There is a power as old as mankind itself, the true essence of our existence. It's the force that drives innovation and progress sleeping in all of us waiting for the day to unleash. Creativity is its name, the underlying principle of every word and idea. Since the early beginnings of civilization a common way of its expression is the story, humans all over the world created own universes, characters and plots making them an inner part of their own self. But what if our dreams become reality and reality becomes a dream? What if our worst nightmares come true?

Imagine.

- Prologue -

As long as I can remember, I seemed strange to the people around me. Living in a medium city, which was a very unpleasant place, I never developed any deeper relationships to another human being. But I didn't care after all. Since my parents worked long hours in the near office block doing their best to grant me a good life materially, I got a loner from the beginning on and it didn't change as I started school either. From the moment I learned to read - at the age of four, as far as I know - I did so, even more when the elementary school began, because I didn't like to be around my classmates. I got interested in literature, science and philosophy, while I attended high school, and began to write myself. I was quite a bright student willing to learn and understand as long as I was challenged by the work I had to do. If not, I pretended to listen, but in fact I just got engaged in my own flow of thoughts thinking about new ideas and stories. Knowledge for its own sake was a concept which dominated my life, I was a explorer constantly trying to broaden my horizon.

I even began to prefer my own worlds about the real surroundings, since I believed in the fact, that everything's subjective and therefore nothing has a value as long as I don't concede it one. I also liked being able to create a world, which fitted all my needs, because the real world was often disappointing at that time. soon I finished school not knowing, what I should do with my life. I decided to try to get a teacher, because I liked the idea of a secure income and dealing with children was a nice experience to me.

Studying German, which is my mother language after all, and history I met my later ex-girlfriend Josie at one of the lecture rooms. She instantly had a crush on me, she later told me. I don't know why to be honest. I didn't look that bad, but there was also no exchange of words at this first meeting. I was attracted to her sexually, therefore, after we had some dates initiated by a friend of ours, I agreed when she asked to begin a relationship, since I was used to deal with people I didn't have deep feelings for - friendly pretending having them. It was a great time after all, but she got too clinging. Maybe she was right, as she said I was cold-hearted, when I ended it. That was when something remarkable happened:

It is night, the sound of the city dies slowly, when I cross the street Josie is living in.I'm catched in my thoughts, therefore I don't notice the steps coming from the corner. I don't notice the quiet voices of the drunken men. Suddenly I bump into them. They look violent and angry, an unfortunate mix. I'm not strong. What shall I do? I try to appease them.

"I didn't intend. I'm sorry."

One of them raises his fist. Maybe it's time to run! Since they are very drunk, they wouldn't be able to keep up with me.

"Hey, asshole..." he needs a second to continue, "Never do this again or you will regret it."

He pushes me and I stumble.The other one hits me straight in the face. I turn around quickly trying to get away as fast as I can, but my vision turns black. "I underestimated them," I think, before I loose consciousness

The next thing I can remember are whispering voices and a soft bed. I try to open my eyes - it fails. My head feels as if thousand flashes strike through it.

"Shit" I mumble quietly.

"Did it say something, Twi?", says one of the astonished voices.

"I'm not sure."

These are female voices, I relax a bit.

I give opening my eyes another try. Slowly the tiny strip of vision grows bigger. What I see confuses me. My surroundings look somehow cartoony. What did these bastards do to me? Is this some kind of brain damage? Am I high?

They say something, but I don't understand it - being too busy with scanning the room. I'm in a hospital. Two strange creatures stand at the side of the bed, white and purple; they gaze at me. I realise I remember them. Where did I see them? Both of them were characters on a TV show... Ponies... It has something to do with them.

"Twillight, do you think it is able to speak?" asks the white unicorn.

Twillight! This rings a bell. They are from My Little Pony, a show I watched some time ago. But how did I get in there? I wonder how bad they've beaten me up.

"No, I cant," I say ironically.

"I haven't seen anything like it ever," whispers Twillight to Rarity (I remember her name now).

"You know I can hear you?"

"Umm, yes... Hello, my name is Twillight Sparkle," she introduces herself, "This is Rarity". She points her hoof on the mare. "You are in Ponyville's hospital. We are happy to see you are getting better, since you stayed 2 days unconscious. As we already mentioned, we wonder about which species you are."

"My name is Jack Smith. I'm a male human, no it, but a he." How much can I reveal safely?

"Well, that doesn't tell us much, my dear," says Rarity with a worried look on her face.

Suddenly the headache gets worse, I start massaging my temples. I groan in pain.

"Maybe we should let him rest a bit, Rarity."

She nods even more worried, but compassion doesn't help the slightest .

Then something astounding happens, more astounding than waiking up in another universe (or having such a realistic dream?). The colors around me fade to grey, the ponys' movements seem to be in slow-motion - and my head feels as if I will die soon. Something materializes in the orb of light, which surrounds me, slowly forming to a package of Aspirin. Stop! What? That can't be the magic of inhabitants of this world. That's what I suspected in the first place, when this 'incident' began.

But again I have to close my eyes, since I'm to exhausted to keep my them open.

"Was it magic?", asks Rarity.

"That's... That's impossible," says Twillight shocked, "The blood test revealed, he has no talent for magic, not the slightest bit. But as it seems, he has done something impossible for magic - at least if my observations are true. He... he created matter, not just manipulated it, as we do with our magic."

Slowly the headaches are fading, I’m able to think again.

I never have experienced something comparable to this before. It felt like all my power was sucked out of my body, I expected to die - to be honest.

“Do you feel allright, my dear?”, asks Rarity.

“I...,” I breathe heavily, “I am not sure. It was so sudden... Do you know anything?” I look into Twilight’s direction.

“Umm... I don’t know either... What’s about the box there on your lap?”, she responds.

“They are pain killers from where I come from.”

“Where is that?”

“I don’t know, since Ponyville’s geographical position is unclear to me. Maybe I will tell you later, if you get me a map,” I lie.

She seems to be lost in thoughts for a moment

“Okay, you will tell me later. What you did, was not magic, it was something essential different, more a process of... creation. You literally created matter. I don’t know how, but we will run some tests, is that okay? Maybe we are able to reproduce the result.”

"I don't like this idea very much. I feel horrible at the moment and I don't know how 'creation' exactly worked," I emphasize the word 'creation' ironically,"And I don't trust you yet"

"It is possible that the concussion you have is responsible for the pain you suffered. And there is no need for distrust, we don't know either how you got on Ponyville's market square where you were picked up. You're a mystery to us. I think I will consulate princess Celestia. Maybe she can give us a reasonable explanation for this incident," she claims.

I nod. "Perhaps."

I hear voices trough the room's door, they interrupt our conversation. Then the door slams open. A pink mare storms in.

"Hey you, do you want to party!" she screams cheerfully.

Twilight and me exchange an annoyed look, while my head starts to spin again.

"Pinkie Pie, I think our guest isn't in the condition for this now. Maybe new clothing, not awful as his current, will lighten up his mood. I have a wonderful idea..." says Rarity.

She exits the room, two additional ponies come in. What was first? The show or this world?

"Do all your friends behave this weird," I ask Twilight quietly, eyeing the three mares standing in the back.

"Well, they don't intend to... Maybe I shouldn't have told them, that you're here, until I made sure you are well. They are all incredibly excited."

Curiously Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Flash (That's her name, right?) and Applejack come closer.

"These are my friends Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash" - I knew I got this name wrong! - " ... and Applejack, which are three of the six elements of harmony. The mare spying through the door is Fluttershy," she says amused pointing at each of them when they are mentioned, "This is the human Jack Smith."

We shake hands, ehm hooves?

"Twilight, may I ask you to contact your princess?" I ask, "I really want to know what's going on."

"Ok, I'll be right back."

The akward silence she leaves, is broken by Applejack, "Ya not a pony of many words?"

"I guess. Ehm... Do you dye your mane, Rainbow Dash?", I try to do small talk.

She looks at me furiously, "Of course not! I'm far to awesome!"

Again this unpleasant quietness. I look out of the window. There is a city some miles away at the cliff of a mountain. Blue as on a sunny summer day at earth is the sky. Something, a carriage maybe, flies up there slowly coming nearer.

"It's princess Celestia", says Twilight standing at the left. Also Fluttershy - this name fits her well - is in here now.

The purple mare must have entered the room without any noise. She can teleport, can't she? I regret that I didn't pay much attention to 'My Little Pony' when I was at earth.

"Princess Celestia really is curious about the last events. Please behave if she wants to talk to you."

"I know how to act properly. Since I don't want any trouble it's maybe better I do so."

From my observations I can tell now that Twillight is the personality most similar of the six ponies to me. Fluttershy seems to be sensible and - as if I didn't expect that - shy, Pinkie Pie constantly jumping around babbling nonsense is the crazy and cheerful type, Applejack with her strong accent and country-like looks is a bit down-to-earth and Rainbow Dash is a tomboyish daredevil. Rarity's appears to be a bit snobbish, but as all of these concepts about their characters it is still a work in progress.

I wonder what this princess could be like.

That's when she steps in. Her 'aura' - I don't know how to put it - tells me instantly she's royality. Everyone, but me, bows, which makes the princess feel uncomfortable as her facial expressions reveal. This gesture makes her quite sympathetic to me.

She is a very impressive physical appearance. Seven feet tall and covered in fur as white as fresh snow she seems to be even more unreal than this whole cartoony world.

"Hello, little ponies and my dear guest, Mr. Smith. My faithful student Twilight Sparkle," she smiles, "already informed me about the recent situation and so I came here as fast as possible to investigate. Twilight wrote you didn't experienced something like this before, is this right?"

"Yes."

"She also told me you don't know how you got here and how to get home, since you you are not aware where Ponyville is. Have you ever seen ponies like us before?" she asks.

I consider to tell a lie, but I don't know any reason why. Anyway I wonder how she realized that quickly that I'm maybe not from Equestria. But I guess as a princess she knows much about her own country and the species living in.

"No, I haven't been to Equestria before."

The five smaller ponies make noises of surprise, while Celestia laughes lightly.

"Do you have any idea what happened?"

"Am I allowed to perform a test? It won't hurt."

"Yes, feel free," I say nonchalantly.

The concerns, I mentioned in the conversation with Twillight, are gone. This princess creates an impression of endless professionalism - and I'm not in the position for negotiations, since I'm even to weak to stand up now.

"Thank you."

Her horn glows slightly. A slideshow of Mental images of the past few minutes begins to cross my inner eye. I feel how she digs deeper and deeper into my memories, a very uncomfortable experience. I feel like mind raped, to put it bluntly. Maybe she noticed this emotions - they slowly fade as she stops the procedure concentrating on the moment of the 'incident'.

Suddenly it stops.

"Twilight was right, it wasn't magic, but it's closely related."

She pauses a moment.

"It's in your and our interest to cooperate at this point. I'd like you to investigate and travel with my student Twillight and her friends," she gives them a warm smile again, "because this kind of power you posses could lead to a breakthrough in the application of magic giving us a deep insight about the foundations of our world and will help us to find a way home for you. Do you agree?"

"Yes, I do."

I understand intuitively that the princess really is excited about what she learned.

"Are you okay with it, too, girls?"

"Yes," they say in unision.

"It's settled then."

And that is how the journey begins.

They leave me alone to rest since I still feel very exhausted. After some sleep I notice my mind's usual sharpness returning and I try to catch what happened in the past few hours:

I'm in Ponyville, a place known from the TV show "My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic", after I had a violent experience with two drunken men in my own world. I met the main cast of the show including the princess of this nation, who told me the incident happening minutes before was some sort of break with their world's 'physical rules'. Now she wants me and the six 'Elements of Harmony' to light up the shadow of mystery.

How did I get here? Does this serve any purpose? What is this special power?

I won't get an answer before I leave this bed. Time to fight the paralysis of apathy!

I slowly, really slowly - minding Twilight told me I had a concussion - sit up. The dizziness fades away. What to do now?

Sitting on the edge of the bed I examine the surroundings. From this point of view I can see some ponies working through the window. They seem to do some sort of gardening. I watch them - fascinated by the fact how precisely they do their work with nothing more than their hooves.

"You're great at delaying decisions, right?" asks a nasty voice in my head. "I've always been," I whisper sarcastically to myself.

Then someone knocks on the room's door.

"Come in."

Twilight stands right in the doorway.

"Well, I came to talk to you about yourself and Equestria. It's a great scientific possibility for me and a chance to cope with the situation for you."

I stand up straightening my back and reaching my full height. As I can read from her puzzled expression, she didn't expect me to be this tall.

"We weren't sure if you were bi-pedal or not. This question seems to be solved."

"Maybe we can have a short walk around town. I feel like doing something. And I'm hungry."

With a few big steps I close the gap between us. She' as tall as my body is from the feet to the chest.

"Umm,... ok. Why not?"

Is she intimidated by my appearance?

"Don't worry, I won't harm you," I say half serious and half playfully.

"As we saw your incisors we asked ourselves if you are some sort of unknown predator. Just because of your clothes, which told us that your species knew some sort of cultural expression, we didn't entrust you in Fluttershy's care - she's good with animals... Why do you speak Equestrian anyway?" she asks curiously.

"Humans are omnivores. But you're right we are predators, too. Since we can't eat grass or hay," I laugh lightly, "we started hunting in the beginnings of our civilization. We are the only sapient species of our planet, so we quickly 'conquered' the world and developed new technologies. Your Equestrian is the equivalent to the language spoken in my home country. I speak my mother language in fact. I assume the reason for this has something to do with how I came here. But maybe I can give you a brief summary of human history when we walk around."

I see curiousity and cautiounsness fighting in her eyes.

"We will be around lots of ponies, no need to worry. I'm not dangerous," I add.

"Ok. Please try to avoid terrifying the other ponies. You really have a daunting appearance," she says with a little smirk.

Now the ice is broken. While being stared by all the ponies we're passing I tell her about the Stone Age, Greece, Rome, the Middle Ages, Renaissance, the world wars, the Cold War and newer events of the past. Since I study history, it isn't this hard for me to remember the important details - we talk for hours. I notice how impressed she is by our technological achievements, nevertheless she is nauseated by the constant violent conflicts we experienced in our past - as I can tell by the light green color of her face.

"Why did you do this," she asks.

"It's human nature. We are in never-ending competition of ideas, ideology and technology fighting for power and influence. Maybe that's why we are this technological advanced. Once a wise man said 'War is the father of all things'. Well, and our leaders barely rule a thousand years like your princess."

"But war destroys," she says.

"Humans only change if they're facing a threat. It's not that..." I'm disrupted by a scream.

A saffron filly with a red mane impending to fall from a tree - did she spy on us? - is its point of origin. We are on a lane near a farm, in a plantation of apple trees. The tree is around 5 metres high. How did this pony even get up there?

"Applebloom?!" Twilight shouts hysterically.

Two fillys leave their hiding places.

I run to the nearby tree and start to climb up. I quickly reach the branch the filly hangs on. I'm close enough! But she starts to panic when I look into her eyes.

"Calm down!"

She looses the grip. With a horrified look she falls down. Again everything seems to be in slow motion. In my peripheral vision I see Twilight's horn glowing purple. I feel flooded with energy. I intuitively know what to do. A shadow materializes under the tree. It's a jumping sheet. She falls in safely.

The wave of exhaustion I have to fight isn't as bad as the first time 'it' happened. Can I practise this skill? What are the limits of this power?

I climb down the tree. On the way down I grab an apple. My stomach hurts, I feel like starving, the headaches return.

Back on the ground I grab the painkillers in my pocket. And with a bite of the apple I take one.

After the defeat of the changeling army lingkind retreated, instantly leaving Equestria in fear and disorder.

Well, most of it.

At the time of the attack one changeling with a broken wing was separated from the other ones by coincidence. Left alone in the Everfree Forest near Canterlot, he didn't notice his fellows starting to invade the city. When they finally fleed he already got lost in the woods.

As a consequence he was disconnected from the changeling's collective mind. Otherwise unable to survive he started to decide individually developing an own personality consciously observing his surroundings. He managed to set up a camp, collected enough food and found a lake nearby. After he considerd himself save he began to reflect about his situation which led him finally to thinking about a possible name for him - and he called himself 'Sole'.

Once his wing was healed, he travelled around until one day he detected the presence of other changelings far in the north.

Happily, he tried to establish a connection, but he noticed quickly that it wasn't the same experience anymore. He was rather an observer than a part of the community which was the essence of his life making him feel whole only a few months ago.

His short visit to the hive mind was not unseen. When he pitched up his camp that evening, he was captured by a small troop of changeling soldiers. He didn't resist them and finally was taken to a hidden settling in the mountains.

After days in the dungeon he was taken to Chrysalis. They had a talk in the queen's throne room; she suggested a deal:

Sole was allowed to live freely as long as he promised he would stay near Ponyville and report on the situation. If he breaks the promise, he'd be declared an outlaw. He'd suit the role as a spy far from the hive mind best since he didn't require a constant link.

And because he was still loyal to his queen and didn't like the idea of spending his whole life in prison he accepted it.

He went back to Equestria and observed the 'Elements of Harmony' not seeing anything unusual happen until one day in the summer:

He wanders around the Apple family's farm - entering their property would have been far too dangerous, since there was still the chance of getting spotted.

"Is this Twilight's new pet?" he asks himself as he sees a tall bipedal being wearing some sort of brown clothing. Its mane is black and well cut, its face shape is flatter than an usual pony face, instead of fur skin covers its body. It seems to be a male.

"Oh, it is able to speak! Does it feature pony-like intelligence?"

Sole tries to get nearer when suddenly a scream disturbs the quietness of the place. He's astonished by how a little filly (Her name is Applebloom, right?) on a apple tree is saved from falling at the ground with a jump sheet - which, he can swear, wasn't at that place just seconds ago. This happened without any help of Twilight's magic, as far as he can tell. Then he listens to the talk between Twilight, the bipedal and the filly.

"Girls come here! Applebloom, why did you do this?"

The addressed pony hides behind the exclaiming mare. She's obviously afraid of the bipedal.

"He saved you!"

"He wasn't able to prevent her falling in the first place, was he?" Sole wonders.

Two additional fillies join their group keeping distance to the unknown being.

"Come on. Do you think that jump sheet set up itself. It's Jack, the special guest, a human, I mentioned before. He did it again, he created it to save you from getting injured..."

"Did she just mean what I think she means?" asks Sole himself.

"I told you about his special ability to create matter."

Jack approaches the filly and kneels down to match her height.

"I didn't intended to hurt you, in fact I worried about you. You remembered me of someone," he says with a warm voice and a small smile.

"Umm, thank ya, I guess," Applebloom says shyly.

The other fillies get closer. In the next minutes Sole watches them overcoming tensions until they finally split up.

"This will be interesting to the Queen."