Striving for Perfection

"A little to the right and a little more. Perfect!" I said, pointing out to the soldiers where to hang pieces of dry trees of the tower.

As soon as I said it was over, the soldiers scattered to rest. But an annoying thestral got close to me, which, as I learned earlier, is called the Rising Moon. When he got close to me he asked a question.

"I don't doubt your genius in any way, sir, but I still want to ask. Why do we hang flammable materials on the tower?"

"It's very simple. I don't want to cut down a tree just so it rots in a few days. Using a tree as a bench makes at least minimal sense. So I found a great alternative. Burn this tower. It will be like a Christmas tree with a garland, but only brighter." I said, having already managed to get used to the constant stupid questions of Rising.

This explanation was enough for him and he went somewhere about his business. I struggled to make my way through the snow to a log that was located next to a concrete slab as an improvised bench. After breaking through a layer of snow and dropping its remnants from a tree, I sat on it with one leg crossed over the other. I looked up at the cold winter setting sun. A cold wind swept by, which made my limbs not covered with clothes tremble. I started rubbing my hands together to cope with the cold, but it didn't give much result. I was about to get up to start commanding the soldiers, but I was disturbed by the sound of flapping wings.

I turned my head in the direction from which the sound came and saw a very strange sight. A chariot in which Pegasus were harnessed floated across the sky. I saw that the soldiers in the camp were about to attack the chariot, but with a gesture of my hand I ordered them to calm down. As soon as the chariot landed, Luna and Celestia came out of it. I did not please them with my reaction, so I just continued to sit on the fallen log. Soon the two princesses approached me and started a conversation.

"Haven't seen you for a long time." Luna told me, holding out a hoof to me.

I shook her hoof and briefly replied, "Yes."

Celestia tried to copy Luna's gesture and handed me a hoof. I looked at her hoof for a long time and finally gently pushed it away from me. Celestia seemed outraged by this but didn't say anything. I turned to the Moon, which seemed to be focused on the thestrals. Soon she turned to me and asked a question.

"Did we interrupt something?"

"No, I gave them a little break now. Why?"

"We wanted to see how you handled the training of the soldiers."

"We'll arrange everything now," I said, getting up and heading closer to the soldiers.

When I got close enough to the soldiers, I clapped my hands and gave the soldiers a signal to form up. They dropped everything they were doing and almost instantly formed into a perfectly even formation. I turned to Luna with a small smug smile, to which she responded with an attentive look. I gave the command to the soldiers to go into formation with a gesture of my hand, and they obeyed again and began to march, scattering snow in all directions. Thanks to the long and thorough training, the soldiers were able to maintain formation even moving over rough terrain. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed that the harnessed Pegasi were shocked by the quality of the drill of my soldiers. After a few minutes of silent commands, the soldiers returned to their starting point.

"You've done a very good job, Captain." Said Luna.

"Yes. But I don't think you came here just to say the obvious thing. You have another reason." I said, turning to Luna and trying to put pressure on it.

She didn't seem to succumb to the pressure and simply replied out of politeness, "Okay, let's go in order. Firstly, until the first of January inclusive, all members of the night Guard have a weekend."

There were enthusiastic exclamations from the soldiers nearby from such news, but I focused on the further words of Luna.

"Secondly, your salary." Luna said and flashed her horn, causing two bags of gold to appear in my hands, each the size of a fist. If take the wealth from the dragon cave, then I think I will get the budget of some city.

"Well, if that's all, then I'll sit here, wait for Christmas and solemnly burn that tower." I said, returning to the log and putting the bags of money in my pocket.

Celestia's soft voice came from behind, "So that's why the tower is wrapped in branches."

"What is Christmas?" Luna asked with interest.

"A Christian holiday in which it is customary to give gifts and spend time with loved ones. Given the circumstances, I will celebrate it with a genius." I said pointing a finger at myself.

"So you're going to celebrate Hearth's Warming alone?" Luna asked.

Hearth's Warming? Probably an adaptation of Christmas.

"In general, yes."

"This is no good!" Said Celestia who suddenly got into the conversation.

If I don't come up with something, I'll have to spend the next hours next to them. They're like sisters, plus Celestia has a useless nephew. I use it to get rid of all at once.

"Firstly, the very idea that you spend a holiday with me is terrible, and secondly, you have relatives with whom it is customary to spend a holiday. So just get off me."

"No one should be left alone tonight." Said Celestia.

"What do you want, Celestia?"

"I just don't want anyone to be alone today."

"Suppose I believed you. But what about the others? Somewhere out there behind your eyes there are poor people in ditches, divorced fathers stuck in addictions and orphans. They all want to spend the holiday with someone too, but you're coming to me."

"What do you want to say?"

"I'm saying that if you attach so much importance to this holiday, then maybe you need to make it something more than a fleeting reason to gather a family. Can you forget about the holiday forever and always behave like normal people? To gather a family not once a year, but every single day. To remember that the lower strata of the population also have a desire to live well not only once a year, but every day. Instead of turning into the kindest people for one day because of the date on the calendar, you need to be normal people always. "

"So you want to cancel Hearth's Warming? "

"Yes! But not because I didn't get a gift or any other stupid reason, but because this holiday allows people to justify their terrible nature. They remember about relatives only one day a year, not because they are garbage, but because it is a "tradition". They are willing to spend more than one penny on another person only once a year, not because they are greedy, but because "tradition". As a result, I speak with pride and without doubt. The holiday is a licimer, deceitful spectacle that must be canceled. You can leave the day off, I have nothing against it."

"What are you going to say to the children who were deprived of the holiday?"

"I'm really sorry. Sorry for that your parents can't give your child what he wants without such a stupid reason. What did you think would put me in a stupor?" I asked with a grin.

Celestia turned to the moon in search of help, but she pretended that she had nothing to do with it. Suddenly an idea came to Celestia's empty head

"How about a culinary duel?"

"Do you really need to spend Christmas with me?"

Celestia nodded at which I sighed ruefully.

There is not a single kitchen nearby, so we will cook in nature, in the field. I have every chance of winning.

"I don't know what's wrong with you, but I agree. I accept the challenge."

Celestia smiled as if she had already won and began to say, "If you agree, then let's agree. The dishes should be festive and there should be a drink for the main course."

"Ha is that all? Give me milk, cream, eggs, medical alcohol, water, cinnamon and sugar for the drink. And for the main course I will need potatoes, onions, mayonnaise, mustard and celery. And of course to cook, I will need tools and a couple of pots."

As soon as I finished speaking, Celestia made all of the above appear on a nearby log with a sparkle of the horn and even created a stove that was powered by I don't understand what. I silently approached the log that will play the role of a table and got ready to cook. Celestia took a different place for herself and was also ready. Luna realized that there was no one else to fulfill this role, so she started counting down.

"On the count of three. One. Two. Three!"

I moved my hands incredibly quickly to a glass of water and medical alcohol. I carefully poured the alcohol into the water to maintain the ratio of two parts alcohol to three parts water. Quickly finished with this, I threw the pots on the stove and turned them on.

Soon I lost the perception of time due to concentration on work. By the end, I was barely using my hands because of fatigue. With a final jerk, I put everything I had on the table. Potato Christmas salad and three glasses of eggnog based on improvised vodka. I turned to Celestia who had also finished everything and looked at what she had. She had something that looked like an apple pie and next to it were three glasses of something very similar to eggnog.

Luna first approached her sister and tasted the pie. She said something quietly about him, but I couldn't hear her. Then she took Celestia's drink and again said a review that I didn't hear. Finally it was my turn.

Luna came up to me and tasted the potato soldier without preamble. She didn't say anything at all and came up to my eggnog. I saw her eyes pop open after tasting it, which made me grin. The moon continued to go to announce the results.

I just looked after Luna and waited for her to announce the results. Taking a few steps back and gathering air into her lungs, Luna announced the results

"Celestia cooked better!"

She smiled smugly and began to walk towards me with a proud gait. When she reached me, she offered me one of the two glasses. But I rejected her offer by taking my eggnog. I started drinking it and a lot of sensations swept through me that I wasn't used to. Burning sensation going down the throat along with the drink, the residue of the pungent smell of alcohol, and so on. I even had tears in my left eye.

"Did everything turn out badly?" Celestia asked, not ignoring me.

"I just rarely drink alcohol. I make an exception only three days a year." I answered already starting to slowly adapt to the drink.

"And these three days?"

"It's none of your business." I said in a voice not suggesting a continuation of the conversation in this topic.

Celestia decided to temporarily retreat and went to her sister. I barely finished my eggnog and ate a few spoons of salad. When I was done, I sat down on a log and stared at the moon, waiting for the right hour. During the time I was cooking, a lot of time passed and there were literally a couple of minutes left.

Seeing this, I got to my feet and started walking towards the tower, simultaneously looking for sticks to get fire. When I got to the tower and got the fire by rubbing sticks, I threw the fire to the bottom of the tower. Ogono began to grow slowly and strive upward through the piles of winded wood around the tower. I went back to my seat and stared at the fire. I felt someone sit down next to me, but I didn't even look at the intruder.

"You know, you're a unique case." Said Celestia.

She is not my friend, comrade or ally. There must be a reason for this behavior.

"Where does such kindness come from?" I asked abruptly turning to Celestia.

"I thought a lot about your behavior and realized. You're scared. You are alone without relatives and friends and you are trying to create an image of strength because you are afraid of appearing weak. I think despite your actions, even you deserve empathy. I want to help you. "

I silently handed the unfinished glass of eggnog that to Celestia and took a full one for myself. After that, I started saying, "Do you know what I can tell you, Celestia? "

"What is it? " Celestia asked, very interested.

I put my glass on Celestia's head, almost breaking it, and moved on to the revelation, "For me, most people are not above dirt in importance, and you are dirt too. Your help amounts to an insult to me. Your opinion means nothing to me. And your theory is a stupid delusion. I'm acting like this because I'm just like that. Do you understand? "

"I think so. " Celestia said, moving her head so that I couldn't use it as a stand.

I turned around and saw Luna to my left. I sighed, knowing that I had lost the competition and said, "Okay, Celestia, let's talk. "

"About what? " She asked.

"I have no idea. I'm giving you the initiative and you can use it as you want."

"Well, I know what to tell. It was one terribly old night. . ." Celestia started her story and I lost track of time listening.