It all started late in the year. I was dropping my daughter off at her mother’s place after our weekend was over. I only got to see her rarely, so I spent that time doing whatever she wanted. An example was watching my little pony with her and talking about the characters. Her favorites were the princesses who she thought other than Twilight didn’t get enough time. She believed the little they showed Luna and Celestia didn’t allow for enough character development and that was a lot coming from a five year old. Though she knew a lot about character development since her mother and I talked about it all the time when discussing my books.

My ex-girlfriend Andromeda was one of the few women who had ever gotten my writing and as such was one of the few I allowed to comment on it. We were originally going to get married then she dropped my sorry ass for my best friend Alexander. However this was only after she found out she was pregnant with me or Alexander’s kid. When it turned out to be mine we went to court about visitation. I couldn’t keep our daughter, Lexis, because I was a schizophrenic. Lex as I called her had first started watching the show at her mother’s but her mother wasn’t interested in sitting and talking with the daughter she never wanted.

Andromeda would have been happy to have Lex living with me, but we both knew the courts would never allow it. So she and Alex took Lex and raised her. However I saw her on weekends, despite living on a ranch that was miles from the city and the only reason I got that was because I was willing to pick her up. If I wasn’t I’d never see my daughter, and that would have made life worthless. My daughter, my therapist, my dog, and my ranch were the only things making life worth living.

Anyway I dropped Lex off at her mother’s and headed home popping a few pain meds as I had a major headache from working late nights on my latest novel. It wasn’t much but thanks to Lex I had a story about a young girl who lost everything except her estranged father and had to grow up trying to figure out what he was hiding from her. The girl made a bunch of friends with the animals on the farm which her father was living at.

Lex loved the idea and said that it would make a great kids’ book. I wasn’t big on writing children’s fiction but along with that story I had a horror story idea about a man who lost everything and made a deal with the devil for one more day with his little girl after she was taken from him. However the devil hadn’t brought the man’s daughter back instead he’d used a demon to imitate the little girl and the man was trying to find a way out of hell after having sold his soul. An angel helped the man since he realized that his last wish had been to see his daughter to apologize and tell her how much he loved her.

It wasn’t so much a true horror story as a slightly horroresque drama. I thought about it as I drove home and figured I’d crack out at least one chapter before I collapsed on the couch to watch either more MLP for the next time my daughter came over or some anime like my best friend Ami liked to rag me about. She said I needed more anime in my life or it would always be dull and boring. I argued that that made no sense, but she just ignored it.

I shook my head as I thought about Ami, who I’d dated for a while but things just didn’t work out. We were still good friends and all, and she loved Lex like her own daughter, but she said she never wanted kids of her own. I argued with her about it, but I never got anywhere, like most of my arguments with Ami. I shook my head to clear it as I neared my place noticing that the two hour drive had passed a lot quicker with my mind occupied. I parked my car in the garage then walked into the house where my dog Duchess was laying on the couch waiting for me. I smiled at her and her tail thumped against the ground.

I walked to my study with her following and pulled out my will just because I felt like something bad was going to happen to me. It stated that everything I had would go to Lex with Ami as her guardian if she wanted to get away from her mother. If not, then Ami would just be the caretaker of my estate until Lex was old enough to take over which would be at either sixteen or eighteen. Lex loved my ranch and I knew I couldn’t sell it when she had so many happy memories here.

I knew it wouldn’t do anything to ease her feelings about losing her daddy, but at least I could leave something for her. In my will I stated Duchess, who was my service dog, was to go to someone who needed her to help with anxiety or stay with Lex it would be up to her guardian to decide what happened to my dog. I had her for two years now, since I was twenty two and I was twenty four now.

After checking over my will and finding everything in order I set it on my desk and grabbed my laptop then plopped down on the couch with Duchess and started working on my novel about the little girl. As I was working the house was hit by a storm that knocked out the power, and nearly fried my laptop. I quickly unplugged it as the power went out and finished then saved my work and put it in my bag. I walked into my room since there was nothing for me to do and put my bag on my bed then slipped under the covers and fell asleep forgetting to take off my clothes.

As soon as I fell asleep I found myself in a forest full of strange sights and sounds. I couldn’t really make any of them out until I started walking and arrived at a lake. I looked into the water and saw that my hair, which was dirty blonde, had a black streak in it, my eyes which were usually gray were now dark green like the forest around me, and I had a scar going across my left eye that looked like it was caused by a creature with claws. I glanced down at my clothes and realized they were of higher class material than I was used to. They seemed to be silk or Velvet, I couldn’t tell which.

I shook my head and looked across the lake to see four beautiful figures shrouded in light and darkness. I couldn’t make them out really well but I could tell they were all standing in order of height. The lightest one was about as tall as me, the darkest about shoulder height, and the second lightest which had a pink aura, about neck high on me, and the shortest about chest height and surrounded by a purple aura. I stared at them wondering who they were and why they were here.

I suddenly started to here bits and pieces of their conversations. One said “This… one?”

Another nodded and replied “Yes… sure… him.”

A third said “He… like much.” The last seemed to say “Don’t judge…by … cover.”

Then everything faded slightly and I heard chanting in a mysterious language. I felt myself starting to wake up and heard a voice say “You’re sure this is the one?” I didn’t hear the reply but the voice continued “Well we did just see him in the forest. I guess he may be stronger than he looks. Though what happened to his clothing, hair, and eyes.” I opened my eyes but everything was blurry. They continued “He’s changed from how he looked in the dreamscape. Ah well, tell Gleaming Shield she has someone new to train in the art of the blade.”

I heard footsteps leaving the room and stretched then rubbed my eyes slowly clearing both the sleep and whatever else was covering them. I blinked as I realized I definitely wasn’t in my room. I had thought this was the case at first, but I had to be sure, after all I had a very strange imagination. I sighed and glanced around me seeing I was in a luxurious palace lying on the floor. The floor and room were bright and cheery and there were stain glass windows all along the walls.

I slowly studied the windows and swallowed a bit in surprise as they depicted the mane six as they were known on earth, discord who Lex always thought was funny albeit evil until Fluttershy reformed him, Celestia and Luna, the elements of Harmony, the Coronation and Ascension of Twilight Sparkle, and other scenes. I slowly turned my head to the sound of someone saying “Well he’s awake, Celestia, now what?” I found myself staring at Princesses Luna and Celestia. I gulped and thought “Either, I’m dead, I somehow got transported into my daughter’s favorite TV show which really exists, or I’m dreaming and for some reason my dreams focused on My Little Pony despite having been focused on a dark story rather than the cartoony TV show.”

I sighed as Celestia said “Yes He’s awake. Maybe we should wait for Twilight and Cadance to get back with Gleaming shield.” I blinked and raised an eyebrow wondering who Gleaming Shield was. Luna however didn’t seem so patient and snorted then gave her sister a look that I knew well which said ‘Really? That’s it?’ I got this look whenever I didn’t give Duchess enough food in her opinion or made pancakes for Lex. Celestia seemed to understand the look and asked “What would you have me do clap him in irons and prevent him from moving when we were the ones who brought him from his own world to ours?”

Luna blushed and said “No, but we could at least ask him who he is. I mean it seems like bad etiquette to bring someone to our world expecting him to know how to save it when the elements of Harmony can’t, and then not even ask his name.” I swore vehemently in my mind and noticed both alicorns watching me waiting for a reaction other than just staring at them.

I sighed softly and punched myself after lifting my glasses to the top of my head. I yelped and said “Not dead. Most likely not a dream, so obviously you transported me here.” I looked at the princesses at this point feeling my left eye swelling from the punch and asked “Why would you possibly drag a guy who spends his time writing stories or working on a ranch to your world? What could I possibly have that you want or need?”

Luna blinked surprised and stared at me as if she didn’t believe I could actually talk. Celestia meanwhile studied me and said “Interesting questions. Very interesting questions you’ve asked. Well to start with something you didn’t ask, you are in Equestria a land of magic where my sister and I rule. There are several other lands connected to Equestria but for now you just need to focus on Equestria and the Crystal Empire.” I just sighed and nodded seeing she was going to avoid answering my questions as long as possible.

Luna seemed to sense the same thing as she said “Tia, you are keeping secrets again.” Celestia looked at her and she continued “If we’re going to have him work with us we’re going to need to keep him informed, or do you expect one who is but a foal in their knowledge of our world to fend for himself?” Celestia sighed and looked slightly ashamed surprising me. I was used to Celestia being calm and collected throughout the show with moments of surprise.

Luna however had never been shown really so I didn’t know what to think of her. She seemed to have the same thoughts about me. We were both unknowns to the other so she wanted to learn as much about me as possible and vice versa. She obviously hadn’t wanted to doom her people by bringing a psychopath to Equestria, and I honestly didn’t want to have to fight with a powerful Alicorn who could raise the moon. Finally she said “Tell us about yourself, starting with your name.”

I shrugged and started to speak when two more alicorns and a unicorn walked in. All three were female but I recognized their cutie marks. I said “Cadence, Twilight, and Shining Armor?” Twilight blinked and Cadence stared at me while Shining seemed to get pissed about something. I raised an eyebrow and said “Did I say something wrong? I mean on the show you’re called Shining Armor, is that not your name?” The four princesses looked back and forth between me and the mare that I thought was shining armor.

Suddenly she exploded shouting “MY NAME INTRUDER IS GLEAMING SHIELD!  I AM NOT MALE, AND IF YOU GET MY NAME WRONG I WILL TAKE THE SWORD I WAS TOLD TO TRAIN YOU IN THE USE OF AND SHOVE IT SO FAR UP YOUR REAR THAT EVEN CELESTIA AND LUNA’S MAGIC WILL NOT BE ABLE TO RETRIEVE IT! AM I UNDERSTOOD?”

I swallowed and said “Crystal clear.” She snorted and muttered about people getting her name wrong and not taking it since she gained her position as head of the guard. I shivered at her rant then said “Anyway with that out of the way, I believe Luna wanted to know my name?” Luna nodded the other three looking at Gleaming a bit askance and I said “My name is Jake, Jake Wolf.” Twilight gasped and I raised an eyebrow then said “What you’ve heard of me or something?”

Twilight nodded and said “Yes you’re a famous writer in the human world. I read about you while I was in Canterlot High’s library. You’ve written a lot of novels for teens and adults. I even read a few of your books in my spare time and found them interesting. I didn’t realize who you were because I didn’t get a good look at you, and you weren’t wearing your glasses. Wait why aren’t your glasses on your nose?”

I blinked realizing I was seeing better without glasses than with them. I put on my glasses and cried out in pain as they hurt my eyes and everything seemed distorted I quickly took them off and put them in my shirt pocket then said “Well Twilight I would be wearing them if my eyes didn’t hurt when I put them on. I originally took them off because everything was blurry when I woke up. Does that answer your question?” She nodded and Luna coughed reminding me I had more to tell if things were going to go peacefully between myself and the princesses.

I sighed and said “As long as you hold back Gleaming, I will gladly tell my story.” Luna nodded and looked at Gleaming who looked gob smacked. I smirked at her and she started to charge only to be held back by the telekinetic force of not one but four alicorns. I smirked at her then said “To start I’m from Earth, Arizona to be exact. I lived on a ranch outside one of the larger cities. I’m a single parent, on weekends, because my ex-girlfriend has our daughter most of the time. I’m a writer who is obsessed with fantasy stories, and writing the perfect story. As for how Twilight knows me I’m a renowned Author back on earth and my stories appear in most high schools and colleges.”

I breathed deeply and continued “I know about all of you because of a show my daughter watched made by Lauren Faust and Hasbro.” At this Celestia gasped and I raised an eyebrow then continued “It’s called My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. It’s about Twilight and her adventures with her friends who are known as the mane six in some social circles. My daughter’s favorite characters are Twilight, Celestia, Luna, and Cadence amazingly despite the fact that out of the four of you only Twilight really gets much screen time. She believes that the writers don’t give enough detail to the other princesses who all affect the world of equestria greatly.” I sighed and scratched my neck trying to figure out how to best continue my explanation about everything.

Eventually I just gave up and said “Most people think Equestria isn’t real, there are some like me who follow the multiverse theory and believe everything people say or do causes a chain reaction and that there are multiple universes. Just being here proves to me that the multiverse theory is true. So what do you want from me now that I’ve told you what I know?” Twilight coughed and glanced at Celestia who seemed to be absorbing everything I said while Gleaming just looked petulant, and Cadence and Luna were both looking at me in wonderment.

I raised an eyebrow and Celestia finally said “I believe you are definitely the person we need after hearing this. You have the imagination that most of your world lacks, you have a reason to fight, you know a bit about our world, and you seem to be the same person we saw in the dream realm minus a few cosmetic differences.” I snorted thinking a few cosmetic differences was an understatement. The black steak in my hair, and green eyes were not normal for me unless I was sick then they were a sickly green not a rich forest green.

I silently wondered what it meant that the dream me had looked like that and why the ponies seemed to need me so badly. Luna coughed and I turned to her questioningly then she said “We need a knight, like in the days of old. However more than a knight we need a hero who can do more than a knight ever could. We need someone we can train to use not only their body, but the magic of the land as only human mages of old could.”

I blinked and asked “Human mages of old?” She nodded and I sighed then asked “So there were once humans in Equestria?” I got another nod from Luna. I sighed and asked “And you expect me to live up to their legacy?” She shook her head and I said “Ok if you don’t expect me to live up to their legacy what do you expect me to do?”

Luna smiled humorlessly and said “We expect you to surpass them.” I blinked and gave her a look that stated ‘you’re absolutely nuts.’ She smirked and said “Have you not already felt better since coming here?” I slowly nodded and she said “That is the magic of this land adapting you to be in the optimum of health. It may make you stronger than an earth pony, faster than a Pegasus pony, and more magically attuned than a unicorn. In essence it will make you a humanized alicorn.”

I blinked and stared at her my mind going to images of the four of them as anthros. I slowly shook my head trying to clear it and said “Right a humanized Alicorn. Is that something that’s happened before?” She shook her head and I said “Closest thing to a male alicorn was star swirl the bearded, right?” Luna nodded slightly surprised I kept track of that and I asked “Does this make me closer than star swirl?” Again Luna nodded and I sighed.

I sighed and Twilight asked “Are you ok, Jake?” I nodded and just closed my eyes rubbing them with two fingers. I felt exhausted but I’d already been asleep and by the look of things the sun was up, which explained why Celestia had left the room a few minutes ago. I yawned and lay on my back covering my eyes with my arm only to be prodded by a hoof to the chest. I heard Twilight say “Luna stop he’s obviously exhausted. We should give him a room in the castle and continue this when he’s had more rest.”

I snorted and said “I’m as awake as I’m going to be twilight. Just ask whatever you want to ask while I let my brain process everything that’s going on here.” I heard a sigh then the girls started discussing things among themselves so quietly I couldn’t hear what they were saying. I sighed and said softly to myself “Welcome to Equestria. This would be so much better with Lex here.”