Striving for Perfection

The chest rises and falls while breathing. There is a metallic chill in some parts of the body. Have I been chained up? My right hand, I can't feel it. Everything below the elbow seems to be missing. Have I lost it? But when? I don't remember anything after I fell to the ground. But judging by my breathing, I'm still alive. So what happened?

After the fell, there was nothing complete left. Just a feeling. Triumph, hatred, rage, appeasement. Maybe then I can find some kind of witness?

My slowly waking brain agreed with this suggestion and continued to prepare to wake up. Almost immediately, I felt a headache, as if I had been hit very hard on the head with something. As I woke up, I began to pay attention to the lines, or rather to their absence. So Luna or Celestia are somewhere nearby. Or both.

Or Discord! I think I remember, my body started moving on its own and talking on its own. At the same time, it was as if I was looking at everything from the inside, like on a huge television screen. It was as if something had taken over my body. And in this state, I was able to assemble several lines at once in an unknown way and send them to Discord. I do not know exactly how this operation was carried out. Although the main thing is that a third of Discord's body was turned into stone. I don't even know what the scariest part of it.

Taking a deep breath, I tried to straighten up abruptly to get the best view. But I quickly realized that I was bedridden. What kind of chains are these that I can't break? Following curiosity, my eyes slowly opened and looked at my body. Chains were attached to my hands in three places on each of them, on which I saw a faint bluish glow. The same color as Luna's magic.

"You've finally woken up, I see. A familiar and tired voice came from my right. Turning towards the sound, I squinted and saw a dark spot sitting in the corner of the room. Judging by the voice, it's Luna. I would be more confident if I had glasses. But they split up. Should I start keeping track of how many glasses I've broken?

No, probably not worth it. It would be a waste of paper. And we are unlikely to have an opportunity to get at least something in the near future.

Taking a deep breath, I said, and immediately realized how exhausted I sounded: "You already know everything, right?"

Seeing a small movement that looked like a nod, I asked, looking down: "Most likely you have already figured out how to punish me. Can I ask my own questions before you voice it?"

There was a tense silence in the room for a while. During this pause, I noticed out of the corner of my eye that the only light source in the room was the window. I don't know what time it is, but I'll assume it's daytime. And at this time, Luna should be sleeping.

She probably wants to have this conversation on her own. After all, I'm her subordinate. Well, sort of.

In the end, Luna's tired answer pulled me out of my thoughts: "Okay, you can ask your questions. I hope there aren't too many of them."

Sighing, I pointed at the chains around my arms and asked: "Why all this? Do you think I'm going to try to escape? Well, not that such an opinion would be unfounded. "

For a moment, I was met with only silence, as if my question had not been heard. Maybe I asked the question too quietly? Destroying my doubts, Luna took a deep breath and asked: " Do you remember what happened a couple of days ago? Or is everything a blur to you?"

She asks the question as if she had experienced this feeling herself. Had someone taken over her body too? No, Nightmare is, at most, a legend that many sincerely believe in.

Taking a deep breath, I answered and tried to wave my hand, unsuccessfully: "Almost everything is a blur. All I remember is that I was able to somehow channel natural magic into Discord and turn it one-third into stone. Nothing else. "

Judging by the slight shift, Luna nodded and answered with a cough: " Well, the same thing happened to you as to me, or as you like to think, my grandmother. Negative emotions filled your soul so much that dark magic was able to create its own personality. And we weren't sure that when you woke up, you'd be, well, you. So these are precautions."

Wait, don't move on. Here you need to collect as much information as possible. And today you can take Luna's word for it. She has no reason to lie, right?

Nodding slowly, I asked curiously, "But you said that my dark magic is mixed with ordinary magic or something like that. Shouldn't this be a kind of insurance against such cases?"

"Danielle, I'll be honest. In the entire history of Equestria, there has never been an idiot who would try to combine opposite types of magic. Even assuming that you didn't know anything about magic at the time of the unification, you should have sensed that these are opposing forces that don't want to be near each other. Luna replied with some irritation in her voice. Of course, no one knows if this should give a guarantee of safety. But judging by the battle with Discord, there is no guarantee.

Sighing, I finally decided to move forward a little and asked: "Can I take off these chains? I'd like to sit down or even walk around a bit."

Luna, judging by the rapid movement, shook her head and replied calmly: "No, their goal is not only that. As I said earlier, your dark magic has created a personality for itself. And as you can see by your hand, he or she has already been able to completely take a significant piece of you. You can try, I guarantee you won't be able to move the captured part."

Focusing on the blackened hand, I tried to clench it into a fist. Nothing. Zero effect. After seeing some confusion on my face, Luna continued: "Therefore, in order for dark magic not to take away your entire body, I put a special spell on these chains, which requires all six chains, three for each hand. I will say as simply as possible and without going into details, the flow of magic in your body is blocked. If you were a unicorn, you could just put a special ring on your horn. But unfortunately, the only option is these chains. "

Blocked. That is, I won't be able to use any runes.

Following my curiosity, I asked as politely as possible: "Can you explain the principle of operation in more detail, please?"

“No. A person created by dark magic can now eavesdrop, and I would not want him to have even a ghostly opportunity to circumvent my spell. Unfortunately, the Elements of Harmony cannot completely destroy such things, only suppress them. Luna replied with a heavy sigh. It seems like she really wants to avoid having to put chains on me. I feel... happiness from this news?

Shaking my head, I looked at myself again, trying to find something to ask a question about. Suddenly, my eyes widened at the discovery of the loss. The locket that Chrysalis gave me is not around my neck. But I didn't give it to anyone. Where could he have gone?

No matter. It's just a thing. It has no value.

In the end, my eyes caught on one thing on my right hand. There was a red glow coming from the center of the palm. It's like there's something under the skin. Briefly, my gaze looked at the alpha sphere in my chest. It also barely glowed green and was also under the skin. With a thoughtful look, I cautiously asked: "Do you know where this came from on my hand?"

For the first time during our conversation, Luna got up from her seat and slowly walked towards me. After a while, she came close enough to me that I could see her. She's not wearing any jewelry, it seems like this is the first time I've seen her like this. And honestly, she looks better this way. While I was thinking, Luna looked at my hand carefully before answering: "I don't know what you're talking about, everything's fine there."

My gaze went back to the hand. But nothing red was really found. Luna definitely has no vision problems. Maybe I just imagined it?

No, I definitely saw it. Maybe it's some kind of trick or a strange light drop. But we will not change the fact.

Nodding to myself, I answered firmly: "There was definitely something red and glowing. It just disappeared or disappeared. It's definitely not my eyesight!"

In response, Luna just shrugged her shoulders slightly and looked at me, waiting for new words and most likely a question. At that moment, an unpleasant thought occurred to me. The stock of questions has been completely emptied. Of course, there are minor issues, but they are not on the topic right now. So it's time to give the initiative to Luna. I hope, I don't even know what, I don't hope for anything.

Taking a deep breath, I looked down and slowly said: "I think you know what I did in Ponyville. You probably even know what the operation was called. Someone would definitely have let it slip. "

To my surprise, I heard a soft chuckle. I don't even know if it's a fake or sincere pleasure. Anyway, a couple of moments after the chuckle, Luna replied, "Operation Savant. I have to admit, judging by what the witnesses told me, which was more than enough, you proved yourself to be on top. Good organization, considering the situation and, of course, a good reason. Indeed, if I didn't know you, I would really think that you wanted to secure the Elements of Harmony. But we both know that you don't care about their safety."

Is she. . . praising me? Considering everything that's happened?

I lifted my gaze slightly to look at Luna and saw a small grin that was replaced by a calm face. Then she took a step closer to me and looked straight into my eyes and asked, "For now, you can feel safe. My dear sister wants to ask more serious questions in the presence of the owners of the Elements. "I raised an eyebrow slightly and asked cautiously: " So I'm going to answer the most difficult questions while being surrounded by six ponies? "

" Seven. You will explain your behavior to seven ponies. Add me, my sister, and remove the element of honesty. She couldn't come today. " Luna corrected calmly. As if it doesn't matter at all. Either she really doesn't care or she's learned to hide her emotions like Celestia. I don't even know which is worse.

Second, the second option is the worst.

Sighing, I looked at my chains again and asked, "Well, are seven ponies going to crowd into one room, or are you taking these chains off me so I can go somewhere?"

Luna was silent for a few seconds before making her horn shine. With a brief flash of light, the chains disappeared, leaving only the shackles. Before I could do anything, Luna said: "This is the maximum freedom that we are ready to give you, given the circumstances. You can move around quite freely if you ask my sister or me for permission to move outside the castle, but your magic is still blocked."

Nodding slightly, I slowly sat up in bed and threw off the covers. The ribs are visible too good, the belly doesn't seem to exist at all. It seems like I really don't eat much. And this is unlikely to change in the near future. Sighing, I looked at Luna again and slowly got to my feet and asked: "Are the new glasses ready yet?"

"For safety reasons, we decided not to give you points yet. No offense, Daniel, but after what happened, you can't be allowed to pose any danger. All restrictions will be lifted as soon as we are sure that you have been able to subdue your dark side." Luna replied with an awkward smile. It's like she really doesn't want to do this. She probably really has no reason to lie.

By the way, look at the walls. They're dark, so you're not in the hospital. But if not there, then where?

Due to the small distance, I was able to look down at Luna and asked: "Where am I? Judging by the dark colors, this is not a hospital."

Luna seemed to be a little pleased with the question, and with a small smile she waved her hoof before answering: "This is your room. Nothing moved an inch. You know, I know from my personal experience that pleasant memories and familiar places help in the fight against an overabundance of dark magic. Maybe you should try it too?"

It's certainly very nice. But the question is, has the crystal with the soul of Ahirata been discovered? Although, if that were the case, I would have been told about it, right?

Sighing, I cautiously took a step forward and tried to look around the room. Because of the poor light source in the form of a small window and my eyesight, I couldn't see anything at all. Sighing, I looked at my body again. Almost blind, completely devoid of magic and in fact without a right hand. Have I ever been in a more miserable position?

Suddenly, a sneeze came out of my mouth. Oh, yes, allergies. I probably had a more pitiful state only when my grandfather died. Shaking my head, I gathered my strength, scratched the back of my head and awkwardly asked Luna: "Can you show me where the table and my clothes are? If I have to talk, I want to at least be ready. "Fortunately, Luna nodded slightly and took a few steps away from me. Then, when I couldn't see her clearly, she tapped the wood with her hoof and said, " There's a table here, just a little to the left of the window. It's amazing that you don't remember that."

And really, I have to remember it perfectly. Maybe I got some internal injuries too?

Sighing, I slowly walked up to Luna and only when there was one step left, I could see a table and a chair. The most amazing detail was that the teddy bear was sitting on the table. Hmm, it looks like a nice piece of jewelry here. Although without help, I would hardly ever have been able to detect it. Nodding slowly, I reluctantly said: "Thank you, Luna. Now the second question. Where are my clothes? "

Without saying anything, she started taking slow steps again and walked past me. Then Luna stopped at the opposite end of the room and the door creaked. Before I could draw any conclusion, she explained: " All your clothes are in the closet. Including the costume you were given at the Gala."

Nodding, I carefully approached the dark blue spot that was Luna until I could see everything I needed clearly. Instinctively, I tried to take things out of the closet with my right hand. But nothing happened. Sighing, I quickly grabbed my coat and trousers with my left hand before throwing them on the bed.

We need to find an excuse to be alone and check everything in the room. We need to play a game of independence.

With a barely perceptible nod to myself, I turned away from Luna and asked: "Tell me where the meeting will take place. I'll come as soon as I'm ready."

There was only silence in response. Did I say something wrong? No, I think I did everything like a normal person. Well, yes, I'm a little blind in my current state, but that doesn't mean I can't get anywhere on my own. After all, I have a map of the castle. In the table and partially on the head.

Eventually, a sigh was heard, followed by the sounds of footsteps and Luna's words: "Everyone will be waiting for you in the dining room. Don't stay too long. And please try not to get lost along the way. "

Without waiting for my answer, she went to the exit, but I still managed to wave my hand slightly and say: " Don't worry, I have a map of the castle. You just need to make out the necessary turns."

There were no words in response, but Luna chuckled slightly. She then silently walked the remaining distance to the exit before leaving the room, quietly closing the door behind her. Sighing, I focused on the clothes that were lying on the bed and slowly began to get dressed. Well, it's not the first time I've done this with one hand. So it probably could have been worse.

There is always a worse option. Always. Therefore, it is necessary to make every effort to move away from the border of complete horror as far as possible. In other words, to become Perfect.

Sighing, I looked at the sleeves of the coat, or rather in their absence. Who tore them off? Deciding to postpone this issue for later, I began to put my hands in the holes that remained from the sleeves. And almost immediately a question flashed up. Where could my locket have gone? He could have been hurt by the fall, probably. But on the other hand, I could have lost it somewhere. For example, while I was running with a book in my hands. Or in some other place. Heavily. Controlling magic without it will be like swimming after swimming with flippers for a long time. Well, I suppose.

"It probably will be. Well, my magic is still blocked, so I won't even be able to check it." I muttered with a sigh before slightly adjusting my belt. After briefly taking a look at my body and seeing that everything was more or less decent, I drew attention to the blurred table. There should still be a crystal with Ahirata's soul inside.

Slowly, I started walking towards the table, hoping that the artifact I needed had not been confiscated. Although, if he had been discovered, would Luna have asked the appropriate questions? Walking straight up to the table and slowly opening the right drawer, I muttered: "Yes, probably so. It sounds logical."

Dispelling my doubts, a bright red light hit me in the eyes from the desk drawer. Great. Wrapping my left hand around the crystal, I placed it on the table right next to the teddy bear. Now we need to figure out what to do. Like, it can't be that simple, right? I can hardly just insert a crystal into the bear's chest so that Ahirata does everything he needs to do.

Although, I don't have any other options. So this is the only option. Maybe I don't have the Elements of Harmony, but at least in the body of a toy, he won't be able to harm anyone. In this state, negotiations will be much simpler.

Nodding slowly to myself, I put the teddy bear on his back and lifted the crystal over his stomach. With a sharp movement, I punched through the soft shell and released the crystal. And nothing happened. Sighing, I made it so that the bear was sitting again so that it would be easier for me to inspect his "upgrade". Now the stuffed animal's belly was pierced through and occupied by a glowing crystal.

"Well, what should I do with you?" I asked a few moments later before touching the crystal out of curiosity. And immediately remove your hand. It's hot. Maybe I was able to start some kind of process after all. Uh, success probably?

I've been thinking, the pursuit of success has not brought anything good lately. I think we need to give this up for a while. Just a little bit. Gradually, if you want. Don't you want to? Okay, got it.

Before I could even begin to think about it, I heard a sound like some kind of movement. Focusing on the bear, my eyes widened at the sight of the slow changes. At first, there was a barely audible sound like a heartbeat. Then a thin line pierced the mouth and formed a mouth. After that, the teddy bear's chest began to rise and fall slightly, as if he was breathing. And eventually the lifeless eyes closed before opening a few seconds later with some sparkle.

There was silence for a while, during which Mishka and I looked at each other. In the end, I asked, trying to sound calm, "Ahirata, are you alive? And if so, can you speak?"

In response to my question, the teddy bear lowered his head and looked at his body. Surprisingly, he was even able to move his limbs a little bit as if there were real muscles there. In the end, he replied in his own voice, which sounded almost like a child's: "Yes, I am alive. There are no words that can express gratitude for the fact that you allowed me to continue my existence. I owe you everything."

His voice is like that. . . Emotionless. He's probably shocked by the kind of body I've given him. Well, you shouldn't complain about the new life. Considering that his murders are still not forgiven.

Nodding slowly, I put one hand on my side and asked calmly: "As you understand, I'm not doing all this for free. I need information. What do you know about the Elements of Harmony?"

This question seemed to enliven Ahirata a little, and he replied with some contempt in his voice, "These are unholy artifacts. For a long time I have been studying the consequences of using them. And I made a conclusion. After their use, they create something like a hole in which there is absolutely no magic. But this vacuum is quickly filled with the rest of the magic of the world. The great and beautiful nature does not tolerate emptiness. But the void is filling up too fast."

Tilting my head to the side, I waved my hand slightly, signaling him to continue. He opened his mouth to reply, but then groaned in pain and put his paw to his chest. Eventually he calmed down and said: "This body is so weak, I'll have to leave it in half an hour. I'd better not create nerve endings here. But I will continue my story. The magic of the whole world flowing into one point to fill the vacuum creates a hole of a different type. Something beyond my comprehension. Things that shouldn't be here appear from a white sphere.I don't know why, but they don't appear at the vacuum point, but somewhere nearby. Probably because of the rapid movement of all the magic in the world."

That is, the Elements break through reality in a very complicated way, very briefly, but they do it. At least that's how I understood it. And the white sphere is similar in description of what sent me here. However. . .

"I need physical evidence to believe you, Ahirata. You know for what reason." I answered by raising my hand slightly. I need something else to trust him. I just feel like I shouldn't trust this thing.

To my surprise, the answer came instantly: "You were in my Tartarus, right? Do you remember the books that were placed behind my throne as a mockery? One of them was not from this world. I'm afraid to make a mistake with the name. In my opinion, it starts at Necro. Necro, necro, Necronomicon!"

Yes, such a book was really there. Only here's a caveat. A Discord was inscribed in it. But, so be it, I'll give you a credit of trust. Tiny, microscopic and at huge interest rates.

Sighing, I looked at Akhira with clenched teeth and asked: "Let's say I started trusting you. What now? What should I do with you? Or is the useful information from you over and I can already finish you off for everything that happened? "

Ahirata only slowly waved one of his paws in response and replied with his head down: " During the time that I was sitting in the crystal, I had the opportunity to think a lot. And. . . and all the killing done by me, all the pain inflicted on others, doesn't make sense. You're right, I don't have a single word in my head justifying these actions. For me, my own goal has no meaning or value. After a millennium of rotting and forgetting parts of my life, I have nothing left but an idea. Now I have nothing at all. So you can do whatever you want with me."

Is he whining or what? How annoying.

For a second, I felt like punching a teddy bear's head in an instant. But after taking a deep breath, this desire was suppressed. No, it's still useful. At least as an excuse. Yes, in response to any unsolicited question, I can point my finger at him and say that he is to blame for everything. There won't be any harassment against me, will there?

Nodding slowly to myself, I grabbed Ahirata's head and quickly headed for the exit. Just a couple of moments later, I felt soft touches on my arm and heard a frightened voice: "Wh-What are you doing? Where are you taking me?"

With a grunt, I pushed the door to the exit with my foot and looked around and said: "I have neither the time, nor the desire, nor the nerve cells to judge you. And what luck, today I need to meet with a group of ponies and have a not very pleasant conversation. And I intend to use you as an argument for my innocence. After all, it was because of your words that I had the desire to take away the Elements of Harmony."

When I finished speaking, I got my bearings and squinted, began to walk slowly down the corridor. During this, Ahirata pondered and eventually replied with his paws down: "I can suggest that you were trying to steal the sources of unholy power. Unsuccessfully. It's a wonder you weren't imprisoned in stone or underground for a thousand years."

Mm, there are too many people who respect and recognize me to get rid of me. Yes, that's right, I have a whole nobleman, a prison governor, two mayors and a bunch of soldiers with two tanks. All of them will absolutely be loyal to me at the right moment and absolutely respect me. Besides Flying, he's a traitor.

Sighing, I stopped for a couple of moments trying to figure out if I was looking at the right turn or not. In the end, I managed to see something that looked vaguely like a pot of flowers. So this is exactly the turn I need. Nodding to myself, I went in the right direction and finally answered: "I just had a better plan than you could ever come up with. Anyway, get ready to talk. Most of the uncomfortable questions will be answered by you. "

In response, Ahirata said softly in a slightly hollow voice, as if he was talking to himself: " I'm in such a pathetic body. In just half an hour, if not less, I will have to sell myself again. I can't believe it's come to this. Who would have thought that almost immediately after the creation of my Tartarus, everything went this way? "

With a slight shrug of my shoulders, I replied, continuing to walk forward: " In a way, you deserve it. Like, you call Tartarus yours. My Tartarus. I can safely conclude that you were involved in its creation. Usually, I can extract humor even from terrible tragedies. Like, haha, watch the plane and the twins. But this, no. I didn't appreciate it at all."

Seeing the real hell with your own eyes is not very pleasant. The realization that sins in life will really be punished is really frightening. Not a single blow will go unanswered.

Surprisingly, Ahirata said softly, "My Tartarus, it shouldn't look like you saw it. It used to be a beautiful garden, underground where no one would find it. Using the magic of many souls, I was able to cast a spell on the whole world. After death, the human soul goes to Tartarus and restores the body, without the mind. It was a paradise where everyone could be free. In which anyone could live a second life, which would be as long as the first one. But without my car, Tartarus turned into a nightmare. If they would let me, I would like to undo the spell. "

After that, I just sighed. It's a lot of information to digest, especially at a time. But, I'll take it into consideration. There was silence, as if my lack of reaction could make Ahirat shut up. Surprisingly, it turned out that way, and the rest of the way was in silence and relative calm. Well, apart from the fear of hitting the wall due to incorrect distance estimation.

When I saw the outline of a large door in front of me, I took a deep breath. You need to go in extremely effectively, immediately disarm everyone. Then I'll just throw Ahirata on the table and make him talk. Bang, bang hooray for victory.

Nodding to myself, I took a few quick steps to the door and pushed the door open with a sharp kick before entering the room. After a quick glance around the room, I noticed a large table with many ponies already sitting on it and saw one empty seat for myself. As I got closer, my brain began to notice similarities with an already so distant memory. The position of each pony is the same. Well, except that Applejack isn't here. Okay, one more pony, one less. Moreover, there is a plate of fish and potatoes in front of my place at the table. It's the same as last time.

Echoes of an old and crushing victory. . . It happened in the year when a little red kitten asked for help on the other side of a puddle. But four years have passed since that moment.

With a quick shake of my head, I covered the remaining distance, still holding Ahirata in my hand. Surprisingly, the ponies didn't say anything, as if they were paralyzed by something. Either they noticed my right hand, or a live teddy bear in my hand. Or something else, it doesn't matter. Just pull yourself together, Daniel, you have better terms this time. We will win in the same place, in the same way.

With a deep sigh, I threw Ahirata into the middle of the table and said, pointing with my finger: "Hey, heroes, do you remember the guy you shot with a rainbow ray last time? Well, he's alive. His soul is in a plush toy, but don't worry, he can talk a little. And provide some information that will allow me to mitigate my punishment. Although it is more correct to say, to completely cancel my punishment."

After these words, all the ponies except Twilight, Celestia and Luna stared at me like I was crazy. I even saw the corners of some people's lips lift slightly, as if they wanted to laugh. In response, I just sighed and sat down in my seat, propping my head on my fist. They'll see everything now.

Fortunately, Ahirata slowly stood up on his small paws and sat down in the middle of the table and looked around. Almost immediately, I noticed the fright in his eyes. It's like he's about to be torn apart by wild hyenas.

In any case, he has no way to get out of this situation. He was already moving right in front of their eyes.

After a while, Luna activated her horn, which caused a glow to envelop Ahirata. Bringing him closer to her and looking at the crystal in her stomach, she said calmly: "Daniel, I don't know where you found a live toy. But how. . ."

Before she could finish, Ahirata interrupted her with anger in his voice: " He's right. I am the monster that you imprisoned for a thousand years and forced to rot alive. Or has your immortality already taken away these memories like so many others?"

What? Does even he believe that? Everyone has some kind of obsession with the immortality of princesses.

Thanks to squinting, I could see Luna's eyes wide open, either from shock or fright. With a jerk, she threw the plush toy away from her, back to the middle of the table, and with a brief flash, summoned her sickle sword. Assuming the worst, I got up slightly from my seat and said slowly, "Hey, hey, calm down. At least give him a chance. A chance to justify me, of course. Just pretend he's not there until I point my finger at him."

For a while, Luna just held the sickle in her magical aura. Then Celestia gently placed a hoof on her shoulder and whispered something in her ear. Fortunately, it worked, and Luna made her weapon disappear with another flash. After a few seconds of silence, Celestia cleared her throat loudly and said calmly, "Daniel, I think you already know why you're here. You're probably already guessing what answers they want from you. But I want to assure you of one thing."

She smiled tenderly and put a hoof to her chest and said: "I promise that your punishment will be as lenient as possible, if at all. It is already clear that you were under the influence of dark magic and were controlled accordingly. I just need to understand what's going on in your head, Danielle. Just answer our questions, okay?"

This is a deal. Or as normal people call it, "a promise." She mitigates my punishment to the limit and I answer the questions. I don't know what her benefit is, but I agree.

Nodding slowly, I put my left hand on the table and said reluctantly, "Okay. But know that I perceive mitigation of punishment, at least, for the absence of a prison term. So if I end up in jail, don't doubt me escape and revenge for lying."

In response, Celestia only nodded briefly and looked at Twilight as if giving her some kind of sign. When I turned my attention to her, I found nothing. I don't have any glasses. I've seen the princesses' faces many times enough to put together a picture of blurred images. Closing my eyes, I just waited for any words. Soon there was a flipping sound before Twilight asked, "A question from Rarity, what happened to the city? Even after Discord was defeated, many roads in the city looked terrible and the road in front of the library was completely black. And that's not to mention a lot of dirt here and there."

That's right, Discord. I wonder where he is being held now?

While my thoughts were distracted, Rarity's polite voice was heard elegantly adding: "I just assumed that you might know why it happened. As you said, Twilight, you moved around Ponyville a lot that day. I would like to talk to the bully who ruined the city so much. "

Sighing, I looked in the direction of the voice and focusing on the white spot said: " Maybe you saw it, but the soldiers under my command have a transport equipped with a flamethrower. I called it a tank. Since the soldiers had to be transferred as quickly as possible, I had to use armored vehicles. And along the way, a flamethrower came in handy. To evaporate the soapy water. "

There was silence in the room for a few moments after my answer before Twilight muttered: " Now it's clear why there was a strange smell in front of the library. The soap and water were evaporated. Although this does not explain why the smell lingered so long."

Shrugging my shoulders, I replied with a slight wave of my hand: "I've said everything I know. You can do your thinking later. Next question."

Fortunately, no one argued, and Twilight asked the following question after a second of silence: "A question from Twilight. Oh, it's me. Khem, anyway, why did you try to take away the Elements of Harmony?"

Ahirata, your way out.

Pointing my finger at the plush toy on the table, I calmly replied: "I wanted to take the Elements away because of what he told me. I tend to trust people, you know?"

To my own surprise, the ponies turned away from me and focused on Ahirath, who was sitting in the middle of the table. After a few seconds of silence, he coughed slightly before answering: "After each use of the Elements of Harmony, something gets into this world that shouldn't. We are both a prime example of this. If my theory is correct. And it is true. It should be. Probably."

There was only a dull silence in response, as if Ahirata's words had really made the pony think. Well, or they don't trust him a bit. Hmm, well, since no one is talking, then I have an empty seat. Chuckling, I loudly hit my fork on my plate to attract attention and said: "After learning this information, I concluded that it might be possible to reverse the effect and return back. You felt sorry for me for being alone, remember, Celestia? If so, you must understand my wish perfectly well. "

Fortunately, without making me wait too long, Celestia sighed and asked a simple question: "Here in Equestria you have a good position, prospects and most importantly friendship. You may not think of me as such, but I am your friend. So why would you leave? For what?"

Um. . . Well, I should. It's just necessary, absolutely necessary.

My gaze began to wander around trying to find at least something. You can't just say it's necessary and hope it ends the conversation. Come on, brain, you have enough sleep today. So I have to work and give out great ideas!

In the end, I lowered my hand and took a deep breath, quietly replied: "I do not know why. I just have a feeling that it needs to be done. I feel that it is impossible to give up on this. There is no logic to this. Are you happy with this confession? Or did you expect to see tears? Then I'm sorry, during the time I went to drama club, I didn't learn how to cry on command."

When I finished speaking, I squinted and started looking towards Celestia, trying to see her emotions. It didn't work out, as always. Before I could take a breath, I heard another question from Celestia: "Daniel, I've never wanted anything like this from you. I just want to help you and for that I need to know more. So please answer my other question. What are you dreaming about? Why do you keep fighting every time, even in desperate situations?

For the sake of common freedom, for the sake of the right of every person to be a real person, and not a toy made in a factory. Now we are fighting for the ultimate weapon, then we will fight for freedom.

Nodding slowly to myself, I answered calmly and calmly: "I want to become Perfection. I want to achieve such a level of independence from the rest of the world in order to become truly free. And in the end, Perfection will become a beacon of freedom for everyone. I will be a symbol of the fact that a person can live the way he wants. No restrictions. "

There was silence in the room after my words. As if no one had ever thought that my goals were exactly like that. It's very strange considering that Celestia and Luna should know perfectly well that I'm achieving Perfection. I kind of talked about it at the first meeting, sort of.

" But Perfection is impossible. None of us are perfect. And that's a good thing. Twilight said softly, making me frown.

"Yes, even in the millennia that we and our dear sister have lived, none of us have been able to achieve the state that you are trying to strive for." Luna added calmly. How. . .

"Even I, the fastest Pegasus in Equestria, can't be perfect at everything. At least in the egghead stuff." Rainbow Dash continued in her typical cheeky voice. You. . .

"Darling, ambition is certainly a very attractive character trait, especially for a stallion. But it's impossible, no way. Believe me, becoming perfect even in one particular area has been already extremely difficult, especially mentally. " Rarity politely added. Are...

" And even if it were possible to become perfect, why do it? If you become completely independent from the rest of the world, then you won't need anyone. And then you won't have any real friends! " Pinkie Pie spoke out, rocking excitedly in her chair. All...

" Daniel, maybe you need to stop and get some rest? Drink tea, chat with ponies who are ready to listen, try to find relaxing activities. Maybe you need some peace and routine? " Fluttershy quietly suggested finishing the combination. Same.

Useless, pathetic, identical and indistinguishable from each other. Crush them, here and now. Do it, crybaby, for Perfection, for me.

Hitting the table hard with my fist, I replied coldly: "So you yourself pointed out what worries me. There are eight people in this room, including me. And how many opinions are there? Two, two fucking opinions! Explain your existence, justify it, I want to hear your own arguments! How would the world change if six people died in this room, leaving only me and Luna? Although, no, let's try another scale. If seventy-five percent of the population dies now, what will change? The number of opinions, conflicts and problems will not really change. All of them will just take a smaller scale. Your existence is not justified, yet."

I was about to raise my left arm and get up from my seat to continue, but I felt pain all over my body. Like a taser, an electric shock ran through my entire body, causing me to stagger and return to my chair. Before I could make sense of anything, Luna quickly teleported to me and looked at me carefully. But not at me, but at my right hand. No one cares, it's easier for everyone to get hung up on everyday life than to start thinking. Who was the last person to create their OWN opinion? That's right, I Am.

After a few seconds, Luna pulled away with concern on her face and said thoughtfully in her voice: "It has grown further. It looks like the magic I cast turned out to be too weak. With negative emotions, there is still too much dark magic."

Hearing her words, I clenched my teeth to keep from screaming and looked at my right hand. Now, the darkness has moved a little further than the elbow. The progress is small but noticeable. This cannot be ignored. As well as the increased headache, oh. Putting my good hand to my head and lightly rubbing it, I asked irritably: "That much, nobody gives a fuck? At the sight of any negativity, have you completely blocked out and switch to another? Damn it..."

Luna interrupted me by putting her hoof in my mouth and saying, " No, I care. It's just that the words that are coming out of your mouth right now are influenced by the darkness inside you. These are not your words. You would never say them, especially in this state."

Don't believe her, crybaby. She just sees you as a keychain to show off, remember? Of course . . .

I felt a second more painful shock blow all over my body, which caused my stream of thoughts to completely stop for a couple of moments. When I came to my senses, I quickly shook my head and looked towards Luna and asked with clenched teeth: "Can you calm down? Or will you electrocute me until there are no whole connections left in my brain? "

Luna watched me for a few more seconds before sighing and answering with some regret: " I'm sorry, but the spell on your shackles is automatic. The pain you're feeling is a consequence of my spell working. It reacts very sharply to large flows of magic. I apologize again. "

Taking a deep breath, I straightened up in my chair and answered, covering my face with my palm: " Okay, I don't like it, but okay. Let's just move on to another question. We need to hurry, after all. Ahirata's body is not very reliable. "

" Yes, I have about half an hour left. Although now it is less. This plush toy is burning from the inside just because of the presence of my soul inside. Fortunately, there are no nerve endings here," Ahirata added quietly, continuing to sit in his place in the middle of the table.

Ha, found time to draw attention to myself.

Upon hearing him, Luna, continuing to stand next to me, cast an irritated glance in his direction and said: "What a pity, I was going to have a separate conversation with you. And then execute you for all your deeds."

Celestia cleared her throat loudly and said in a stern voice, "Luna, I told you so. If possible, the villains are better understood and try to reform. And we have the opportunity now. We just need to figure out how to make our, uh, surprise guest more resilient. "

Tapping my plate with my fork again, I drew attention to myself and said: " Don't waste time. Here's a quick solution for you, figure out how to recover his almost completely rotted body that lies in Tartarus. Think about this idea sometime later, and now keep asking me questions. "

Fortunately, I was not kept waiting long and, clearing her throat, Twilight asked: " A question from Luna. What did..."

" What did you tell your soldiers before your so-called operation? And how difficult was it to convince them? " Luna interrupted, deciding to ask her question on her own. Hmm, that's nice.

If I could remember what I said to the soldiers, it would be so easy. It's especially hard with a headache.

Sighing, I scratched my head a little before looking at Luna and answering: "Well, if I remember correctly, I told them that the threat in the form of a Discord had been released and it was necessary to secure the most important points of the city. Plus, it should be borne in mind that I had only soldiers with me whom I personally trained. Except for Report and Flying. So there can be no complaints about newcomers."

After a few seconds of silence, Luna nodded, accepting this answer. Suddenly, another memory flashed into my head. Rising quickly approached me with relief on his face. First, I stroked his head. And then, in an instant, he struck several blows all over his body. Oh damn, damn, damn!

"Where is Rising? He's fine, isn't he?" I asked anxiously, looking around. Although it didn't make much sense, considering that I only saw Luna clearly.

He couldn't have died, could he? I couldn't have inflicted fatal wounds on him! Not to him. Not to him. Anyone but him.

Luna seemed surprised by my concern and after a second replied reassuringly: "Don't worry, he just has a couple of broken ribs and is in the hospital right now. Nothing fatal. It was as if the blow had been made to leave only non-fatal wounds. This is very strange, considering that your body was under the control of dark magic. "Completely ignoring the last sentence, I quickly got up from my seat and demanded with a sharp wave of my left hand: " Take me there urgently. I need to see him and talk to him as soon as possible! "

" We haven't finished talking yet. I know this is your favorite move, Daniel. You're always trying to say something confusing so you can turn around and leave. I won't let that happen today," Luna said firmly, looking up at me. Uh, I hope she never gets taller.

No matter. Now we need to figure out how to break through. At this point, I'm winning.

Before a single word could escape my lips, Celestia said with a strange mixture of severity and tenderness in her voice: "Luna, look how genuinely worried he is. Besides, he has already answered the most important questions. So the conversation can be stopped at this point and let him meet with a friend. "

Well, it's not the option I wanted, but I don't think you should complain. Let's write it down as a victory won by the reinforcements under my command. Nodding to myself, I looked in the direction where Celestia was supposed to be and said with a slight nod: " Thank you. Oh, I can't believe I'm asking this, but can you teleport me to my place right away? In the current state, it will be easier and faster for you and me. "

Judging by the movement in the area of her head, she nodded in response before saying: " Okay, come closer to me."

Um, not that it's easy in my current state.

Slowly, I started walking next to the table, constantly keeping my hand on it. In the worst case scenario, I'll trip over the edge of a chair. Continuing to walk slowly towards Celestia, I muttered: "By the way, I won't eat fish. Of course, thanks for the effort, but it doesn't make much sense. I have already said that fish is my least favorite meat. But I feel much better about shrimp. Write this information down somewhere in the future."

Celestia didn't say anything, but I assumed she nodded. Anyway, I finally got to Celestia and saw that she, like Luna, didn't have any crown or anything like that. Was she trying to make this conversation more informal or what?

My thoughts were interrupted by the light of Celestia's horn and a sudden bright flash followed by a feeling of complete disappearance. It's like I'm gone. Damn, Celestia, she didn't even ask about my willingness. The next moment, I felt my body again and leaned against the nearest wall and began to breathe rapidly. Between sighs, I was able to say, "Teleportation is definitely a bad way to get around. In a different situation, I would never have agreed to this. "

Next to me, I heard a quiet giggle before Celestia replied, "Well, I do not know what to say to that. Let's look for where your friend is resting now. I'm sure he'll be glad that you're okay and you've come to visit him."

Okay? This is a very strange statement considering that my right hand is not working, my magic is blocked and my glasses have been taken away. I have never felt so "good".

I restrained my indignation and just looked at Celestia with suppressed annoyance. She seemed to take the hint and slowly started walking forward down the corridor before saying, "Your friend is in room 421. If you see it before me, please let me know before you enter. I wouldn't want to lose you at some point. "

Rolling my eyes, I put my hands in my coat pockets and answered: " In case you haven't noticed, my eyesight is far from the best. So I'm unlikely to be able to make out the number on the door plate if I don't approach each one point-blank. "

Celestia laughed briefly before responding tenderly, " Don't worry, I'm sure you'll be able to return your glasses and take off those shackles soon. You just need a little peace, care and relaxation to finally push out the darkness. "

As if that would work. I doubt very much that even with the best option, I will have a working right hand.

Sighing, I decided to occupy myself a little and asked: "Well, what about the Discord? And where is he?"

"Oh, Discord. Well, in his current state, he turned out to be completely harmless. So far, I've given him a small room in the castle. Don't worry, it's heavily guarded. For now, I'm thinking about doing his reformation. You know Fluttershy, right? I think she can make it better and discover the wonders of friendship. Celestia replied dreamily. How stupid.

Well, the main thing is that my job. . . not completed. Operation Savant failed miserably. Another defeat. How pathetic, insignificant, and not progressing I am.

Taking a deep breath, I continued to follow Celestia and reluctantly asked another question: "Let's go back to the last topic. Let's say that calmness and relaxation can really help me. How do you suggest I do this? I hope that you understand the level of my concentration on work in recent years. And under recent, I've been growing up for more than a quarter of my life. "

Celestia was silent for a while before launching into a barrage of suggestions: " I can spend some time with you, listen to how you feel. I always have time for my little human. You can try to spend time with your friends. You already have at least one, as can be seen from your reaction. Can you, uh, close old conflicts? You know, bury the hatchet. There are a lot of options, my little human. And whichever option you choose, I and many others will be there to support you."

After hearing all these suggestions, I looked away. She says it in such an attractive tone that I really want to take some of it. Okay, let's look at it. Bury the hatchet? No, war is a chance for me to win. Although considering the dynamics of my victories in recent times, hmm. Okay, let's move on. Go to Celestia and cry. No, definitely not. Spend time with "friends ". Previously, I would have called them Rising and Flying. But considering the betrayal of the latter. Hmm, keep your friends close and your enemies even closer.

But I don't have time for all this nonsense at once. So you either need to choose one thing or do everything at the same time. We'll have to try to plan it all later.

While I was thinking, Celestia managed to find the right door and stopped in front of it. : "Your friend is behind this door. Should I stand here and wait for you, or should I leave?"

After a couple of seconds of silence, I put my hand on the door handle and said: "You can leave here. I'll probably have a long conversation and apologize. And I can find a way out somehow. I hope so."

In response, she just nodded and slowly turned around before starting to leave. With a deep breath, I gripped the door handle tightly and slightly opened it just enough to see what was going on inside. There, my eyes could only recognize something that looked like a bed and something dark lying on it. The main thing is that Celestia doesn't lead me on the wrong track.

Gathering all my strength, I opened the door to the end and took a step inside. Then another one, this time much less confident. The third step that made the whole body shudder. Maybe turn around and leave? Like, I don't even know what to say in these situations. "I'm sorry?" This is ridiculous! I broke his ribs and sent him to a hospital bed. If the blow had been less successful, the lung would have been punctured by an edge. Now, I could be standing over the grave!

"Mr. Sir boss? Is that you?" Wearily and cautiously, Rising asked, shifting slightly in his bed, which led to the last in the form of a painful moan escaping from his mouth.

He's hurt. He's in pain and scared. You can't show weakness or retreat now. You need to come and say everything that needs to be said. No matter how much I don't want it.

Nodding slowly, I walked closer to him and stood right in front of the bed on one knee to communicate with Rising on almost the same level. At this distance, I saw that he was lying on his back and his chest was well bandaged. At least he's alive. It's okay, it's going to be okay.

Sighing, I gently stroked his head with my left hand and replied: "Yes, it's me. I'm here, the threat is over. You have nothing to worry about, Rising."

Because of the stroking, he flinched slightly and gently moved my hand away from his head. Despite my reluctance, I removed my left hand, obeying Rising's desire, and lowered it onto my knee. After a moment of silence, he tried to make an awkward smile, completely unsuccessfully, and replied: "I'm sorry, Mr. Sir boss, but. . . but after what happened, your stroking evokes, evokes, not the best memories. Please forgive me, but I really don't like it!"

Sighing, I just nodded slowly and said: "Okay, Rising, I'll respect your opinion. Just let me be there for a while and apologize. The fact that I didn't control myself doesn't negate my responsibility for hurting you. By the way, um, listen, I have a couple hundred bits in my room that I haven't spent. I can compensate for the harm I've done to you, at least partially. Just tell me what you want and I can buy it for you."

Yes, this reserve was planned to be used to create flamethrowers for personal use of soldiers. Completely replace conventional weapons. Well, or create at least one prototype. But the situation is like this. Making amends is a most important activity.

Rising in response, to my surprise, shook his head and replied with a small smile: "Thank you, sir, but I just don't need it. The most important thing for me is that you took the time to visit me. No one in my life has ever shown me as much attention as you. What else can I want besides this kind of attention?"

For a few seconds I just stared at the wounded thestral in surprise. Just to take and give up such an opportunity? Although on the other hand, if I were him, I wouldn't know what to ask for myself. In the end, I looked around and saw a chair in the room and asked, "Well, if you don't want anything, then I have no right to influence it in any way. Then I have my own request. Can I sit here with you for a while? In fact, a lot, at least a couple of hours. "Fortunately, Rising smiled slightly and said before yawning: " I'm only glad, sir. To be honest, I really wanted to sleep, but I couldn't. But I think it will be easier for me to do this with your company."

Yes, I will keep his dream alive. This is how I compensate for my guilt.

My hand reflexively reached out to the Rising head but a moment before touching and stopped myself. He doesn't want to be touched by me. Sighing, I slowly got up, went to a chair and sat down on it and said quietly: "Sleep well, Rising. No one will bother you. I promise."

In response, he simply nodded and with another nod turned over on his side with a small groan. After that, having heard no words or sounds other than his regular breathing, I propped my head with my left hand to keep myself conscious. While he's sleeping, I have to be active, otherwise it won't be a full-fledged atonement.

Sighing, I looked out the window of the room from which the sunlight was shining and muttered: "I think the darkness is over. Now my dawn will come."

My Perfect dawn.