Chapter 1: An Ethereal Ecliptical Event
Five years had passed since Equestria’s encounter with the evil ram Grogar and the dark forces which conspired to uproot peace and order in Equestria. Now, more or less, the general state of order has been returned to a manageable status quo. The Mane 6 were flourishing in their own ways and living generally peaceful lives; however, something in the back of the mind of some ponies in Equestria at the time made them think that things were a bit too peaceful. As if standing on the edge of an abyss, every pony felt that something momentous was about to happen, they could not place their hoof on what it would be.
Twilight was reading over some of her old spell books when Fluttershy dropped by to check on her.
“Hi, Twilight!” Fluttershy said, poking her head through the door to Twilight’s home which had been left ajar in the early summer heat.
“Oh, hey, Fluttershy,” responded the purple alicorn. “How are you today?”
“Oh, uh, the same old I guess….”
“Is everything okay, Fluttershy,” asked Twilight,”you seem a bit dow-“
“SURPRISE!!!!!” shouted Pinkie Pie as she barged her way through the door of Twilight’s home, “I hope you are all ready for the most amazing party ever!”
“SHIT, you scared me,” reacted Twi as she jumped up in fright. “What the hell…Jeez, just use an inside voice, Pinkie,” she reprimanded her friend, “and what’s with this party anyway?”
“It’s a tiny little thing for the MOST AMAZING total eclipse Equestria has seen for the last 10 years!”
“Oh, of course,” remembered Twilight, “that’s this afternoon! We shouldn’t miss that; I hear it's lined up to be a pretty special event!”
As a group, the Mane 6 gathered together to go to the main square to find the best location for viewing the once-in-a-lifetime celestial event. With the familiar faces of the group in the same place once again, they smiled as they passed familiar ponies along their walk through town, with the two halves of the Mane 6 trying to find each other in the crowd. At that moment, the afternoon sun began to wane in brightness as the citizens of Ponyville piled into the town square & found more permanent viewing spots. Twilight, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie made their way through the bustling crowd, joining Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Rarity who had already staked out a perfect spot to watch the eclipse.
Rainbow Dash was zipping around excitedly. "I've been looking forward to this all week! The best part of being a weather pony is having the inside scoop on these celestial events; I knew EXACTLY when it was going to happen at least 2 weeks out."
Applejack adjusted her hat, looking up at the sky. "Sure is somethin'. I’d reckon I ain't seen the whole town this excited since cider season."
Rarity, with her usual flair, had set up a small picnic with elegantly arranged snacks. "Darlings, I do hope this eclipse lives up to the immense hype it has built up. It would be such a waste if it turned out to be... well, anything less than spectacular."
Twilight smiled at her friends, "Don’t worry, girls, I have read more than one account from some ancient wiseponies and mages; they all say that events like this are unbelievably transformative…they even say that they help to prophecy major cosmic changes, but those could just be stories…."
The sky began to darken as the moon slowly moved to cover the sun. The ponies around them started to murmur in awe, the atmosphere filled with a deep sense of anticipation. Just as the eclipse reached its peak, a series of bright green and red lights flashed across the sky, casting an eerie glow over the crowd.
"What in tarnation is that?" Applejack exclaimed, her eyes widened with surprise & shock.
Fluttershy cowered slightly behind Twilight, her voice trembling. "I-Is that supposed to happen during an eclipse?"
Twilight’s eyes narrowed as she focused on the lights. "No, it’s not. This feels... magical, but not in a way I recognize. I have never come across any accounts of something like this in all my years of study…"
Pinkie Pie's usually bubbly demeanor seemed to shift as she tilted her head, pondering the lights. "Maybe it's a party in the sky! Although, it does feel a bit... strange." She looked behind her at her tail, “Uh oh, my tail just twitched, that’s not a good sign…”
Rarity gasped, clutching her wide-brimmed sun hat. "Oh dear, I do hope it isn't something dangerous. The colors are quite astounding but rather unsettling."
“What the everloving FUCK was that,” screamed Rainbow Dash.
“Language!!” shouted Twilight.
“Sorry, but I have no idea what that was,” apologized Dash. She flew up a bit higher to get a better look. "I don't know about you guys, but I’ve got a bad feeling about this. Those lights don't look like anything the weather team planned."
“Well, of course it isn’t something from the weather team, darling!” shouted Rarity, “It’s happening in the sky, not in the clouds, don’t be a dunce!”
The lights began to swirl, forming strange, almost runic patterns before vanishing with a sickly blue flash. The sky returned to its darkened state, the moon still casting its shadow over the sun.
Twilight turned to her friends, concern etched on her face. "We need to figure out what that was. It could be a sign of something important—maybe even a new existential threat to Equestria."
Applejack nodded firmly. "Alright, sugarcube. Don’t fret, now, ya here. We'll stick together and get to the bottom of this. Ain't nothin' we can't handle if’n we stay together as a team."
“Cut out the bullcrap,” said Rainbow Dash, we just need to follow the direction of the lights, maybe we can follow it to the pony that did this.”
“Christ,” interjected Rarity, “don’t you get it, it’s probably not even a pony that did this, right Twilight.”
Twilight snapped back to the conversation after being lost in thought for a moment, “Right,” she assured, “it’s probably just something easily explainable by science, I’ll do the research on it.”
Even though she seemed confident in her answer, her facial expression belied her definitive tone.
The other ponies in the crowd looked concerned as well; while problems of this sort and magnitude were normal for the Mane 6, the rest of the townsponies truly hoped that this was some odd magnetic phenomenon that would not yield any changes to their lives. However, as the calm of a nice summer afternoon once again returned to the crowd, the Mane 6 were on guard.
Chapter 2: The Arrival of the Hungarian Guest
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Chapter 2: The Arrival of the Hungarian Guest
While the Mane 6 tried to interpret and manage the reality of what they had seen in the sky during the eclipse, a very different reality was unfolding in a universe far away from the ponies of Ponyville.
Little did the ponies know, it was 1605 in the world of humans. András crouched behind a low stone wall near the well, his breath visible in the chilly morning air. The dawn was just breaking over the hills of Erdély, casting long shadows across the landscape. He looked down at the water buckets he had just filled—a small but meaningful joy in a life otherwise bereft of such feelings.
Five years had passed since András had left Torda, fleeing southward as Bocskai István’s uprising against the Habsburgs swept through the region, and certain areas increased the pressure on migrant Hungarian families. He had been just nineteen then, but it felt like a lifetime ago. The memory of leaving his home behind in the chaos, the smell of smoke, and the jeers of those imposing his exile still haunted his dreams.
He sighed, thinking back to his childhood in Nagykunság, near the Tisza. That small town was his true home; the bend of the Tisza gave him happiness and fed the lifeblood of his memories, like a dear but half-forgotten legend one heard on a grandfather’s lap. His family were Cumans, a proud lineage, though it had brought them little but hardship. When the Ottoman raids grew more frequent, they had no choice but to flee eastward. He remembered the long, arduous journey, his younger siblings huddled close for warmth and comfort. But despite their efforts, dysentery had claimed his brother and sister when he was just seventeen. Their loss had left a gaping hole in his heart.
"Hey, András," a voice whispered, breaking his reverie. It was Péter, a lanky youth with a scar running down his cheek. "You ready?"
András nodded, picking up the pails of water he had filled from the well and answering jovially, "As ready as I’ll ever be."
Péter chuckled softly, though without much humor. "Good. Because we’ve got a long day ahead of us."
The two walked back from the outskirts of Felvinc, making their way to their respective houses. Though not close friends, they occasionally met at the well or in the fields. They knew each other well enough to exchange pleasantries and a few words about the weather.
Shortly before reaching the gardens in front of their white-washed daub houses, Péter turned to András.
"Why so quiet?" Péter asked, turning his head to meet his friend’s gaze. "Thinking of home?" Péter knew his friend often felt nostalgic for a home far west of Felvinc.
András nodded, a bitter smile touching his lips. "I guess you could call it that. We’ve moved so much, I barely remember what home feels like."
Péter’s expression softened. "I get it. Life takes a lot from a person; that’s how things are in this tough, tough world."
András looked at Péter, seeing the determination in his eyes. He envied that certainty. "I hope you’re right. I’m just tired of running."
Péter clapped him on the shoulder. "Don’t worry. Things will turn around." For some reason, these words did little to comfort András.
Walking beyond the wooden gate of his home, he placed the buckets down beside the front door. He looked around, wiped his brow, and walked inside. Even though the morning air was cool, the inside of the house, lacking much light, felt somewhat chilly. He grabbed a large szűr hanging on a wooden hook and draped it haphazardly over his shoulders. No one was home at the moment. That was a bit unusual, but András knew he could manage alone. He decided that while the day was still young and the morning crisp, he could go down to the river and fish. From his house, the banks of the Maros River were about half a mérföld away. He grabbed his fishing pole, a simple wooden contraption with a thread line, and walked out the door.
As András walked towards the Maros River, he kept his old fishing pole slung over his shoulder. The path was familiar, one he had trodden many times since moving south from Torda. The morning mist clung to the ground, and the world was quiet, save for the distant chirping of small birds. He often came to this area to give himself a change of pace and provide a setting to clear his mind, finding some semblance of peace in the rhythmic lapping of the river.
Lost in thought, he didn’t notice the uneven ground ahead. His foot caught on a hidden root, and he stumbled forward, losing his balance. He tumbled off the path, crashing through the underbrush and landing in a boggy marsh. The mud sucked at his boots, and he struggled to free himself, but each movement seemed to pull him deeper. Panic set in as the world around him began to twist and warp.
The trees and sky melted into a swirl of colors, and the ground beneath him gave way. He felt himself falling through an expanse of nothingness, his mind reeling as reality bent and folded around him. He remembered asking his father when he was younger what blind people saw. His father told him they saw not black, not color, but nothingness. This was exactly what András saw as he seemed to swirl around in a mess of shifting nothingness that felt as unstable as quicksand and as swiftly flowing as a mountain stream. When he finally landed, it was with a soft thud on solid ground. He lay there for a moment, disoriented, before pushing himself up and taking in his surroundings.
The world was bright—unnaturally so. The grass was a vivid green, the sky a deep, endless blue. Nearby, he saw creatures unlike any he had ever encountered. As he looked up, he saw what looked to be a magic portal, or at least some reflective mirror-like structure, shrink and abruptly disappear above him into the emptiness of the air above his head.
“What the hell is this,” he thought, bewildered and half-sure he was dead or unconscious. They were small, colorful horses, some with wings, others with horns. They moved and talked, their voices a strange melody of a language he barely recognized but somehow understood. The way they sounded was strange, as if a mix of something he would hear from an Austrian but with a softness and fineness of sound he had never encountered before.
A pink pony with a bouncy mane spotted him and trotted over. "Hi there! You’re new! I’m Pinkie Pie, what’s your name?"
András blinked, struggling to find words. "Uh... András. Where... where am I?"
"You’re in Ponyville, silly!" Pinkie Pie replied with a giggle. "And that name sounds really weird, no offense though, hehe. I’ll just call you Anon, I think! You really don’t look like anything or anypony I have ever seen before… Anyway, you look lost. Do you need help?"
He nodded, bewildered, a bit too shocked to effectively speak and express himself. "Yes, please. This place... it’s so different from where I come from."
Pinkie Pie's eyes sparkled with curiosity. "Where do you come from?"
András hesitated. "A land called Erdély. I think it’s very far from here, but I honestly have no idea."
Pinkie Pie tilted her head, touching her hoof pensively to her mouth. "Never heard of it! But that’s okay, everypony is welcome here! Come on, I’ll introduce you to my friends. Maybe Twilight Sparkle can help you figure out how you got here."
As they walked through Ponyville, András marveled at the vibrant world around him. The buildings were quaint and charming; while different, they seemed not altogether foreign. As they walked, they didn’t say much, with András taking in the scenery and watching how the other ponies went about their day with a cheerful demeanor that seemed almost surreal. He noticed that he was speaking a language that felt familiar, yet foreign—a Saxon-sounding tongue he had heard once or twice but never fully grasped. It was English, though his mind failed to supply this answer to his unspoken question.
Pinkie Pie led him to a large tree with many windows. "This is where Twilight lives. She’s super smart and knows a lot about magic. If anyone can help you, it’s her!"
They entered the castle, and András found himself in a grand hall filled with books and artifacts. The purple alicorn was attentively poring over a large tome of spells and other incantations. Her eyes lit up as she saw them.
"Hi, Pinkie! Oh. MY. CELESTIA! What the fuc-... ahem, I mean, who is this?" she asked, closing her book and trying to compose herself.
"This is Andr…Andres?" attempted Pinkie.
“András,” he piped up to help her.
“Yeah, but I’m calling him Anon! He’s from a place called Erdély, and he’s lost," she said nonchalantly. "I thought you might be able to help him," Pinkie explained.
Hopping over to Twilight, she leaned in and added, “And he’s kind of cute too! Isn’t he? Look at his face and bright eyes. I love it! And his clothes,” she said, pointing to his white billowing traditional Transylvanian frock, “they’re so unique; Rarity will absolutely LOVE him too!”
Twilight Sparkle approached the strange looking guest, her eyes kind wide and inquisitive. "Hello, András. I’m Twilight Sparkle. It’s nice to meet you.” She sounded nervous as she attempted to be formal and welcoming. Can you tell me more about how you got here, if you can?"
András recounted his walk to the river, his unexpected fall, and the mind-bending travel through the void. Twilight listened intently, nodding every sentence or so. He couldn’t tell if she was genuinely interested or was comprehending anything he said as he worriedly recounted the events of what happened as best as he could.
"It sounds like you’ve traveled through some kind of inter-dimensional rift," she said finally. "Equestria has experienced magical anomalies before, but this is quite unusual. We’ll have to investigate further to understand how you got here and if there’s a way to send you back."
He sighed with relief. "Thank you. This place is beautiful, and the people… I guess, ponies… seem very nice, but it’s so different from everything I’ve known."
Twilight smiled reassuringly. "We’ll do our best to help you, András. In the meantime, you’re welcome to stay here and learn about our world. Who knows? You might even find it to be a new home."
He didn’t know about this; it all seemed so rushed. He didn’t even know how to respond.
Chapter 3: The Inter-Dimensional Guest Meets Trixie
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Chapter 3: The Inter-Dimensional Guest Meets Trixie
Before too long, the news of the unexpected newcomer became the talk of the town in Ponyville. It hadn’t even been three days before nearly every single pony in town knew of the existence of a strange being from a different dimension that magically seemed to just pop into Equestria. There was a great deal of controversy surrounding this new individual as well. Some ponies believed that he was not to be trusted. Others were quite fascinated and curious about the details of this creature's behavior. Yet others were relatively neutral and uninterested in the affairs of this creature, so long as it left them and their businesses alone. In the meantime, however, it was up to the ponies of the main six to determine exactly what should be done about the human.
During the interim between the human's arrival and any formal decision-making about what was to be done with him, the main six decided to deliberate and discuss the issue of what should be done in terms of housing and feeding the human.
One week after the arrival, with the human still living in a makeshift tarp tent near Twilight’s tree, the main six ponies decided to get together and discuss exactly what was to be done. Rarity contended that they needed to get a special containment unit in order to ensure that this unexpected guest wouldn’t bring any destructive parasites or sicknesses into Equestria. Pinkie Pie advocated for a plan that called for the human to live in the town square so that everyone could help out and take care of him. Applejack volunteered one of her old barns for the human to live in. Still, Rainbow Dash advocated for kicking the human out of Equestria entirely, as she didn’t trust him. Ever the voice of wisdom, Twilight Sparkle decided to further the idea that the human could live with her, in order to be observed at a scientific level. After all, she argued, who else could better analyze and evaluate the patterns and behaviors of a foreign specimen than a person trained in the study of science?
There was a considerable amount of heated debate. All the while, András had been outside, taking a walk around his new environment. It had been a week since he arrived in Equestria, and all he seemed to do was walk around and wait. In his mind, he felt that all decisions about him were being made behind closed doors, without much of his input at all. He felt both confused and ashamed that he ended up in this situation, maybe never to know again exactly how he got there and what would become of his family in his home dimension. More pressingly, he noticed that by spending all of his time outside and walking around in this unfamiliar environment, his clothes had started to accumulate an odor from constant wear. After all, he didn’t have anything to change into during all these days.
Resolved to take matters into his own hands and be productive for once, he inspected the surroundings and vicinity of Ponyville for a river or creek in which he could wash his clothes. Sleeping on what was little more than a tarp-covered piece of grass had done quite a number on his clothes. They were now covered in mud and dust. Seeing a forest and hoping that some small stream might flow through it, he started walking away from the edges of the town and towards the forest.
After what felt like an hour, he found himself deep within the thicket of the dense forest.
He remarked to himself that it would be quite easy for him to get lost in this environment. God forbid.
As fortune would have it, he ended up stumbling onto a stream, which ran through a collection of tall trees that he, in his home dimension, would’ve believed were oaks or maybe even beech trees.
In any case, the stream seemed to lead to an open glade within the dense forest. He was surprised that he had been so fortunate to find this sort of environment so quickly. Moreover, he was absolutely amazed by the lack of insects in comparison to his native homeland. He could recall that in the summer, a place like this would be teeming with mosquitoes. However, things seemed to be quite nice and pleasant in this new environment.
Deciding not to waste any time, he removed his long linen shirt and pants, shearling hat, and his boots as well as the foot wraps underneath them. There he stood in his mid-thigh-length undergarments, getting ready to wash his clothes.
Suddenly, from the very limits of his sight and hearing, he perceived the creaking and rocking of some sort of wagon coming into view from just beyond the tree line. He hunched down, attempting to cover himself and keep himself as hidden as possible behind a fallen log.
It was hard to perceive right away, but the shape and appearance of the wagon seemed to be quite familiar to András. His first thought was that the wagon appeared to be one of the traveling gypsies. The rounded design and large wooden wheels certainly gave it away for him. However, in front of the wagon, instead of seeing a more characteristically chestnut or black horse, he saw a pony which was a brilliant blue color. Even more curiously, he noticed that like many other ponies in this realm, this equine had a design of some sort on her flank.
In particular, this pony, with a brightly juxtaposed white mane, looked like a crescent moon displayed on her side.
"Is she a Turk? A Szekely?" András thought.
He wasn’t quite sure, but he decided to keep his distance.
Even from this distance, András could still hear that the pony was talking to itself. It appeared to have a female voice. More interesting still, the pony seemed to be repeating a set of lines over and over again. These lines included the words “…the great and powerful…” with vigor and flourish that even the still ignorant András could easily conjecture that these words were meant for some sort of grand performance in front of others.
“Yes, humble audience members, the great and powerful Trixie is here to amaze you with her unparalleled skills in the magical arts!”
Peeking his head slightly out from behind the fallen log, he tried to get a better look at this blue pony and see exactly what she was doing. When shifting his weight to raise his body up slightly, he must’ve stepped on a dry twig or branch, causing it to break and make a sound. The unknown blue pony looked over in his direction as he ducked again once more behind the log.
"Hello, is there anyone there?" she asked with trepidation.
She repeated her question.
In the meantime, he tried to get dressed as fast as he could while staying behind the log in order to make sure that if he was forced to show himself to the pony, he would be decent.
"I can hear you," she said. "Just show yourself before Trixie comes over there and uses her magic to eliminate you as a threat."
Getting his pants and undershirt on just in time, he stood up, raising his hands slightly above his head to signify that he was not a threat.
"Holy crap," Trixie responded. "What are you? Who are you?"
"My name is András, there’s nothing to fear. I just came to Equestria not that long ago, and I was just wandering through these woods."
"Why on earth are you here?"
"You mean, like, in Equestria?"
"No, silly, I meant in the forest."
"Oh, I was just looking for a place to wash my clothes. I haven’t had a change of clothes since I got here about a week ago."
"That explains why I haven’t heard of you. I’ve been in this forest for a week looking for a place to set up shop more permanently. Living out of a wagon is great and all, but having my own home and property is something that I think every pony desires. And certainly, when it comes to someone as powerful and great as the magical sorcerer Trixie, ponies deserve the best in this world," she said arrogantly.
"I get that," András responded, trying to placate the pony. "Is there anything I can do to help?"
"Well, actually, there is," Trixie responded. "Since I see that you have pretty long arms and what look like hands, I guess… you could probably be of help unloading this wagon."
"OK, that’s no problem," he responded, understanding that this task was probably the first step in making a friend and being useful to a pony.
The work went on for a few hours, as András lifted heavy boxes and Trixie helped with her magic to unload everything into the open grassy space amidst the tall trees.
Once the work was done, András sat down for an extra moment underneath the shade of one of the especially leafy trees and sighed loudly.
"Thank you so much for your help," Trixie said. "You really did help me a lot. You did in an hour what it would’ve taken me a day to do. I don’t suppose that you’re up to helping me a little bit more?"
"I guess I could, if you’d like me to."
"Well, the first thing you could do is to help me by referring to me as the Great and Powerful Trixie. Of course, that is my official moniker."
"OK, I guess I could do that for you, Trixie. I think the 'Great and Powerful' bit might be a little bit too long to repeat every time, but you certainly do seem great and powerful," he added, just to appease her, believing to a certain extent that she might be a little bit deranged.
"Sounds good. Now the Great and Powerful Trixie commands you, András, to take this ax and build Trixie a fence."
"But Trixie, that seems like a lot of work. I don’t even know if I have the right to cut down these trees. Is this even your land?"
"Do you dare question the knowledge and wisdom of Trixie?”
“No, not at all. I was just curious. I’ll get ready to start on that fence,” András replied, sensing a bit of tension and hostility in her voice and getting a bit nervous.
“That’s what I thought,” added Trixie.
With the ax and an extra shovel he found hung up in the wagon, which seemed to be larger than even Trixie, András went about taking large tree boughs and decently firm branches to construct a makeshift fence. In order to avoid chopping down trees as much as he could, he elected for branches that had already fallen and, when absolutely necessary, tried to pick trees that already looked like they were on their way out. Even though the area that he was assigned to fence was not too terribly big, likely being no larger than a single acre, he still felt exhausted by the time he finished. Acknowledging that while the fence was not necessarily pretty or strong, it would do its job and had enough support to stand up to at least moderate winds.
After this endeavor, András was thoroughly exhausted. He took a position lying down next to the roots of an especially large tree, resting his head on one of the root knots that extended out from the tree’s trunk.
With a cool breeze lightly blowing through the grass and foliage of the forest, he drifted off to sleep for a moment.
When he awoke, he realized that Trixie was standing over him, looking directly at his face.
“Oh goodness,” he shouted as he jolted up, startled.
“No need to worry. Trixie is watching over you. With her magic on your side, nothing bad will happen to you.”
“Oh, OK. I guess that’s all right. I just wasn’t expecting it, that’s all.”
“Of course you didn’t, as no one can expect the tricks and methods of the great and powerful Trixie.”
“And yes, Trixie, there was another question that I wanted to ask you.”
“Yes, go ahead, what is it?”
“Are you, by chance, a gypsy?”
“No, not at all. Why do you think so?”
“Oh, it’s nothing. It’s just your wagon made me think that you were maybe a traveling gypsy or something.”
“But interestingly enough, that’s not the first time I’ve gotten a question of that nature. It’s just a very convenient wagon.”
“Understood, thanks for clearing that up.”
“So now that I’ve done all this work for you, could you tell me honestly why you want this so badly? Also, why this location in particular? It feels kind of secluded and difficult to get to.”
“Yes, I know. It certainly does seem that way. But living out of one’s wagon can certainly make one desperate. It’s a lonely existence always being on the road. And although I am the best magician around, it seems like some people in Ponyville do not respect me for the talent that I have. After these ups and downs, I decided it would be best to settle down on a small piece of land. As for the choice of plot, well... I can’t say that it’s completely 100% legal. In all honesty, I chose this in order to make sure that I had the best chance of not being bothered by any government officials.”
“That makes sense. I totally understand,” András answered. “I was an immigrant myself when I was younger, so I understand how sweet it can be just to settle down in one place after being on the move for so long.”
“You do?”
“Of course. Most of my youth, especially when I was a teenager, was spent moving from place to place with my family. After my younger siblings died, it was hard to feel like I had roots anywhere. But, as time does, it tends to change things. And now, at least before ending up here in Equestria, I was starting to feel a little bit more at home in the village where I was living. Or at least as much as I could.”
“Wow, I didn’t know that you had such a similar story to Trixie. Feeling constantly hounded from place to place and always being on the road is tough. I can certainly speak to that.”
“Of course. If you ever need to talk about it, or even if you want to talk about it right now, I’ll be there to listen to you.”
“You would?” Trixie responded somewhat in shock. “No pony has ever done that for me.”
“A shame, since you seem like a really nice pony.”
“András?”
“Yes,” András responded, sitting even more upright and leaning against the tree.
“Do you think it’ll be okay if... Trixie sits down on your lap?”
“Sure, why not?”
With brave confidence, Trixie walked over and sat down across András’s lap, curling herself up into a ball and draping her front hooves over his left side.
“Is this OK?” she asked, squirming more comfortably into place.
“Of course, as long as you’re comfortable,” András responded.
“You really are so caring, you’re like a dream. Honestly, every pony should treat Trixie this way.”
“I don’t know if I’m doing anything that special right now,” András responded, “but you seem like a very nice pony and I don’t see any reason to treat you badly.”
“Of course not, you seem like a generous person, even though you are from a different dimension,” she said with a bit of a laugh. “And I’m sure you can fuck well too, if you know what I mean,” she added under her breath.
“What was that?” he asked instinctively.
“Oh, nothing. Trixie was just talking to herself; she was just saying you're so strong you can probably buck apples well...harvest them, you know.”
“Oh, I got it...No problem, just tell me if you need anything.”
At the same time, Trixie was slowly kneading the upper shanks of her front hooves and her chest deeper into András’s lap. She liked the way his body felt underneath her.
Hearing that she might be uncomfortable in the position she took up on his lap, András shifted a little bit.
Attempting to show that she was more than comfortable enough, Trixie tilted and then lowered her head to the side, resting it on the lower portion of András’s belly.
“You know, András... I do have something that could make this afternoon quite enjoyable.”
“Oh, what’s that?”
“They are called magic crystals, and they have a pretty amazing ability to affect a pony’s mind. Some in Ponyville really enjoy using them, but as a magician and a sorcerer, in order to get myself in the right headspace to perform... Since you are quite bigger than the average pony, I’m not quite sure how the dosing would work for you, but I would wager that if you took about as many crystals as I do, you’ll probably feel the effects pretty well.”
Not wanting to embarrass himself or let down his newly befriended acquaintance, he decided to go for it and live in the moment.
After letting Trixie know that he was comfortable with the idea, she used the magic of her horn to telekinetically lift and transport a small bag of rose-colored crystals from her wagon, about 12 feet away, to right in front of her hooves.
Showing her new interdimensional friend what to do, she opened up the small bag, took two crystals out, placed them on her tongue, and retreated her tongue back into her mouth.
Not needing any verbal clarification, András took four, put them on his tongue, and allowed the crystals to dissolve in his mouth. What he did not expect was a completely novel experience; it was truly unlike anything he had ever experienced both in terms of flavor and sensation, as the crystals fizzed as they dissolved.
After performing this ritual, Trixie once again placed her head on András’s belly and this time closed her eyes and relaxed. Deciding the best thing to do was follow his new friend’s lead, he did the same, leaning his head on the large tree behind him and letting his eyelids rest.
Now that both Trixie and András were clearly comfortable, he decided to take a chance and slowly pet her, focusing on her head with his left hand and scratching her flank with his right.
Trixie clearly enjoyed this and purred under his touch. In this orientation, the two remained for quite some time, and András stopped counting the minutes until he completely lost track of time. The only thing that granted any semblance of temporal awareness to the two was the slow transit of the sun across the sky until it retreated from its high zenith above the forest to a position where it was hiding behind the tips of the trees across the glade.
It was in these passing, unmonitored moments of time that the couple both experienced the effects of the crystals. Though he could not surmise what Trixie experienced, András noticed bright swirls and flashes of color, even with his eyes closed. He saw familiar sights and almost believed that he could smell similar smells from his childhood, everything from freshly baked bread to the smell of sap from mountain conifer trees.
Things got more intense. He thought he could hear voices, though not the voices of the ponies he had been acquainted with over the last week. No, instead, he seemed to hear the voices of his lost brother and sister. They seemed to be saying nice things to him, and he could hear the tone of their voice as they seemed to be calling out to him. The weirdest thing was, he couldn’t make out any of their words, only the more general cadences and tones of their speech, just as he remembered them from so many years ago.
It must have been sometime in the early afternoon when the two were awoken from their state of relaxed semi-sleep by growling sounds. Although András knew he was now in a domain populated by animals, this sound was completely uncivilized and animalistic, in stark contrast to the behavior and speech patterns of the ponies he had interacted with so far. Quickly opening his eyes, his gaze darted across the field until he located it—standing there on the opposite end of the clearing was a wolf.
"Dammit," he thought. "How do I get myself out of this one?"
Sensing the unexpected tension in her new friend, Trixie lifted her gaze and turned to András. Upon seeing his eyes fixated on a point in the distance, she quickly turned her head. She then saw the wolf with its ruggedly matted gray fur.
"Oh my God, András. What are we going to do?" she whispered, fear evident in her voice.
Trying not to make any sudden moves, András slowly picked up Trixie, placing his hands under her armpits and moving her to the side. Throughout this maneuver, he kept eye contact with the wolf, who was now staring directly at them with eyes that seemed to burrow into András’s very soul.
In her own state of fear, Trixie stood still, though clearly shaking.
András attempted to maintain a straight, domineering posture while holding his own in a staring match against the wolf. Things seemed to be going well, as neither side advanced towards the other, but he was suddenly distracted by a somewhat odd and unfamiliar sound coming from beside him. He looked down at Trixie to see a strange liquid coming from her. In her fear of the wolf, she had started to urinate on herself, producing a smell that was actually quite familiar to András. In truth, anyone who spent much time around horses could recognize the smell of their grass-fed urine.
However, in that split second, he realized that by looking down at Trixie, he had inadvertently taken his gaze away from the wolf.
"Oh my Lord," he thought.
In that instant, he immediately turned his gaze back upward, looking across the clearing, only to see the wolf beginning to pick up speed as it approached them. András could see in the wild animal's eyes that it was determined and wouldn't stop until it made the pony and the interdimensional guest its next meal.
András knew that now was the time for action; he had to think fast. Looking around for something to grab in order to defend himself, he realized that he had left his ax leaning against the tree behind him. Picking it up, he felt slightly more confident in his chances of survival.
"Stand back, Trixie," he shouted, advancing toward the threatening wild animal. "I will handle this bastard."
He stepped forward, positioning himself with his right shoulder turned toward the animal and his left shoulder cocked backward, ready to swing the ax in order to deliver a fatal blow. He waited in this position as the wolf continued driving forward. It didn’t seem to be slowing down; rather, it seemed even more committed to its attack. When it was just a couple of yards away, András prepared to swing the ax downward, aiming to hit the wolf on its torso.
Within what felt like a millisecond, the moment arrived. The wolf jumped up, obviously aiming for András’s neck. Fortunately, András was able to deliver a blow to the animal, but the wolf's momentum caused it to brush and ricochet off the ax, though not as high as it had originally intended. The wild animal collided with András's chest with enough force to knock the wind out of him, pushing him to the ground. Now the real struggle began.
Still holding onto the ax handle with all his might, he maneuvered the large wooden shaft toward the wolf's neck, attempting to pin it down and suffocate it. All the while, the wolf, with unmatched vigor and energy, snapped its pointed white teeth at Trixie’s human defender. Fortunately, András had not only delivered a decisive early blow but also managed to wrestle the wolf into a position beneath him, giving him the opportunity to use his weight to his advantage against the beast.
As András locked out his arms and continued to use his pectorals and core muscles to drive the wooden handle downward, he could feel the pressure he was putting on the wolf's windpipe and the eventual snap of its spine. Within a few moments, the wolf had been effectively dispatched.
With forearms covered in scratches and blood from his tussle with the wolf and its sharp claws, András stood up, dusted himself off, removed the grass and dirt from his knees, and turned back to Trixie, who was now hiding behind the tree.
Walking a few yards back to where he had been sitting only a few minutes before, he couldn't help but instinctively look down at the puddle of urine left by the pony. Glancing briefly at the puddle and then back up at the azure equine, his eyes sought some sort of response, all the while understanding the fear she must have felt when the wolf suddenly appeared.
"Oh, I’m sorry. I know this looks pretty... well, embarrassing," Trixie said, trying to couch the blow of the humiliating situation.
"No, it’s OK. I totally understand. It’s not something I can really fault you for. I was pretty afraid when I saw that wolf too."
"But the way you handled things, I’m still amazed! To have the bravery and strength to do something like that... If you weren’t here, András, I would’ve died. And I’m not joking," Trixie said with a note of sadness in her voice. "Even though Trixie is quite great and powerful, being able to defeat a wild animal like that out here in nature with no one to help wouldn’t have been an easy task."
"Don’t mention it. I’m happy to help when I can."
"Well, I have to say, what you did back there was pretty hot. I don’t say this lightly. Usually, Trixie is the one impressing other people, and not the other way around, but an act of bravery like that certainly melts my heart."
"Aww, that’s very nice of you to say, Trixie. You seem to be quite a kind person, uh, I mean pony. Sorry, I’m still getting used to that."
They both shared an innocent laugh, but little did András know, Trixie wanted more from him, so much more...
