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A nurse brought a small meal for us, some sort of dense veggie mush near as I could tell. It was rather bland. She took care of getting us out of the hospital within a couple minutes after we finished eating. I was thankful someone had brought my clothes back in and I tucked behind a curtain to get out of the oversized hospital gown that was I think meant for minotaurs. I donned my favorite hat once we got outside, just a simple old brown waxed cotton fedora.

The trip to the library was rather quiet and I spent most of the time looking around in bewilderment at everything around me. Taking in the views of Ponyville in a way far different from watching it was quite an experience. Princess Celestia and Princess Twilight Sparkle said little in that time, walking side by side just ahead of me as I followed behind.

There were half a dozen royal guards with us as well, keeping a buffer between us and the local residents. It seemed a little strange to have extra guards keeping others from approaching our little procession, but I assumed Princess Celestia had a reason for it. It might have even been because I was human, though I really had no idea either way.

I could see the various ponies in varying states of surprise and curiosity as they saw our group going by. Most seemed to stop what they were doing as we passed. if humans were supposed to be only myth here, I figured seeing one walking by without warning, escorted by guards and two of Equestria's princesses no less, it would be quite a sight. Then again, it could just be the fact Princess Celestia was walking through town without any obvious reason.

When we reached the library, we wasted no time in slipping inside. I noticed my gear sitting in a corner of the main room to my pleasant surprise. My backpack, guitar and weapons all seemed to be there, safe and sound at a glance. I figured I'd check on them later. The guards took up posts outside around the door as Princess Celestia closed it once the three of us were inside.

Celestia seemed to close her eyes a moment, taking a slow breath before looking at both Twilight and myself before speaking in a gentle but firm tone, "What we discuss here cannot be repeated to anypony. Twilight, that includes your friends and Spike. Certain parts of what has transpired are have dangerous potential should it reach the wrong ears. It could also lead somepony into serious danger. As such, I ask you swear to secrecy on this matter."

Twilight was quick to respond, looking back at Princess Celestia with a calm yet serious expression, "Of course, Princess Celestia. You know any secret you share with me is safe."

Celestia turned to look at me for my response. I hesitated a moment, taking in the sense of what seemed to be a rather serious matter before us, though considering that I was taken from my own world not that long ago and rather literally dropped into Equestria, I could not imagine I had many choices on whom I might talk to anyway. Still, I placed a fist over my heart as I spoke, bowing my head to her, "I don't know what's going on but I swear to keep this between Princess Twilight Sparkle and myself unless you tell me otherwise. You have my word."

With a nod, Celestia let out another small sigh, her eyes closing as she hung her head for a moment. When she opened her eyes again and looked up, she waved a hoof, "Please have a seat, both of you. I will tell you what Luna and I have learned so far about what brought about the magical flux even the two of you have experienced. Vojin, I can also tell you something about how you arrived here, though you must forgive me in not knowing exactly how it happened."

I glanced at Twilight at the same time she glanced at me, both of us seeming to feel rather anxious about what we might here. There was a sense of quiet foreboding in the air as we settled on stools and let the Princess explain.

Celestia was quiet a moment, then speaking in a voice that seemed filled with conflicting emotions, she began, "As you both know, you were caught up in a most unusual magical flux event. The severity was most extreme and that tends to prove fatal for any affected individuals. It was fortunate that Spike informed me soon enough that I could rush down here to Ponyville in less than twenty minutes. I believe a few minutes longer and the flux would have destabilized you both beyond the point of survival as it was drawing close to physical manifestation. Had such happened, you would have been quick to succumb to the twisting effects of a physical flux state and...do forgive my bluntness, but it is best to be clear on this. It would have torn your bodies apart swiftly and left little recognizable substance behind."

I was rather shocked to learn that. While I didn't have much clue as to what this 'magical flux' even was, let alone it could be that terrifying, Twilight seemed to have a rather horrified look on her face. We remained silent as Celestia continued.

"Fortunately, I was able to direct the magic so it could move along the path it was trying to go. In all my many years, I have never once seen something of this particular nature take place. I do not know what kind of magic you carry within you, Vojin. All I can say is when Twilight used her levitation spell on you, your two magics were thrown out their normal balance upon meeting and initiated the flux. I do not yet know how such a thing could even take place.

"After I was certain you were stable enough that I no longer needed absolute focus, I sent two of my guards to get transportation to Ponyville Hospital. One was to remain and explain the situation so the hospital could best prepare. Due to the situation, I had to maintain my stabilizing spell in order to keep the fluctuating lines of magic from losing their position again. I hope that answers your earlier question, Vojin," Celestia glanced at me as I gave her a nod.

"On the way to the hospital, it became apparent that you were both starting to deteriorate again. It was slight and slow, but it had appeared like the flux was worsening and the magical lines were losing their way entirely. If arriving at the hospital hadn't happened so soon, again it might have proven too late, though this turned out to be tied to an odd discovery.

"It was soon after we got you to the hospital that I noticed by chance that when you were moved past each other that both of you appeared to return to a calmer state and as you were further separated, you both began to worsen. While I did not know why it happened, I had the hospital staff bring you closer again and gained a rough confirmation," she looked back and forth between us, her eyes straying to Twilight more than they were directed at myself as she spoke. I could see the worry she had experienced written on her face and in her eyes despite trying to maintain a look of calm.

"We placed you in the same isolation room as a result and began various tests. Your energies were not unlike a river flowing in two opposing directions at once. We were thankful that everything indicated that so long as you were kept stable from my spell, you were both going to make a full recovery after an uncertain length of time. I did not expect it to last more than a week or so and it would be a matter of waiting it out. None of our various other treatments had any effect.

"We also discovered that no matter how much wrapping or binding was done, no needles or monitors would stay on either of you. Even when one nurse physically held an IV in your arm, Vojin, the needle seemed to shift back above your skin. In that instance, it did not even slide back but rather appeared to rise out of your skin lengthwise like a twig floating to the surface of a pool. A brief check found the same with you, Twilight. Even injections would pour right back out once the syringe was removed. We had no explanation for this almost unheard of phenomena and did not make further attempts until the two of you woke up at the exact same time with a shout like you had been startled. It was only a few seconds, but from that point on we saw the two of you were in a mere deep sleep and no longer comatose.

"It was clear by then you were reaching the end of the magical flux running it's course. I expected another two or three days from there and it would be all but out of your systems. Luna and I needed only provide a little continuous assistance after that to keep your magics from straying off their paths.

"I am still concerned with how difficult it was to stabilize the two of you at first. Perhaps it was the uniqueness of your own magic, Vojin. Once I had sorted out how to balance the two of you, continuing to do so was not so difficult, though by no means was it a simple matter. The manner in which I had to balance the magical flux was in constant change, however slow it may have been, and shifted itself in an endless dance the entire time. Whatever has happened to both of you was tremendous and unprecedented," Celestia paused, looking between Twilight and myself with a frown.

There was a lot for me to take in and we weren't even done yet. I expected it was much the same for Twilight to a degree. Though the whole concept of this magical flux was foreign to me, it seemed to appear similar in some ways in my mind to getting one's natural energy blocked or messed up. I knew from studying related subjects that chi energy, chakras, and one's personal auric field could sometimes get scrambled or off the natural pathways and affect your health. If this situation was similar, I couldn't even begin to imagine the level of power involved to induce physical manifestation that would damage and destroy the body. I found myself hoping to never learn about those effects beyond an explanation in a book.

I took a moment to look over at Twilight, seated a few feet from me. She was looking at the floor, a troubled expression on her face. With the amount of knowledge she had of magic, I could not even guess at what thoughts and explanations were going through her mind. She went through a couple expressions of deep thought before I looked back to Princess Celestia. She seemed ready to continue, letting out a quite exhale. From the corner of my eye, Twilight had looked up again.

Celestia seemed a bit weary but also more relaxed somehow. Her voice sounded a little more steady than before as she went on, "I am glad I can say that despite how serious the situation was at first, there seems to be little in the way of lasting ill effects to worry about. The tired feeling should pass with a good night's sleep. As for the aforementioned link between the two of you however...," she paused, looking like she was searching for the right words, "it...appears permanent. I do not yet know what that will mean for the two of you. Luna and I will be doing a bit of research within our private selection of spells known only to the two of us as we search for information of what this will mean. Twilight, as I am sure you are realizing, this is not in the realm of known unicorn magic, nor what you have already learned regarding alicorn magic either. Let Luna and myself sort it out as to it's nature for now. You should focus on what you can learn about the connection you now share and what it is doing, rather than how it came to be. I believe you will find it plenty for you to explore."

Twilight frowned at the idea of not getting to study something but trusted in Celestia's guidance as she gave a nod, "I can do that, Princess Celestia. Right now there seems to be a sense of direction where...um," she turned to me, waving a hoof in my direction and I realized we had yet to make proper introductions to each other. She turned back to Celestia, "Where Vojin is. And that observation is just part of my first impression. I'll be sure to keep you informed with each new aspect I learn."

I felt a need to speak up then, looking between them for a moment before keeping my eyes on Princess Celestia as I cleared my throat, "Uh...well... I am rather lost on everything that's happening but Princess Twilight Sparkle is right. I have the distinct sense of direction, like knowing where she is without looking. I have nowhere near anything like the level of magic even the weakest unicorn might possess but from what I do know, it tells me this link is in part based in emotion as well as direction. From what I have studied back in my own world, we might be able to develop a capacity to read each other's mood after time and practice. I will do what I can to assist Princess Twilight Sparkle in studying the link. Was there anything else about the magical flux and this link you need to tell us, your highness?" I noticed Twilight looking at me with open curiosity after I mentioned my own observations of the link and that I'd studied magic.

Celestia shook her head, "No. I believe that is all I need to say about it for now. I do however need to inform you of some things Vojin, in regards to how you have come to Equestria."

Blinking a moment, I sat up a bit straighter, "Well I am quite interested, your highness."

"Not long ago, on the same day you had gone into the forest when everything started...perhaps a few hours before you came to Equestria after discovering the orb you found, Luna and I had been trying some experiments relating to a safeguard we have been creating in secret for the future of Equestria," she glanced at Twilight, "and before you ask, Twilight, this is something I am afraid I cannot share much about with you at this time."

Twilight nodded with a faint pout, otherwise unmoving as Celestia continued.

"For lack of a better or more revealing description, we were trying to create an artifact that could summon somepony when they were needed and bring them to the royal palace in Canterlot upon my sister or myself directing it as such. We have been working on this particular artifact for well over a thousand years, though while Luna was banished it was on hold. Due to how it is meant to function and the requirements therein, it demands both of us to create despite only one of us to put it to use upon completion. We had been working on it again for a few months now and had thought we were all but finished with the task. All that remained was a bit of testing to confirm its viability," she said in a soft tone, appearing to grow tense as she went on. Pausing for a long moment, her eyes turned to look onto me.

"After the first few small tests, everything appeared to perform as expected in our careful preparations. As I am sure you can guess, the final full test did not. Despite the isolation wards to prevent any extra influences upon or from the artifact as we ran it through it's full capacity in a controlled process, it went beyond all our best efforts of containment. For reasons we are just starting to gather, the artifact vanished. It was not phased or teleported, for even the tracking spell we had imbued to make it's location easy to trace...it vanished as it it never was. There was no sign of it in Equestria, the surrounding lands, nor anywhere upon Equus insofar as Luna or I could detect," Celestia paused, her eyes still focused on mine as her voice grew softer, "It was less than an hour later that I received a message from Spike about Twilight experiencing a severe magical flux. So strong in fact, I could feel it radiating before I even entered Ponyville. And there I found you beside her, the artifact clutched in your hand."

Celestia frowned, watching me in silence. I could only start at her in disbelief at what she just told me. I wanted to say something but felt at a loss for words. Celestia, along with Luna, were the cause of my appearing in Equestria. What was the reason for their creation of a powerful artifact meant to help protect their land? How could it have wound up on Earth right where I happened across it? What was she meaning by it would summon someone when needed? I hadn't even had the chance to bring up how I knew about Equestria before I got here yet! My mind was racing as I struggled to keep my thoughts coherent.

Before I managed to get my thoughts in order enough to say something, Celestia spoke again, "I do not know how or why you found our artifact in your own world. Nor how it could have brought you to ours. As I already stated, it was intended to summon somepony when needed by my sister or myself in a time of danger. The spellwork is intricate and complex in addition to being of great power due to how it is meant to function. However, we did not envision it could manage to jump the dimensional rift between universes."

I coudl only continue staring at her. At the same time, I heard Twilight trying to find words, guessing her level of shock was close to my own. I decided to just close my eyes, hands folding together with my extended index fingers against my chin in thought. I had been pulled not just to a different world, but a different dimension or universe. It was almost unfathomable to consider. Were the laws of physics even the same in this place?

I looked up at Princess Celestia as I cleared my throat again before asking, "Mind if I ask why you put that much power into that little orb?"

She turned back to me, staring into my eyes for long moments while wearing an unreadable expression before she said in a quiet tone, sounding almost regretful, "I am afraid I cannot tell you that, Vojin. There are reasons, but they are a necessary secret. I can tell you though, that for whatever reason you have been pulled here by the artifact we created, it was for a purpose. That is all I can say for now."

"Not the answer I hoped for, though I'm sure you have good reasons. I understand, your highness," I replied with a nod. Another period of silence carried before feeling it was a good time to change the subject of my prior knowledge, wondering how they would handle what I was about to say.

"Well, is now a good time to bring up how I knew of Equestria before I arrived, Princess Celestia?" I said, receiving a nod as she looked cautious but curious before I continued, "Would you believe it if I said that you and everything else here in Equestria are supposed to be fiction? A made-up story back on my world?"

Celestia looked a touch surprised, though had little reaction beyond her raising an eyebrow. A glance at Twilight told me she was caught off guard and rather confused. I didn't pause too long as they seemed to have nothing to say right away.

"Back on Earth...Equestria is part of a cartoon show meant for kids. I was written by a human and put on TV for human entertainment. Everything about it...yourself Princess Celestia, Princess Twilight Sparkle becoming an alicorn and a princess, the Elements of Harmony, Ponyville, Canterlot, Manehatten, Princess Luna during her fall from grace and after you sent your personal protege to Ponyville just before the Summer Sun Celebration in anticipation of Nightmare Moon's impending return, the attack of the Changelings at Shining Armor and Princess Cadence's wedding, Discord's return, defeat, and subsequent reformation thanks to Fluttershy, the friendship reports, everything. It's supposed to be just a flight of fancy. A story someone wrote from their imagination about a place that doesn't actually exist...," I rubbed my temple for a moment, voice getting quieter as things started to sink in, "Yet here I am in Equestria. All but clear proof of the multiverse theory. Although I am honestly still not quite certain I haven't just had a very severe bout of hallucinations or dementia. This isn't supposed to be possible at all and... and... and here I am in Equestria. Fresh out of the Ponyville Hospital... Sitting here speaking with Princess Celestia herself about things like magical artifacts and some kind of magical connection between myself and Princess Twilight that I can somehow clearly feel is there. And having no idea if I can return to Earth... Cut off from everyone and everything I know... What I'm supposed to do... Or where I can even go..."

The last few words came out with quiet distress as I really started to feel subdued by the sheer weight of what everything. I was finding myself starting to accept this for reality, feeling no conflicting impressions about the world around me being anything other than what it appeared. Feeling a creeping fear that had begun to crawl through me, I looked at the two of them half in fear and half in pleading as I tried to keep myself together. I'd always tended to keep things held within, but now in this moment I was having a hard time knowing how to even start to express what it felt like as my vision blurred before my eyes shut as Princess Celestia and Princess Twilight watched. The sheer scale of how alone I now was pressed in on me and I didn't know how to even start dealing with it..

After another few moments, I felt tears starting to run down my cheeks as I fought to keep myself under control. I gripped my upper arms, feeling overwhelmed. The weight of what I was in the middle of threatened to drown me in that moment as I felt at odds with myself over the unexpected surge of overwhelming worry in a place I'd have never imagined being in. Physically and mentally.

I heard and felt Twilight get up from her stool before she stepped over to me and placed a hoof on my knee, my eyes opening to meet hers as she looked at me, "I know I can't send you back to your world, or if even the Princesses can, but I'm sure you can find a place here in Ponyville. For now, you can use my spare room while we get everything figured out. It will make it easier to study our link that way at least and I'm sure we can make things better with a little time. And please, just call me Twilight," she said with a gentle smile, continuing to look up at me as she stood close by.

A small smile of gratitude worked it's way onto my face as I placed a hand over the hoof she'd placed on my knee, taking a moment to sniffle as my free hand brushed away some of the tears as I pulled myself back together, "Thank you for that, Twilight. Just feeling the weight of starting to absorb everything all at once, I think. Trying to take in the scale of this is just...overwhelming."

"It seems I will not need to ask that you permit Vojin to remain here in the library with you, Twilight," Celestia gave a warm smile as she spoke, "Vojin, please do not worry yourself too much about the current situation. I see no reason you could not make a home here in Equestria, even if you happen to be a creature of ancient myth and fiction to us in turn. As your arrival is the fault of my sister and I, we will look after your well-being while we look into what has happened and if we can send you home.

"For now, however, I must return to Canterlot as we have covered what was necessary. Please remember not to speak a word of what we have discussed to anypony. The information has the potential to be far more dangerous than you could know, even though I cannot tell you why. Twilight will help you settle in for now, Vojin. It may be a week or two yet, or even as long as a few months, but I will send word for the two of you to come up to Canterlot when Luna and I have had time to look into what happened and have learned enough to merit a summons. We will discuss everything further at that time and I hope we will have some actual answers for us all."

Taking a steadying breath, I bowed my head to Celestia, "Thank you, your highness. I may not have much to offer, but please call on me if I can be of use. I have a number of skills I could make use of. What I do know of Equestria informs me that I'll want to do what I can to help out in this world in any manner I'm able." Celestia gave a small nod with a faint smile in return.

Twilight stepped up to Celestia and gave her a warm embrace then, with Celestia wrapping a hoof around Twilight's back. After stepping back, she looked up at Celestia, "Thank you for saving me, Princess Celestia. And Vojin, too. I'll be looking forward to hearing word from you and getting to see you again in Canterlot."

"I will be glad to see you again as well, Twilight. I might even be able to make some time away from my royal duties beyond discussing this event and just enjoy some private time with you. Once we have all had some time to study, I will be rather interested in what you can discover about this link. For now, I must depart. Be well, Vojin. Twilight, please take care of yourself and Vojin until we next meet," Celestia said with another warm smile before giving Twilight a quick nuzzle, then heading out the door of the library.

I wondered what the future was going to bring as I watched Twilight follow Celestia out the door to see her off. As she didn't return right away, she must have taken a chance to speak with Princess Celestia before she came through the door again, trotting over to me with a small smile.

"I guess I should first give you a tour and get your room set up," she said before waving a hoof around at the main room we were in, "As I'm sure you know, this is a library and also my home. I hope you enjoy reading because I have plenty of books here. Please follow me up the stairs and I'll show you the other floors, where my room is and show you the room you'll be staying in as well."

After Twilight gave me the tour and showed me the room I was to sleep in, a short distance from her own as it turned out, she set up the room for me in short order thanks to her magic as she removed a few boxes of books. It was a bit small for someone human-sized but I could stand up straight. Considering how little material possessions I really had at this point, I wouldn't need much anyway. Everything else I owned was back on Earth.

"Now that you've had the tour and I have your room ready, would you care for a snack?" she asked as she smiled up at me while we stepped back into the main room.

"A snack would be nice, Twilight. I know the ponies of Equestria are vegetarian, so anything other than flowers or grasses should be fine with me," I said, finding myself smiling a bit. I wondered in silence over why I was feeling as relaxed as I was now, despite so much weighing on me. Something about the library felt more familiar than my small house back on Earth. It struck me as a little strange but I could consider it later.

Settling myself on a stool as I waited, I looked around with more focus on the library's main room. While looking over the books on the table beside me, I noticed Equestrian written language appeared similar to something from Earth. I pondered why our spoken language was so compatible while written words were not and figured I'd have some learning to do before I was going to be capable of reading any of the books here. Why it seemed so similar and familiar was escaping my mind just then, despite most of the shapes and forms were familiar to the point it felt like I shouldn't have a problem reading them.

While I mused over pony writing, I started to notice a strange sensation. It was almost like a very faint tugging.

As I continued to observe the feeling, I tried to trace it and found it was from the same direction as my new capacity to sense Twilight's location. It was clear it had something to do with the link between us. It wasn't long before I heard Twilight's hooves approaching again while the tugging sensation faded back out again.

"Here we are. Some carrots, cucumbers, broccoli and bell peppers. I hope they're ok with you. I need to go the the market tomorrow since it seems Spike didn't pick up a bunch of things I usually get myself. Probably because he didn't know when I would be getting out of the hospital," she said while setting down the small tray of veggies on the table and starting to munch.

Joining her in snacking on the healthy fare, a thought occurred to me, "Speaking of Spike...where did he go? And Owlowicious?"

"Oh, Princess Celestia told me outside before she left that she sent some of her guards to ask my friends to wait until tomorrow to visit and for Spike to stay out of the library for a couple hours so the three of us could speak in private once we got back. Owlowicious went along with him. They should be back soon since it is getting close to Spikes bedtime," she said before taking another bite of carrot.

"I see. Well then, I wonder if you noticed any tugging sensations while you were getting the food together?" I asked, curious as I bit into some broccoli.

She frowned for a bit in thought before she looked back to me again, "Now that you mention it, I did notice something like that but it went away by the time I got back. Since you brought it up, you must have felt it too. And was it tugging you in my direction like mine was towards you...?" she seemed a little apprehensive as she asked, a hoof against her chin as she studied me a moment.

I gave her a nod, both of us choosing to think for a while as we ate. The tugging sensation had been too faint to discern all that much, only just noticing it's presence really. I felt it would be worth trying a simple experiment and spoke up again, "Maybe we should try seeing how far apart we need to be in order for it to happen again?"

"Hmm...well, we do need to study the link. We better go outside though. You weren't bothered by everypony staring at you, were you?" she asked.

"Not really. I hope it doesn't last too long though. I know enough about Equestria that I'm not in any danger or something here. I suppose, to a certain point at least, it isn't all that different if the situation were reversed and it was a pony on Earth. Please don't ask me to go into it though. The way Earth is, the idea would be less inviting and more of a sad story I think would be best saved for later. I'm up to try a test if you are," I replied, the veggie tray empty now.

"Alright then, let's go outside," Twilight said as she headed for the door.

We setpped out into the late afternoon sun. Nightfall was maybe an hour or so away.

Of course, the moment I stepped outside, I saw a number of the local residents staring at me as they laid their eyes on the first human they had ever seen. Some whispered to each other as they gawked but I had no idea what they might be saying to each other at a distance. After a little time passed, it appeared that being with Twilight put them a little more at ease as they began to return to their own business, casting only an occasional glance in my direction.

Twilight looked around before turning her eyes to me, "Why don't you stay by the library. I'll start moving down the street and see if that does anything, ok?"

"Sounds fine to me, Twilight."

With a brief nod, she began to walk away from me. I saw her pause every ten feet or so to look back over her shoulder. I supposed she was expecting me to give her a sign if I felt something. When she had gotten about a hundred feet away, I began to feel the tugging again. It seemed that Twilight noticed it as well since she stopped and turned to look at me a moment before heading back over.

"I don't know why I got so far away before the tugging sensation started. I didn't go half that far when I was getting us a snack," she said as she worked it through her mind.

After a few moments of thought, I spoke up, "Well, how about we try it when we don't have line of sight? I think that's the only thing that was different I will step back inside while you try walking again."

"Hmm, that could work. I'll try the same distance again so we can have some kind of baseline to work from," she said before turning to talk away again. I slipped back inside and closed the door.

I did expect it would happen over less distance, but as the short time of Twilight walking about a hundred feet away from the library's door progressed, I was feeling the tugging grow much faster. It wasn't long before I started feeling an odd nervousness coupled with a distinct, faint emotional tone in the tugging as I felt like I needed to go get Twilight but did not know why. The feeling began to fade again and she opened the door before stepping inside.

"Well that was a bit unexpected. By the time I reached the hundred foot mark again, I was feeling unexpected anxiousness. I had a distinct sense of needing to come back and check on you, even though I knew you were perfectly fine. I assume you felt something similar?" Twilight said as she looked up at me.

Giving a nod, "That's about what I felt too. This link is...strange. It also gives some confirmation to my earlier impression that it is linked to emotion in some way. I don't know what the purpose is of feeling like we need to turn around and move closer again. Maybe after some time to think it over, we'll come up with some reasons that might be."

"We should test how far we can get. If there is a chance of negative side effects from us being separated, it would be smart to find out in a semi-controlled environment to minimize causing an unexpected problem. I'll try going as far as I feel comfortable, ok?" Twilight said with an eager tone, her eyes twinkling over the process of learning and discovery.

I just gave another nod, "That's probably a good idea. If nothing else, it's a good place to start."

"Ok then, we'll try without line of sight again first, since that seems to shorten the distance so much," she said as she headed back out the door.

After I closed the door behind her, I leaned against the wall to wait. It wasn't long before the tugging sensation returned, then followed by the light nervousness and urge to go get her. As the seconds went by, it kept growing. Assuming Twilight was moving at the same pace, she would be well over a hundred feet away by now.

As I focused on my body, I noticed my heart rate starting to rise as the nervous feeling grew. I closed my eyes and let myself experience the sensations as they came as the urge to go after Twilight grew somewhat intense. I knew Ponyville was a safe place and she would be back in a minute after we tested the distance effect, yet part of me was experiencing an escalation in anxiousness even as my heart began beating faster. It was all a strange experience.

As I felt myself reaching the point where I felt the tugging sensation and associated effects approaching a near panic, my heart close to pounding, I realized I was struggling to keep myself from opening the door to rush over to her. Focusing myself more, I was glad I knew several tricks for calmness from meditation. The feeling kept growing, though with the slower advancement I thought Twilight might have slowed herself down for caution. As I began feeling myself sweat from nerves, I caught myself moving towards the door and stepped back when I realized I had moved away from the wall without realizing it. I had to assume Twilight was feeling something similar, based on what we already learned.

Underlying everything else going on, I also felt a curious and troubling sense of energy trembling. It gave me an impression that it was draining out trying to hold onto the link. That sense of fading was unsettling, but it couldn't be accurate, could it?

Just as the tension of it all built up, it now began to fade and I expected Twilight was heading back. My heart rate didn't recover as fast and the unsettling need to go after Twilight was fading slower than the tugging sensation. I gave her a troubled look when she came back in the door, shutting it behind herself. Her features mirrored my own worry.

"Let me guess... Heart rate increased for an unknown reason, nervous sweating, feeling like you were starting to panic on some level and difficulty in keeping yourself from rushing back here?" I said, my heart still slowing down.

Twilight nodded, worry in her tone as she spoke, "Yes, exactly that. I'm not sure it's a good idea for us to try anything further for now. I only got about three hundred feet before I had to stop and head back. I think I could have pushed further but I think we've learned enough from this experiment for now."

It was then that Twilight surprised me as she reared up on her hind legs and gave me a tight hug, her head laying against my shoulder. After a confused awkward pause, I moved my arms around her in return, minding her wings as I felt some surprise alongside more relief that I'd have expected from the embrace.

It was a lengthy pause before she let go again and returned to the all fours and looking up at me with a somewhat embarrassed, sheepish smile.

"Sorry about that. I just really needed a hug after feeling like that. It was really, really unsettling," she said in a small voice, rubbing one foreleg against the other as she blushed a bit and averted her eyes a few times.

I gave a small cough before a sideways smirk found it's way onto my face, "Don't worry about it, Twilight. Can't blame you for that since I felt pretty much the same way. And it's alright to hug me if you want to. I really don't mind and quite frankly, considering what I'm dealing with right now, it's rather appreciated. I was just kind of surprised you hugged me all of a sudden like that. Since we appear to be stuck together for the time being, we'll be better served by becoming friends anyway, even if just for the time it takes to figure this connection out. I have the feeling we could become good friends before long though."

Twilight looked back up at me with a small smile, "I'm happy to hear that. It's always nice to make another friend. Oh, and speaking of friends, I know you already know several things about Equestria, but do you know about me and my closest friends? The things we've done?"

I nodded, "A decent amount. Pinkie Pie will be eager to throw me a 'Welcome to Ponyville' party and probably another one to celebrate us getting out of the hospital. The six of you have been on some wild adventures, both by sheer luck and working to protect Equestria. Does that answer your question enough for now?"

"Yes," Twilight said while she eyed me, looking unsure and unable to decide if she was more surprised or nervous that I knew things about her and her friends even though we'd never met before, "If you were a pony, I'd think it was something like Pinkie being famous for her parties or the rest of us for our being the Elements of Harmony, but you're not even from our world. Just how did you learn so much about Equestria and us ponies in it? Was it really all in a supposedly made-up fiction a human wrote?"

Glancing to one side for a moment before I answered, I turned to look at her again, "It's probably best if we sit on the couch. After answering that, I can tell you more about myself if you like. It might help you feel less anxious about me knowing so much about you already."

Twilight nodded and walked over to the nearby couch. I took a seat on the other end from her before continuing, "As I said earlier, Equestria and everything I know about this world that was supposed to be mere fiction was produced for entertainment. I'm not sure you even have television here but it was kind of like watching a play that was projected onto a flat plane. Taking a shot in the dark, I'd wager it might be similar to an illusion spell of sorts, though it used no magic to create.

"I liked the show and watched every episode, I suppose you could compare that to an act in a longer play. There are a lot of stories about you and your friends becoming the Elements of Harmony and having adventures big and small. It might have been originally intended for kids, but to everyone's surprise, millions of adult humans took a great liking to it as well."

Taking some time to think on what I could share out of the various stories, I decided it might be easiest to start at the beginning. It would also let Twilight know the limit of how far back I knew.

"I think I should use the first episode of the show for an example. The farthest back I can go is when you were sent to Ponyville not long before the return of Nightmare Moon. That includes how you thought your soon to be best friends were all crazy that first day," I glanced over to see Twilight wearing a bemused, somewhat sheepish expression as her ear gave flicked.

"You made your rounds to check on preparations and the morning when Nightmare Moon appeared, you were the only one that recognized who had appeared. After discovering a tucked away dusty tome hidden in the library, you headed into the Everfree Forest with five new friends in tow, each of whom went on to display a clear act of what would later be their Element.

"Once you finally made it to the ruined castle, they left you alone as you tried to figure out how to activate the five stone orbs that held the Elements of Harmony. Nightmare Moon dropped in and messed up that plan a bit. You were a little nuts for trying to charge at her, though considering you can teleport, it wasn't that crazy.

"After failing to activate them and causing them to shatter, your newfound friends came looking for you and you realized how happy you were to hear them. A few words and you understood what each of them represented, their respective elements activating in their presence before your own appeared. A big magic rainbow later, Nightmare Moon was cleansed and restored to Princess Luna, albeit as a filly at first," I had to smirk a bit as I watched Twilight's expressions shifting, wondering a bit just how much was accurate and what was embellished or altered to fit the show better.

Twilight sat there looking anxious for a few moments, "It's very strange for me to listen to you tell me all that. All of it was right, if simplified, and you shouldn't even know some of the details when you only arrived in Equestria a week ago. To say nothing of the coma we were both in for most of that time. Maybe you could tell me something only I should know. I'm not entirely sure I want you to though. It's kinda scary for me that you know so much about my friends and I while I know so little about you..."

"Well, Twilight, I can tell you something only you and Princess Celestia would know. After that, you can ask me anything, ok?" I said, understanding her apprehension as she gave me a nod, "Let's see...I think something from when you completed Starswirl's unfinished spell will be good."

A mischievous grin found it's way onto my face which garnered a rather uneasy look from Twilight as I cleared my throat. After a moment to prepare, a hand came up to my chest as I began to sing in a soft, almost rumbling baritone as her features made a slow change from unease to bewildered astonishment, "You've come such a long, long way... And I've watched you, from the very first day... To see how you might grow, to see what you might do, to see what you've been through... And all the ways you've made me proud of you..."

As I continued to sing the same song Celestia had once sung to her in another plane of reality, the look on Twilight's face was priceless and I had to pause a moment to reign in the smirk it gave me before I went on, "It's time now, for a new change to come... You've grown up, and your new life has begun... To go where you will go, to see what you will see, to find what you will be... For it's time...for you... To fulfill your destiny..."

I looked at her once I finished the last note. The expression on her face was one to remember as I waited for her to say something. Twilight opened and closed her mouth a few times as she tried to grasp what just happened.

"How...you... But nopony could... It was only... There is no way you...," Twilight seemed at a loss for words as I watched, looking stunned and in utter disbelief, "B-but how could...it was only myself and Princess Celestia there! Even though I told my friends about the song, I never sang it or told anypony else about the melody! How can you know this?!"

Leaning back, I gave my scruffy chin a scratch and looked at nothing in particular while answering her, "Like I said, in my world you, your friends and all of Equestria are supposed to be just fiction. Expressions of imagination that don't actually exist. In your studies of magic, is there a theory about existence being a multiverse of different dimensions and universes?"

Glancing at Twilight, I saw her giving me a nod as she waited for me to continue.

"As far as I've been able to come up myself about existence and now this situation we're in, I think that maybe the imaginary worlds in one place may just be reality in another. Princess Celestia said something about humans being myth and fiction here, right? Maybe this is all a rare convergence of our two worlds or something. Strong enough evidence for the multiverse theory, at any rate. I apologize if I made you feel even more uncomfortable than you were already. I thought the song would be a witty way to prove how much I know of Equestria for you," I frowned and looked down at the floor, feeling like my timing was a glorious amount of awful despite trying to lighten the situation and things going in a way unplanned.

It was an awkward silence for a bit longer before Twilight spoke again in a hesitant tone, "It was...more the shock of you telling me something so personal like that. I think I'm more nervous now than I already was. Maybe after I get to know you better, things won't feel so one-sided. Um, can I ask you some questions now?"

Giving her a nod as I looked up again, "You are quite welcome to do so, Twilight. Anything you want to know, feel free to ask. And considering things as they are, don't hesitate to ask something you think might be personal either. It's only fair at this point."

Twilight nodded and seemed to take a moment to think before looking at me again, her tone curious, "Well, for starters...I'd like to know why were you carrying a sword and what I guess is some kind of weapon made of those three sticks on short chains. Are you some sort of warrior or guard in your world?"

I shook my head, "No, not a warrior, nor a guard of any kind. I have a hobby of training with a sword, and that odd looking weapon is called a 'three-section staff.' They're just my two favorite weapons, though I only practice for my own enjoyment. Aside from my world not really using such tools beyond leisure these days, I don't really like actual fighting. Sparring can be fun though and part of my training did include matches with others to learn practical application of techniques in a fight. Apart from just feeling alive when I train, I also like knowing I could help protect someone if I had to."

"That's kind of interesting, but what about that big box you had attached to your pack? It reminds me of something, though it isn't coming to mind right now."

"Big box?" I paused, looking over at my gear piled on the other side of the room before turning back to her, "Oh, you mean my guitar case. It has a guitar inside, of course. I can play it for you tomorrow if you like. It's an old acoustic guitar that belonged to my grandfather."

"I see. I think I'll take you up on the offer tomorrow. Speaking of music, where did that singing come from? It sounds like you've had some practice," Twilight was sounding calmer, her inquisitive nature helping her relax as I fed her curiosity.

"Well, I took a few voice classes at a local college in the past. Some of the lessons stuck with me and makes a good complement to strumming my guitar. Sometimes it's also nice to just sing a tune when I'm alone."

Nodding, Twilight paused to think again before coming up with another question, "Mentioning college makes me wonder what you've studied. Were you trying to be a scientist or a teacher? Something else you needed a degree for?"

"Nothing like that, no. I actually found myself working in IT as a network systems administrator. It's...oh, do you happen to have computers here in Equestria?" Twilight gave me a nod, so I continued, "Well, from what I know of Equestria's technology level, Earth is several decades ahead in most things. Since there's no practical magic for the everyday stuff, it gets a lot of focus. Computers there can run massive programs for simulating physics and hold mountains of information, including potentially millions of books on storage media smaller than a slice of bread."

"Whole libraries can fit on something that small?" Twilight said, her voice incredulous as her eyes glittered in fascination.

"Yep. You can also make copies of all the information as fast as the media can transfer, often seconds or less, and search through it for a specific book, assuming you know what you want, even faster. Of course, barring taking the time to actually print it out onto paper, you'd be reading it off of a computer screen. It's about the same idea as I explained about television with a glowing projection on a flat plane. I think you have some basic analogs here, from what I remember," I went on, pausing a second to consider how to explain the internet, "And to add to that, back on Earth they built something with all the computers around the world called the internet. Just about every computer on Earth is or can connect to a collective network with all the others to some degree. If you think one computer alone can hold a lot of information, think of what millions are capable of working together."

Twilight looked flabbergasted at the idea and I guessed there were no real comparisons here. I figured I'd feel much the same in her position, really. No single person on Earth really grasps or understands the internet anymore as it was.

After a moment, I continued, "On of the most revolutionary parts of the internet that really changed the entire world was the fact it gave everyone that connected to it an equal voice. No matter if you were a prince or a pauper, you could potentially attract an audience as much as anyone else irrespective of social class or standing. If you had something others wanted to hear, you could find a place to be heard."

"That sounds amazing. It makes me think your world must be very peaceful with so much communication with others available," Twilight added, smiling and looking excited at the very thought.

Looking away for a moment, deciding right then I'd never cover anything up or lie to her, I met her eyes again. Twilight's face made a slow shift into a frown at the expression I wore, voice soft as I tried to choose the right words, "I wish it was, Twilight. Honestly, my world is full of conflict. I have sometimes thought it could be different if people would just think more before acting, that if they considered the effects of their actions first then maybe there would not be so much fighting or so many problems entirely due to short-sighted behavior. There are a lot of unnecessary fights and I don't know if there's ever been a day on Earth where there wasn't at least one war taking place somewhere, though that does come with the caveat of not knowing specific motivations."

After another pause to think, I looked her in the eye again, "Don't think it's all bad though. Like any civilization, there are a great deal of good things at any given moment too. The way the media is it can be easy to forget that people do random acts of kindness for no reason. Dozens of people coming together and working for hours just to save an animal trapped in a well. Even people suddenly giving everything for someone they never met before. There are countless stories of both good and bad in my world. Although compared to what it used to be like, it is as drastic as night and day for how much things have improved compared to even a mere hundred years ago. If there was a way to turn them around from being so short-sighted, I imagine it would be so much better than it is today..."

Twilight hung her head for a long moment before looking up at me again, reaching out to place a hoof on my knee as her wings shifted in her discomfort, "You make it sound like a place in need of harmony. The Princesses Rule Equestria very well and do a lot to help guide nations beyond our borders towards peaceful resolutions. We rarely have to face such trials as we settle disputes long before they can escalate. Why do the rulers of your world allow so many problems to happen?"

Raising a brow at her question, it took me a moment before it dawned on me why she would ask such a thing, "Earth is made up of well more than two hundred different nations. Each with their own leaders, culture and ideologies. On top of that, it's a sad reality that most of them seem to be corrupt to some degree just because of how messed up everything is there. On top of it, there are many that are just plain greedy for money and power, or worse, malicious with more nefarious motivations. Sometimes problems happen for absolutely no logical reason and in defiance of the very things they claim to believe in, like distorted religious ideologies used as an excuse for terrible violence and murder. I suppose I should mention I'm rather disillusioned though, so I have some bias. When you add in that no single leader or nation on Earth has the power to change very much of the world on their own, not to mention many are in power out of greed and don't even want to, you can imagine why things keep going wrong."

"That sounds like a few outlier nations and groups here on Equus that refuse. I'm glad Equestria isn't like that," Twilight said, "While I know it is an odd question when you're just starting to adjust yourself to being here in our world, are you glad you came here?"

I turned my eyes away and looked at the floor, arms folding across my chest as I took time to think about that. It was a little unexpected and now that I was focused on the subject, I found uncertainty. If Equestria is what I hoped or even close to it, I had been dropped into a near paradise of a utopia by contrast with Earth, at least in my opinion. At the same time though, there were some people I would miss a great deal.

Raising my eyes to hers again, I shrugged a little as a sad, somewhat helpless expression found it's way over my face, "To be honest, I am kind of in between. It helps that I know I've got a traveller's itch inside and love seeing new places. Or the fact that back on Earth, I never could find a community where I could say I truly belonged. Everything I know about Equestria makes me think I could be very happy here, yet at the same time, I left behind family and friends. One of each stand out in particular, if I'm really honest. My best friend and...," my eyes closed as my frown deepened, turning my head away as I gripped my upper arms with a bit of force from my frustration over what I may have lost forever, "I also left behind my young daughter. Thankfully, she lives with her mother, so I don't have to worry she'll be alone or uncared for."

It was then that Twilight surprised me as I felt her forelegs hold me tight around the shoulders as she whispered, "I'm so sorry you've been taken away from her. I can't say I know what that must feel like, but if I can do anything to help, please just ask."

A hand moved over the hoof across my front as I sat in silence for a long moment. I could feel her chin on my shoulder as she held me as I let myself feel that particular pain before I spoke in a low voice, "Things are what they are, Twilight. She knows I love her and she'll be well taken care of. Even if I turn out to be stuck here, I'd like to think we could figure out a way to contact her again someday. No way to tell what could happen here after I managed to get pulled from Earth all the way to Equestria. For now, it's best to focus on what we can do, alright?"

My eyes opened and I turned my head to look at Twilight, her face now an inch from mine as we stared into each other's eyes before I gave her a grateful smile and a gentle squeeze on her hoof. She released me with a comforting smile in turn and sat back down in her spot again.

Before we could figure out what to talk about next, the front door opened and Spike came in with Owlowicious. The owl darted over and flew a few circles around Twilight's head, hooting his excitement before going to settle on his perch.

For his part, Spike seemed to hesitate for a second, then just dashed straight to Twilight and hugged her tight with no small amount of relief on his face and in his words, "Twilight! You have no idea how worried I was about you! The Princesses would only allow the doctors and nurses to see you in the hospital the whole time! I know they needed to keep everypony else away but it was still scary that I couldn't even visit you at all! They kept telling me they had to keep you away by yourself because they couldn't take chances somepony could catch whatever you had."

Twilight hugged her dragon assistant just as tight, "It's ok, Spike. I'm fine now, really. Princess Celestia said there were no dangerous side effects. I'm sorry I worried you so much."

Neither of them said anything for a while. When they at last released each other again, Spike glanced over at me before giving a suspicious glare, perhaps blaming me to some degree, "What are you doing here?"

"Now Spike, you be nice to him. His name is Vojin and he's going to be staying with us for a while. He and I have some research to do for Princess Celestia," Twilight told him in a gentle tone.

Though he was still giving me the evil eye, he seemed to relax a bit despite the gruff tone, "You're lucky she's letting you stay here, but don't try anything. I'm keeping my eye on you."

I couldn't help but roll my eyes a little at that, finding his behavior not all that unexpected. A thought occurred to me then and I gave him a sideways smirk, "Nice to meet you too, Spike. It wasn't exactly in my plans to get thrown into a new world I've never been to before. I have a lot to learn about this place and I hope you'll be willing to help me learn how things work around here in the coming days because I have a lot to learn right now."

Spike seemed to brighten for a moment before he schooled himself again, giving me a wary-eyed look, "Huh, well I guess I could help you, but only because Twilight said to be nice to you. Don't think I like you yet," he turned back to Twilight as he gave a sudden yawn, "Ok Twilight, is there anything I can get you? Anything at all?"

Twilight gave him a gentle shake of her head and a warm smile, causing Spike to nod before he gave another yawn, "Ok then. It's kinda late for me so I'm gonna go to bed. I'm really, really glad you're back," Spike gave her another hug before heading up the stairs.

Once he was gone, Twilight turned back to me with a sheepish smile, "Please don't mind Spike. He gets a little overprotective sometimes and I'm sure my being in the hospital for several days while he wasn't allowed to visit had him really worried. I'm sure he'll come around."

Giving a brief laugh and a smirk, I replied, "Well, I'd be lying if I wasn't expecting a similar response. I might very well have done the same thing in his position. Are you feeling a little more at ease with me now?" I really did hope she was feeling better than earlier. Aside from being gracious enough to host me, the very idea of upsetting her didn't sit well.

"I admit getting to hear some things about you has helped. Can I ask you more questions?" she said with an eager shine in her eyes.

I couldn't help the smile that gave me and nodded, "Anything you want. Just try not to keep us up until the sun comes up, if you don't mind. Considering we just got out of the hospital, it's probably not the best time for an all night study session."

Twilight giggled a little at that, waving a hoof, "Not all night, that's for sure. I am very interested in what kind of magic you've studied though. What spells are you familiar with?"

"Ah...well, I suppose I should start by saying that the kind of magic I practiced is far more subtle than most of the kinds you usually work with. Back on Earth, the available energies for spells are very weak. I have considered that the legends and myths came from ancient times long forgotten where the ambient energy was much stronger. I have no knowledge of what happened or why it faded to being virtually nonexistent nowadays, but it has been that way for at least a few thousand years. Add in that human history has a few points I know of where knowledge has been kept too secret to the point of dying out with the few that knew, or the times where great collections of learning were destroyed for one reason or another. One of the biggest was the Great Library of Alexandria, which was burnt down during an attack on the city by the same name and on accident if I recall. Some speculate that single event more than a thousand years ago cost humanity as much as a hundred years or more of learning and advancement. Oh, I am getting off topic...," I paused, intending to go back to my magic studies when Twilight spoke up.

"A hundred years of learning?! Who would do such a terrible thing?! Don't humans keep more records?" she said in a rush, looking rather appalled at the idea of so much knowledge being lost, "Aren't any of your rulers interested in preserving history? Surely at least some of them could've written down a little of the lost knowledge!"

It occurred to me that Twilight might be assuming some of Earth's leaders were like the Princesses ruling Equestria, ageless and immortal, "You don't think leaders on Earth are immortal like the Princesses, do you?" when she nodded, I continued, "I see...well, no human on Earth lives nearly so long. The ones that lead aren't any different from the rest of us. The average human lifespan is seventy to eighty years, after all."

She frowned, "Well, that explains how so much knowledge could have been lost like that, I guess. Has that been a common event?"

"No it hasn't. It's also unlikely to even be possible ever again, thanks to modern technology. Humanity has gained a vast capacity for storing knowledge in ways that it's nearly impossible to destroy, even when it might be desired. That includes some of the rather ridiculous things that humans make records of, so it is doubtful it could ever happen again. Now we can continue with this or go back to magic. What would you like to do?"

Twilight seemed to think for a bit with a hoof to her chin, then gave a small grin, "I think I'd like to go back to magic. Could you tell me how you sensed the emotional aspect of the link the magic flux left behind?"

"Let me think for a second...," the question was so much more complex than a quick comment could do, scratching my chin for a moment as I collected my thoughts, "Well, due to how weak the nature of magic on Earth was, the few humans that do explore spells and magic must rely heavily on intuition and subtle signs or nudges. There are various schools of thought on where those signs and nudges come from but the overall result is basically the same which leads me to feel as though there are some fundamental aspects or something still remaining undefined."

I waved a hand around, catching myself drifting away from the main topic again, "Anyway, with practice I have developed a better sense of what my intuition tries to tell me. Where those signs and nudges are pointing and...hmmm...," I looked at Twilight as a question sprang to mind, "Would you like to try another small experiment?"

She seemed to grow more curious, though also looked cautious at the same time, "What do you have in mind?"

"Well, I tend to channel my magic through my hands a lot. I was thinking about what we might learn if you put your hoof against my palm and see if we can read each other's energy. I'm quite curious if you can sense things in a similar way. Would you like to give it a try?"

"Hmm, I don't see see any harm in that. You seem to have a strange kind of magic compared to what I'm familiar with and it's really intriguing. So all we have to do is put our hooves...er, my hoof against your hand?" Twilight looked eager for another experiment as she raised a hoof towards me. I was guessing the prospect of studying unfamiliar magic was fascinating to her.

Raising my hand and moving within an inch of her hoof, I looked into her eyes, my voice was quiet, "Ok, the way I do it is by letting my mind clear and waiting for impressions to come to my awareness. Trying to chase them down often just chases them off, if you follow what I mean. Here we go."

Twilight and I pressed hoof and hand together. My eyes closed as I began to let my mind drift and allowing myself to feel the flow of things around me.

It was a moment later when impressions of various kinds swelled in my mind's eye. I could swear there was a noticeable sense of fascination that wasn't my own. I felt what appeared to be Twilight's own magic brushing against mine with a growing clarity, as if I could almost see it happen in my mind and it somehow felt familiar.

A long but comfortable silence went by as we stayed hoof to hand. I had heard some descriptions of intuitive sensing, about it being colorful sometimes, though I had not had such an experience until that moment. The shifting ebb and flow of color in my mind seemed to just read 'Twilight' the whole time, like I could sense her mental presence and kept wondering why it all felt so familiar.

After what felt like ages and an instant at once, my eyes popped open at what seemed to be the same time Twilight's did as we felt our foreheads touch. We were both quick to sit back up in an awkward fashion, both a little embarrassed as we looked at each other.

I coughed, "Ahem...well, uh...I guess that's...more indication of the emotional aspect of the link. What did you get from the...experiment?"

Um...hehe...uh, well I guess a clear sense of your presence? I don't think I'm anywhere near as well practiced at this method as you are. I also felt a really strange sort of curiosity and for some reason it appeared separate from my own. Was it your own curiosity, Vojin?" she gave a sheepish grin as she blushed a little, now appearing nervous for a whole different reason. It made her look rather adorable.

I nodded, though I averted my eyes as I wondered why that little test felt so embarrassing and...exposing somehow. Clearing my throat before I answered, "Yes, well...I think I felt your own sense of curiosity in turn. I could almost see my magic running up against yours and it felt odd...like it was familiar somehow. Like both our individual magics were aligned and complementing each other."

"I don't suppose you know what that means, do you?"

I could only shake my head, "I can't say I really do. I can't imagine that's a bad thing, at least. Though it does occur to me that something about my energy feels different than before I came to Equestria. Maybe tomorrow we can write down a hypothesis or two and try to get some evidence together. What do you think?"

Twilight seemed to have relaxed again, taking a moment to think, "Well, I think it would be great to put some things down on paper so we have a better place to start. I also hope that Princess Celestia calls for us sooner rather than later so we can get a better idea of what this link is," she yawned, "For now though, I think we should consider getting some sleep."

Finding myself yawning in response, I nodded, "Thank you again for letting me stay in your home, Twilight. While this link is going to make it difficult to get very far away from each other when we have only just met, I really appreciate that you offered without hesitation."

She smiled, "Don't mention it. You're welcome here for as long as needed. We have plenty of room and you're proving to be both good company and rather fascinating. Can I give you a good night hug?"

Pulling herself from the couch, she gave her wings a stretch before turning to me with a hopeful look.

I had to smile at that as I got to my feet, "That's fine with me, Twilight. You know I sometimes think I'm part stuffed animal, considering that despite my appearance seeming otherwise, I have a fondness for cuddles, as silly as that sounds."

Twilight gave a soft giggle as she reared up to give me another hug that I was quick to return, putting my arms around her back. After comfortable pause, she dropped back down and started up the stairs with me following not far behind.

Just before she was about to close the door to her room, she paused and turned back to me, "Vojin, I'm curious...as you said Equestria was supposed to be a fictional show on Earth that you liked to watch, did you have a favorite character?"

I grinned in silence, thankful for the darkness in the hallway that should have hid the blush I caught heating my face, my voice a little tense and fading a little towards the end, "Well, I did say any question, didn't I? Um...my favorite character was always... uh...you, Twilight."

A faint gasp escaped her and I expected she was blushing at least a little herself now, though I couldn't tell in the low light. Her voice seemed quieter than before as she stammered, "Um...m-me? I, uh...I'm flattered. Um, good night Vojin. I'll see you in the morning."

She slipped into her room and closed the door without waiting for a reply, causing me to smirk again as I stared at her door for a bit longer. Still feeling a little flushed, I went into my new room and shut the door.

After a quick shedding of my shirt and footwear, I laid down on a bed a little too small for my height, leaving me to curl up a little on my side. The faint tugging had returned but remained nothing more than background noise.

With sleep quick to find me as I settled in, my last thoughts were of wonder. I was trapped in another world, but what a world it is. I found myself looking forward to meeting Twilight's friends in the morning and was certain it would make for a very interesting day.