I remember being surprised by how well my little idea worked. I may say that what I had the talent for, I was able to learn it incredibly quickly anyway, but it has never happened to me that I achieved results on the very first day with a completely new spell. This time, however, after only a few hours of practice, I was able to successfully disassemble one of my legs to the point where it looked like it was made of dust. I was so ecstatic about it, I even forgot about my fear that I might not be able to put myself back together again, but - perhaps thanks to that - I didn't have the slightest difficulty.

In a couple of weeks, I got to the point where I was able to exist in this "dissolved" form with my whole body - although it is worth mentioning that I later found it in the literature, and in this case the correct term was "dispersed". At first, I didn't see much of a practical use for it, unless I wanted to hide in a very small place, but I really enjoyed my new, self-developed, unique ability. Interesting... when I look at it this way, in retrospect I feel rather stupid for being surprised by the appearance of my own cutie mark in connection with the spell...

This was definitely the drawback of the clothes: they were the reason I missed the big moment. One evening I went to take a bath, as I usually did. I showered in a bit of a hurry, because I was quite sleepy that day, but while I was drying off with my towel I noticed that I missed a spot on my rump. I tried to rub the dirt off myself, but it was too stubborn, so I climbed back into the tub grumbling. Basically, I used up a week's worth of shower gel before realizing that the tiny, yellow dots were symmetrically present on both sides. And at first, I still thought I had contracted some nasty disease. It wasn't until I shook off the water and floated out of the tub with the help of my new spell that I realized: I had finally found what I'm really good at, and that scattered-sand-thingy is my cutie mark.

It was about time! Since last year, I've been the only one with a blank flank in the class, since in the fall Wish got her cutie mark. Perhaps she wouldn't have admitted it to us, only Stella revealed it after one of the P.E. classes, when they came out of the locker room. The green mare even tried to deny it at first, but eventually Jasper and I pestered her so much that she reluctantly pulled up her skirt, after she made us promise that we wouldn't make fun of her. I couldn't get it why she said that, since every pony is proud of their cutie mark. Even after she showed it to us, hiding in the shadows of the sports field, I understood only partially. The thin, slightly unfolded, asymmetrical black bow that adorned her flank did not seem to be enough of a reason for the girl to be on the verge of crying.

"I don't understand..." she sniffed desperately. "It’s so ugly..."

Of course, we immediately tried to comfort her, but for many minutes, all our words bounced off her. It was only when Jasper told her that she must have a special ability to be so adorably cute that she finally managed to smile a little. It also helped a little when we reminded her how much she loves bows, but it seemed that the only final solution would be to help her decipher the mysterious sign. I guessed that she managed to get a very allegorical cutie mark, and I was almost sure that what hurt her the most was that it apparently had nothing to do with magic, even though she was a talented unicorn and liked school-related things. Out of pure good intentions, I suggested that she consult an expert, but since she didn't want to hear about showing her rear to complete strangers, I could only promise her that I would think about the riddle.

Weeks later, I came up with a possibly usable theory that actually included the girl's magical abilities. I suspected that maybe I was just overcomplicating things with my twisted thinking - after all, most ponies had their cutie marks as simple as a pimple - but the end result suited Wish so well that I wanted to think it was true. The mare also accepted my explanation and, recovering from her temporary depression, came to terms with her cutie mark. I started my theory from the fact that Wish's dynamic magical power had increased by leaps and bounds over the years, but with the exception of teleportation, her independent magic usage was... not the best. On the other hoof, she was exceedingly talented at correcting other unicorns' incorrectly formed spells, and she was also very good at seeing the connections in the magical space. And since the bow on her flank was obviously not related to teleportation, but rather to the arrangement and untangling of ethereal threads, I logically connected it to that. I also added that if we take in account how introverted and mysterious she was, she shouldn't be surprised if her cutie mark reflects this as well. She smiled at my observations but also was visibly relieved by them.

Finally, all three of us had our cutie marks, but Jasper was still ahead of us. He already had quite specific plans for his life: he decided that when he reached the required age, he would become the Captain of the Canterlot Royal Guard. There was no talk of such a thing before, and then one day he came to school with that in mind. He was incredibly enthusiastic, and even though he could be talked into finishing some kind of specialised exam at the Academy - in some military course - he worked on the preparation every single day, and he included us in it as well. We regularly, almost every day, went out with him to the practice field next to the school to train, and of course to try out the techniques on which he essentially wanted to base his career. Of course, this consisted of him testing his skills on me, while Wish only looked at us from the sidelines and sometimes chimed in or corrected his spells if they went dangerously awry. Later - to be exact, after the concert, and that ambiguous cuddling - Ambrosia also joined us, but she always listened silently.

I couldn't wrap my head around her behavior. She always seemed happy to talk to me, but that was true about anypony else as well. It was a rarity if she approached somepony in a non-friendly way, with a toothy smile on her face, but she seemed to be actually following me. She didn't say anything directly about it, in fact, the topic didn't even come up, but I found my thoughts wandering back to her surprisingly often. During lessons, I often watched her luscious, flame-colored mane from behind her, wondering if she liked me. It also occurred to me countless times, maybe I could ask her if she wanted to go out with me, but I was simply too cowardly for that. Even though I didn't generally find it hard to talk to mares, how could I bring up something like that?

* * *

That day, only the three of us headed to the training grounds, as Ambrosia had other plans. If I remember correctly she was referring to some special class when she regretfully explained that she would not be able to come along with us. I was quite disappointed, if for no other reason, then because we didn't have a single class that afternoon, so we were completely free. Well, actually this was not true from two aspects, because we would have had class, but only after five, so we skipped it by mutual agreement. And we were allowed to do it, after all, just like Prof. Vapor's presentation, it would have been a hundreds-of-ponies-attending abomination, so it was obviously not mandatory. The other thing is that Wish had to get home early because she had to help with some cleaning-related stuff. I, on the other hoof, had no other planned program than to maybe go for a walk with Ambrosia after practice. I played with the idea of asking her if she would like to have something more than friendship between us. From that point of view, I could say it came in handy that she couldn't come, since otherwise I would have surely gathered my courage right now, I just fell victim to the circumstances.

"I feel like you're not really here with us today, Thread," Wish remarked on the way, snapping me out of my thoughts.

"What? Sorry, my head was in the clouds."

"Missing somepony from the group, hmm?" she asked with an impish smile.

"What do you mean?" I asked back with honest incomprehension.

"Are you seriously playing dumb?" she giggled. "Do you really think it didn't occur to us that there used to be four of us? Oh, and I'd say, it's not too hard to piece together that your little pink fillyfriend isn't coming here regularly because of us..."

"Ambrosia is not my fillyfriend. I mean, we're not together... like that or something, you see..."

I could read from Wish's mischievous look that whatever I say, it won't convince her. My face remained expressionless, but I felt myself turning pale. I tried to focus on my steps, but that only helped so much, as turning the unconscious movement into a conscious one, that I almost tripped over my own feet.

"I told Wish that ya ain't starin' at her all the time 'cause yer interested, but ya just happen to keep lookin' at her, and then ya can't take yer eyes off her..." said Jasper. "But ya see, she ain't believin' me! Everypony knows that stallions only stare at mares they are not attracted to, otherwise it would be quite confusin'..."

I wanted to retort, but nothing came to mind, so I just grimaced and silently turned away from them.

"Oh, I'm so sorry Thread, we didn't mean to hurt your feelings!" said Wish with a sudden alarm in her voice. "It's just that we've been best friends for so long and we want to know what's going on!"

"Okay... maybe I do like her..." I mumbled. "So what?"

"Oh wow!" she smiled again. "I think you two would make a beautiful couple! Has she said anything? How far did you get?"

"Yeah, get yerself ready, little filly here will get every secret out of ya!" Jasper warned with a serious nod.

"Well, I am a mare; I can't stand not knowing everything, especially about you!" Wish waved him off, then turned to me again, curiously waiting for my answer.

"Not much to say, really," I sighed.

"Alas?"

"Yeah... alas," I nodded reluctantly. "We just... like... I don't know, lay next to each other during that fantastic concert and, well... we sorta... touched. But I have no idea if it meant anything to her..."

"But she didn't pull away, right?" Wish asked.

"Actually, she started it..."

"Oh, congratulations, then!" she replied immediately.

"What...?"

"Look, if I were to lay next to somepony and touch him on purpose, I would definitely want something!"

"Even if it's... just with your tails?"

It was terribly uncomfortable to talk to my friends about such things, but I was genuinely interested in their opinion. Why in the world would I try to hide this from them, since I took them at their word on other issues as well! Just because Wish is a girl? Before everything else, she was my friend...

"Why, what were you two doing exactly?" she asked, the corners of her mouth turning up again.

I stopped for a moment, put my weight on my hind legs and placed my front hooves on top of each other. "Maybe we got a bit... entangled as well..." I added shyly.

"I'm proud of ya, son!" Jasper said in a deeper voice, patting my shoulder. "Just do be careful with the foals!"

"Didn't you just promise not to harass me?" I asked with an upset snort, because he managed to make me blush.

In return, Wish stomped on the stallion's hoof, although based on the weight difference between them, Jasper whinnied only out of politeness. After that, however, the mare stepped a little closer to me and gave me an endearing grin.

"You don't have to tell him anything, but... would you share a few details with me in case anything happens?"

"You became very curious all of a sudden!" I snorted again, though much less upset this time. "All right, if we do start dating in the future, you will be the first two ponies to know about it. Deal?"

"She just wants the juicy details, trust me!" Jasper piped in.

Wish blushed furiously so I immediately pounced on the opportunity. "Oh, so you're planning to share more intimate things with us too when you'll have a coltfriend?" I asked her with raised eyebrows.

"Why, are you interested?" she tried to use my question against me, but I didn't give it up that easily.

"But of course! You know what? If you need help with what stallions like us enjoy, we can discuss that too!"

The mare looked at me with a shock in her dinner-plate-sized eyes for a moment, but then she pulled her mouth into a sly smile. "You're bluffing, Thread! You are even shyer than me. When it comes to..." She couldn't finish it, as she jumped forward with a surprised squeal. She turned to face us and straightened her skirt in confusion.

"Mister Colorless here may be a tad shy, but I ain't," Jasper grinned. "Ya gonna tell me, cutie pie? Listen, if ya need mental support, I'll be there for ya for the first time, and I'll give ya advice along the way!" he added with a more serious face.

"You're incorrigible, Jasper!" Wish poked her tongue out mockingly. "But I guess I don't have to worry about that happening. As lame as I am, I'll never get myself a coltfriend anyway."

She let us catch up, then she joined us again.

"With this attitude, you might never..." I stated.

"Well, whatever!" she giggled happily. "I'm accustomed to not being wanted by anypony. It's a miracle you two put up with me!"

She said it so cheerfully, I just couldn't wrap my head around it. Sometimes she had such strange ways of expressing herself...

"You know, sometimes I don't get you," I said, but she just waved me off.

"Yeah, come to think of it, what about you, Jasper?" she turned to him. "Any mares on the horizon for you?"

"Ya know that the answer is a big nah... Sure I could find myself under a huge pile of needy fillies in a moment’s notice, but I don't have time for them, that’s all."

"Luring them to yourself with your exceptional humility, huh?" I snickered.

"And what about that chick from Trottingham you asked out on the beach last time?" Wish didn't even wait for Jasper to have a chance to answer. "You weren't keeping much eye contact with her..."

"Yes, because she was wearing such a small swimsuit!" explained the stallion nervously. "I am neither blind nor stupid!"

"Hehe, gotcha!" she grinned. "The correct answer would have been that you're not interested in birds, only ponies!"

"Now ya've gone and done it!" Jasper shouted.

He lunged at Wish with one of his hoofs, barely missing punching me in the nose, but the mare dodged in time. The stallion, however, didn't leave it at that: he immediately rushed at her to catch her, but this time Wish teleported a few steps aside, and then, just like the stallion, she jumped into a gallop. Laughing wildly, she let Jasper chase her, but whenever he got dangerously close, she always teleported away from him. For a while I had a lot of fun watching these two fool foals, but then I continued on my way to the training ground. I was like, if we don't get there much later, I won't disturb them, but after a few minutes I had to whistle after them so that they would notice that we weren't alone - the surprised looks of some of our fellow students who were trotting about were not enough in themselves.

We managed to get there after they calmed down a bit. Just to get things back in order, before we entered the slag-strewn circle with a radius of several meters, Jasper quickly pulled Wish's tail, making the mare jump again, and that was it. Wish sat on the four-row platform intended for spectators, and we positioned ourselves opposite each other. Fortunately, it was still quite early, and those who wanted to spend the afternoon practicing were mostly in their classes, so the course around us were empty. It meant we had to pay less attention to other ponies' physical health, although that wasn't usually a problem anyway, since Wish was always on the lookout for our spells going astray.

It was no different that day. After a little warm-up, Jasper threw his magical spikes shaped like his favorite knives at me to defend against or avoid them. He was able to summon several such magical weapons at the same time and aim them with his two front hooves, sometimes showing surprising new moves, so recently I had to pay very close attention to escape his attacks unscathed. However, thanks to my new trick, I was able to cheat a little. If I was even a little unsure of whether I could focus my shield in time - although this was not exactly my strong point - or if I could throw myself aside, I simply disintegrated myself into small specks of dust, and the blades penetrated my body without hindrance.

Of course, this was also an important aspect, that here I had to use this new ability all the time, especially as Jasper casted his spells more and more skillfully and faster. It really seemed like he was born for this: he rained his magical weapons on me almost non-stop, only taking a minimum time with his aim, or with his jumps and other maneuvers imitating a combat situation. He didn't even expect a counterattack from me, and rightfully so, since he had absolute dominance on the "battlefield", and I only knew combat spells at a very minimal level. I could have only thrown a few basic elemental spells at him, if he let me get to that point...

That's why, since we were so busy with each other, we didn't even notice what was happening around us. We trained energetically in the beginning, towards the end we soaked our fur and clothes with our own sweat. However, when I reformed myself from dust to raise my leg asking for a break, I saw something that made my heart skip a beat - which my body did not particularly appreciate after the hard physical and mental exertion.

Wish was still sitting on the edge of the "spectator's terrace", staring at us with a perfectly straight back, motionless, but ears pinned back and pupils as big as my hooves. I didn't have to look long for the reason; above her, in the middle of the bench, sat a no lesser pony than Princess Celestia herself. Behind her stood two gruff bodyguards in gold armor, holding long spears. However, there weren't any more soldiers with them as I looked, so that seemed to somewhat contradict my first thought that they were here to arrest somepony. Of course, this still didn't rule out the possibility that the Violet girl, as "the Princess's confidante", instigated this whole mess for some reason...

"Huff!" Jasper sighed loudly. "Y'hear two more, and... 'Sup?

I was waving madly with my hoof in front of my mouth, but it took a bit of time for him to tick. Only when I cautiously nodded towards the small platform - Princess Celestia stood up, keeping her eyes on us the whole time, thus making it clear to me beyond all doubt that she was looking for us - did he turn around. The same moment the stallion jumped into perfect attention and saluted. I have never learned such a thing, so I thought it better to kneel down with my head held down. In the meantime, however, I was quite a bit relieved, because seeing Jasper's salute, it occurred to me that the Princess might have heard about my friend's motivations and was just curious about him.

"Hello, my little ponies!" the most gracious female voice I've heard in my life greeted us.

"Your Majesty!" I replied loudly at the same time as Jasper, still facing the ground.

"Feel free to look at me!" spoke the Princess again, in a voice as if she found our reaction amusing.

I obeyed. The snow-white alicorn stood in front of us with majestically spread wings and looked down at us with a cheerful smile. Now she was not wearing that fiery, sparkly dress she used to wear at the Summer Sun Celebration, nor the more modest, though no less ornate, blue-green evening dress that I saw her in at the Grand Galloping Gala, when I was allowed to participate a long time ago. This time, she wore something simpler - although it still cannot be called street wear in the ordinary sense - a white dress with straps, which was apparently more comfortable than the previous ones, but it emphasized the Princess's own beauty much more.

I must admit, I've never seen her from this close before, and I was stunned by the sight. If there was an ideal mare, it was her that was beyond dispute for me. Her mane, that softly fluttering, pale rainbow, constantly hid one beautifully curved, mischievously squinting eye from me, but the other was just enough to get myself lost in it...

"May I ask your names?" the Princess's velvety voice rang in my ears again.

"I'm Jasper Volley and he's Life Thread!" my friend replied without hesitation, I must add, very correctly, because I was temporarily unable to make a sound.

"I heard you are considering a career in the military, dear Jasper Volley,” Celestia said, motioning to one of her bodyguards.

"Yes, your Majesty!"

"I hope you will remain enthusiastic and persistent about your goals," the Princess nodded, then, assuming a noble posture, lifting one of her front legs from the ground, she turned towards me and looked straight into my eyes. "The talent you possess is very special, Life Thread, but you still have a long way to go before you can discover its true power. If you'd like, I'll be happy to help you learn the subtleties of this magic."

I would be lying if I said that I understood the meaning of her words then and there. All I could think about was Princess Celestia is talking to me, and I couldn't get any further in my thoughts.

"Feel free to consider it, you don't have to answer right away!" the Princess squinted amiably then waving her long mane, she turned away from me and left with her little entourage in the most dignified manner imaginable. "You can find me in the palace."

I have no idea how long I stood there with my feet stuck to the ground, but the next thing I knew, Jasper was waving his hoof in front of my face. "Ya hear, yer such a lucky bastard!" he declared, shaking his head, when I returned his gaze.

"Did this actually happen?" I asked, my own voice sounding completely unfamiliar.

"Sure, you mule! How can you be such a jerk? Why didn't you say yes?"

"I couldn't get myself to speak..." I saw that Wish was heading our way so I turned to her instead. "Do you also think I was acting like a jerk?"

"Well..." she grimaced.

"Oh my goodness!" I reached up and held my head with my front legs. "Mommy, help me! What should I do now?"

"Immediately gallop after her, apologize, and tell her that you want to be her disciple more than anything!" To emphasize the urgency of the call, Jasper gave me a push with his head, which caused me to fall over on the small dirt track, decorating the hitherto untouched parts of my clothes and fur with rusty-red spots.

"I can't stand in front of her like this!" I moaned as I struggled to my feet. "Look, I'm dirty, sweaty and smelly! My goodness, I've been like this before; what is she thinking of me now!"

"Surely that you must be a lunatic that actually works so hard out until breaking a sweat..." said Jasper, surprisingly irritated. "Just go already!"

"But..."

"Thread..." Wish put her hoof soothingly on my shoulder, even though she was apparently still under the influence of the events. "Go home, take a shower, change your clothes, then when you've collected yourself, request an audience from the Princess, thank her generosity and accept this honorable offer!"

"Thank..."

"Go!"

* * *

Too many thoughts were running through my head. I galloped home as fast as I could, although I was still tired enough only to be able to trot along the last street, panting. For now, I had no idea what I was going to say to my parents, but I was sure that if I told them exactly what happened, they wouldn't let me continue until they had questioned me thoroughly. Driven by a sudden idea, I aimed for the window and using my favorite spell, I flew into the house as a pretty little cloud of dust. I only stopped for a moment to look around, but then I headed straight for the bathroom. I had to slow down a bit while I squeezed myself through the keyhole in this form, but then I took shape again with a big sigh. I grimaced when I saw the smudged reddish marks my hooves left on the floor, but it was nothing compared to when I looked in the mirror. My head should have been declared a disaster area... So much for first impressions; I really hoped my terrible appearance was more to be attributed to the previous rush.

I opened the faucet above the tub, setting it to uncomfortably warm, then I poured in a couple of types from the bubble baths on the shelf. I threw my clothes down next to the laundry rack, then took out our coarsest-bristle bath brush and, equipped with it, I climbed into the water with a sharp hiss. When enough of the foaming hotness had collected, I bent my legs and dipped in it to at least loosen the dirt from my fur a little, and then I began to rub myself with the brush with increasingly strong movements.

Meanwhile, I finally had time to gather my thoughts. I could still hardly comprehend that Princess Celestia really wanted to accept me as her apprentice. Me! I didn't even think of it in the first place when I tried to interpret her words, but Wish said it so convincingly... Maybe she simply misunderstood, as I did... Although it's true, it was still a great honor to talk to her - even if I myself didn't even speak. Of course, I vowed, this time it won't be like that, and no matter how difficult it may be, I will open my mouth and exchange meaningful sentences with her!

If I can even get there! I had never been inside the palace before, so I only had vague ideas about the place. Thanks to this, an unnavigable labyrinth has formed in my head, which is full of exactly the same-looking corridors, and if I ask anypony where to go, even the directions will be completely useless. Every other pony shall stop and ask me what the heck I'm doing there, and then I'll have to explain that I'm answering the Princess's summons, but that's what everypony would say anyway, so nopony shall believe me and I'd better just get on with my business and not dirty the expensive carpets with my bare hooves!

And what if I do succeed and Princess Celestia really wants to take me as her private student? I didn't even have the best grades or abilities in the class, so how could I live up to her expectations? It would be a real shame if after a few weeks she said to just forget the whole thing! Even if I wasn't a "one trick pony", I wouldn't have been able to show anything really outstanding apart from this dispersion spell. Or if the Princess takes me under her wing, will she teach me a whole different perspective on magic? Or would she be content to develop this one skill of mine to whatever level she prefers?

And what about the Academy and my friends? Of course, we can still meet at any time outside of school, but it's still different from spending most of our days together in the first place. I loved my class, and I already had some vague plans regarding my specialization. If Princess Celestia takes over my education, will it all go down the drain? I've seen Nimbus Strike, his only protégé, occasionally during presentations, but I couldn't draw any far-reaching conclusions from that.

But why am I pondering this at all? This is an opportunity of a lifetime; if I even think about saying no, I'm the biggest idiot in all of Equestria! How could I look into Wish and Jasper's eyes after that? Or in the mirror?

Does Princess Celestia give any papers about her tutelage...?

Poor Jasper seemed quite upset... I hoped that he didn't get too jealous and that in time he would be able to enjoy my success with me. My success! I haven't even done anything yet! Maybe I indulged myself a little too much in the various events unfolding in my imagination. The logical thing would be if I just let myself drift with the events for now.

I hissed in pain. I had managed to rub my skin with the brush until it almost glowed red under my wet, matted fur, and when I stopped torturing it, it still throbbed and ached for several minutes. So much about organizing my thoughts... It just got worse than before. Sometimes it would be easier to forget everything and just simply exist in the world! Like a potato...

I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, pulled the plug from the tub, and imagined that the water, as it slowly trickled down from me, was taking my thoughts with it. I exhaled as slowly as I could and tried to clear my head. I stood motionless for minutes, taking slow breaths, until the water was only dripping from my tail and stomach. Then I lifted my towel and carefully soaked up the remaining moisture with it, so as not to expose my sensitive skin to unnecessary irritation. I climbed out of the tub, sprayed myself with my favorite deodorant - although it burned like Tartarus - and then I brushed my teeth as thoroughly as I had never done before in my life. I even used mouthwash, even though it usually made me sick, and then I attacked my mane with all my knowledge and strength. I didn't leave tangled locks, but I kept my characteristic, always slightly "unruly" hairstyle, after all, it wasn't my goal that Princess Celestia wouldn't recognize me. I used magic to dry myself a little more, then opened the door a crack and poked my nose out.

It was quiet in the living room, even though my mom could have been home this early. I got out of the bathroom and trotted up to my room, naked as I was. I quickly locked the door, then dumped the entire contents of my wardrobe onto my bed. I had to search for a bit before I found a shirt suitable for the occasion. When I dropped it, it crumpled up a bit, but I restored it to its original state with a quick spell. Isn't integrity recreation a wonderful thing? Soon I was in full combat gear, and when I looked in the mirror, I was basically satisfied with the sight.

I still didn't hear any noises from inside the house, but to be safe, I left through the window instead, floating onto the street as a fine little cloud of dust. I looked for a place where I could calmly take shape without being noticed by anypony, and then, walking like a normal pony again, I set off through the streets towards the palace. I tried to avoid standing out as much as possible in such clothes, but time passed alarmingly quickly, and I almost didn't notice when I reached the ornate staircase that ultimately led to the throne room.

In a way I was lucky that I didn't have to ask anypony about the right direction: a tall, well-groomed stallion came up at the top of the stairs just then and already beckoned me to follow. In retrospect, I found it strange that the Princess apparently not only knew that I was going to say yes, but was also preparing for my arrival at that exact moment - which, I must admit, was quite frustrating - but then and there, I was too busy staring at his ruffled dress that I couldn't even take a good look around. And when I heard his voice, from then on, I had to wage a desperate battle against myself, so as not to ask him whether his barndoor swings the other way...

However, all this became completely insignificant to me when I saw that particular gate. Two stallions in gold armor were standing guard in front of it, as well as a small line of ponies waiting, giving me the false illusion of security for a few seconds, that I still had time to mentally prepare for meeting the Princess, but my escort simply walked around line without hesitation and beckoned to me as well. Just as I stopped, the door already opened, a very elegant mare stepped out, and my guide let me in without delay. I could almost feel the angry looks on my backside, but there was nothing I could do about it: I was not in control of the events...

I was a little afraid to look up at the throne, but my curiosity proved stronger. Princess Celestia sat dignified in her seat surrounded by her two bodyguards, but she smiled at me so cheerfully that it made my whole-body shudder. I half-heartedly tried to reciprocate the gesture, so as not to stand in front of the alicorn - hopefully my future master - with this terrible pout...

"Hello, Life Thread!" the Princess greeted me with unparalleled joy in her voice.

"Your Majesty!"

I bowed deeply; my nose almost touched the ground. I had the feeling that the Princess might have found it funny that I was all dirty before, and now I was dressed so spectacularly. But what kind of impression would it give if I stood in front of her like that?

"You may call me Celestia! And come closer!

"Thank you, Princess Celestia!" I looked up again and smiled. I carefully stepped closer, being very careful not to make my movements look unnatural. "And thank you very much for your generous offer; if it's still standing, I'd like to take it up!"

"Wonderful!" stated the Princess cheerfully. "You have a really great talent, Life Thread, I haven't met a pony in a long time who could perform this magic so beautifully. Tell me, who taught you? As far as I know, it is not currently included in the curriculum of any major at my school."

"I learned it by myself" I said proudly, but I immediately realized that this was at best a half truth, and it most certainly sounded quite immodest. "I mean, more precisely, the integrity recreation part was taught by Professor Tome, and the idea for the rest was given by Professor Vapor Yield."

"Great!" nodded the Princess, although I couldn't figure out exactly what she meant. "Now tell me what you are planning to use it for?"

She completely threw me off guard with her question. On second thought, she was absolutely justified to ask. And yet... I hadn't thought about this at all. I enjoyed being able to do it, I included it in my daily routine, it clearly served me well in my battles with Jasper, but to have any other goal with it...

"I don't know, I haven't given it much thought yet," I answered bewildered.

"This is not a problem at all, don't panic!" Princess Celestia smiled. "I was just curious, but it may also change over time anyway. I will be happy to teach you as long as the limits of your abilities allow, and of course as long as you want."

"You are very generous to me, Princess Celestia..." I bowed again.

"But?"

"I'm just worried... what if I don't live up to your expectations?"

"You don't need to worry about expectations but your own." she smiled warmly. "I've already seen what you're capable of, and that's more than enough for me. I won't go back on my word if that's what you mean."

"Thank you, Princess Celestia! You honour me beyond words!"

"Although it would be great, unfortunately I can't deal with you right now due to my busy schedule," declared the Princess, but that charming smile did not disappear from her face for a moment. "Likewise, I don't want you to neglect your other duties because of this little special education. I can find time for you usually after sunset, mainly on Tuesdays and Fridays, and since I understand you're from Canterlot, I assume that won't be too much of a problem for you. Of course, if you have any questions or problems, you can also contact me. If you can't find me or I'm out of the palace, feel free to contact Mr. Eye Candy! He accompanied you here and will be at your disposal in the future."

"Thank you very much, Princess!" I bowed again. "I promise, I will do everything to reciprocate your kindness to me!"

"You're easy to please," Princess Celestia giggled. "Then let's meet on Friday, for the sake of simplicity, in the same place! I will make sure we are not disturbed unless it is a matter of life and death."

* * *

I felt absolutely unstoppable. I was able to walk past the outraged queuers with a relatively expressionless face, but even before I left the palace my smile couldn't be washed off my face. I trotted along the streets with my tail proudly held high, not even caring about anypony. At home, when I announced the big news, they were basically jumping circles around me, just as I expected. I also couldn't wait to brag to my classmates - not least Ambrosia - that from now on they could be friends with Princess Celestia's private student. I had to celebrate this, but that alone is no fun, so as soon as I felt that I had spent enough time with my parents, I headed to Starswirl Dormitory, now in a bit more comfortable clothes.

They let me in at the door without a hitch: they already knew me, I went there practically every day. I couldn't find Jasper in his room though, and his roommates didn't know where he was either. Let's say I wasn't making much effort finding him, after all he already knew enough about the situation anyway, and I still had the strange feeling about him that he was jealous of me. So I headed towards Lotus's and Scorch's room instead. Wish probably still had to help at home, and if Jasper wanted to avoid contact with me for a bit, I didn't want to be making a nuisance of myself.

Luckily for me, the guys were in their place, and with them were Cavern and Stella. The mare stretched out comfortably on her coltfriend's bed, resting her chin on Lotus's shoulder. The stallions weren't doing anything important either, and they apparently didn't plan to go to the class that started around five, because they were sitting at the small table between their beds, and all of them, except for Stella, had a good amount of cards in their hooves, and in front of them were rows of chips in various colors and quantities.

They didn't pay any attention to me. It's true that I didn't knock, but the door was open so I just let myself in... Even after my silent greeting, only Stella flopped onto her back and waved at me lazily, but the others were deeply engrossed in the game. I rather just watched in silence, sitting next to the girl, since I didn't even recognize the type of cards, let alone the game itself.

"What is this?" I whispered to Stella after a few rounds.

"Red forty-one hundred, but Mirthy will fail spectacularly," the white mare told me in a voice that was not at all restrained, leaning her hind hooves against my side.

I didn't get an answer to my question, but I didn't want to emphasize my ignorance any more.

"Suck my dick, Stella...” Scorch snarled from across the table, shrouding his face with his jet-black mane.

"You called redouble, bro," remarked Lotus, and stroked Stella's face with his free hoof.

"Alright, then," the crimson stallion sighed. "For the sake of variety, you can suck my dick as well!"

I had a feeling that I wouldn't be able to participate in the conversation or the party, but I wanted to wait for the end. It didn't take long, Lotus took the last couple of rounds with a good laugh, and Scorch, true to his habits, sent everypony to Tartarus - but after the purple stallion swept the chips in front of him, he already collected the deck and started mixing it with practiced movements. I had to strike now before they started another match...

"And what would Princess Celestia say if she found out what a gambling den was here?" I tried to introduce my news from as far away as possible.

"Meh, she doesn't give a crap about us!" Cavern waved dismissively.

"Just be careful before one of her students might tell her!" I grinned.

A few seconds of silence followed my words. Apparently, none of them understood what I was trying to subtly imply, or they didn't even get to the point that I was alluding to something that requires explanation. Only Stella patted me lazily with her hind legs between my ribs.

"Congrats!" she added. "How did you do it?"

Now this got their attention. In no time I became the center of the company; I had to tell everything to them, and one time wasn't enough. Even Lotus's other roommate joined us, who didn't even speak to me before, but suddenly became very informal towards me. Soon, a couple of bottles of beer came out of the fridge, bringing me leaps and bounds closer to the party atmosphere that had permeated me until now and that I longed for.

And of course, nothing could be kept a secret with the door open: the residents of the dormitory inevitably found out what we were discussing in the small room. The historic moment's - taking into account how rarely Princess Celestia took students under her wings these days, I can say without modesty that it really was - slightly alcoholic wind gradually permeated the entire building, attracting more and more interested ponies... towards me.

I wasn't exactly used to being popular, and I didn't really know what to do with it. Everypony wanted to congratulate me, everypony wanted to introduce themselves to me, which I let them do, and after the second bottle of beer it didn't bother me at all, but in return it would not have been possible to get any stranger's name out of me even by torture, even if they only asked within ten seconds of meeting them.

I tried to stay close to my friends as much as possible - and of course, continue to drink - which didn't turn out to be difficult from the point of view that Scorch kept following me everywhere, as if we had suddenly become best friends. However, the accumulating, encroaching crowd pushed me out into the corridor a couple of times, and it was not an easy task to get back to the room from there. Somepony also got some music going from somewhere, making it quite difficult to have any kind of meaningful conversation, but by then it had already become apparent that the whole party was not about me for some time now, and although I still attracted more attention than usual, I was really just an excuse to have a party. It didn't particularly bother me, but I got a little bored after a while. I wandered around aimlessly, instinctively looking for emptier spots in the crowd, slowly but surely moving away from everypony.

It must have been the effect of the booze, but when I found myself loitering on the street, watching the strange, bustling-musical-sounding building, I seriously thought I had managed to accidentally learn teleportation. Smiling languidly, I leaned against a nearby lamppost - luckily, my senses didn't let me down and it was really there - and I closed my eyes.

"...nice friends they are," remarked somepony next to me sarcastically.

"Huh...?" I moaned after a half-minute of thinking.

"Jasper and Wish." A raven-black mane and a pair of green eyes swam into my field of vision when I forced myself to look up again. From this I soon identified my dear good old pal, Scorched Earth, alias Mirthwhistle. "They didn't even bother to show up."

"Got stuff to do, dunno," I shrugged, almost losing my balance in the process. "I think... Wish had somethin'..." I searched for words for a bit but came up with nothing. "Somethin' stuff, I think..."

"I don't get it what you like in that mare!" Scorch continued his thoughts. "She's such a nerdy gray mouse."

"Shuddup, she's cutesy...!" I shook my head and closed my eyes again. It was already getting dark, almost time for me to get into my soft li'l bed...

"Please tell me you don't want anything from her!" the stallion put a hoof on my shoulder. "You're wasting too much time on her already, and you wouldn't get along anyway."

I didn't particularly feel like trying to decipher what he meant by that. "Okay," I murmured. "Hey, so... Could you, like... take me home...?"

"Sure, mate, you can count on me!"

Somehow, the stallion switched places with the lamppost in my support, so I finally dared to move. At least I didn't have to open my eyes, it was enough to put one foot after the other. It was really very generous of him to help me out like that...

I have no more memories of that evening, but Scorch afterwards claimed - embarrassing me hugely by it - that I did not want to enter our gate, as I insisted that he take me to Ambrosia because I wanted to confess my love to her. Fortunately, that didn't happen, and what's more, I didn't even run into the mare that day, for which I was very grateful to fate afterwards. And somehow, I got into my bed, and the next day I woke up with only a headache, but my parents didn't say a single bad word about my condition. I don't know how Scorch managed all this, but I owed him a debt of gratitude...

Author's Note

They were playing Ulti, a hungarian card-game.