The Mystery of the Iron Bird Festival

A bloodhound. That was exactly what Twilight could be called now, hurrying to the city of Zheltokopytovo. Her quest to find the remains of the Bird unexpectedly led to someone who could give all the answers. Rumors whispered to her that someone connected with the gods had come to the city of the yellow plains. He is mute, fearless and strong. It is unclear how true these rumors are. Maybe half or even less.

But the lavender alicorn had enough of that. Abandoning the search for traces of ponies who dared to steal the princess's property, she, with small teleportation jumps, was rapidly approaching a new lead.

***

The tossed coins clattered loudly on the table. The decision has been made — it's too late to retreat. The last hour Kramarenko was doing what he could not understand the mare. More precisely, he realized almost immediately, but it was very difficult to believe in the existence of a sect dedicated to the three hundred and twenty-fourth fighter aviation division.

Having turned the drawings of ponies in his hands, having looked at them both this way and that, the pilot tried to recreate the picture on a relatively recent event for him. It turned out that a certain goddess sent her Iron Birds to protect the ponies from fierce and greedy dragons. Having clashed with them in the sky, the once great dragons fled. Yes, that's right: two regiments of fighters were the very saviors. Only one thing got in the way — it happened many, or very many, years ago, and there was no explanation for it.

Perhaps you just have to accept that magic and the world itself sometimes defy logical explanation… Or maybe just a person misunderstood the idea stated on paper.

All this time, the few visitors stopped eating altogether and watched with caution until the captain's gaze did not frighten them away. Something has changed their attitude towards him very much and it is unclear whether for the better or for the worse.

Feeling a pleasant heaviness in his stomach and not quite in his head, the pilot got up, threw his bag over his shoulder and moved after the unicorn in a gray raincoat. And that's in this weather?

The sun really began to get hot, but the green filly seemed not to notice it. The path along which she led was familiar: Kramarenko came to this town by it. The gun, though it did not inspire complete confidence, but it can save more than once. The main thing before such a situation is to be ready not to give up.

The silence, tacitly observed, was interrupted by a large figure standing on the road.

No one was here a minute ago. — with such thoughts, the officer prepared for battle, but did not show it outwardly in any way.

Suddenly, the traveler threw off his hood. Her lilac eyes were fixed on the pilot. Radiating unhealthy curiosity with her whole appearance, she began to approach closer. For some reason, there was a certainty that this lavender unicorn pony was not a timid ten and could stand up for itself.

***

Twilight was getting closer and closer by the minute. The cape coped with its duties perfectly. And now silhouettes of houses appeared among the yellow "sea".

Overjoyed, the princess began to squeeze everything out of short teleportations until she stood rooted to the spot, not believing her eyes: a tall creature was walking along the road, something resembling a minotaur, but more cute. Short black hair was thrown back, but the fur was not visible. Instead of her green clothes, already dirty enough from the dust and sweat that so abundantly flooded the Messenger of the Iron Bird. Looking at this, Rarity was horrified by this. No bright colors for you, jewelry or anything else like that. But if you look at it from the other side, it was perfect for stealth… However, somewhere in the woods. Here he still stood out.
Next to him was a green unicorn in a gray raincoat…

The Order of the Iron Birds! the lavender alicorn almost exclaimed.

Twilight turned off her disguise and appeared before the travelers. The eyes involuntarily gazed at the Messiah. A little more and she lost possession, rushing to a meeting. Restraining her stupid and childish impulse, Twilight put on an equanimity on her face.

The unicorn clearly did not expect such a turn, but taking herself in the hooves, took a threatening pose. This Order has always been famous for its disobedience and secrecy. For Twilight, it will not be possible to solve it by force, because the Order can avenge its messiah. And there are Iron Birds behind the Messiah himself. To touch him is to bring trouble on Equestria.

Stopping five steps away from the Messiah, as the front legs of Twilight Sparkle, Alicorn and Princess Equestria bent in an obsequious bow.

Don't screw it up, Twi. the thought flashed through while the rest of the brain was thinking about what to do next. But I didn't have to take the first step.

The creature slowly, as if communicating with a wild beast, crouched down and began stroking the head, carefully bypassing the area of the pony's long horn. No one dared to stop the alien and very soon he removed his soft paw. Who knows, maybe that's how he greets in his sign language. In any case, this is not aggression, which is already good.

Suddenly, he turned away and reached into his saddlebag, pulling out a couple of sheets and an ordinary pencil. Using the bag as a primitive writing stop, he handed the pencil to Alicorn. She looked at him with incomprehension.

"Just draw what you want from the Son of the Iron Bird." The follower of the Order muttered with displeasure.

Nodding intelligently to the unicorn, the princess telekinesis took writing materials. Now it is clear who he is considered in the Order.

Almost immediately, a crazy idea came up. Beautifully drawing every detail, Twilight wanted to fully reveal her thought. It took her three minutes, and now the finished result falls into the unusual clutches of the Messiah. With each passing second, the look of the small eyes and the expression of the face became more and more unreadable for the two ponies.

***

As soon as the leaf landed right in the calloused hands of the pilot, the welcoming smile disappears from his face, despite all efforts not to change his good-natured appearance. After all, what was on this piece of paper could plunge anyone into a stupor. The painted man was kissing a pony with a long horn and wings (he can be seen presenting himself) against the background of a simplified wedding setting. There are not many options here, or rather, only one: this purple pony wants to get married.

Looking once again at the lavender pony and comparing it with what I saw on the square in the town, a clarification arises — a dynastic marriage concluded between a representative of a civilization unknown to them with a representative of the local government, perhaps even of noble blood.

Lowering the sheet to chest level, unconsciously covering the art, Kramarenko shakes his head negatively. As much as he didn't want to offend her, he wasn't going to do that. It's better the bitter truth than the evasive lie.

Noticing the upset look of the purple and the dissatisfied person, the green one hissed something angrily first. But before she gave an answer, the pilot brought the sheet to the muzzle of the defender. But she was even more bullied and was already ready to rush into a righteous battle, ala crusader for the papal faith.

Before the discontent erupts, the fighter pilot's hands spread out in different directions in a conciliatory gesture. The power is still not the same here as on Earth. She is more… Is it soft or something? They don't drag an alien by force, they don't forge him in shackles, and they don't arrange interrogations. Maybe it's just a wrapper, or maybe it's true.

The purple pony didn't argue or beg. He sighed in disappointment, she flashed her horn at parting, disappeared in the same purple flash as her.

The green one just looked around in disbelief and, finding nothing suspicious, moved on.

Expecting some more actions on the part of Violet, Kramarenko guessed that this pony would not leave him so easily. Now the question is how will she appear and what will she offer next time? This question remains unanswered, however, like many others.