The clock ticked slowly, rhythmically, and predictably. The thinnest and longest clock hand moved one small division on the clock face each second, making a quiet but sharp sound – a tic. Sixty tics made one minute; one hundred and twenty tics made two minutes; one hundred and eighty tics made three minutes. A louder tic of a slightly different tone sounded each time the thicker and shorter clock hand moved at the end of the previous minute and the beginning of a new one. The thickest and the shortest clock hand barely moved, and even if it made a sound, it was so tiny it could only be heard if one were to put their ear right against the clockwork. Even then, this tic was overshadowed by the tics the second and minute clock hands made.

At the moment, it was thirty-five past eleven in the morning. Another twenty-five louder tics would sound before it was noon. All clock hands would make their way to the number twelve on the clock face to stand in a perfect line.

The sun was already high in the sky, but not quite at its zenith. The capital city of Equestria, Canterlot was already busy. Perhaps not quite as busy as it was during the work days, but life went on in it nonetheless. Ponies chatted with each other, made plans and arrangements for this day and the more distant future; their foals ran around and played with each other, carefree just like children are supposed to be at their age. Various merchants and shop owners were taunting their numerous wares and services, attracting the attention of many ponies in the streets of the old and beautiful city.

Mike gazed at it through the window in his room inside Canterlot Castle. He made numerous observations, including noting the main inhabitants – ponies. They came with seemingly all possible colors, ranging from simple combinations like white and blue to more than three colors, which were often accompanied by the colors of the clothes the ponies were wearing. However, Mike did notice that most in fact wore nothing just like ponies of Earth. Of course, there was even more to it; each pony had distinctive appearance not only by their colors, but another visible quality Mike had labeled a race. A horn for a unicorn, a pair of wings for a pegasus, and a bigger overall size for an earth pony. The former human made an observation that no ponies he could see had wings and a horn at the same time, marking Nightmare Moon an exception; the only alicorn he had seen so far.

At least half an hour passed since he had woken up in the guest room; no one had come for him yet. Despite his anxiety, he tried to distract himself with watching the outside. However, he could hear someone making steps right outside his room, but they never knocked or called. He could only assume that he was guarded, and someone would come for him eventually. Otherwise, it wouldn't make sense for them to put him in a reasonably comfortable room if they didn't intend to at least talk to him.

Mike had plenty of time to explore his new but oddly familiar body. He could feel the ears on top of his head swiveling around, and he could even control them rather easily. He spent a while making taps with his hooves and turning the ears in different directions so that he could hear the difference. He was like a kid with a new toy, only this 'toy' was his own very body. Another thing he had no control over before was his tail. In humans, tail was extremely short and rudimentary, but here, it was long and had plenty of bones and muscle, much more flexible than an arm. The tail could move in many different ways and even make a circle if Mike so wanted. In fact, it was so flexible he could bite it if he turned his head towards his tail and then moved his tail just the right way.

He said various words, testing his voice and carefully listening to how it sounded. Indeed, this new voice of his was very unlike the one he used to have before. Deeper, with a certain rumble to it, it was a powerful voice. It would be perfect for narrating something or making speeches, for example. Perhaps not quite as perfect as the voice of, say, Morgan Freeman, but it could sure contest. His old voice was certainly no match for the new one – it was a generic voice with a generic American accent; thousands of others had similar if not the same voices. This new one had more personality even though his character had not yet changed.

Mike also had to check a very important thing about his body, the one that defined his sex and, by extention, gender. To his great relief, he could see that he still had a proper mammal male genitalia. Due to some... questionable searches he had done on the internet during his lifetime, he was fairly certain he now had the genitalia a stallion would have. However, he wasn't sure he would get to use it – he was now a fearsome hellish horse. He wasn't sure he'd be considered attractive by anyone around him. In Heroes of Might & Magic 5, Nightmares are portrayed as evil and certainly not beautiful, and his own looks weren't too far away from them.

Such relatively small concerns aside, he had more problems to deal with. He was stranded in a foreign world without friends or any guidance at all. It was the first time he was truly alone and had nothing but himself.

When he was a human, his life was rather simple, and the days consisted of simple routines. When he was younger, he would wake up in the morning, go to school, then hang out with his friends, do the homework, perhaps watch a cartoon or two, and then go to bed for a new day. When he got older, not much had changed, and he had a similar routine, just with college instead of school and fewer cartoons, playing more digital games instead. In fact, it was his last year of college when he was whisked away to a completely different world. He had been studying to learn more about computers, basics of coding, and general things that would help him in life; unfortunately, nothing prepared him for anything like his current situation.

Knock knock.

Mike swiftly turned his head to the entrance; his mouth opened, and yet no words came out of it. At first, he wanted to say 'who's it?', then his mind switched to a simple 'enter', and then it all became blank. No matter what he could say, nothing felt right. So, he stood there in the middle of the room, unsure of what to say.

Knock knock.

He raised a hoof in preparation to walk straight to the door and open it, and yet he didn't budge from his place. Once again, doubts and hesitations took over his mind, his anxiety skyrocketing and preventing him from thinking clearly.

"He must be asleep," a female, somewhat familiar voice came from behind the door, "We shouldn't disturb him yet, then."

"I..." Mike finally spoke up rather loudly, but paused for a moment. Then, he continued rather awkwardly, "I'm... awake."

"May I enter?"

After another moment of hesitation, the former human said, "Uh, sure."

The door slowly opened, revealing Luna, the Princess of the Night. She was quite a bit smaller than Mike, standing at least a head lower than he did. Her overall shape was smaller as well with seemingly less power in it than in the muscular, bulky body of the Nightmare. Despite the very different appearance, one detail was unmistakable – the mark of the moon on her flank. He was in haze when he saw it first, but he still remembered this mark and whom it belonged to.

"Nightmare Moon?" Mike asked in a quiet voice. Luna winced as if she was hurt, and a small sigh escaped her lips.

"I'd prefer if thou callest me Luna," she replied. She took a step inside the room, told the guards to leave, and now was alone with the Nightmare. Then, she continued: "I... I am sorry for what happened to thee. Nightmare Moon is... my second personality, I suppose. She used thee to further her own goals, and I had no control over it. But I am willing to take full responsibility for it."

"Um... but can you send me back home?" the former human asked, a glimmer of hope in his voice.

"I'm afraid this promise she gave to thee cannot be fulfilled," Luna shook her head guiltily, "I wish I could help thee, but it is out of my power to do so."

"But... do you know of a p-place called United States of America?" he asked, his voice faltering once.

"It is the first time I hear of such a country, I'm afraid," the alicorn shook her head again, avoiding looking at Mike, "I'm truly sorry, but I believe I can do nothing to help thee in this regard."

Mike sat down and looked at his hooves, unsure of what to say or do. Dullness filled his mind, the answer he received resonating inside his head many times, hammering the thought down. He wanted to refuse to believe it, but something told him it was the truth, and he had to accept it. Friends, family, all was gone far, far away, and he could do nothing but move forward in a world that was not his. The last hope disappeared, and only anxiety remained.

The fear of the future was upon him, for he had nothing and no one in this world but himself. Before this moment, he chased the thought away from his mind, but it returned to strike him harder than before. He was an emotionally strong man, but now he gave in, letting a lone tear roll down his cheek and fall on the floor; a small wet stain appeared on the carpet.

"I promise to do everything in my power to help thee find meaning and life in Equestria," Luna finally said, "This promise is the one I shall see to be fulfilled, and I swear on it with my honor."

"I... thank you," Mike nodded, "But, uh... I have no idea where to start, to be honest. I'm... this-" he looked at his body "-and... I don't know what to do. I mean, um... S-sorry, I can't think very well right now."

"I understand," the alicorn nodded empathetically, "I see thou art lost. Frankly, I feel so too – I only have my sister, but even then I feel... out of this world. It hath been many centuries since I was here last, much hath changed. Barely anyone remembereth me, and the fear reigns among those that are supposed to be my subjects. I can understand thy situation well, but even it cannot compare with what thou must be feeling right now."

"Many centuries?" Mike asked with confusion in his voice, "Does that mean that you're... at least two hundred years old?"

"Thou art correct," she nodded, "I see 'tis surprising for thee. Thou art from another world, so I suppose no one liveth that long in it?"

"None that I know of," he shook his head, "Even just a hundred years is not easy to reach."

"For most ponies, that is also true. At least, it used to be during my time," Luna replied, "However, my sister and I are exceptions to that. Dost thou know what an alicorn is?" after receiving a shake of his head, she satisfied his unspoken curiosity: "An alicorn is a pony of all the pony tribes. Unicorn, pegasus, and an earth pony in one body and mind. To receive such a gift, one must achieve something greater. I wouldn't want to boast, but I suppose it is obvious that my sister and I managed to do just that. Such a gift not only grants powers beyond most, it also prolongs one's lifespan indefinitely. We are eternally young, just as strong and agile as we were in our prime."

"So... Equestria is the land of... ponies, right? And alicorns are their rulers?" Mike asked with interest, forgetting his anxiety for a moment.

"Indeed," the alicorn nodded in confirmation, "Though, it wasn't always the case. Anyway, before we can delve deeper into history of this land and this world as a whole, may I ask thee thy name?"

"Oh, right, of course," the former human nodded, realizing that he was yet to introduce himself. He opened his mouth to speak his name, and yet nothing came out.

A loud tic sounded as the time stopped all around the former human. The clock stopped, the alicorn was frozen in place, and a few small specks of dust lingered in the air in the same place for longer than they should. At first, he panicked, not realizing what was happening, but a calming song appeared out of thin air. Someone sung in his ears a wordless, ethereal song. Gentle and soft, it murmured into his ears, easing his mind until his thoughts were clear.

From the depths of the unknown and yet the very familiar, a new name was granted upon him. A true name, it radiated with purpose and meaning, calling to him to accept it fully and completely. In his darkest, emptiest times, this name would guide him towards the future and the proverbial light of the soul. No matter where the stream of fate brings him, he will always carry his new name proudly and with honor, for it was a name worthy of greatness.

However, greatness is an achievement and cannot be gifted through names or numbers; it must be earned by hard work and dedication. Many names were swallowed by history, leaving not a trace or a memory, and yet some remained through centuries, even thousands of years. Powerful names that would be remembered for longer than the length of lives that belonged to the people carrying them. Many would name their children with the names of greatness, and yet those names brought nothing by themselves.

Indeed, it required thought and care to be put into a name before it becomes great and above others. And no matter the name, it must be accepted first, for it must belong to the person and be fully theirs.

The time returned to its regular course as the clock resumed its ticking, the subtle movements returned to the body of the alicorn in front of the former human, and the specks of dust slowly descended to the floor, disappearing from sight. A certain ring was left in the his ears, and his heart was pumping. In the depths of his mind, this sudden change scared him, but another part of him wanted it and was ready to accept it. That part, the brave part, prevailed, and he was ready to finally present himself to the Princess of the Night.

His powerful, deep, and rumbling voice slowly spoke the three words that began his purpose in the new world, and a certain glimmer appeared in his eyes as he did: "I am Andromalius."