//------------------------------// // The letter // Story: partisans of Eqwuestria // by Ferencelvtars //------------------------------// Life often repeats itself, though there are things that would be better if they never repeated. Ferkó was an average schoolboy. He enjoyed hiking, especially in the city of Kőszeg, where he pursued his studies. He loved to read, but his peers often teased him for reading girly books, labeling him as an easy target with a weak character. He was a good student, and despite being slightly overweight, he had good stamina. When he went hiking, his favorite destinations were the Old House lookout, the Styrian houses, and the Written Rock. He often studied and enjoyed the fresh mountain air in these places. His life here was almost perfect until one day when everything changed. "Good morning," Ferkó said in a sleepy voice as he began to dress, still half-asleep. His roommates tried to pull the covers over their heads. Ferkó got dressed, went to wash up, and then bumped into one of his big bullies. He didn't pay much attention to him and focused on packing his school bag before heading to breakfast. The bully didn't let it go and kept hurling insults at him, but Ferkó was used to it. His teachers called his self-control unmatched. Finally, he arrived at the cafeteria and prepared his usual breakfast. His breakfast was routine, with a boiled egg, two slices of bread with butter, a boiled potato, and a cup of tea. Then, he headed to school before class to have time to read his book. It was a beautiful sunny but chilly October morning. He walked along the stairs surrounded by evergreen trees, down the open promenade, and when he reached the park, he noticed the glistening frost on the grass in the crisp cold. His dormitory was a modern-looking building from the outside but had a more traditional feel inside, with granite floors and walls painted with lime. The room furnishings were modest but sufficient. The worn radiators, plastic linoleum floors in the rooms, well-used wooden beds, desks, and creaky cupboard doors all told the story of years of student life. However, the hallways and lobbies were spacious and inviting, exuding a sense of calm, inviting anyone to enter through the front door. In contrast, the school resembled a castle, with a massive door adorned by an enormous metal handle. Inside, beautiful large windows provided light to spacious corridors and wide staircases, which had been fitted with finely polished granite floors. The walls displayed alternating paintings and plaques showcasing former students, classes, and teachers. The building had a magnificent ceiling, reminiscent of a city palace, at least in Ferkó's opinion. The corridors were always cold, but Ferkó didn't mind with his warm knitted sweater. The classrooms, on the other hand, had parquet and plastic floors and traditional school desks. Ferkó never liked the classrooms; he found them ugly compared to the beautiful marbled hallways. He sat down on a bench in the corridor, where there was a small red cushion. He often read here and had become accustomed to the hard, dark oak wood bench. Unfortunately, Ferkó's knowledge of English was somewhat lacking. He took out a translation tool and copied the current chapter from his book. He found it fascinating that a closed world, brought to life by a series, could be unraveled by a few creative people who had the ability to recreate it from scratch. However, he didn't dwell on this thought at the moment and started reading. Sweetie Belle was not exactly ecstatic but could put her ambitions aside and swallow the first bite... Suddenly, his reading was interrupted by the loudspeaker: "Németh Ferkó, please report to the principal's office immediately." The announcement came from a crackling and hoarse voice from the old equipment. Ferkó couldn't imagine what the principal wanted from him, but he had no choice but to go. The staircase leading to the principal's office was beautiful, adorned with various potted plants by the windows. The hallway provided a stunning view of the school's English garden, which Ferkó would have loved to gaze at all day, but he continued up the stairs. On the first floor, there was the assembly hall and most of the lecture rooms. Ferkó enjoyed being there because it was where the most interesting lessons took place. He looked around for a moment, exchanged greetings with the chemistry teacher, an elderly woman with graying hair, from whom he had learned the art of conducting beautiful experiments. However, he had to hurry and moved on to the second floor. The stairs leading there offered an even more breathtaking view of the English garden, and he could even see the sports fields from there. He rushed upstairs and found himself in front of the principal's imposing office door. He knocked and entered. "Principal, sir?" he inquired with a somewhat timid voice and a hint of fear. Ferkó didn't like going to the principal's office, as he was quite shy, but he would never let anyone offend him in this regard. "Yes, thank you for coming," the principal replied with a slight unease in his voice. Ferkó couldn't fathom what the principal wanted from him, but he had to comply. As he entered the office, he noticed how beautiful it was, with potted plants and a view of the school's English garden from the corridor. Ferkó would have loved to watch it all day, but he pressed on and approached the principal's desk. After a brief greeting, the principal got down to business. "Is something wrong?" Ferkó asked, slightly sweating and anxious. The principal's stern gaze unnerved Ferkó, and he could feel the blood draining from his face. After what felt like hours to Ferkó but was only a minute, the principal finally spoke. "Well, if it is indeed yours, make sure not to leave it behind like this again. Someone might use it for cheating," the principal said, stern but not overly harsh. Ferkó was almost overwhelmed by relief that the principal believed him, but he maintained a calm exterior and managed to stammer out, "Thank you for noticing, I promise it won't happen again." With that, he hurriedly left the principal's office and bid his farewell. As he rushed down the stairs, the old bell, reminiscent of a church bell, signaled that the class was about to begin. The hallways were crowded with students saying their goodbyes, friends looking for a spot in the classroom to sit together and help each other. Ferkó took a seat in a solitary desk, took out his history book, and reviewed the material once more. "Good morning, teacher, you look lovely today," he said as a greeting and a compliment when the teacher, a tall woman in her late thirties with brown curly hair, walked into the classroom, wearing a blue blouse and a traditional skirt. "Good morning," the teacher responded, her voice tinged with irritation, and she gestured for the students to stand. "Good morning, Mrs. Magdolna," echoed the half-hearted greeting from the class, delivered somewhat apathetically. Mrs. Magdolna began the questioning. "Ferkó, which three countries participated in the 1800 Balkan War in the northern region?" "Serbia, the Ottoman Empire, and the Russian Empire," came Ferkó's response, clear and confident. "Correct. Rebeka, among the following, which state did not participate in the First World War: Greece, Sweden, or Czechoslovakia?" the second question followed in the same firm tone. Meanwhile, Ferkó opened the letter with a pocket knife. It contained old-fashioned parchment and two intriguing objects: a peacock tail-shaped brooch and a small, peculiar coin with three small handles. He quickly stashed the letter, the brooch, and the coin into his bag and tried to focus on the lesson, but after twenty minutes, he couldn't resist the urge to read the letter, even if he couldn't do so during class. "Teacher," Ferkó called out loudly, his voice somewhat hesitant and a bit embarrassed. "What is it, Ferkó?" asked the teacher, Barbara, with a touch of annoyance. "My head hurts. Can I go get an aspirin?" Ferkó asked while trying to cool his forehead with his hand, hoping to appear convincing. "Of course, but hurry back," the teacher responded with skepticism in her voice. Ferkó dashed into the bathroom and pulled out the letter from his bag. He slowly began reading the strange writing, which was somewhat messy but still readable: "Sunset, I want you to know that you can never come back to Equestria. Twilight has fallen with her friends, and we can no longer help. Take this brooch and use its power to break the portal before a dark hand reaches your world." Ferkó pondered how this letter had ended up on his desk. He wondered if it was a hoax, but he was curious to see how it would play out. He thought, "Either I'm mistaken, or I'm in for something big." "If you ever want to return, the coin will grant you a protective shield against the curse. And if you activate it, a portal will open before you, leading you to me. But please, use it only if necessary. I send it to you now because if it falls into the wrong hands, it could be..." The letter inexplicably ended abruptly, and a blot of ink marred the bottom. Ferkó couldn't help but burst into laughter. He joked with himself, "You've really fallen for this, haven't you?" As he chuckled, he playfully activated the coin by turning one of its tiny knobs, but suddenly, a blinding light engulfed him. He could no longer see his surroundings. And just like that, he found himself in a dimly lit, medieval-looking cell with thick bars, barely letting in the feeble light of the moon. He tried to make out more details, but for some reason, his eyes were glued to something in the darkness.