There is a mountain that stands tall between four borders, watching over the distant civilisations from afar. Its peak lanced the sunset skyline, clouds forming around the wound. Very little lived on the mountain, its rocky body once having a trail that had eroded with time, and fed towards a large maw, giving the impression of a silently roaring monster.

Yet, up close, one could hear the faintest scream of desperation.

The echoes bounced between the fangs of the cave, the needle like rockwork within cleared down the centre. Bones of the fallen, clad in armour of ages long since passed, belonged to all manner of creatures that met a scorched demise. They were neatly side swept, but the burnt shadows of the past remained in a few places. They caught the last stance of many, commonly their form helplessly thrown against the side walls.

The screaming only grew louder deeper within.

What they sought was lost to legend or surviving to noble houses whom the dead had once served, but one thing was common: glory hunters seeking shimmering gold and name makers seeking a universal token of respect to instigate awe in all. Both had their motives to take, but what, was something that their end would not tolerate.

A growl rumbled from the back, where the natural light of day died in the narrowing twist and turns of a long passageway.

The next voice to echo through the tunnels was male, fairly deep but laced with overwhelming terror.

“I swear if this is about the Saint George thing, I had nothing to do with it!”

Instantly, the tunnel lost their skewed, oppressive angles and natural formation. The dynamic shift becomes noticeable through the carved arc in the ceiling, the crevices fit for white-flame- torches, and a flattened path. From a natural stone gullet to a hallway fit for a subterranean queen, the transformation is further completed by the replica nightline composed of embedded diamonds.

“Stop running!” an irritated, refined voice cried.

At the end of a hall was simply an open archway, where upon a golden light spilled out from within the next area.

Treasure. Glory. History.

A hoard. A home. A dragoness.

A large dome had been carved out into the stomach of the mountain and it was filled with enough gold to flood the floor. Two ridges protruded out on opposite sides of the smooth, brown walls. On one side was the entrance and only exit, and the other was currently playing host pandemonium.

Amongst the lake of shimmering gold and the odd vessel of jewel-filled-chests, sat a white dragoness whom took up only a quarter of the space. Her shimmering crystal form was sleek, streamlined and currently waist deep. Her wings were twitching, itching to flare open in agitation but remained closed with prim and proper discipline.

“Please, if you would kindly-” her voice echoed with intellect and sophistication, but her words were lost by the primal, panicked yell of an evolved primate.

Her powerful blue eyes were watching a small figure dart between book cases, her head having to be constantly on the move as the biped dynamically shifted and changed direction.

Rather than talk and take a moment to calm down, like the smart and collected young man he once was, Sammy opted for a simply alternative. Fight or Flight was only considered an option for him when challenged by a member of his own species.

Not a three-storey, fire breathing, yelling dragon.

Frankly, any other option seemed ridiculous.

“Where the Hell am I?” he barked, heading towards a hill of gold that rested against the ridge. The golden tsunami wave spilled over the edge, silver trays and gemstones resting amongst the small library of preserved books.

“I can explain all if you would just-“

She tried to reach for him with a claw but he nimbly darted between another set of book cases. Sammy had been doing this ever since he had arrived, his fear gripping him. He was close now, but on his last book shelf. She moved to grab him but he made a mad dash.

With a war cry spurred on by a deep primal fear, he flew towards the gold pile. He spied his escape route, or at least half of it; it was all improvised, and truth be told he was uncertain how he had survived for so long against such odds.

“No! Be still!” she bellowed reaching to grab him. He leapt forward, diving on to serving tray the size of his torso. The momentum carried him forward as his fingers locked onto the rim, his impact causing the tray to bounce up and clear the top of the hill.

There was pause, whilst in the air, as time stopped. Sluggishly it worked its way back to normal pace, but as the sense of vertigo settled in his chest, and as his legs arced up, Sammy had the most profound thought of the day.

‘This could have been planned better.’ He then made his descent.

He hit the steep hill with grunt and a splash of coins, his knees crashing into something jutting out of the ocean of riches. The constant jingle coins accompanied every bit that launched into his face, his fingers being hammered by whatever lay in his path. His scream shifted from fearful to a mixture of painful and adrenaline high.

“That’s it! A ruffian like you needs to learn some manners!”

Sammy only stopped screaming like a mad man when a small gem rebounded off a tooth. The hill levelled out and he was sent careening into the base of a small island of sapphires. The sharp edges nicked his forehead as he smashed head first into the pile. With a groan he retrieved his sunken hand from the pile and got on his feet. Despite feeling dizzy and the warm trickle of blood down his brow, he surveyed his surroundings.

The moment the shadow of the dragoness loomed over him he froze on the spot, his breathe caught in his throat. Her draconic stare bore into him as her nostril flared with an indignant snort. White smoke seeped out as her maw opened, revealing her diamond cutting teeth. Her metallic-sapphire tongue flicked its forked edge at him, knocking him onto the seat of his pants. More smoke poured out the back of her throat, a teal light rising from the back. Terrorised by the first spark, he shook his head and tried to back up hill.

“No! No no-no!”

Her roar seemed to have the faintest hint of whispering to it, words belonging to a foreign tongue lost in translation and cobalt flame. He raised his arm defensively, for what little protection it offered as he fire coated him.

Yet he did not burn.

He heard a cracking, the kind one would hear when walking on the ice of a frozen lake. His legs became ensnared, his thrashing meeting a resistance that tightened his muscles. A crystalline shell formed around him, his pose that of bewildered man caught in a torrent of flame.

‘I… I’m alive?’

He groaned from within the pale prison. He wasn’t scorched but the gem confine was still cooling from an uncomfortable level of heat. His legs were cramping, but the fact he could still feel his legs made his sense of relief temper his shattered nerves. The world was only visible through a hexagonal screen, flat and directed towards the dragoness massaging her throat.

For a while, the two said nothing, Sammy’s attempts to voice any thought coming out as a dull rumble. He couldn’t close his maw, and every inhale made his lungs tingle.

‘Actually… now that I think about it… How am I even breathing?’ It was too much of a curiosity for him to be terrified, his rational mind catching up to him now that he was recovering from an adrenaline high. Perhaps he was simply distracting himself from how he should have been feeling: traumatized beyond belief.

In all honesty, he was just tired.

Recovering from whatever disease spawned from the black lungs of the Devil in an instant had already drained him; spontaneously combusting nearly made him die of shock, and left his mind a puddled mess, and being chased by fire-breathing-crystal-embalming dragon cranked the fear factor up to twelve.

Now that he had a time to pause and ‘breathe’ his body simply needed rest. His mind, however, was free to recover.

‘I mean, as I understand it, I should be choking- Wait, what is she going to do to me?’

Through the small screen that formed over his face, he could see her taking deep breathes, muttering into her claws. With the loudest groan he could muster, he managed to gain her attention.

“I suppose you wish to know of what tragedy has befallen you?” The sympathy in her tone was clear, as was the way her head lowered. An anchor was tethered to her snout, her eyes searching the floor for it. “Whatever you are, it is obvious you are both sentient and sapient. What you are not is what concerns me.”

‘Well that sounded ominous.’ He noted with dread.

He remained silent as her echoing voice diffused through the shell, distorted but oddly pleasant. It wavered as if he were listening to her through water.

“The incantation that summoned you is old, rarely used by my kind due to its nature and cost,” she continued, reaching for Sammy. The frozen human could feel the shadow of her immense claw approached, his vision soon becoming covered in sparkling white. She scooped him up and brought him close, supporting his form like a pebble on a pedestal.

“I do not know if magic is apparent in your realm, creature, but here all manner of arcane forms rule the lands. Every being is touched by it, we live in its ocean, and we all harness it in our own ways. There is no exception. Dragons have our fire, our burnt whispers to ashen points in space and time and disturb reality.” Bringing up a silver-tipped claw, she prodded his casing.

“Summoning and sending, the teleportation of inanimate objects is an early skill. It is as natural as a unicorn’s telekinesis,” she said in an educating manner, turning him to face her immense wealth, “It is vital in our culture to develop a hoard, it determines stature, power, and magical prowess.”

He could see it all from his elevated position. The collected riches of his home could not hold a candle to the mountain floor of gold below him. The shadows at the edges engulfed more coin, hiding it away the young man’s eyes.

“Gemstones and certain metals can soak raw magic far better than most can draw upon, not being bound by manna reserves. They don’t take the magic of others unless enchanted to do so, in which case they stop being a sponge and act as runes. A topic for a less pressing time.”

‘Magic? Unicorns? Manna reserves? There’s no way…’

“As to how this ties into your predicament, you need to understand, I wished to summon a servant, a stone mason to reinforce my power and keep others at bay whilst I work. It could mould my metals to a degree better than anyone, it could be used to concentrate my abilities, craft my tools, and keep intruders at bay. A golem, a stone servant practised in the lost art of geomancy.”

With an unseen burden dropped on her shoulders, her swanlike neck drooped. Her eyes were closed before the same immense blue pools were revealed before him. Sammy could see that, deep within that dark serpentine slit, deep within the sliced window into her soul, her pity was pointed at him.

“It was said to be intelligent, but not living, incapable of speech, and unfeeling. It was meant to be dead on the inside, waking to fulfil a command. Your apparent fear and language, displays you‘re sapience and intelligence. You’re clothes display a point of civilisation. You belong to a clan, perhaps a great empire, but…”

She trailed off, leaving a silence his mind was attempting to shatter.

‘But? But what?!’ He ‘voiced’ his impatience through loud moans, attempting to shake his confines to at least rock side to side. The effects were hardly noticeable.

“The cost was too great, that level of magic unobtainable for years… The gems feed give us minerals and nutrients and we grow and we learn our magic. I learnt that that breathe was a mistake. I have just taken a life undeserving of its fate.”

Before he could gurgle a questioning tone she pointed her snout at him. Sammy once again found himself face to face with slightly parted lips. White smoke trailed out.

“You will need to see the gravity of the situation.”

Sammy flinched as her shimmering flame coated him in yellow an ivory, his world disappearing in a blinding flash. His slipping sense of reality summoning irritation in his lungs and stomach, a pressure building behind his eyes. His body jerked back out of the blaze, but the dragoness was gone.

Through his window, the world around him had shifted. Gone was the snow white giant and before him lay the mouth of the cave. His ears popped as the squeak of the crystals erupted all around. He grunted as the pitch fluctuated from low to high, pricking his eardrums.

‘It is like rubbing Styrofoam bricks together.’

With a loud clatter the crystal shell fell apart with him not so elegantly falling to floor shortly after. He suffered from a brief coughing fit, rolling over the glittering shards as they sparkled out of existence. On all fours he took a much needed breathe, gulping the air as a chill met his exposed skin. Whilst panting, he stumbled onto his two feet, supporting himself on a nearby stalagmite.

“That was hardly a pleasant experience,” he commented wryly as he straightened his back, “But what’s to be expected from a dragon blast?”
It was only after looking over his shoulder that Sammy spotted something he was prepared to die for moments ago.

The light of the outside poured through, reaching for him and barely stroking his cheeks. Beyond the fanged mouth of the cave lay vast emerald forests beneath before the setting sun. Streaks of magenta clouds lined the burnt orange sky, slowly darkening as the celestial orb descended just enough to peak into the cave.

He was drawn to blinding light, reaching out to shield his eyes. He trudged his way past the scorch marks of the fallen, spotting sword lodged into the ground, a three-digited gauntlet still wrapped around its handle. He paused, simply looking at the sight.

A cold fact registered in his fried mind, a chilling revelation that left him numb and paralysed. He wasn’t scared that someone’s hand was missing, or that the sword had been ripped from their hands. He was numb now; there was no place in his exhausted state for panic, only rational thought to evaluate what he could see, hear, taste, and smell. The implications of what he was seeing was barely being processed.

“No, no, not yet, can’t deal with that, just yet,” he muttered, shaking his head and continuing his sluggish march. Nothing was going to distract him from getting out. Ever since he had the chance, he’s been trying to get away from it- her, the dragoness that set him alight and paralysed him.

He combed his short hair of the ridiculous notion, a small mow hawk arching over from his widow peak. The world was bright closer to the mouth and he stood at the tip of the tongue flexing his fingers. He raised his forearm as he stood at the edge of the cave. Sammy rolled his sleeve down and exposed his skin to his elbow, pinching the middle hard enough to wince.

“It certainly feels real,” he mumbled, locking his jaw as he tore his gaze away from the world below. A warm crimson droplet crept down his forearm as he lowered it, catching onto his clenched fist. He stole a peak at the ground, spotting another coin.

He took a deep breathe, exhaling audibly through his nostril as he tidied his hair. Sammy had preference for the parted look, but his naturally curly hair would sometimes show him who was in charge. He managed, but stained his hair with a tint of red to match the cut near his brow. Eventually he stopped and simply stared at the ground, steadying his breathing as one would before diving off a cliff.

When he was calm and as prepared as could be, he would look up and would bask in the world before him. He would accept this madness only to treat as another assignment that needed analysing, or a puzzle that would reveal an answer. An answer that would fix everything he feared was wrong.

When he opened his eyes, he hoped all this would come true.

His earth brown eyes had to be shielded by one hand and he soaked it all in.

A jungle rested at the foot of the mountain, quite a small one, but the various shades of emerald only trailed in a north-western direction. A bumpy landmass of green field opposed it before coming to an end out of sight. Where he jungle and the hills divided a barren wasteland filled in the blanks, little to be seen before the distant mountains to the right.

Exotic bird calls were carried by the occasional gust of wind. They cawed and chirped as Sammy side stepped towards the cave wall, never taking his eyes off the scene before him. Black blots would occasionally whip out of the tree line in the distance, the roar of a predator echoing through the wild below. For the most part, between the chaotic cacophonous caws of the birds, an underlying pleasant melody was whistled by the jungle. His heart thundered liken a tropical drum as his simply stared.

He leant against the lip of the cave, his hand stroking the rough mountain rock. He could feel the crevices nibbling his fingertips, bleeding drops of heat from his warm body.

“Incredible.” In truth it was a word he knew could not do justice. Overwhelmed by the sight, he turned to face the other side of the cave.

“W-W-what?!” he barked abruptly, his mind trying to formulate an answer. He was in the dark as to what had happened, and yet stepping into the light only revealed how big his predicament was. His mind went from a confined, dark cage of confusion and terror to being released into the open. He was no better than an animal that had been kept in captivity being released into the wild; the change in scenery and the shift in his daily routine shattering his rational thoughts.

‘Okay… think.’ He pondered over recent events with his head in his hands. From his rising illness to entering college on the brink of death, to arriving at his doorstep and combusting on the spot. The dragoness was no help, no matter what excuses he thought of, he couldn’t justify a dragoness being on earth.

‘Unless I’m not there… and the coin…’

He thoughts trailed off as he pondered that notion, toyed with the idea of landing in a fantasy land. Rolling his head to the right his mind generated a few musing. Equestria, a childish fantasy that he knew a few irrational men would give everything up to visit. He was not one of these men, and scoffed at the idea; being trapped in the world as the only human? Where was the appeal, exactly? Regardless, from what he had seen on the show, perhaps finding help would be good.

A smile crept across his lips, a pathetic chuckle escaping before he erupted into a deep guffaw. It was amusing, to achieve other wish-fulfilled fantasy of traveling to this universe.

Given that I am actually in Equestria,’ he countered himself, looking back to the horizon. ‘That view is not one I have ever seen in the show.’ His head flopped to his left as he regarded the world without emotion, seeking just the facts.

‘Okay, if I were to base this all upon the ridiculous notion I’m here, let’s see what I know so far. The coin refers to Equestria being real, and yet I cannot see it. Either it’s behind the mountain, and this dragon slept through the changeling invasion, or I am nowhere near the only pony who could possible help me.’

His head abruptly shot up straight, his eyes blinking before he snapped his gaze towards the back of the cave.

“But there might be a dragon who can.”

He was about to rise to his feet until a roaring train of flame burst from the back of the throat, nearly scorching him. He recoiled, tucking his feet in, but found that it had done no harm as the white rocket curved upwards into the air.

As the white flames dissipated he could make out a small figure. It looped gracefully over itself in a wide arc, the reptilian wings at full extent. At the apex the creature snapped its wings closed and dove towards the ridge. He watched it spin before the white wings shot out once more, bring control to the dragoness.

He saw a distinct difference; she was still the white dragon that breathe fire unto him, she had the same horns extending from the back, the same seen to her scales. She was still the dragoness.

Only much, much smaller.

She glided without a sound, her claws akin to white feathers touching down. She was sleek and slender and had her wings wrapped around her midsection rather than pressed against her back. The style of tucking made her appear to be wearing a strapless dress, composed of shimmering white snow. With all her female features- save breasts which were absent due to her reptilian nature- she moved and displayed her lady-like grace. Her hips swayed as she took her first step, her tail moving to counter without tapping the floor. Every step echoed like stilettoes in a corridor.

Her claws that made her hands rested upon her stomach, silver tipped and curled in anticipation. Her draconic head was levelled as she looked down on him, her cobalt eyes never leaving him. Her softly curved snout parted once as she stood before him, but closed before she looked to her hands.

Sammy studied her new form, cocking his head to the right as she turned to look to the horizon. She was the one who did this –whatever it was- to him, or so his logic had deduced. She brandished the same flame that teleported him in the first place and moved him here as well. Yet, despite this he offered a warm smile.

‘Play is safe, don’t be stupid.’

“You look different, do something with your hair?” he inquired innocently, well aware of the staggering difference. He linked her new form to how she rocketed out in a blaze of golden glory, as well as her brief explanation of her abilities.

She scoffed and turned back, regarding him thoughtfully.

“I do polish my scales three times a day as a lady should, not many males catch onto such a thing.” she replied softly. Once again her eyes returned to the sunset.

‘Err… okay…’ he thought, not too sure what to make of that.

“Are you prepared to listen?”

He pulled his knees to his chest. With his arms wrapped around his shins, his thumbs rubbing together for comfort, he nodded once and lost the smile.

“I know you have a thousand questions, but leave them to the end. There is much to take in.”

“Then don’t pander me!” he growled from his position. She was barely phased as she regarded him with a flat expression. “Next you’ll ask me if I’m fine, let’s cut the crap, no I’m not,” he added bitterly. His emotion were rolling in a spin cycle, his impatience quickly overwhelming his civil manner. Sammy tried to keep his voice from rising, bearing in mind the possible threats he faced. He couldn’t say he wasn’t justified. For him, turmoil was a new experience as was trying not to believe the insane, and failing.

There was a flicker of compassion, of regret, before her face fixated with a stern glare.

“Let me finish, creature,” she responded calmly, though her teeth were bared at the last second. His heart was racing, not out of fear but dread. He kept quiet but let his features sour into a burrowed frown.

“I am Trixanituia,” she introduced herself as, curtsying slightly, “But many outside my species have taken to calling me Lady Ivory.”

She gestured towards him, tilting her head.

“To whom am I addressing?”

“I am known as Sammy Wright, but most would call me ‘kidnapped’,” he replied sarcastically, rolling his eyes as his head shifted to the left. “I’m sorry if I’m being blunt but please-“

“Stop wasting my time?” she bit back, arching a brow, “Fine then. I wished to ease this revelation upon you, but if you want the facts, here they are: you are no longer where you came from.”

Both lapped into silence for a while, him tilting his head back to bump it into the rim of the cave wall. The dull thud was accompanied by the blunt pat on the back of his head, knocking the sense of reality into the situation. The ache that flashed briefly dissolved as a new question precipitated to the front of his mind.

“How did I get here?” he asked, gulping a pain breathe. He had to take her word, this creature of supposed myth before him. It was a constant reality clash that faded like the roar of a distant riot. Closer to home, where his heart was collecting his emotions, his resolve was starting to tremble and shake.

“I attempted to summon a golem, one who could build, craft, and enchant my hoard alongside protect it. I used an ancient spell my elder had left me from his passing, but brought forth you. Whatever you are,” she finished, her studious glance rotating as she turned her head.

“Human… Category primate, poshly dubbed Homo sapiens for those not bothered by writing space,” he replied automatically. He was busy replaying that last piece of information. She wanted a golem? So she was planning to kidnap one? A dragon wanted a guard and she thought plunging into another universe was necessary?

“What on earth possessed you to do that?!” he barked once more, getting to feet. Lady Ivory was a foot taller but it did little to deter Sammy at this point. He took three strides before standing before her. Seething, he spoke. “Y-You think you can just take a-a living creature and make him your slave?”

The sound of a parasol being opened up by the wind accompanied her wings flaring as she gritted her teeth and growled. A look of utter disgust was directed at him through her harsh eyes.

“How dare you suggest such a thing!” she screeched, indignation shifting her pitch up a notch, “Dragons do not take slaves, such a barbaric act is far below our mighty race! We need not the labour of dozens when we can match that in one claw,” she pointed out, swiftly pressing a curved claw against his throat.

He choked a little and stepped back, rubbing his neck as she spoke.

“You’d do well to remember that, human. Think twice before insulting me.”

“So what do you call this then, oh mighty dragon,” he shot back, pointing to himself. He abruptly pointed to the back of the cave, leaning over with a condescending smile. “I’m guessing my invitation was lost in the mail, right?”

She huffed and whipped her tail, cracking the ground into a small cobweb.

“You were not supposed to be sapient, merely a construct, a tool I could use. I wouldn’t take a life that was not deserving.” With an amused chortle, Sammy snapped his fingers and pulled on his jumper, presenting himself like a grand prize.

“Well you’re experiment has been a great success,” he said, flashing an award winning smile. “Now, Lady Ivory, if you would be so kind as to send me back,” he finished with a thunderous frown.

She fell silent, her head drooping as her eyes fell downcast. Her tail ceased its agitated twitching and lay limp close to the floor. With a weary sigh she met his gaze, her simply saddened stare conveying her answer plain enough.

“Oh please tell me this is joke.” His voice was shaken by disbelief, a dreadful anticipation churning his stomach. His eye stung whilst his throat tightened. “Y-you brought me- look you, I know you can do it.”

“The amount of magic I used had been accumulated over fifteen years,” Lady Ivory replied, revealing her hand to be holding a flawless ruby. He registered its sparkling form, its many sides capturing his quivering features lowering and closing his jaw. He didn’t care for the precious stone, just the deduced fact cycling through his mind like a rat in a trap.

“Dragons eat gems because of their magical properties, which only few can access. I’m afraid that I cannot repeat what I had done for a long time, and I fear you do not have the patience of a dragon.”

“Please, Ivory, this can’t be happening,” he pleaded, stumbling back to the wall. When she gave no answer he shuddered and looked to the horizon.

‘W-What? Why… How do you mix that up? It’s not fair!’ His choked sobs followed as he slid down the wall, folding into the smallest shape he could as he brought his knees close to his chest. The pessimist’s reality hit him hard, and no matter how much he fought against it, he was isolated. He couldn’t accept it.

“My remorse must mean nothing at this time so I do not expect your forgiveness in the future, if ever,” Ivory added, getting to her knees. It eased his neck to not have to look almost vertically to meet her face. He simply huffed and sluggishly shifted his gaze towards the landscape, soaking in the comforting glow of a dying day.

Through a damp, half thoughtful glance he could see the last bright rays of the day rest upon the world. The grand view of a majestic land, diversified by the different biomes, held and artist’s pallet of colours. He took solace in the soothing greens that melded seamlessly, regarding the new light of his predicament with his rolled to the right. It was… tranquil. Surviving his world crashing down was be exhausting, he realized, with what little a calmed mind he could muster.

It helped to simply look, yet, there was the constant labelling of everything as alien. Alien forest, foreign mountains, extra-terrestrial sand.

‘Actually, I’m the alien here, by definition,’ he corrected, had to correct. It was a thought that sprouted a smirk as he remained lost in the dying day. The shadows of an approaching night grew, blackening where the light couldn’t reach. The cave floor was chilling, its touch sapping the lingering warmth along his spine and legs.

‘Never seen a sun set like this before,’ he pointed out, trying to ignore his aches and pains. He just wanted normality at this moment, his private bit of solitude before his family would crash in and either ruin or make his day. It was always one or the other, and he wouldn’t have it any other way.

Sadly, he wouldn’t be having either.

‘As long as I sit here on my arse…’

That thought stirred something in him. A small spark, a flame yet to become a burning determination. He remain silent, telling himself that he would get home. There would be nothing to stop him, he had to get back. A human wouldn’t survive here on self-pity and loathing. His expression darkened as the sun rested behind the distant mountains, the orange glow waving farewell from beyond.

Sammy cleared his eyes of the tears, sighing as his body found even that task difficult.

“You’ve been quiet,” he croaked, his noticing how dry his throat was.

“You needed my silence,” Lady Ivory replied, still maintain that soft elegance to her voice.

“What am I going to do?” He wasn’t exactly certain of what he could possibly do at this point. Sammy wasn’t going anywhere fast, literally considering his exhausted condition. In a much broader sense he a nineteen year old on the brink of despair and with little knowledge in survival, or magic as it seemed.

‘See, if I had devoted my time to outdoor survival rather than My Little Pony then I could at least live until I got back home… somehow,’ he thought before she spoke.

“That depends on what you wish for,” she replied cryptically, offering the ruby. He cast a curious glance her way, uncertainty soon taking its place. She nudged it a little closer and he cautiously reached out. “There… may be other types of arcane arts for you to pursue if you wish to try and return, although I have not heard of other species having the ability to travel between realms." She paused, regarding him with an inquisitive squint, "Other species have other magics, but what of your race, why did I find you? I sought a geomancer for my hoard of diamonds primarily, I just assumed it would be a golem.”

As soon as the stone fell into his palm he felt… a surging warmth. His description of it was limited by his sense of touch, which told him that something stirred in the stone, and bubbled the blood along his skin. Pins and needles attacked his arm, or rather, the numb-yet-ticklish sensation fizzed in his bones. It died at his elbow, but slowly grew in strength the longer he held it.

At the point when it felt pleasantly warm, his fingers twitched as they curled around the ruby. The feeling in his palm was akin to holding his hand to towards a candle. ‘No, it would be more like a lit Bunsen burner. It doesn’t hurt, but the heats practically bathing my hand.’ His grip tightened and he felt a rush, a spike of energy bolt down his arm.

With a ‘fwoosh’, red flames twirled around his wrist before flying into the air. Stunned and withholding his breath he watched the brief display of fire dance in his palm before vanishing. The warmth was there, ever present. He concentrated once more, straining as the word ‘fire’ played in his mind. Light flickered from his fist as it combusted, not a single sensation of pain in his hand.

His eyes gained an orange mist, small traces of smoke trailing off as he maintained his fixated scowl. His breathing became more ragged the longer he was transfixed by the display. Finally he snapped.

“Nope!” He cried as he bolted to his feet, startling Ivory. With a swift turn and his arm locked back, he catapulted the gem out of the cave. Sadly, he was not in the best condition (nor was he a particularly thrower) and the ruby rocketed to the sky.

Both watched with different expressions, Ivory’s being muted horror whilst Sammy’s was a look of embarrassment. He earned some impressive height, but it was likely due to fire thrusting the gem further into the air. His panting occupied the air rather than a muted silence as the burning stone crashed onto the tip of the ledge, hopping up once to bid farewell before falling down the mountain.

Both shuffled as close as they could to the ridge edge, Sammy not as daring as the dragoness beside him. He saw the faintest of orange whither out before the gem was swallowed whole by the tree line, lost to the foot of the mountain.

“So…” he started lamely, kicking a rock over the edge.

“You have terrible aim,” she flatly stated.

“In my defence my hand was on fire,” he retorted turning to face her unamused stare. ‘Whatever, the bitch hardly deserve my apology.’

“You just lost a three century old ruby. I was saving that,” she snapped. Her scowl would have burnt him alive if it could, but he knew well enough she could do that opening her big mouth.

“And I care… why?” he replied with a shrug. She stepped up to him, emphasising the good foot she had over him. Planting her claws on his shoulders, constricting her tail around his ankle, and pressing her face into his Ivory spoke with a warning growl.

“You never throw away a piece of a dragon’s hoard right in front of them.” Her harsh stare made him contemplate his mistake, after all, he was sure his parents would have been ashamed of his behaviour. Or absolutely terrified of the magical, talking dragon.

“So it may not have been entirely polite,” he said with a hint of nervousness, coughing to the side, “And so I am sorry for taking something of yours and throwing it away.” The words struck them both differently, both seeing the link but Sammy acting on it whilst her features softened. “Imagine how my mother is feeling, or my father, or the rest of my family.”

She released him, pushing him back towards the cave. He tried to stay standing but his worn body had given up. He simply slumped towards the ground, his head bobbing as he crawled towards his spot along the lip of the cave.

“I’m sorry for my mistake, if I could fix it now I would, but I can’t," she lamented. Sammy huffed and turned to lay his back against the wall. “As I said, I may not be able to help you now, but there may be others who can.”

He paused, his bitter stare sweetening with hope as a half-smile formed on his lips. He chuckled before succumbing to a dry coughing fit, massaging his throat.

“It’s getting late, you should rest, Sammy,” Lady Ivory said softly.

“Wait, I have a few questions,” he rasped, rubbing his neck.

“By the sound of things, you only have one before I return to the cave to bring you a drink. Choose carefully, for when I return, I will leave you to contemplate further until you are ready to join me in my cavern. Tomorrow will be the day for questions.” She strolled towards the throat of the cave, her struts marked by each clack of her claws. She looked over her shoulder with eyes that pierced the darkness. “Your other questions can wait, when you are more sound of mind, as for now, you need to rest.”

‘One question?’

His expressions said it all. He felt cheated! How could she deny him that right for answers? ‘Are we not going to talk about how I set fire to a rock? Who exactly are these other races, and why can’t you send me back again? I swear if she is scared of gaining weight I turn her into a scaled handbag.’

“Nothing? Well, I leave you to your thoughts for a few minutes,” she added, flaring her wings.

“Wait!” he cried, causing her to pause.

She looked at him expectantly, an arched brow silently conveying her acknowledgement of his cry.

He had too many choices, too many questions. Is this really Equestria? How does dragon magic work? Why do I have magic? Why me? Hundreds of ponderous queries raced before his mind, answers to which would elude him all night long. He needed sleep soon, and answering but one of the heavy hitting questions would leave out all the others.

“Did you really have to slip into something comfortable for little ol’ me?” he playfully asked, grinning like an idiot as his head fell to the right, “Didn’t know dragons could shrink, to be truth be told.”

‘Fuck it, I’ll contemplate how I’ve stepped into so much shit that I need a Scuba kit tomorrow, as of now… let’s see what she has to say about how she shrunk a few thousand dress sizes.’ He wondered if his curious side might get the better of him, perhaps it would help keep him stable for a while. Maybe he was clinging to a sense of normality through conversation.

She rolled her eyes as she lectured, “Of course we can, how else can mature females lay such small eggs?” She beat her wings, the sound echoing as she hovered. “Now if you’ll excuse me for a second, I’ll get that drink.”

He didn’t even hesitate as he called back, bringing both hands to his mouth to make a cone.

“I’ll take the strongest of whatever you have, please.” His words bounced back, no reply following. He regretted the action instantaneously. His parched throat demanded that he kept his voice down.

For a few minutes he sat, huddled up with his knees pressed against his chest. His steady breathing was all her heard as Sammy leant his head gently against the wall. By now he was haggard and exhausted, but could keep his eyes open for the approaching night.

Soon the cold, mystical hues of blue painted the landscape beneath the glowing moon. Its illumination caught the leaves of the canopy of the jungle, merging the silhouettes of the trees into one dark shadow. As time passed the hills to the right were coated in a ghostly layer of light, the hauntingly beautiful fields spanning of into the dark distance. The still mountains lurked beyond his field of sight now, slumbering in the shadowed distance. The night sky was peppered with silver and pulsating blues.

‘I wonder if Luna is working tonight?’

He’d be lying if that didn’t spark some childish delight, the kind he imagined explorers would get when he was a child. Then again maybe it was his closet brony squeezing out before being beaten back from whence it came. He never liked admitting he found the show enjoyable, the introductory song always made his squirm. He couldn't say that there wasn't an appeal to having a grand adventure, however.

“I think I found decent ground to leave the fandom,” he mused. “Foreeeveeer,” he whispered with a mad glint, a pink pony flashing before his mind’s eye.

Sammy smiled in spite of himself, deciding to treat his fan side regardless as to whether or not he was in Equestria. Morality was important at this point.

‘Well there’s an idea- get to the Princesses! They’d be my best bet… or so the fanfics go.’ Though it was an amusing notion, the thought actually bolstered his faded hopes. His hopes were now based upon his only reference material for this scenario, and all of them pointed to Equestria. Who was he to argue with the general consensus? It wasn’t but a flickering candle of hope in the wind at this point, but with this single hope, he could protect the flame from being snuffed out by doubt.

He crawled towards the ridge ledge, refusing to look up to avoid spoiling himself. He ignored the sense of vertigo as his head popped over the end. He took a shaky breath to calm his frayed nerves and carefully re-positioned himself to hang his legs over. Finally, he looked up.

After he did, his heart sank.

“That… That might complicate things,” he whispered, slouching as he gazed towards the lunar satellite.

Its face shone brightly, littered with craters that greyed out in a distinct pattern. They curved along the edge of the moon, extending out from the upper half. From the extension a spear-like protrusion carried on to rest the point at the other side of the moon. A single white blot sat amongst this darkened patch, an eye upon an equine head.

“The mare on the moon,” he whispered, taking in a deep breathe. He knew what it meant, a signal of a period of time yet to come. It was an additional fact that made his hands gently rest upon his face. Sammy controlled his breathing, reevaluating the situation.

“Okay this is definitely the same world as Equestria, and I’m before the return of Nightmare Moon. Which means that it’s before season one, before ‘The Return of Harmony’ which affects me how?”

He scanned the sky for an answer, cocking his head to the left. He got no response, no epiphany, no added pressure seeing as he was lost. That’s when the revelation hit him: it did nothing for him. Regardless as to whether or not Nightmare Room was back and if Twilight Sparkle was still reading four books at once, neither of the two were a direct influence on his predicament.

Except for one tiny detail.

“Humans weren’t seen in the show… does that mean I can’t interact with them?” he mumbled, scratching his scalp.

After a quick pondering, he groaned and leant back. He rested against the floor, his legs dangling off as he simply tried to fathom the nature of what was going on. He closed his eyes and furrowed his brow.

He simply had too many questions. What was the point in burdening himself at this point, couldn’t afford to pause, and yet, to rectify his ignorance of the situation was lead a mental breakdown. He could feel the dried tears from his unstable state of mind, when true despair poured from his eyes moments ago. With a sigh, he realised that he’d probably not even had the blow hit yet if he was recovering so quickly. The worst was, apparently, yet to come.

He opened his eyes with reluctance, not finding a foreign sky but a newly acquainted face.

Lady Ivory had returned without his notice- something that deeply disturbed him- and she held a dull mug in one claw and a chalice in the other. The golden chalice was adorned with gemstones that held his attention before his dark eyes shifted to the clay cup. Neither fit properly into her claws, being ever so slightly smaller.

“Let me guess, one will give me eternal life whilst the other will make me perish?” he asked wryly, earning a cock of her head.

“I don’t quite understand,” she managed, bewildered. He shook his head, smirking as he straightened up and got to his feet. He was cautious around the ridge edge, making sure to take a few steps away. Then a few more, just to be safe. She followed Sammy, offering both containers.

From what he could tell by the clear liquid, despite the darkness of the cave, was that both contained water.

“Thank you,” he said absentmindedly, eyeing the clay mug suspiciously. He swirled his accepted beverage twice before bringing to rim to his lips. He could fill the rough surface of the cup as he eyes the dragoness who was taking a delicate sip. Tilting back the cup just enough to let the cool liquid wet his lips, he finally took in a small mouthful.

Ivory eyed him up as he stood still, liking his lips. His gaze seemed to wonder everywhere but back to his cup. He appeared to be chewing thoughtfully, his tongue bouncing between his cheeks before his face scrunched up.

“Is something wrong?” she asked with concern laced in her words, “It’s not poisoned if that is your worry and is consumed by many creatures further down the river that runs through one of the smaller tunnels. It’s perfectly safe.”

“Well it appears I chose wisely then.”

“I think we both want some rest for now,” she put forward, nodding to the back of the cave. His lips curled into a silent snarl before he downed the drink. Water escaped and trickled out from the corner of his mouth between each gulp. With a satisfied sigh, he wiped his maw and facial fuzz before giving her a pointed glare.

“I want to go home,” he stated, dropping the mug and turning back. The smash signaled the loss of another artifact of hers, another piece of her hoard.

She held a mixture of emotions, a blend of sorrow for her mistake and how disheveled he was, and anger for the lack of respect her so casually displayed towards her. Perhaps she was angry at herself for making such a colossal error. Regardless, she wasn’t too pleased for his utter disrespect; she wanted to own up to her responsibility because any dragon worth their salt controlled what occurred within their den. Which meant that either she help him, or simply kick him out and be done with it.

Dragons weren’t known for being hospitable to unwanted guests nor were they a fan of the destruction of their possessions.

“Excuse me, human!” she balked, marching up to the man, “I’ll have you know that I don’t have to care for you, in fact, I could shift size and swallow you whole!” Sammy turned and found himself once again being leant upon by Ivory, her burning stare freezing him to the spot. “Dragons may only kill in retaliation for something invading their lair, but you also seem to forget that we can get hungry too. Gems only satisfy so much.”

He frowned but she cut him off, displaying her sharp claws once more

“Talk and I’ll tear out your voice box,” she stated, not giving him time to digest the threat. “Yes it is my fault you are here, yes I am incredibly sorry for what has happened, and I will set you on the best path from this point on, but you will treat me with the respect my species deserve!” she screamed, nearly bursting his ear drums.

“I’m not asking for your forgiveness, that’s ridiculous, but if you think I’ll let you-” she emphasised with a sharp prod, causing him to yelp- “insult me and ruin my hoard by wrecking it, the third worst insult to my kind, then I won’t keep you.”

“What the Hell-” was all he managed, clutching his shoulder. She locked her claw along his chin and dragged his gaze towards her. With a grim tone, she spoke clearly.

“I’ll let you lose in the wilds, where the hydras roam ad the Hikkou bats fly. Something as weak and as lost as you won’t survive the night as you are. Rest and clear your mind.” Sammy tore away from her grasp, her claws scratching his chin. Feeling along, he felt the sting of a wound, along with freshly shaven skin. A slice now cut into his ragged beard.

He rubbed his blood stain fingers on himself, noting how her claws were curling away from the world. They hid as he pressed his tongue against his cheek, subtly emphasising the small gash through feigned habit and pointed stare. She quickly returned her claws to their default station crossed over her stomach, her head turned back towards the throat of the cave.

“Fine. Until I can go, I’ll stay. I'll be as civil as I can given the preposterous circumstance. But I am not going to be doing no crystal magic bullshit,” he stated rather than negotiated. He turned to leave but stopped to start strolling backwards, pointing at her rudely, “Don’t be expecting any apologies from me, and don’t even bother expecting my forgiveness. This is an abduction with the intention of slavery, end of.” He spun around, but the simple act of walking was now becoming tiring. He stumbled forth, quickly staggering until he tripped.

Time slowed as his eyes lay upon pointed stalagmite. His ribs were on a direct course as he was carried over, losing his footing and beginning his descent. His shot out but found no purchase as he stopped moving all together. As if a harness had ensnared him his jumper became taught around his chest and waist. He was pulled back but collapsed as soon as his weight rested on his own legs.

Fortunately he had someone to catch him.

Holding him under one arm, his own loosely wrapped around her side, Lady Ivory supported him. They both shared a long stare, withheld contempt in his eyes clashed with her dutiful compassion. Neither wanted this, but she was willing to help and he was in need of her assistance. For now this would be his best chance.

She helped him along the cave. Sammy’s mind tore him away from her pitiful gaze, lost in what was going to happen the next day. He wasn't happy, in fact on the inside he was miserable. His plan of action was short sighted to the point that his plan was simply ‘sleep’, where little mattered as his body demanded this of him. Still, he had a one thing to say, one thing he wanted to talk about that wasn't a big issue he could tackle tomorrow.

“You’re rather kind for a dragon, if that doesn't sound too prejudiced.” It was true, and it was a thought that plagued him. It was now on level to when he was curious about how she changed size.

“It’s a common misconception that others have tied to us,” she started, an air of nobility returning to her voice. “Our society is complex, our hierarchies shifting with the changing eras and with our long lifespans, and as such, both males and females may get…physical. We don’t, however, endorse harming the other races- it’s not their business, but if they get involved in a dragons quarrel then there will likely be only one outcome.”

“So… about the whole burning cities thing…”

“Well, if someone broke into your home and robbed your riches, your social status, or you if awoke to find a village built over your reserved hoard, wouldn't you be a rather bit upset?” she inquired with a grin. “There’s also the glorious tradition of ending my life, proudly displaying my carcass around the settlement, and in some cultures, eating my slain flesh.

“Oh yeah, you guys have that century long nap,” Sammy remembered. He was more focused on trying to be less of a drag at this point, spurring his legs on to stop them becoming dead weight.

“You seem well informed of my kind, we’ll be having an interesting chat tomorrow,” she said, working that into both their schedules. “Anyway, a few bad eggs, some poorly risen drakes, and few hostile take overs and we are apparently the bane of every civilisation. I can assure you we are not!”

“No, no, I can totally see the appeal in trans-dimensional travel, especially on unsuspecting humans,” he retorted sarcastically. He didn’t need to look to feel her burning glare, but the warm wisps of white smoke and the rumbling growl made him back pedal.

“Last one, I promise.” He weakly chuckled before coughing awkwardly.

“I’ll set up a nest for you to sleep in,” she offered, earning a grunt in acknowledgement. The small talk helped guide him through the tunnel. Learning was beneficial as it satisfied his growing curiosity, but more importantly suppressed thoughts of home. His throat dried as images of his friends seeped into his mind, a tightness in his chest squeezing out ponderings of home.

‘I wonder how it looked from their end. Did anyone see?’

He became limp at that point, barely stumbling along. Sammy could only look away, refusing to let her see a tear.

Author's Notes:

There's a lot to take into this chapter, but I find it fitting. There is a ton to take in, and he asked for the facts strictly. He wanted it all to be pilled on in order to have a better understanding of his situation. His emotions are a wreck and he's trying to take things as they come, causing him to shift between emotional states.