Author's Notes:

Instead of doing bigger chapters, I decided to update even more frequently.

Enjoy.

A couple of days have passed since then. Sirius has greatly improved his skills in both magic and language, albeit he could only levitate and couldn't build too complex sentences. Overall, he was a little bit below average. However, the Commonlang was indeed very easy to learn. He was pretty sure it was the reason for the language to be common in the first place. Everything made sense in it: sentence structure, pronunciation was the the same throughout the words, even the speech flowed naturally.

Neither Celestia nor Luna tried to meddle with him anymore. He was grateful they didn't even ask him any questions that regard his past. They were indeed helping him adjust to the new world, and he was thankful it didn't go further than that.

Luna tried to teach him magic but failed. He hid his new ability from her, fearing she would somehow exploit it. Until the time comes, she will remain oblivious to his magic. He will make sure she does.

Luna became sad and frustrated over her attempts at teaching him even the basic form of levitation. She didn't know he already could do it and blamed herself for not being able to teach him. Not only that, but he was still cold towards her, not even letting her too close to him. She had a motherly desire — to hug him, to share her warmth, make him feel better. However, he wouldn't let her, and she didn't push too hard. She feared he would hurt her because of it, and she clearly saw he didn't want anyone near him. He would fight if needed to.

She and her sister were also busy with finding a suitable school for the colt. They wanted to make sure no harm would be done to him. Teenagers could sometimes be unwelcoming towards a new student, and the two sisters feared such a thing would escalate into a violent conflict. It was clear Sirius would fight to the end and wouldn't let anyone harm him without consequences.

Making sure he doesn't feel like he's in prison, Celestia and Luna let him walk around the castle. He had clear access to most parts of it, excluding the kitchen and personal quarters of either princesses. However, he was being watched over by the guards. There wasn't a single part of the castle where they didn't stand guarding.

Sirius discovered one very interesting thing he became very interested in. On that particular day, he decided to visit it.

At another end of the castle, he entered a big hall. It was the training hall of the Royal Guard. The guards at the entrance watched him closely as he walked into the hall and sat so that he won't be too noticeable.

The training was in progress, and the stallions were practicing swordplay at that moment. Short swords, longswords, even greatswords were used to train for possible combat situations. Even in the years of peace, the guards trained hard to be ready for everything. They were elite for a reason.

"Colt, what are you doing here?" one of them approached him. The stallion seemed slightly older than others. He had white fur, blue mane and tail with a streak of cyan, and blue eyes. His armor was different from others', featuring different colors and more elements.

"Watching." Sirius replied. After a couple moments, he said, "I won't mess things up."

"Alright, then. Just stay out of the way, please." the stallion nodded, and then returned to other guards.

Sirius carefully observed the training. All stallions were divided into the groups of three. Two stallions fought while the third observed and judged. Then, they changed places. After a couple of rounds, ponies would switch with others, making sure everyone trains with everyone.

Their technique was mostly focused on defensive side of combat and takedown. The blows were aimed at the legs, and head was being avoided. However, they also trained for possible kill-or-be-killed situations where their lives would depend on their ability to strike the most vital parts of the body swiftly and deadly, as well as evade blows of their foes.

It was pretty interesting for Sirius to watch. He was always interested in dueling as a way of keeping himself fit. Swordplay requires strength, agility, reaction, and swiftness of thinking. With all of the requirements combined, victory was almost completely assured. He might take it up once more when he learns levitation enough to handle a sword without cutting himself. Besides, he might buy himself a sword to protect himself. There wasn't really any downside besides maybe receiving strange looks, and he couldn't care less about them.

***

After observing for at least half an hour, Sirius went back to his room. On his way, he encountered Celestia. She greeted him, but he ignored her and passed her by without so much as a look. The princess sighed sadly, watching as Sirius disappeared around the corner. He was just as cold towards her as he was at her sister.

"Princess!" she heard a voice behind her. She turned around and saw a young stallion rushing to her.

"What's the matter?" Celestia asked with interest. The stallion stopped near her, breathing heavily. "Easy, easy. Take a few deep breaths."

"The reply has arrived." the stallion said, levitating a letter to his princess. He wheezed.

"You didn't need to rush so fast." the princess noted.

"Your majesty, you told me to inform you as soon as possible!" the stallion replied, still gasping for air.

Unbeknownst to the two, Sirius returned and watched the two from around the corner.

"While hurting yourself in the process?" Celestia raised a brow. The stallion blushed in embarrassment.

"I, I'm sorry, your majesty." he said in shame.

"You don't need to." the princess replied. "Just remember it for the future. For now, dismissed. Get some rest"

The stallion bowed and went his way.

"Hm..." Celestia opened the letter and started reading it. Unfortunately for eavesdropping Sirius, she didn't read out the contents of the letter out loud. Though, she did say something: "They accepted... I should tell Luna."

Even that sentence alone spoke volumes. Sirius highly suspected the letter to be about him. Were the princesses giving him away to someone? He wouldn't allow her to hide it.

"Princess." he headed straight towards her. "Is this letter about me?"

Celestia looked at him in surprise, and then frowned.

"Eavesdropping is a bad habit." she said.

"Hiding things about me from me is a bad... thing." Sirius countered, looking her in the eyes. "If it is about me, I need know."

"Well... it does concern." the princess admitted. "Luna and I have been searching for a school for you. We alone can't teach you. And believe me, we wanted to tell you once the time comes."

"It comes when things happen. You are late." Sirius said, his distrust in the princesses growing. "You could tell me. You didn't. You think I let it slip?" he glared at her. "You think me stupid? You—" he gestured at her. "Disgusting to me. How you rule if you not tell... truth to whom need it?" he snorted. "I'm looking forward to not seeing you again. Your sister, too. Ever." he turned around and continued his way back to his room.

"Sirius, I—"

"Away with apologies." he replied, not turning.

"Sirius, please listen to me!" Celestia said louder, following him. "We simply don't know how to talk to you. We don't know how to treat you. Only if you could help us understand what you want..."

"Oh, I want one thing." Sirius turned to her. "To be left alone." he said through gritted teeth. "I never asked for help. Why you keep giving it?"

"You seem like you're lost. You're not from here, you haven't known our language until recently." Celestia replied, stepping closer. "Even you don't know why you are here."

Sirius looked down. He really didn't.

"Please, let us help you adjust to the new environment. My sister and I see how unfamiliar everything is to you. Then, we will let you go. You will be able to go wherever you like." the princess continued. "Please, accept at least this."

Sirius was silent for a few moments. He didn't have anywhere to go, he didn't have the necessary knowledge to be indistinguishable from other ponies.

He was also completely alone. As much as he hated to admit it, as much as he wanted to like the loneliness, as much as he wanted to stay away from people, he felt this longing to at least hear someone speaking. Not necessarily to him, though.

He thought. Without the help, he would be out there in the wilderness, struggling to find food and water, living in the dirt. He would be even less than he was at that moment.

"I..." he started, finding a sudden lump in his throat. "Alright..." he found himself on the verge of tears. "I w-will." his voice cracked at the end. He turned around and quickened his pace. He couldn't allow Celestia to see him like that.

She looked at him in confusion. His sudden mood change greatly surprised her and brought even more questions about him.

***

He entered his room, went to his bed, and jumped on it, letting the tears flow. He sobbed quietly, burying his head in the pillows, trying to drown in them.

He was stressed beyond relief. He thought he didn't need any help but on the inside he was screaming for it. His broken mind was shouting at him for pushing everyone away. He desperately needed someone or something to relieve his stress, to help him, to be by his side.

But he feared. He was afraid of letting anyone near him. In the past, he has been fooled, deceived, and betrayed. Too many times he has experienced pain because he let someone too close. He suffered even more from letting other people know about his inner problems.

He was way worse than before. All those days after his successful and yet failed suicide, he was feeling extremely depressed. His only way out turned out to be just another way in. After death, he found only pain. Not only physical — he could endure that, but emotional. He found himself being fooled and deceived yet again as the truth was hidden from him for a reason he didn't understand.

He sobbed and sobbed, staining the pillows with his tears. He was so weak, and he hated himself for it. He mustn't show emotions — they can be easily exploited by others.

He heard the door opened. He wiped his tears, sat up, and turned around. It was Luna standing at the doorway.

"Sirius?" she called him. "Are you alright?"

He didn't answer. He was staring at her with his reddened eyes.

"What happened?" she asked.

An uncontrollable tear rolled down Sirius' cheek. He sighed shakily.

"Sirius," Luna walked closer to him and sat in front of him. "Please, tell me what happened. Maybe I can help you."

He was shouting at himself inside. He shouldn't have stopped to listen to Celestia. He shouldn't have cried.

He should've drowned in that lake with the red leaf around his body to prevent him from struggling.

His death should've been final.

"I see you're angry at me and my sister." Luna said, looking him in the eyes. "I understand why. We weren't doing good to you. We didn't know how to approach you. But we know you are damaged. But please, listen to me. We don't want to force our help on you. But let us at least help you with some very important things, and then we will leave you alone. You need to go to school to study, and you will be free from us from then on. Maybe you will make a couple of friends you'll be able to trust and rely on."

Sirius was still silent. He wanted to shout at Luna and maybe even punch her, but the other side of him told him not to do it.

Maybe it was it. His chance to start over. His chance to evade mistakes he has done throughout his life. A chance to live... maybe. Or at very least pretend to be living. Hide himself from the world and pretend he's alright. It wouldn't be that hard.

"...Yes." he finally said. "You prepare me for school. We part, and I am then alone. You will leave me. I... I will do without you. And... I accept some help. Alright. Nothing else." he sighed shakily.

Luna wanted to go deeper and maybe find out why he was so much hurt, but she decided not to push her luck. She managed to at least talk him into going to school and maybe even befriending someone. She hoped he will at least try to become friends with someone, at least.

She was sure he'd open up to someone eventually. She clearly saw how desperately he wanted to share his thoughts and maybe find comfort, but he was much too afraid to show his troubles to her or Celestia. Someone equal to him in power and age would be much better for him.

Sirius was thinking about the school. It was the most toxic environment he has ever encountered in his life. But maybe schools in Equestria were different? It wouldn't hurt to at least visit one.