifting one of the biggest crates. It floated up a little above the ground, then she put it back.

“Alright, Ray. Get onto the cart. I think I can lift everything here. Don’t ask, I don’t know why.” She made an uncertain smile, but it was a very content smile.

“It feels awkward to let a girl do all the heavy lifting,” I said.

“Pfft!” Sapphira snorted dismissively. “If anything is awkward about it, it is your world, Ray.”

“What are you talking about?” Stout asked, overhearing us.

“That’s just our regular jokes, Stout. Don’t mind us,” Sapphira chuckled.

“Alright. I can help you with carrying lighter stuff.”

“Let’s leave the lighter stuff for later, Stout, so it won’t get crushed.”

“M’kay.”

Sapphira slowly lifted the biggest crate, a beautiful deep sapphire aura enveloping it, and shifted it towards the cart. I could see she was very focused at the moment. The flame-like aura, dense and bright, danced around her horn wildly. She finally released the crate from her magic grip, the cart bobbed and the springs sank a little from the increased weight. Stout just looked at us working, smiling slightly.

“Phew. I’m okay. I’ll tell you if I’m tired. That’s good training, by the way.”

“Fine, just don’t overdo it,” I replied, moving the crate to the front of the cart. It was quite heavy and it would be hard to lift it alone because of its size.

The work continued, and we already managed to load the most heavy crates and bales onto the cart. The bigger part of the work was done. Sapphira was panting, beads of perspiration visible on her forehead.

“That’s enough, Sapphi, just sit and rest. I’ll finish this alone.”

“But I still can—”

“No overdoing things, Sapphi,” I cut her objection short.

“Alri-ight, if you say so.” Sapphira’s wings buzzed quietly, bringing her onto the top of the cart. She had sat herself on the soft bale of leather. Her eyes followed me as I moved back and forth, finishing loading the cart with smaller and lighter stuff.

“All’s done. We can go back now.”

“Not so fast, smooth-skin,” a rude voice interrupted me. “Papers!” A large and muscular diamond dog stared me in the eyes as I turned around, stretching his clawed paw before me.

“Stout? Show him.”

“Ah, yes, yes. Here.”

Diamond dog’s eyes shifted to Stout. He must have thought I was in charge here. It was obvious he didn’t take the stallion seriously, judging by his smirk. The guard checked the papers, comparing something with the marks on the crates.

“Go,” he barked, returning the papers back. He didn’t bother to say anything else, just turned around and left us, going back under his tent, where he plopped onto the chair, which somewhat resembled a deckchair. He closed his eyes, but his ears were constantly turning back and forth. Guess they have good hearing.

“Don’t mind him, they are always this rude to us ponies. Now it’s my turn to work. Watch how an earth pony does it,” said Stout, ready to pull the overloaded cart. The springs had almost completely straightened under the weight.

I looked with interest how he would fare. By all laws of physics he should not have enough grip to move the whole thing, even if he is strong enough, but the cart was slowly moving and getting faster. Stout did not look like someone who tries his hardest. His face was somewhat tense, but nothing extreme.

“It’s fine, I’ll do it,” he gruffed, keeping a walking speed. “Though I’d appreciate it if you help me a little on the uphill.”

“You don’t have to ask, Stout, I’m surprised you are actually pulling this thing alone.”

“Earth ponies. Are made. For pulling. Carts.” He said through his teeth, straining his body. Then he let out a short laugh as the cart started moving steadily. “See?”

The road back took a lot more time. The mild breeze we felt before changed to a strong wind, with abrupt powerful gusts, throwing the dust and sand from the road right into our faces.

“Bucking pegasi…” He grumbled when he got another handful of sand to his face.

“Agreed,” I replied, chuckling.

“Look, there are those morons.” His gaze was directed at the sky, where the dark clouds could already be seen rolling forward. Before the cloud front, lots of tiny figures could be seen flying in a large circle.

“What are they doing?”

“Keeping the clouds moving until they reach their destination. I’m not familiar with their weather magic. All I know is that it’s a cooperation between unicorns and pegasi. And that’s none of our earth ponies’ concern.”

“Seems we’ll make it in time,” said Sapphira.

“Yeah, thanks to you two,” he looked at us with a beaming smile. “But I’m afraid you’ll have to stay at my workshop for a while. That’s not pleasant weather to be caught outside.”

At this moment, my stomach rumbled audibly.

“Oh well, be my guests. I think I have some snacks back home. Can’t leave my saviors hungry.”

In a few minutes, we reached the familiar crossroad, leading to Stout’s workshop. After parking the cart under the wooden awning and leaving it there, Stout invited us inside. Flicking the switch, which was of similar lever design, as we had seen in other places, he led us to the second floor right away. I had a brief look at the workshop interior. The place had a working atmosphere, not too messy, not too neat. It had a lot of tools and workbenches scattered around the place, and the air smelled of leather, metal, and wood. The second floor was the place where he lived.

Stout left us in a rather small and simple living room and left for the kitchen. The place was sufficiently clean, but had a minimalistic interior. Only essential things were present in the room.

Sapphira chuckled. “Told you he is living alone.” She played with her brow, then climbed onto a simple couch placed before a table of the same length, enough for three to sit comfortably. There were also two armchairs standing on the sides of the table.

“Well, now that’s obvious. Though I don’t find it unusual or something.”

“By your standards, Ray. But this is Equis.”

I just shrugged. As we chatted about today’s happenings, Stout returned, holding a tray in his mouth by a special handle, with a kettle, tea cups and three plates of pancakes, covered in honey. He then sat on the armchair on our left.

“Those are not right from the pan, but I heated ‘em up. Berry brought them before you arrived. As if I can eat that much alone. At first, I thought she had sent you to me. I hope she wasn’t wasting her time finding helpers for me when we left. Had no time to look for her.”

“Thinking about the entire issue, could you just pay for the storage instead?”

“Of course I could, but everything would take a few hours until they took my cargo somewhere under the roof. They are not the fastest lot, you know. I even thought of finding some idling porters near the station to hire, but… there would likely be none, as they would be busy carrying stuff before the rain. Appleloosa is not exactly this big of a town. Even if I found some guys, I’m sure they’d rob me blind. Folks there are quite shrewd to know why I needed them so urgently. Then you two luckily showed up!” The stallion shined a radiant smile at us.

“I see.” I scratched my head. “Have you really had nobody to help you with the cargo?”

“Well, not really, but… You know, other neighbors I could ask, they are earth ponies, just like me, and they are all mares. Unmarried mares. You get what I mean, right?” He looked at us with slightly squinted eyes. “Berry alone is hard to deal with. She is quite assertive, you see, and if I asked an entire bunch to help me… And I’d have to ask an entire bunch, otherwise we’d be too slow…” He raised and waved his hooves before him to remind us they are not that good at lifting heavy stuff, then continued.

“Then it’d be such a hassle to return a favor, as they will never ever accept money. They will ask for some help for sure, and every time it somehow ends in some sort of date. It does not matter if I had plans for a date or not, I’m not asked, usually.” Stout chuckled. “And I’ll be a complete asshole if I turn them down when they ask, so I tried to find… other helpers.”

“That doesn’t sound too bad to me,” Sapphira said jokingly.

“Oh well,” — his eyes turned to her, then he propped his chin with a hoof — “they’re actually kinda nice…” he uttered, mulling. His eyes traced the boards on the ceiling. “But I have so many orders lately I won’t have time for such things. And I’m… a little afraid to start a long-term relationship, to be honest.” His gaze became focused on Sapphira again. “That’s not how I lived before.”

“I think you have nothing to be afraid of, Stout,” Sapphira said with confidence.

“You think so?”

“Sure, just do what you think is right. Do what your heart craves for. Everything else is not that important. I learned this lesson well, and it wasn’t an easy one.” She moved closer to me and leaned on my side, placing her head on my shoulder. “Right?” Her eyes looked up.

“Um… Yes.” That’s all I could say at the moment. I hugged Sapphira with my arm. The situation was slightly awkward for me.

“By Celestia, aren’t you a sweet pair?” Stout chuckled. “No, seriously,” he broke into a wide smile. It looked somewhat funny with his broad jaw. “Maybe I’ll give it a shot. With Berry, and maybe others, too. They are good friends.”

“Wish you good luck, pal,” I said with a chuckle. “I think you’ll be just fine.”

“Well… thanks! Oh, let’s eat already, or it will get cold a second time!” Without tarry, he poured us some tea and then started munching on his pancakes with gusto.

The first bolts of lightning flashed in the sky outside, followed by a loud thunder. The wind, to my surprise, had grown quiet. Seems the rain had arrived at the destination and won’t be moving much until it dissipates. A stark contrast to regular storms, where it just keeps getting worse as the rain comes. The first heavy drops started hitting the wooden roof above our heads, the rain quickly turning into a heavy downpour.

“What a nasty weather…” Stout muttered, while still chewing. He was clearly not the standard of good manners, though we couldn’t care less.

“I’m glad we weren’t outside when it started,” added Sapphira.

“With how heavy it pours, my goods would be ruined for sure if I left them there. So, thank you again. Let’s go downstairs and choose a hat for you afterwards. I have quite a lot of those in stock.”

Having finished our meal and tea, Stout led us back into the workshop. He walked up to a large armoire in the far corner, which was filled with hats and other merchandise.

“Have a look. You can take choose any hat you like.”

“Whoa, that’s a lot!” I browsed the assortment. The crystal lamps on the ceiling were a little dim and yellowish, but still provided enough light to see all the items were crafted decently.

The hats were made of different materials, from cloth to wool and suede, but all of them resembled what you would call a stetson hat, belonging in a western movie. I fancied the suede ones, as I deem leather a more sturdy and stylish material. Though most of the hats had light or outright acidic bright colors, Stout still had some which I thought were suitable. I found a dark-gray hat in a far corner of the armoire. It was a little dusty, even, and seemed like it was laying here for a long time. Meanwhile, Sapphira was examining the hats with interest, too.

“Do you like that one?” Stout asked. He seemed to be surprised at my choice. He let out a short laugh and cleared his throat. “Actually, it was one of the first I’ve made after moving here. Seems nobody here likes darker colors, unlike it was in Crescent Bay. I was unable to sell it over the year, even at half the price. Also, it’s a little bigger than most.”

“Dark colors are excellent for traveling and dusty places like Appleloosa, actually. All the accumulated dust is not that obvious on the surface. Though, of course, it heats more in the sun, but no way I’m wearing a white hat in this hole of a dusty desert,” I said with a chuckle.

“So, you still want to take it?”

“Yeah, and those black leather stripes… The other hats don’t have those.”

“Oh, well, I tried to make it more stylish in hopes somebody would buy it. I even slightly curved the brims on the sides upwards, but all was futile. Not that I’m skilled with fashion, but I tried. Used to making more practical stuff. Seems it was the destiny of this hat, to stay in this closet for a year and wait for you, Ray.” Stout laughed lightly. “Come on, put it on. Let’s see how it fits,” Stout said in a lively voice. “Dark gray, dark gray…” he muttered. “Oh, wait, I have a brilliant idea!”

Stout suddenly rushed to the other side of the workshop, opened a basement hatch, and disappeared inside.

“What’s happening?” asked Sapphira.

“Beats me.” I shrugged.

Following some shuffling and rumbling noises, we heard Stout’s voice from the cellar: “Found it!” He returned with something over his back.

“Here,” — he picked up some leather cloth with his hoof and gave it to me. “Try it with the hat. I’m not sure if it’ll fit, but I have no use for this thing, anyway.”

“What’s that?” I asked, taking the folded leather thing.

“That’s a long coat, and no, I don’t make those. One minotaur guy forgot it here. I made some repairs for his leather armor. He had put his armor on, but forgot this long coat, and never came back for it. He was not bulky, so I thought it may suit you, and the color is almost the same as the hat. I feel bad about how you lost all your stuff in the jungle. You can take it if you need it, because I don’t. Also, I won’t be able to sell it, anyway. He was too unusual, even for a minotaur.”

Now I was feeling awkward, and it must have been written on my face.

“Anything wrong, Ray?” Stout asked.

“Huh… No, nothing like that, it’s just… You are surprisingly generous, Stout, that’s all.”

“Ha! Don’t be like that, Ray.” He stood on his hind legs and slapped my back with his hoof with quite a force, but it was still a friendly gesture. “We, folks of the frontier, must help each other, and you certainly smell like one. You’re our guy, Ray. Call it a gut feeling, but it never failed me. Unicorns like to laugh at us, earth ponies, for it, but it works, Ray. One day I help you, the other day you help me, that’s how we lived on the frontier.”

“You’re a funny guy, Stout.” I chuckled. “But I respect folks like you. Come find me any time if you need help. I’ll be in the town for quite a while, I think. You already know where I live.”

“Ah, stop with the pleasantries already and put everything on! Don’t delay the fun part.”

“Yeah, yeah, dear, Stout is right. Let us see,” Sapphira said with a slightly playful voice.

I unfurled the thing I was holding. A long, dark gray, and somewhat crumpled coat was presented before my eyes. It was slightly wider than I might need, but it must still fit. The length was something, too, as it reached even below my knees, halfway to my ankles. The guy must have been really tall and thin for a minotaur.

I finally put on the coat, which had two rows of silvery metal buttons and a slight amount of decorative metal elements across it. It had a high collar, which would be useful against the wind, and it can be folded when needed. A wide belt is present, too, with a big, heavy buckle.

In addition, the coat has quite a lot of thinner studded straps with small buckles, seemingly decorative, but my hunch tells me the real purpose of those is to hold various smaller weaponry. Something like darts of throwing knives, perhaps.

“Damn, isn’t it too stylish for a minotaur?” In some places, the leather had large, if rather faint, symbols, possessing a shade of reddish hue, etched into the leather, seemingly a part of the design. A large one was present on the back, three on each side of the chest, and a multitude of smaller ones ran all along the sleeves and lower hem of the coat in a repeating pattern. The meaning of the symbols eluded me.

This attire will look perfectly fine on some shady bounty hunter, I guess. I girded myself, and the slightly oversized coat made me look more buffed as a result. Then I carefully took the hat and put it on top of my head, checking how it fit. After a few adjustments, the hat sat there like it was made for me, almost.

“How is it, Sapphi?” I finally turned to her and made a smug smile.

Sapphira’s face froze for a moment with her mouth agape, then it transformed into a toothy smile.

“I… I have no words! With a look like this, anybody who wants to say something… unpleasant about us will just shut up after one glare.” She laughed giddily. “You look so, so wild, my hunter-r-r!” Her last ‘r’ turned sharp, accompanied by a quiet clicking noise, once more reminding me of her nature. That was more than enough approval for me. Her voice also slightly disturbed the stallion, but he tried not to show it.

“Uh… Yeah. You look rather — imposing, honestly. This coat may be a little crumpled, but give it some time on a hanger and it will be fine. Come here,” — he waved his hoof, beckoning me, — “I have a mirror in this corner. It’s not that large, but I think it’s enough to get an idea how you look.”

I walked to the mirror, tuned to one side, then another, a smug smirk adorning my face. I can’t decide if I look more like some gunman from the wild west now or a bounty hunter from some fantasy story. Or perhaps it’s a vampire hunter outfit, though it still lacks in style for it. Especially boots. Mine just ruin the image.

“I really like it, Stout. Never thought I’d find such things in Appleloosa. That’s simply great!”

“I’m glad you like it, Ray.” The earth pony beamed a smile.

“I like it, too. I owe you a special thanks, Stout,” said Sapphira with a smile.

Stout laughed awkwardly, perhaps not used to situations like this, scratching his short mane with a hoof. “I’m happy I could help.”

“Say, Stout, do you think you can make me a pair of boots? Don’t think I’ll find anything suitable for me in any shops here,” I asked, looking at Stout with anticipation. “I’ll pay you well if you can, don’t worry. I know this won’t be a simple task, and I’m not fond of taking advantage of my friends.”

“Boots?” Stout mumbled to himself. His eyes shifted to my boots, examining them attentively. “Let’s see. Quite a complex design. Leather, a bit of metal and… what is that material the soles are made of?”

“Rubber.”

“Rubber? Seriously? I thought it must be lighter.”

“Uh… I guess it’s a bit more advanced than the rubber you know of.”

“Maybe, maybe… Anyway,” — he raised his head back, — “I’m not gonna do any more work today, so can you come tomorrow? I’ll take your measures and I’ll check how your boots are made, to have at least a little understanding of what I’m about to craft.”

“Stout paused, looking me in the eye. “I must tell you, though. That won’t be cheap. Surely I’ll waste a lot of materials before I can present to you something I won’t be ashamed of. I usually make working hoofwear, not your usual casual boots. Those are not in demand around here. I usually make heavy, sturdy working hoofwear, but — uh — a little ugly, maybe, the stuff suited for hard labor and harsh treatment. Good for protection from heat and fire, or from dropping heavy things on your hooves, or made for walking in the rocky mountains, but that’s it. Though I’ll try to make something more appealing and light, as boots are a necessity for you.”

“Fine with me, Stout. I’ll come tomorrow, then.” I glanced at the window. “Seems the rain has finally ended.”

“Yup.” Stout looked at the clock on the wall. “And the sun is about to set. You better go home while it’s still bright outside. The road… you won’t like the road after such a downpour, trust me. So you better return before it gets dark if you don’t want to soak your boots in dirt by stepping into a mud puddle you didn’t see.”

“Thanks for advice, Stout.”

“I think I’m better off flying,” Sapphira said after thinking for a while.

“That’s right,” Stout agreed. “It will be a shame to stain such a nice dress, and your hooves, too.”

After Stout had seen us out, we thanked him for the meal and everything else, and bid our farewell. I carefully navigated through his yard to the road, avoiding the large puddles. Sapphira buzzed somewhere above me.

“Hell, I knew it would be bad with the roads after the rain, but I didn’t think it would be this bad.”

“I think I can carry you over the worst parts, if you want.”

“We’ll see, but I’d prefer not to burden my girl with carrying me. I’m not very light, you know.”

“Actually, I know it perfectly well…”

“Uh… yes. Thanks again for that one.”

“Hmph! Don’t you thank me for it, it was the thing I absolutely must do! That time you scared me to death, and I’ll carry you as much as I can, if need be,” Sapphira said in a displeased voice.

“I know, I know, Sapphi. No need to pout about it. You know what I mean.” I jumped over a puddle, but my boot slid on the dirt, almost making me fall. “Shit…” I flailed my arms to keep balance.

Sapphira giggled, trying to help me remain in an upright position. “Of course I know. You sure don’t want me to carry you?”

“Yeah, I’m sure. We just need to get to the center and find the first cobbled road we see.”

“Sounds like a plan, honey.” She made a circle around me.

Slowly, we finally reached the first cobbled road. There was almost nobody on the streets, and even the market, situated on a nearby square, closed before the rain started. Its stalls stood empty, with puddles of water being the only thing remaining atop of them. The streets looked deserted, but not dead. Various sounds and voices could be heard coming from the nearby houses. Some occasional pedestrians were seen here and there. I noticed I was receiving more attention than Sapphira now. That dark long coat and my new hat attracted quite a lot of eyes. Though that’s better this way. I’m not feeling that uncomfortable under their gazes like she does, even if she says she doesn’t care.

“Seriously, these ponies look too adorable for me to take them seriously, or even feel hostility towards them. That won’t happen without a good reason. Most of them are genuinely friendly, if a bit skittish, from what I’ve seen so far. And everyone else can just fuck off if they have any ‘very important’ opinions.” I smirked at this thought.

The air became quite cool under the sky, still covered by dense gray clouds, and the cold wind started blowing with renewed force. That coat sure came in quite handy. It was not too warm and felt just right.

“Sapphi, don’t you feel cold?” I asked her; she was already walking on the road by my side.

“Of course not. Don’t forget who I am.”

“Still, I just wanted to be sure.”

“Oh, Ray, you are such a… gentlecolt, as they say. Aren’t you a darling?” She flew up softly and hugged me from behind by my neck. Her ebony hooves, which were surprisingly devoid of any dirt, gently wrapped around me. Then she whispered into my ear: “Leaving my hive was the best decision in my whole life. Otherwise I’d never have met you.”

Then she leaned forward and craned her flexible neck to give me a sidelong look. It felt like she wanted something badly, but was afraid to say it.

“What is it, Sapphi?”

“M-m-h…”

“Just tell me.”

“I… I want…”

“You want… what?”

“I want a ride, like you did with Sweety.”

“Sweety, huh?”

“I like that nickname you gave her more than just ‘Sugar’. So? I know it’s a little foalish wish, but…”

“You wanna piggyback?” I chuckled. “Alright, hop on, you didn’t have to beat around the bush.”

Sapphira flew up and carefully landed on my back, the skirt of her dress spreading out atop my shoulders and back. She giggled happily as I grabbed her legs. She took my hat in her hooves and laced it dexterously behind her own neck, even without using magic.

“This way it won’t fall down, and now I have two hats,” Sapphira said enthusiastically. “Yay! I won!”

“Won?”

“I beat Lily to it, of course!”

“That’s not fair, mind you. She is not around.”

“Fine, it doesn’t count, then.” Sapphira giggled, starting to stroke my head carefully with her hoof. It felt really soft, and the feeling was pleasant, though the hair stubble was really noticeable already, and it ticked a bit. The overall situation felt awkward, but I didn’t care too much.

“It must be nice to be that high, towering above all the ponies, isn’t it? Of course I can fly, but this feels somehow different.”

“That’s certainly not bad. I used to be high even back home. Not that I was exceptional or something, just high. Now I have become even higher.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, by a little bit.”

“I like you the way you are now.”

“I can say exactly the same about you, Sapphi.”

We made a turn and walked into the already familiar street leading to our place.

“That rain surely messed up our plans. I wanted to visit a few more places, but I guess we’ll have to postpone it for later.”

“But look, you’ve got yourself a perfect hat and a no less perfect coat!”

“Righto. Though the coat is not of perfect size, I still have nothing to complain about. Tell me, Sapphi, why are ponies so nice? Nobody would just gift me something substantial like this coat back home after a few hours of being acquainted.”

“How would I know? The rules in the hive were not very… friendly either, so to speak.”

“I guess… That was more of a rhetorical question. Still can’t get used to it yet. I’d feel bad for this stallion, but guess I’ll make up for the coat with that boots order.” Raising my eyes to the skies, I looked at the leftover gray cloud cover, which was subtly growing lighter and thinner. “Do you think Lily is already home?”

“She said she will be late today, so I don’t think she is.”

“I wanted to hit the market on the way back to buy some fruit. Lily was really fond of those you found in the jungle.”

“Most batponies like sweet fruits, as far as I know.”

“Damn, how could I forget?” I slapped my forehead.

“Forget what?” Sapphira asked from above.

“The fruit. The tree. I think I saw a shop some time ago, with something like ‘Seeds and Pots’ on the signboard. Why don’t we buy a big pot with some soil and grow another one in our room? The tree is unlikely to grow too big. Those are not simple fruits we’re talking about. They’ll help us recover quickly and ever get stronger and healthier.”

“Really? You never told me those fruits were not just food.”

“Those are anything but simple food, trust me.”

“Now I pity that tree I burned back there.”

“Don’t. It can’t survive for long without my presence, anyway. Alright, tomorrow we need to visit Stout, and I also heard there is a library here. Then, I’d like to visit a weapons shop. With the number of mercenaries around, I’m certain there must be at least one somewhere.”

“Then I’d like to see the market,” Sapphira chirped from my shoulders. “And maybe some shops if there is anything interesting. Maybe Lily can show us some.”

Time passed imperceptibly while we made small talk.

“Come down, Sapphi, we won’t fit in the door frame.”

“U-uh, already here?” Her wings buzzed as she lightly lifted herself from my shoulders. Then my hat was returned to its rightful place.

The ‘Boss’ was at the bar counter. I still don’t know his name, as everybody around addresses him as just ‘Boss’, and I forgot to ask him. Though this is hardly surprising — our last talk was under quite chaotic circumstances… Guess I’ll ask Lily, then. I waved my hand at him and proceeded to the staircase.

“Judging by his raised brows, we had somewhat impressed him with our looks,” I said, as we were going up the stairs.

“We sure did.” Sapphira let out a smug chuckle.

“Oh… Oh, wow! It’s really you guys!” Cheerful voice resounded in the corridor from our back as we walked to our room, along with energetic clopping of hooves, muffled by the carpeted floor. Sugar just exited the room on the opposite wing with a basket full of bedclothes on her back. She was donning a simple, but cute maid attire. “I almost took you for somebody else! And I would have if not for Sapphira’s distinct mane.”

A notion that Sugar didn’t use the usual ‘somepony’ appeared briefly in my mind.

“U-u-ugh… You both look so… so awesome!”

“Thanks, Sweety!” Sapphira was first to reply. “Ray insisted I needed some clothes, and truth be told, it’s really helpful under the sun. We were also lucky to find some decent clothes for Ray.”

“That’s great! And it’s more than — decent,” Sugar said thoughtfully, eyeing me up and down. I noticed she was subtly nibbling her lower lip as she did so.

“Oh, yeah,” — she awoke from her brief reverie, — “if you don’t have anything planned, why don’t you guys drop by my room in an hour or so? My work is almost finished. I even have a gramophone there, along with some wonderful records. Of course, it’s not up to par with those new crystal music boxes, but it’s still better than nothing.” Sugar looked at us with hope in her big eyes. “But my room is somewhat… small.”

“Well, we were planning to have a bite, but I guess we can wait for an hour. You’re invited, by the way,” I said, receiving an approving nod from Sapphira.

“Great, great, great! Thanks.” Sugar drummed her front hooves on the floor in elation.

“And you can come to our room instead. It is quite spacious for all of us. Hope Lily will be back in an hour,” Sapphira remarked.

“Oh, I’ll come then, and, actually, Lily had returned not long after the rain ended.” Sugar surprised us with this news. “See you in an hour. I’d better finish everything quickly and join you,” Sugar said and trotted to the staircase, disappearing from our sight, deciding to get rid of the leftover work faster.

“She sure is lively,” said Sapphira, hiding a chuckle behind her hoof. “I like her. She is very honest with us. Her feelings are so clear, for a pony.” She flicked away a stray lock from her face. “And she pours them onto us without restraint. That is very refreshing after receiving a stream of badly hidden fear and sometimes even scorn towards us on the streets. Now let’s go. I can’t wait to see Lily’s face when we present her a new dress and make her wear it!”

“Good idea!” I agreed and followed her inside, after she quietly opened the door.

Mild clinking sounds of my silver hoofwear were echoing between the high walls of the empty palace walkways. Most of the day servants had already left for their homes. The only ones still around are a few guards and cooks in the kitchen, busy cooking dinner for us right now.

The silence and solitude prevailing in the air slightly disturbed me. It is a common occurrence for the palace in these hours when you wander its corridors alone. Perhaps it is just too much of a contrast to my recent trip. The surrounding nature in the wilderness and the bustling town, albeit rather plain and dusty one, were always filled with noise and some activity happening around.

Now, however, the silent and solemn white walls of the empty palace are leaving behind that remote nagging feeling of unease, fading in and out somewhere in the back of my mind. I couldn’t get rid of it since the moment I left my room. Celly sent a guard to invite me to dinner, as she, too, was flooded by her work, cooped up in her study till this hour. And we still need to take care of the celestial bodies a little later.

Two royal guards, who stood on duty before the doors of the royal dining hall, hit their chest plates with their hooves when they noticed my arrival. They scrambled to open the doors, receiving a slight nod from me.

The day has been tedious enough. I even skipped a meal, and adding a lack of proper sleep into the mix, it was not the greatest one. I had to go through organizing the Shadow and Lunar guard in response to the recent events in Appleloosa. Silver Mist will receive my instructions by the morning, and I hope they will manage to deal with everything without my further input.

I was pulled out of my melancholic mood by the wonderful smell of freshly cooked food.

“Luna?” my sister’s voice called. “You’re finally here. Come join me, the food is most wonderful!”

“I can already tell, Celly,” I replied, inhaling a pleasant aroma wafting from the table.

“We had little time to talk in the morning. I want to hear all the interesting details of your trip.” Celestia was evidently in a good mood today.

I huffed, having seated myself at the table. “I wish I could be that lively this evening, Celly. All of this commotion in Appleloosa made me quite weary. I’ve spent too much magic power over the last few days and still haven’t recovered fully. In addition, I still intend to attend to my regular duties tonight.” I rubbed my face with my hooves in a futile attempt to drive away my drowsiness.

“You always tend to be a little grumpy when you overwork yourself, Luna. Maybe you better take a rest this time?”

“No, I must do it. I felt an unnerving disturbance in the fabric of dreams last night, but it vanished right after I began searching for it. I might have found it if I didn’t neglect my duties throughout the entire night. This can’t be good. I hope I’m mistaken, but I won’t dismiss this potential threat.”

“Let’s hope so. Talking about your trip, we were quite lucky you happened to be in Appleloosa when the tunnel got buried under the rocks. You resolved a lot of problems in one go there. But enough about the work for today. You must eat properly first, and I, too, need to unwind.” Celly waved her hoof, dismissing our problems at hoof for the time being, and relaxed on the royal-sized chair. She was probably waiting for me to finish my meal, so we can start on our desserts, her favorite part of any dinner.

I nodded and dug in. My hunger prompted me to eat in a less than a regal manner. I dined in silence. The only sound was the occasional tinkling of silverware. A hearty and tasty meal somewhat lifted my spirits.

“So tell me, sister, are you absolutely sure no dark magic was involved?” Celestia asked after filling our cups with fragrant tea.

“None I could detect, that I assure you. And if I can’t feel anything, nobody in Equestria can.”

“As much as I don’t want to admit it, but yes, you are more sensitive to magic than even me, especially to — darker things.”

“I wish I wasn’t. I’m afraid it’s how the Nightmare Moon happened.” This talk, surprisingly, did not disturb me like it always did before. Is it because of…

“Luna?” Celestia called to me, pulling me back from my thoughts. “Sorry to bring it up again. I should have known better than to mention such things before you.”

“I’m fine, sister. Really.” I smiled mildly. “Nightmare Moon is no more. The elements took care of her this time, and it’s useless to guess how it all happened now.”

Celestia seemed to be quite surprised by my reply and reaction, looking at me with her thoughtful magenta eyes as my smile grew wider.

“Did something good happen during your trip?” She asked inquisitively, a spark of interest in her eyes.

“Can’t hide anything from her. We’ve been together for too long. I, too, can see when she is hiding something at first glance.” I thought as I tried to find a proper excuse.

“So-o-o?” Celestia drawled teasingly. “Was that adventurer stallion the reason you decided to spend a whole day in Appleloosa? Who appeared to be not a pony at all, not that I mind it, and you didn’t even tell me,” — she put her hoof on her chest in a theatrically exaggerated gesture, — “your own sister.”

My cheeks started burning. “Why in Tartarus? I’m too old for it! Blushing like some young filly… But it’s just too awkward to talk about such things with my sister. And it has always been like that for me. Anybody else but my sister. She won’t miss the chance to make fun of me.”

I snorted. “Did Twilight write to you about it?” I asked grumpily.

Celestia was delighted at my reaction, barely holding her laughter. “Oh, my dear Luna, it’s easier to say what Twilight didn’t write about than what she wrote.”

I sighed loudly. “Fine… How much do you know already?”

“Let me remember… His name is Ray, he is a… hyu-man, if I pronounced correctly. Bipedal, completely lacks any coat and mane, has no claws and is omnivorous. Also, most likely, was near the place of the incident when it happened, but I’m sure you have sorted this out already. He also possesses some weird magic of healing nature and has treated Twilight nicely, which garners him quite a substantial number of extra points, as we both know how incredibly annoying she might get in such situations if there is nobody around to — take a hold of her enthusiasm. We already had a few — diplomatic incidents before because of that. With griffons and diamond dogs. Especially diamond dogs… And here we have an unknown magic involved. No doubt she went hard on him.”

Celestia’s eyes shifted to me. “Please don’t ever tell Twilight what I said,” she told me curtly in a lower and stricter tone. “And that pretty much sums it up.” She waved her hoof jovially.

I looked at Celestia with widened eyes. Twilight… “What a babbler she is… But that’s good. It seems she knows nothing really important.” I thought. “She sure wrote a lot… Poor Spike, I pity him.”

Celestia laughed lightly at my comment. “I am still feeling sorry for that one time I sent all that heap of Twilight’s old letters back through him.” She sighed, shaking her head. “I didn’t think he would suffer from it. But then he still refused to remove the ‘letter link’ from himself, all for Twilight’s sake. But we slightly digress here, don’t we?” she asked with a sly smile.

“Alright, alright, Celly.” She won’t rest until she knows everything. “Ray… He is… nice.”

I paused before speaking again, not sure what to tell.

“He isn’t afraid or timid of me, like our subjects. He is also not rude like griffons or minotaurs and definitely has better looks than them. And he is not spoiled like most of the despicable aristocracy,” — I tapped my hoof on the table for every point I mentioned, slowly getting carried away, — “but he is anything, but simple, and most likely hast some decent education. We also share a taste for proper wine, and, by the stars, he can drinketh our wine on par with us.” I didn’t notice how I ended up talking in a patter, and some part of old Equestrian slipped into my speech.

“His hands art so gentle, and we deem the night we hath spent togeth’r most pleasant…” I trailed off, blinked, and my gaze started darting across the dining hall, finally stopping at the ceiling. I panicked in realization that my tongue slipped up, blurting out such an ambivalent phrase. I just froze with my hooves covering my mouth. Celly will never miss such an opportunity to mess with me. “That… That came out wrong...”

“Oh, my… Luna…” The most brilliant smile bloomed on Celestia’s face, as if she was presented with the finest of cakes made only once in a century. “It’s been so long since you had…”

“Please stop, sister. It is… Just stop teasing me.” I coughed into my hoof and turned my head away from her.

I tried to put my thoughts back in order with partial success. “She is in an airy mood today, it seems. It’s good for Ray, but she won’t leave me be; that’s for sure. At least an idea to lock him up in the cell ‘for safety reasons’ didn’t come to her mind this time.” I resigned myself to the fate of having a long and embarrassing talk with Celly, the one I cannot avoid, and one of those she just loves to indulge in. “Oh, thank heavens Cadence is not around.”

“So, Luna…”

“Here we go again…” I slapped my hoof over my forehead.

“Do you think he prefers — bigger mares?” Celly asked in a teasing voice.

My brow twitched in irritation when I caught a certain meaning of her words.

“What? Why are you asking that?” A few seconds passed as I processed what she asked for a second time. “Sister. Art thou, perchance, hinting that We — art — too short?”

“N-no, Luna, please calm down. It’s that we… both… are bigger than average mares.”

I looked at her intently for a while. “Fine, I’ll let it slide this time.” I was tapping my hoof on the table. “And regarding your question, I think he does not care that I’m bigger. He isn’t particularly small himself.”

“That’s very reassuring.”

Suddenly, another implication of her words dawned on me, causing another flash of anger to burst inside me. “Sister! Don’t forget it was I who found him first!” Both of my hooves crashed onto the table with a loud bang. I snorted loudly. A barely visible cloud of vapor escaped my nostrils, as if I was some angry minotaur. Celestia was giggling with a hoof over her mouth.

“Oh, stars. Why did I say this? I don’t know how it all came to this point… But Celly is certainly having fun right now. She riled me up, just to make me spill it all out, and I shamefully did just that… again.” I thought as I let out a sigh, trying to calm down my bubbling emotions. I always had a short fuse, especially when Celly teases me.

“Sorry, I didn’t think it was that serious…”

“It… It isn’t…” I stammered. “As if she would believe it now…”

Thinking of the possibility of something serious, my trail of thought pulled up some of the rather morbid memories I futilely tried to bury in the deepest parts of my mind. My ears drooped, and my gaze lost focus.

“Celly,” I muttered in a weak voice, not raising my eyes to meet hers. “Did you forget about our curse? We both have gone through it more times than we want to remember. It does not matter what feelings sparked inside me, I… I shall just forget it all, and…”

“Luna, no! Don’t say such things.” I felt a soft touch on my back. The white wing pulled me into a warm embrace.

“But… But… It is better this way. The time… It will erase everything, much less these fleeting feelings. Isn’t it better to stay distant than experience the torture that is destined to come after?” Slowly, my hooves reached to embrace my sister.

“Luna, without those feelings, can you even say that you lived, and not just existed? It is never better this way.”

“I… I don’t know…” I whimpered, nuzzling her neck.

“Please tell me what bothers you so much. Why do you reject your feelings? You need somepony to talk to about it. I know you are uncomfortable speaking with me about such matters, but maybe you will feel better if you do?”

“Maybe,” I replied, my voice barely audible.

“And you really need a good rest. I’m all too familiar with such mood swings. It always happens to me after magic exhaustion. You worked yourself too much there.”

“Yes. I certainly did, Celly. I’ll just, you know, check the dreamland a little, and then go to rest.”

Celestia sighed in dejection. “You are so stubborn, Luna. You always have been. Promise me you won’t stay up all night and go to rest sooner.”

Her hoof never stopped stroking my mane gently. I can’t remember when was the last time we were this close to each other. It was sometime before… before the Moon.

“I promise, sister.”

“Good, but not before we talk for a while.”

A subtle smile slowly appeared on my face. Being this close with my Celly was warming my very soul. “Maybe… Maybe she is no longer so wary of me? Maybe we really can be as we were before?”

The door clicked softly as I closed it, trying to keep everything as quiet as possible as we tried to enter unnoticed. The sound of running water could be heard from the bathroom, along with Lily’s quiet voice humming a cheerful tune.

“Now that’s cute,” I whispered with a grin, then took off my hat, placing it atop of a small cabinet near the entrance.

“You mean singing? Ponies sing a lot, so that’s not a big deal.” Sapphira spread her forehooves in a shrugging manner, surprising me with her ability to balance with little effort on her hind legs. I haven’t met other changelings yet, but, judging by Sapphi, they have great flexibility and dexterity.

“Some humans have a funny habit of singing in showers, even if they are tone deaf. Though Lily’s voice is delightful.”

“Hm-m-m?” She moved closer and reared herself, so her face was right before mine. “And my voice?”

“You already know the answer. How can I not love your sensual and deeper timbre? I might add that your voice changed after transformation, and I like it,” I whispered back, my hands embracing her body to support her, as I locked my lips with hers. She never seems to be tired of this activity.

The noise of the shower, which allowed us to stay unnoticed, ceased, cutting short our impromptu making out session.

“Perhaps we should help her again? I still can’t wrap my head around how they manage to dry their coats without hands and magic,” I whispered, still holding her in my embrace.

“Practice, I guess. I’m the same as you, having no fur whatsoever, with a bit of magic on top of that. I’m gonna call her. Put on your hat. I want to see her reaction in full.”

Sapphira’s horn lit up slightly and the lever-like switch on the wall flicked, turning on the crystal lamps on the ceiling.

“Lily? We’re back. Come out and we’ll help you with your coat,” Sapphira said.

“Oh! Where have you been in this terrible weather? I thought you were already in our room when I was going back after the rainstorm.”

“Well,” — I thought for a second, — “it got us while we were in the middle of something, so to speak. We had to wait it out.”

“In the middle of something? What were you doing exactly?”

“Come out and see for yourself,” I chuckled. “By the way, didn’t you have too many showers in a day?”

“Hmph! Would you like it if I reeked like a mix of a drugstore and a herbalist workshop? The downsides of having fur is that the odors stick to it.” Lily replied with a little hurt voice.

“That’s fine, Lily. I love your soft and fluffy fur,” I tried to placate her, receiving a lighthearted giggle from behind the door.

“Got ya!”

“Huh. You two got me long before that.”

The door opened with a quiet creak, pushed by the grayish lilac hoof. Lily’s head appeared in the door frame only to grant us the sight of amber eyes, growing ever wider with each passing second. Even her vertical pupils dilated, taking on a round form. Her mouth stopped moving, staying agape as the words she wanted to say never came out, her cute, little fangs sticking out. She was staring at us for a good ten seconds. The only movement was her eyes scanning our figures top to bottom.

“Where did you… How? I’m sure you had a meager amount of bits on you…” Her eyes momentarily checked the table, where the little pouch with money was left undisturbed. “Please tell me you didn’t rob anypony!”

I burst out laughing. “No, Lily, we didn’t rob no pony, and nobody else, either.”

A few moments later, the gist of my joke, which made fun of Equestrians’ habit of swapping some words with ‘ponified’ versions, dawned on her, making her giggle. “Then how? You both look… incredible! This couldn’t be cheap.”

“Sit down, we’ll tell you while I’m brushing you.”

“Fine.” Lily’s reaction was visible. She surely enjoyed intimate contact.

“That may sound strange, but I find brushing Lily a very relaxing activity. It’s not unlike a meditative state: throw everything bothersome out of your head and just concentrate on the task at hand, effectively clearing the mind and calming down. Not to mention that Lily’s coat feels just great under my hands.” I thought as I took off my coat and hat, preparing to get to business.

I started by wiping the leftover moisture from her mane and coat with a dry towel. Sapphira left all the work to me, as she sprawled on a wide pony chair, looking at us.

“You know… Tomorrow I’ll have to go out to the desert for the entire day. Scouting, tracking and probably looking for evidence. Such sort of things. I’ll also have to prepare my bags and armor.” She was talking unhurriedly, enjoying my touch.

“Armor? Will it be dangerous?”

“Just a precaution, most likely. There were no reports of anything violent happening, just minor theft and suspicious activity around. Rogue diamond dogs, most likely.”

“I’ve seen some of them in the town. They look like a dangerous lot, with those claws, teeth and overall aggressive attitude.”

“Don’t worry, Ray. They can’t fly, and I have good hearing. They’ll never take me by surprise, and I’m not gonna enter their tunnels in case they dug some.”

“Fine. Then why don’t we spend some time and adjust the scaled armor we took from the ruins to fit your size? We’ll feel better about your safety this way.”

Lily rolled her eyes. “As if it’s the first time I’m going on a mission, and I won’t be alone there. I’m assigned to a small group, one pegasi fighter, a stallion, so we have some edge. Those filthy, flea-ridden dirtbags…” Lily certainly had something against the diamond dogs. “Ugh… sorry. They hate to fight aerial opponents, and two others are… sleuths. That would be the most proper name for those mares, both unicorns. So everything must be safe, but let’s get the armor ready, if you insist.”

“We insist,” Sapphira said with gravity in her voice, with undertones hinting she won’t take a no for an answer. She approached Lily from the front, nuzzling her cheek, and Lily was quick to reciprocate. I found their little interaction quite cute. “I just worry about you.” She then turned to me. “Help me undress when you finish. I’m afraid I might damage my dress with magic. Lifting heavy crates might be easier than doing intricate things, like unbuttoning.”

“Lifting crates?” Lily asked, puzzled about where the mention of the crates came from.

“Yeah, crates,” I started. We told her about our day, while I brushed her coat, omitting the peculiar circumstances involving the antiquarian, however. Lily, albeit more used to less civilized methods, is still somewhat naïve in such matters, like most ponies. I’m not sure how she would see the use of outlawed hypnosis for now.

“Horse apples! I’ve missed so much,” Lily grumbled.

I glanced at the clock on the wall, estimating the time we still had before the hour since our talk with Sugar elapsed. We’ll still have enough time to fiddle with the armor for Lily.

“Sapphi, can you bring Lily’s — ‘set’?” I asked, winking at her. Sapphira took the hint and went to retrieve the package with the purple dress. The clueless Lily still thought we were talking about the armor.

I was almost finished with Lily’s tail, which I left for last. Remembering the previous time I did it, I avoided touching certain places on her body. I’m sure I remembered every single one for later ‘use’. Needlessly arousing Lily right now, before the dinner, will not be a fair thing to do.

“That’s all, I guess,” I said. “Now turn around.”

Lily did as I asked, only to see a nice purple dress before her, hanging in the air and surrounded by a faint, waving blue aura.

“Surprise!” we shouted together with Sapphira.

“Ah? A… A dress? For me?” Lily’s surprised look was slowly morphing into a wide smile. “The last time I wore a decent one was at the school graduation party… Thank you!”

Lily turned around in place with the help of her wings, enacting the already very familiar winged pony attack on me. Luckily, I had a bed behind me, so I just let us freefall onto it. This time, the attack ended with a kiss, quite an assertive one for Lily.

“Sapphira,” — Lily turned to look at her. — “you are next, after you take off your dress. It will be a shame if I accidentally tear it.”

Putting Lily off myself, I helped Sapphi unbutton and take off her dress, then, to her surprise, picked her up and delivered her right into Lily’s clutches, putting her on the bed. Lily pounced on her playfully, giggling and hugging her tightly.

“Thank you. I love you both!” Then she caught Sapphira unprepared, giving her a long kiss on the lips. Sapphira had a surprised look written on her face, but then closed her eyes and enjoyed the kiss with her — herdmate; I guess this is the right word. Thinking about it, it must be a norm in a healthy herd to keep relationships between everyone. Also, I admit I really like what I see, if a content smile on my face is any proof.

Sapphira took a hefty breath after their kiss. “Come on, Lily, now you must put it on. And thanks for the treat, honey. You taste refreshing.” Sapphira paused and looked at me with a grin. Her fangs put on the show. “Oh, and pray tell me why do I taste something — spicy coming from this side?” She giggled, licking her lips. “My favorite taste.”

I secretly let out a breath when the dress appeared to be fitting for Lily. Sapphira was right about the size. I’d hate to see Lily’s mood spoiled due to it. Lily’s freshly washed silvery mane and tail turned even more voluminous as they gradually dried. Paired with the new dress, her looks once again made my cuteness meter go off the charts.

“You look absolutely gorgeous, Lily!” I praised her.

“Told you it would be perfect,” replied Sapphira.

Lily was silent, turning back and forth before the mirror. Her face, however, with slightly rosey cheeks, was a manifestation of happiness. It told us more than enough about her feelings. Perhaps she was still not used to being praised and adored for her looks.

“Um… I’m so… flattered.” Lily finally turned to us. “Do you really think I’m that good?”

I huffed. “Lily, you are more than good! If others fail to see your beauty, it’s their own problem for all I care. A bit more work on your mane and you are fit to attend a royal venue or something similar.”

“You know nothing Ray. I always want to be as far from aristocracy as possible. This dress would be laughed at. They won’t wear anything to the palace, not consisting of several layers of crazy expensive silk straddled all over with precious gems.”

I scratched my head… “There is something wrong with the local fashion. What you described seems to me,” — I spent a second thinking up a grandiloquent word for it, — “so obnoxiously vulgar.” I spoke slightly nasally, raising my hand in a dismissive gesture and turning away my head, copying the style of aristocracy I’ve seen at the station.

Lily appreciated the joke, giggling. “You sound almost like them.”

“Well, I wasn’t joking about what I said, though. This dress, albeit not an evening one, would still be seen as stylish back at my home. I wasn’t a village oaf, so I can judge to a degree.”

“I really like the dress. But that’s aristocracy, so what would you expect? They are a weird bunch obsessed with status and riches. And Canterlot was always a quirky place. That’s where their fashion comes from. I’m not fond of their taste, either.” Lily made a few more twists before the mirror. “That’s good and all, but let’s deal with the armor and go eat something. I’m so hungry.”

The whole business with the armor took around twenty minutes. We had to wrack our brains over the question of how to attach Lily’s special flask and grenade belts, but soon found a suitable place to fit her special clasps from her standard armor, placing those on the straps.

Lily said the armor itself felt lighter and more elastic than her old one, allowing for faster and less restrained movement. We took the armor off Lily and were preparing to set out for dinner.

A knock at the door informed us of Sweety’s timely arrival. We left for the first floor without much ado, picking one of the few free tables in the farther part of the dining hall, the business already in full swing. Two other maids were working today, serving guests and visitors. An unfamiliar young stallion skillfully mixed and poured drinks at the bar. I knew all of them were ‘part of the crew’.

I asked Sweety if she had any recommendations. Unexpectedly, she suggested a fish salad. This resulted in everyone ordering the same dishes. I must say, her choice was solid. The taste reminded me of tuna, though the fish itself was something different. I’m not even sure if ‘tuna’ is in the vocabulary here. To point out a positive notion, the prices on fish dishes here are pleasantly inexpensive, most likely due to greater fish supply compared to meat.

After retelling Sweety how we spent our day and how we like it here in Equestria, the girls had mainly their girl talk between themselves while I was relaxing on the soft bench listening to them, while slowly sipping various local brands of cider and, surprisingly, some griffon ale. I ordered those in smaller cups than I’m used to, so I can taste more of the brands. The ale was slightly stronger than regular pony cider, but still passed before the ‘strong’ ones. I was content with the flavor, though. Man, that’s a genuine beer, damn it! I’ve missed it for so long.

Sweety and Lily started to throw me sidelong glances with apparent surprise on their faces when the overall number of mugs I had drunk exceeded a certain amount. Sapphira, though, didn’t care in the least about it.

“Excuse me, everypony. Good evening,” an unfamiliar voice sounded near our table.

“Can we help you with anything?” Sweety asked the turquoise stallion standing before us.

“Ladies, I’d like to borrow your coltfriend for a short while, if you don’t mind.”

“Just say it, pal. No need to hide anything from them.” I joined the conversation.

“Well… It’s like this…” He stammered a little, looking me in the eye. Now I remembered him. He was at the bar when I knocked out that bastard minotaur. Must be a little scared of me after what he had witnessed.

“I made a bet with my friends,” — he subtly waved his hoof in the direction of one of the tables, two other stallions sat there, along with a griffon, staring at me, — “I win, if”, — he made a fake cough, — “you… can drink three ‘Knockout Apples’ and walk fifteen minutes later all by yourself.”

“Hmph, and what does it have to do with me, buddy? Though I must say that the prospect of free drinks is somewhat enticing. Anyway, what is that ‘Knockout Apple’ you’re talking about?” I squinted my eyes. Is it an attempt to get me wasted for some reason or they really have a bet?

“It’s a special mix. A sweet syrup is poured at the bottom, to wash away the burning taste of minotaur’s brew, which comes next and the rest of the glass is filled with an extra strong cider. The layers never mix until you drink it. Usually it takes one mug to get a pony unable to walk. A very popular challenge drink.” The stallion explained in detail.

“Are you crazy? Are you suggesting that he drinks three of those demonic drinks? This is madness!” Sweety shot up from her place, berating the stallion, who already started to shrink visibly.

“This is Sparta!” I joked, not expecting anybody to get it. “Chill, Sweety, I’m not so stupid to make a bad decision.”

“That’s right! So you can go back.” Lily joined the talk with a frown on her face, crushing the stallion’s hopes.

“Actually no. Hey buddy, make it four and go raise the stakes as much as you can. If you win, half of your win is mine, savvy?” I played with my brows, grinning. Stallion’s jaw dropped, and he looked at me as if I grew a horn on my head.

“O-okay, if you say so. I agree,” he stammered and trotted back to his table.

“You’re crazy, Ray! What if you get into the hospital after that? You already drank so much… and…” Sweety was fuming in indignation.

“Exactly, Sweety.” Sapphira talked for the first time since the stallion arrived. “Ray drank a lot already. How many ponies would drop to the floor from this amount? Two? Three? More, perhaps? What do you think? I still can’t see him being drunk.” She chuckled with mirth.

“You mean?”

“Yes. Ray will get free drinks and some bits almost without any efforts. Am I right?” Sapphira looked at me with a smile.

“Quite,” I said with a smug grin. “He was already hooked. I guess the conditions were that he’d lose if I refused. I’m almost sure his friends will agree. They were already sure I’ll be completely wasted from three mugs, much less four.”

“Lily, Sweety, just wait and see. Don’t scare those simpletons off.” Sapphira laughed, anticipating the upcoming show.

Drinking a lot, however, had some other implications, namely the excessive amount of liquid in the organism. I excused myself for a minute, and, upon my return, saw four high glasses, filled with layers of liquid of different colors. The red on the bottom was thin, the next transparent one was moderate, and the main volume of the glasses was filled with amber cider.

“So,” — I started, sitting myself on my spot, — “to our victory!” I proclaimed, took the first glass and slowly downed it without stopping until it was empty.

“Hell yeah! Good stuff. Thanks, pal.” I patted the stallion, who was intently observing my exploits on the back.

I took some snacks on the table before starting on the next one. I could feel a slight effect of this drink, but I guess I’ll be fine after the last one. This stuff must be really potent.

“So, can you feel it?” I asked the stallion, taking the last fourth glass. He just blinked several times in confusion. “The sweet smell of victory.”

“You still have one to go, and then fifteen minutes later, if you can walk, then we win.”

“You worry too much, pal,” I said, chugging down the last one. Lily and Sweety looked at me with mixed emotions on their faces, though all of them were already ‘warmed up’ to a degree, finishing two or three ciders themselves. They preferred the fruity flavors: peach, cherry, stuff like that. Very light, but it was enough for them.

“Now mark fifteen minutes and wait,” I said, waving my hand to send the stallion back. He nodded and returned to his friends, who already had disturbed looks with their imminent loss. Their eyes darted between the clock and me.

The hollow sensation slowly appeared in my head. Now I’m officially drunk. Quite an achievement for me, but I’m sure I’m still too far from being unable to walk, which I proved fifteen minutes later, walking in a slightly unsteady gait up to the table where the trio of losers owed me money.

“Horse apples! You win, Whip. Take it before I change my mind,” one of the stallions dropped a sizable stack of bits onto the table, the other one and the griffon followed suit. Whip, as he was called by his friends, split the pile into two, quickly counting the amount, and gave one half to me. A brilliant toothy smile never left his face, a stark contrast to the sour faces of the other three. They wanted to say something, but my reputation must have stopped them from expressing their opinions.

“We won! We actually won!” Whip exclaimed in joy, offering me his hoof.

I gave him a high five. “Nice doing business with you, pal. Have a good time,” I replied and returned to the girls.

“Ray, that’s good and all…” Sapphira drawled in a slightly drunken voice. “But… It’s already a cuddle time, and we still had none!”

“Had none!” Lily echoed her, propping herself on her forehooves on the table. A heavy lock of her mane slid down, covering half of her face. She tried blowing it away, to no avail.

“Hugs!” Sweety jumped from her seat, raising her hooves in the air, then toppled to the side, landing on Sapphira and almost dragging both of them under the table. Seems she had the most drinks. Her enthusiasm for hugs gave me a fleeting thought that she might want a place in our strange ‘herd’. It flashed through my mind momentarily, but I was quick to dismiss it, knowing she really didn’t have many friends around, having come here from another town a few months ago.

“Let’s go upstairs, then. Lily, will you be alright tomorrow?”

“Sure, I just have to go to sleep at eleven and I’ll be good.”

“Seems I have some important cargo here,” I said with a chuckle when I saw Sweety trying to walk on wobbly legs. I picked her up, to her undisguised joy, and we headed towards the stairs.

“Put everything we ordered on my account, please, I’ll pay tomorrow,” I said when a maid, who served us this evening, passed by.

“As you say, mister Ray,” she replied politely, switching to scribbling something in her notebook on the nearby table. I saw her smirk as she dropped a glance at her colleague in my arms.

I looked at the clock on the wall. We still had almost four hours, more than enough for anything.

“Oh, leth’s drop by my room, take cards and music with us. It’s on the right” — she hiccuped, — “wing, the second room on the left counthing from the far end.” She managed to turn around in my hands, now with her hooves pointing upwards. She holded her front ones in front of her chest, like a rabbit, and stared at me without looking away with an unfocused gaze, a silly smile on her face. Then she remembered to give us a key, pulling it out from god knows where. She didn’t wear anything when she came to us from her room.

“I’ll take it,” said Sapphira, snatching the key away with her magic.

Sweety’s room was rather small, but tidy and cozy. The bed was small and square, though, like those cots I’ve seen at the service station. It must be a standard pony bed size. We quickly found the items and went upstairs.

“If you guys don’t mind, I’ll pack and check my bags for tomorrow before we start anything.”

“Sure, Lily,” I replied, putting Sweety onto the bed and ruffling her mane a little.

I helped put the things we left on the table back into the closet. That included Lily’s armor set. When I was finished, Lily scattered an assortment of various items on the table. Potions, her little grenades, signal flares, three strange magic devices. However, three sparkling yellow faceted crystals drew my attention.

“What are these glittering things, Lily?”

“Oh, these? Power crystals. We use those in magic devices as a magic source.”

“Interesting,” I said, picking them up. I brought them before my eyes to have a better look. I could see the occasional tiny flashes going off inside their solid structure. “Beautiful.”

Suddenly, the flashes intensified. But most importantly, my dormant power awoke by itself, quickly going up my arm until it reached the crystals on my palm. A faint glow, consisting of a mix of green and yellow, enveloped the crystals and started spinning around them, suspending them in the air. Everybody looked in amazement at this strange sight.

“What are you doing, Ray? It’s high grade power crystals, it’s dangerous to tamper with those!” Lily shouted.

“I’m afraid it’s too late now Lily… I’m not doing anything,” I replied nervously. The last thing I want is a magic explosion in close proximity.

A crisp clinking, reminiscent of cracking glass, resounded across the room, with power crystals as the source of the sound. My power spun around them ever so faster with each passing second, starting to give out a high-pitched buzz.

Visible streaks of, presumably, magic started to leave the crystals through the cracks and spin around my arm, accompanied by tiny discharges of electric bolts, or at least it looked similar. Some of those streaks dived inside my arm, making me immediately feel the influx of power flowing right into my heart.

I felt dizzy as the strange sensation intensified. But it was not alcohol; it was already purged from my bloodstream when this weird shit began. “Fuck! Why can’t I just get drunk like a proper man?” This thought crossed my minds as I started to have double vision, but not the one as one would expect. I was seeing two different places at the same time. The surrounding room grew fainter with each heartbeat. I couldn’t even hear what the panicking mares were shouting to me. I managed to drag my body to the bed in this hazy state of mind. The damn crystals followed me as if tied to my hand. More and more magic was being greedily absorbed by my body.

Then there was a bright flash. The leftovers of crystals exploded in blinding fireworks of sparkling dust particles, and the last thing I felt was the tide of the freed magic energy, slamming into my body, throwing me onto the bed. I completely lost the sense of reality, but that oh so familiar unconsciousness, which usually followed, did not bestow its boon upon me this time.

My vision cleared quickly. A familiar courtyard, familiar white walls tens of meters high, and a familiar space scenery in place of a sky. My perception of ‘here and now’ started to shift gradually until I was completely sure the last thing I did five minutes ago was finishing another round of my combat training with Falda’ar. And there were probably a lot more rounds to go. Welp, I’m already used to these humiliating training sessions. At least nobody will laugh at me except that smug oversized lizard I call a teacher.

Today… I sighed, as the concept of day cycles is nonexistent here. But still. Today I’m training with a staff. This way, it can greatly complement my proficiency with spears, as Falda’ar said. I was already beaten black and blue several times by a bloody wooden stick, no less. Thank god this is not a real body, and it’s getting restored after each fight, but, hell, it fucking hurts so much every time!

“Ready for round nine?”

“No, but do you care?”

“I don’t!” Falda’ar shouted and lunged at me with a gruff laugh, starting a whirlwind of incessant swings I could barely dodge or block. Every next strike limited my movements and completely cut off any possibility of a counter, but at least I managed to not get hit. His attack finished in about ten seconds.

“Not bad. You survived the first attack this time. Now come at me. I want to see you in action.”

I complied, starting with the same technique as he just did. My body moved with impossible speed. Impossible for a normal human, that is. Falda’ar, however, easily blocked every strike, not even bothering to dodge or even step back from his place. But that was still good, because if I made any mistakes, he would punish me instantly with a strong counterattack.

“Not bad, but unimaginative. I can read you every move like a book printed in a large font. I’m using the same amount of strength you currently have. You can do better. Now defend.”

He used the same technique again. I must be able to defend from it, or so I thought when his tail whipped at my ankles from the side, sending me spinning in the air. Half a second lated I landed on my rump, hard. I could see the strike, but I couldn’t dodge it, it was too late, and I was in a vulnerable stance. A staff tip poked my neck with force.

“You’re dead. Mind your footwork. You weren’t ready for this strike. Never let any openings, be always ready to move in any direction. Just like I taught you.”

“That was unfair.”

“Will you be talking about fairness with a tailed opponent when he kills you? That’s right, you wouldn’t. It can be anything — throwing knives or other hidden weapons, sudden attacks from the back, traps, even. You must be ready to take on thing like that any time during the fight.”

“Understood.” I might be angered, but what he said makes sense.

“Let’s finish with the combat for today. Your mind is unstable and tired. Go rest for a while and then train your focus for twenty hours. I’ll be back soon.”

“Are you serious? Twenty hours? I’ll die of boredom.”

“Or you’ll die from the lack of training later, which is much worse. Tell me how good you are at controlling your life essence?”

“My control… It sucks…”

“That’s it! And if it sucks, you just go and train it. Simple as that. Or do you think I had it easy? No, though I was not as bad as you, certainly,” he answered, chuckling. “I have some business to attend to. Now go train, you have nothing else to do here anyway, except wasting time, your most valuable resource in this place.”

After that, he just disappeared without any fancy effects. I sighed, walking from the sparring grounds to the pond. I like that place the most.

This was my routine. Combat training, then some theory lectures, then applied practice using my power, intermixed with long sessions of training my concentration via meditation and precisely controlling my flow of force.

Also, a few weeks ago, Falda’ar took a liking to an abhorrent practice of suddenly throwing me into random arenas to fight various sorts of monsters. What I was busy with didn’t matter to him. Phantoms, he called those shady amorphous forms. They could take on any form of monsters from all across the multiverse. He had often thrown in some ‘handicaps’, like the inability to heal, fighting in almost total darkness, or the area being filled with water, reaching my waist, and so forth. I ‘died’ a lot of painful deaths in those ‘surprise tests of strength’, as he called this abuse. Still, I can’t say it was useless, as it increased my adaptability in combat remarkably. Though I still hated it with passion, growing to feel great pleasure every time I dispatched yet another of those abominations. That usually meant the end of the fight until those ugly bastards started appearing in groups.

I lived this strange life as time flew by. But the point is — I was still living, and the few hours of rest I always had once in a while were almost worth the harsh everyday routine. Falda’ar introduced me to a multitude of interesting things from all across the worlds he was familiar with. And trust me, that’s a frigging lot of stuff. You can spend hundreds of years, and you still won’t have enough time to see it all, not that I was going to.

Falda’ar offered me the best, according to his taste. Various forms of art, literature, peculiar trinkets, games, and unlimited amounts of various knowledge about alien civilizations, their culture and tech. I found those things entertaining.

That included a certain amount of overall knowledge about the world I was destined to go to. The world itself was rather mild compared to some hellish places I was made aware of. If I have to compare with Earth, societies on Equis were less violent, which meant fewer wars and conflicts. Still, the main point is stressed by the word ‘fewer’. The fact it was a magic world meant that trouble could await you on every turn when you go out of densely inhabited areas. The nature there is bound to take on some grotesque forms, bathed in the endless and rich flows of magic of various kinds. I’m not even talking about possible magic-based life-forms I was told of.

The planet had a breathable atmosphere and a close to Earth's gravity. The temperature and geological composition were similar, too. Chances are… it was a certain, no longer recognizable variation of Earth itself. I might even call it as such, if not for the completely fucked up geocentrical star system it had. When I asked him, Falda’ar just dismissed it, saying that it was not worth spending my time trying to understand how it all worked. Not until I have a complete understanding of what magical energy is, and that knowledge is well out of my reach for the foreseeable future.

As for my ‘practical application’, it had mainly included advanced anatomical and medical studies. The main difference to what one might expect was the knowledge given has been always from the perspective of the direct usage of my power, and not the usual ways of Earth medicine. To say those methods were fascinating would be an underestimation — the more I learned, the more invested I grew in the subject, to my own surprise, as I never had a passion for medicine before.

I’m not sure how much time had passed since I did my first ‘surgery’... Several years, perhaps? Bloody hell, that was gross! I failed miserably, if an explosion of gore and bones with a following shower of gunk can be called a failure. It was an achievement of sorts, or so Falda’ar said… The only thing which kept me from retching right on the spot was the understanding that it was merely a simulation. But now I can almost literally disassemble a living being and then put it back together safely, as long as it was still alive when I started. Things like growing back a whole limb are still way out of my abilities, but repairing the seemingly fatal injuries is well within my reach, which bolsters my chances of survival out there by a large margin.

As for other usage of my power, Falda’ar said that unless I knew my own body to the minute details, along with some other basic stuff, it was useless to learn anything more complex, and my current learning improved my control of my power, which was a prerequisite. He promised to teach me to apply it in combat properly as a next step. Well, that’s fine with me.

It was another day at my ‘space mansion’, as I liked to call it. Falda’ar, though, used to call it ‘Heavenly Palace’. Too pompous of a name, but I guess he has a right to call it as such. Today, he touched on a peculiar topic, which was uncommon, so I memorized our talk well.

“Let’s talk about magic itself, Ray. As I can see, your understanding of it is still too vague. The worlds blessed by its presence, however similar to those which are devoid of it they may seem, exist in a wholly different state. Neither higher nor lower. No better or worse than your original world. Just different.”

Falda’ar walked in circles unhurriedly before me, his hands folded behind his back.

“Just assume for a moment that a special type of matter, or, perhaps, energy, which is both, actually, can have a consciousness? Not a consciousness per se, though. Magic remains dormant for the most of the time, until a strong external will, fuelled by vivid imagination, appears.” Falda’ar eyed my reaction. I was listening attentively. This topic really sparked my interest. He raised up his hand to stress the importance of what he wanted to say next.

“Then, the magic awakens from its eternal slumber, ready to shape and bend reality itself at the beck and call of those who can properly invoke it.” Falda’ar raised his other hand grandly, his voice increased in both power and gravity. “To shatter the seemingly immutable laws of the universe and manifest the imaginary into being, erasing that otherwise insuperable barrier like it is nothing! For magic is an apex principle in such worlds, standing above the mundane laws of physics.” He looked at me, taking his regular pose, satisfied by my reaction.

“It has some limitations, nevertheless, for the law of conservation of energy applies even to the multiverse, much less the worlds within it.”

“That sounds great. I get the main idea behind it, but it is still too vague,” I said, rubbing my chin.

“Understandable. But that’s it, talking concisely about the conscious manipulation of magic. There is, however, another, much more common form of using magic, characteristic of all magic worlds. An innate ability to manipulate magic in certain ways, formed through evolution or — external intervention, sometimes. Like the flight ability of the dragons, for example. You surely know that their wings cannot provide them with even a decent ability to glide in the air, much less fly. Still, they do both things very well in the worlds they live in. The general principle is the same, though.”

“So, you’re saying if a dragon does not believe in magic, he won’t be able to fly?”

Falda’ar chuckled. “Not exactly, but let’s say a human with a talent for magic will never be able to use it until he believes he can. Not dragons, though. Their bodies are a natural conductor and a vessel for magic, allowing them to use it without even thinking about it. Though in a limited scope, such as flight, increasing their physical strength and sturdiness of their bodies, breathing fire or other substances.”

“I see,” I replied, my hand resting firmly on my chin as I was in thoughts.

“Some species have specialized organs for manipulating magic, like unicorns’ horns. Not only does it increase their affinity for magic, it even gives them the ability to feel it, making conscious manipulation of magic even simpler, greatly reducing the requirements for willpower, imagination and concentration, which is also an important trait for any magic user. Those of them who are strong in the aforementioned skills are natural prodigies and often become local powerhouses in the field of applied magic. Those without special magic organs in their bodies have it much harder, but nothing is impossible if you are determined and persistent.” Falda’ar stopped his incessant walking back and forth, seemingly remembering something.

“I should also mention that will and imagination are not the only things which affect magic. With time, magic users always come up with different ways to enhance their control and scale of power over it, to attune it for certain tasks. Runes, diagrams, rituals, spells and other, more exotic forms. All of those are focused on instigating magic into action. All of those contain thought forms, intents, images, concepts, and sometimes even emotions. In other words, all the things magic can react to.”

He produced a staff with a glowing crystal embedded at the top, right out of thin air, but I’m already used to his tricks.

“Some items can even accumulate magic power in large quantities.” The crystal on the staff lit and shined blindingly. “All those things have certain effects when interacting with magic, and, when used properly, can enable magic users to cross their limits and go far beyond their regular abilities, even allowing them to create standalone magic devices which can work without the help of a magic user. Summing it all up, the so-called magic sciences and schools are inevitably created, various kinds of those. You will surely stumble upon those when you arrive on Equis.”

“Any advice on this?”

“Avoid associating yourself with things like ‘blood magic’, ‘death magic’ and the likes. You get the drift. We are not… very compatible with those things.”

“Alright, I’ll keep it in mind.”

“Oh, and talking about our ‘magic’...” Falda’ar started, waving the gowing staff in his hand. “We are fundamentally different to the regular magic users. The main difference…”

Falda’ar continued talking, but my vision started to go dark unexpectedly, and I could no longer hear his words. When everything around faded to the utter darkness, the only thing I felt was a sensation of a free fall. The impact never came, though. I realized I was lying on some soft surface. The sharp ringing in my ears prevented me from hearing anything, and the colorful circles floating before my eyes didn’t allow me to see a thing.

“Where am I?” I whispered to nobody in particular. My body was gradually coming back to life, along with a striking headache, which immediately made me wish I didn’t wake up.

“Oh, shit! What now? I hope it’s not another fucking ‘test of strength’, bloody damn it…” I grumbled in a low voice, putting my palm on my temple, the throbbing pain almost palpable. I shook my head as my vision grew clearer. Though I had a strange feeling that I was in another place before and was busy with completely different things than listening to the old lizard… This thought only intensified my headache, making me regret even thinking.

“Ray, are you alright? What happened?” Large blue eyes appeared in my vision. They looked worried.

A whole blast of information exploded inside my mind in a split second, suddenly returning me to a full understanding of my situation.

“Sapphi?” I sighed in relief. “I feel like crap… but I’ll be fine, don’t worry.”

I let a smile appear on my face, as the realization I just found a way to restore my memories dawned on me. “Lily certainly deserves to be rewarded for it,” my positive thinking kicked in. “That’s a start!”