Nature is cruel but simple with only one rule to live by: survive. This was a fact that the Baron Tiger understood intrinsically. No degree of predatory pride was worth fighting against a stronger opponent. It was for this reason that he fled his territory in the island's center and the reason he ran from the human with the ferocious red aura.
Another thing it knew was to never pass up an easy meal. This is why he ceased his retreat from the human and looked down at the colorful equine he nearly passed by. It wouldn't be substantial considering it's small enough to sit comfortably it his mouth, but the look in its eyes was unmistakable: fear. It was frozen and one bite away from being food. He approached then drove his fangs towards his prey with the intent to eat it in one bite. With a snap, he swiped his tongue around to only find air enclose behind his teeth.
He glanced up to find the equine standing a minuscule distance from his nose. Its eyes still held fear, but a new emotion began to well up; an emotion that was not fear. He stood and thrust his paw towards his prey. The strike kicked up a cloud of dust that cleared to reveal the equine simply leaning away from the blow. With his pride significantly bruised, he reared up and swiped with all his strength.
Like before, he found it just outside the range of his blow. He looked at its eyes and found a new emotion joining the other, with both beginning to overtake its fear. He cared little for what those emotions were; only for the fact that they were reducing his chances. He stepped back then lunged, intent on bearing all 2.5 tons of his weight against his puny prey. He looked for it and found it standing a short distance to the left. With one look at its eyes, he slowly took a step back. It was no longer afraid.
Hints of doubt welled up as a pregnant moment passed. What the creature no taller than the length of the Baron Tiger's sabber-toothed fangs did next terrified him. It took an aggressive stance, but this only worried him. Its horn began to glow and with an unfamiliar light, but this only scared him. The true terror was the blue aura spilling out; an aura not unlike that human. Like the one before, this aura provided the one unmistakable message. 'Fight ... or survive.' The choice was clear.
Not a minute passed for Twilight before she was confronted by a saber-toothed cat that easily dwarfed her. She watched in horror as it set to swallow her whole, only to be confused when it missed. It attacked next with its paw, the blow heading directly for her.This one wouldn't miss: except that it did. The beast reared back with claws primed to slice her to ribbons. When its third attack barely brushed her fur, she realized the truth. It wasn't missing; she was dodging. With all its speed, she was faster. Her face scrunched into a sneer as a dark realization reached her thoughts. 'It's weak.'
It threw its full weight forward which Twilight simply rolled away from; her body acting of her own accord for the first time. She glared at the predator with an unfamiliar ferocity welling up from within. 'How dare this weakling challenge me? It will pay for this transgression.' She lowered her horn and began charging her spell. She glanced up to reaffirm her target's position only to find it gone. A quick analysis revealed that it retreated.
Twilight went slack as she felt muscles she didn't know she had tensed relaxing. "What ... what was that?" This question was not for the Baron Tiger. She understood the concept of massive predators. The real mystery was herself. There was something else in her; something that had a will of its own. She had faced monsters before but they couldn't compare to this monster within, with the exception of Tirek. Either the monster possessed a wild ferocity or an oppressing intellect. Whatever was inside her possessed both.
With no clue what to do, she did what made sense to her prey instincts: get as far as she can from any predator. She took to the air above the trees where she saw countless massive birds dominating the orange tinted evening sky. She dove back down and flew away from where the cat ran; unknowingly heading for the center of the island she'd yet to realize she was on.
She flew by the forest of trees faster than she could register them. It was only a matter of seconds before she clipped her wing on one and was sent rolling across the ground. She sat there as her thoughts waged war on her psyche. She first worried for what happened to her; but that meant little to her compared to her next thoughts. None of her friends were nearby. What if they ran into something? Would they be able to handle something like that massive tiger? What about Equestria?
She fell to her knees, the pain in her wing both forgotten and gone. "My home, my friends, my family." She looked up at the darkening sky with tears forming at the edge of her vision. "What in the name of harmony do I do now?" She buried her face into her forelimbs and cried. 'What can I do?'
Twilight cried while paying no mind to the passage of time. Her tears intensified with every thought. She knew she may never see her surrogate brother again. How would he handle himself alone? She'd never see Celestia again. Her mentor had been as much a part of her life as her own parents. She'd never see them again either. There was Shining Armor and Cadence too. Ever since the wedding, she'd been looking forward to news about them having a foal. Now she'd never get a chance to share that experience with them. The pressure became too much for tears alone to alleviate. She threw her head back, wailing and moaning her heart out. She cared little for who or what would hear her. Her sorrow would tear her apart if she tried to hold it in.
Unbeknownst to Twilight, two approaching beings were indeed made privy to her lamentations. The smaller of the two stood closely behind his larger companion. He wore a safari outfit and possessed a monkey-like face complete with a large flat nose. "Mr. Toriko, what's that?" If his shaky voice didn't confirm how frightened he was, his constant trembling would.
The other stood at least two foot taller than his companion. He wore bright orange pants with a matching vest over a dark blue undershirt. He had wild blue hair and three scars under his left eye that were clearly made by the claws of some predator. Slung over his muscular form were two pudgy, limbless, and blue amphibians.
"I don't know Komatsu." Toriko truly had no clue what that voice was. He knew of beasts that could mimic human voices, but none of them were native to the Baron Archipelago. He had already guess that an apex predator was beginning to disrupt the natural ecosystem of the main island. Perhaps the cause and the source of this sound were one and the same; a case of mimicry this flawless would make a perfect lure for unwary prey after all. "Maybe its a new ingredient."
"But, it sounds like a girl."
Toriko's smile went unseen by his frightened companion. "I seriously doubt that there's a girl in the middle of these dangerous islands." His smile slowly began to shift into something far more menacing, something that could only be called demonic. His expression was being fed by a feeling of anticipation Toriko hadn't experienced for nearly a decade; the anticipation for worthy prey.
He approached the sound's source cautiously until it was just beyond the next set of bushes. He spent only a moment preparing both his body and mind to challenge whatever it was before barging ahead, unaware that he was about to be assaulted in a way he wasn't prepared for.
Once he set his sights on the sound's source, he froze as it set tear stained eyes upon him; the look on its face tore into his unprepared heart. It was without a doubt the smallest horse beast he'd ever laid eyes on. It had a bright purple coat and darker purple hair on its head and tail that had a single strip of blue that went down the hair's length. The miniature horse had both wings and a horn, with the horn looking too blunted to make for a proper defensive weapon.
What his eyes couldn't discern, his nose which was hundreds of times better than a bloodhound could. The horse's tears smelled of bitterness, a scent obviously being provided by its state of mind. It was clearly female as he picked up the scent of the corresponding hormones in the air. Of all the potential threats he imagined hiding behind those bushes, Toriko simply wasn't prepared for something that looked so physically and mentally vulnerable.
Meanwhile, Twilight scrutinized the blue haired human that had stumbled upon her. She immediately went into overdrive as she questioned the situation. The first thing she realized was that this was not like when she went through that mirror considering she was still a pony. Her second realization was that there was still a good chance that the being before her possessed the ability to communicate.
Another human stepped out a moment later and threw her thought process off. He first looked ready to bolt at the slightest sign of a threat until he looked at her. He then immediately put his hands to the side of his face and started to gush. "Awwwww, look at it Mr. Toriko. It's so adorable."
Twilight immediately stood up and glared at the smaller human. She didn't even take offence to the comment, but a unfamiliar part of her did. The larger man placed an arm between them and returned her glare. "Stay back Komatsu." His face contorted into a feral snarl coupled with a guttural yell. He extended his right fingers into a flat shape, hooked his left fingers, and held them out in a threatening posture.
This would have normally terrified her, but the other consciousness within wouldn't back down from the threat. In fact, it wanted to fight; but this was her body and her mind. With a little conscious effort, she relaxed her stance and stopped channeling the spell she hadn't realized she had ready. She already confirmed that the three of them spoke the same language, which meant that diplomacy should be the first option. Twilight wiped the tears from her eyes, performed the calming technique she learned from Cadence, then looked them in the eyes with the most neutral face she could manage. "Hello, my name is Twilight Sparkle."
Over the course of a second, they stared at like they'd never seen a pony talk; which was something that Twilight realized in retrospect was likely the case. Once the second passed, their jaws dropped and their eyes seemed to bug out of their sockets. "Ehhhh, it can talk!"
Twilight waited for them to recover with a patience cultivated by her variety of friends. "Can it really talk?!" asked the one named Komatsu.
"Maybe it's mimicry," replied the larger Toriko.
She could tell that he wasn't sure about the explanation that tried to reduce her sentience to a simple animal behavior; and it was a belief Twilight decided to shatter completely. "I'll have you know that this is not 'mimicry' Mr. Toriko. I am fully capable of holding an intelligent conversation like any other sentient being. Furthermore, I do not appreciate being referred to as an 'it' Komatsu. Please address me by my name or through the use of proper pronouns such as you, she, or her." She chuckled internally as the pair struggled to form some kind of coherent response while also wondering if this was how Rarity felt when she manipulated those Diamond Dogs. "If there are any beasts here, it is not me," she added with a hint of sarcasm.
Time continued to pass as Toriko and Komatsu tried to process the concept of talking to a miniature horse. Their attempts ended upon hearing the all too familiar sound of an unsatisfied stomach coming from the purple enigma. Toriko smiled at the embarrassed horse thanks to facing something he was more familiar with. "Well, someone once said that there's no better way to get to know a person than over a good meal. There's a marsh just up the path from here. We can set up camp there."
Twilight chuckled nervously and rubbed her stomach. "Yeah, I could use something to eat." It was at that moment she saw Toriko pick up two carcasses she hadn't noticed he was carrying earlier. Twilight understood that some creatures needed to eat meat, but dealing with it firsthand was something she had no experience with.
She took a deep breath and swallowed her sense of revulsion. She was the Princess of Friendship and she would not allow a difference in diet bar her from performing that role to the best of her abilities; nor would she allow a case of relocation to do so either.
Along that train of thought, she realized that there was no doubt that her closest friends were somewhere in this land and that as princess, it was her duty to remain strong not for herself but for the sake of her friends.
Toriko watched her carefully as she rapidly yet subtly shifted through different emotional states. There was no doubt in his mind that Twilight possessed the same emotional complexity of any person he's ever met. What worried him the most was that single instant where she took an aggressive stance. For that moment, he could see the distorted image of an appetite demon. Having one of those meant she was stronger than she looked, much stronger.
They continued further towards the island's center in awkward silence with Toriko taking time to pick up pieces of wood along the way. Once they reached the marsh he spoke of, he arranged the sticks for a camp fire. "Please, allow me." Twilight said this with the hopes that showing off her magic would help break the tension between them.
While Toriko could light the fire with a snap of his fingers, he wouldn't pass up a chance to see how a horse would do it. She walked up to the sticks then her horn started glowing. The sticks burst into flames a second later, stunning Komatsu and shocking Toriko. "Whoa, you can set things on fire?!"
Twilight failed to register his question however due to mild shock. That spell was the lowest tier ignition spell and should have only been powerful enough to start a fire rather than becoming one. Was her magic being amplified somehow? The effect didn't seem as drastic as when she had the power of four alicorns, but she would need to test herself; and testing her magic was something she didn't want to do in front of strangers. She blinked back to her senses as a large hand was waved in front of her. "Twilight, you okay?"
She shook her head then smiled. "Sorry." She took note of his concerned expression and chuckled at his apparent friendliness. "I was just ... thinking."
Her stomach growled again at that moment, eliciting a smile from Toriko. He stood up and surveyed the area until his eyes settled upon a group of trees growing at the edge of the marsh. "Perfect." Twilight shrank back when he at her with his mouth drooling. "How'd you like to capture your first ingredient?" She nodded hesitantly, feeling unsure on how else to respond. She followed the trajectory of his finger as he pointed it where he was looking. "Can you get us some fruit from those Macaroon Mangroves?"
She nodded while hiding her confusion at the unusual moniker he gave the trees. She lifted off the ground with a gentle flap of her wings and flew to the trees while figuring that the seeds likely made for good macaroons. When she reached the trees, she realized how wrong she was. The fruit were macaroons. The trees' fruit were honest to Celestia fully formed macaroons. Pinkie Pie would have a field day with these.
Macaroon Mangroves
Capture Level 3
She landed on a branch and scrutinized them until her stomach convinced her to hazard a bite. Her whole body shuddered as the rich taste filled her mouth. The coconut shaving's aromatic sweetness blended flawlessly with the mild bitterness of the dark chocolate filling, forming a flavor on par with the macaroons from Sugar Cube Corner. She couldn't restrain her laughter if she wanted to; these macaroons actually had chocolate filling.
She looked at another tree and noticed a differing texture of the fruit then flew over to the tree with an explosion of glee she usually only felt at the prospect of a new studying opportunity; and she was going to take the opportunity to study every flavor these trees had to offer. Her next bite was filled by the taste of ground almonds mixed with creamy vanilla. After that, she lost track of all the different flavors as she started levitating them one after another into her mouth. She was more famished than she thought and it would take something big to pull her from the veritable bounty.
FWOOMPSHHHHH!
She dropped the macaroons she was levitating and looked towards the source of the sound. What she saw was a massive grey serpent that easily dwarfed the tiger from before. Twilight calculated that its body width had to be at least twice her own body length; but it still looked slender due to what was sticking out of the water being at least fifty feet in length.
The serpent collapsed onto the ground and laid there motionlessly. Even with the distance and darkness, Twilight could clearly see the massive chunk taken out of its side that was over half of the serpent's girth. Twilight trembled at the realization that a massive serpent that could likely level Ponyville on its own was killed by something else. She didn't have time to wonder what did it when the serpent was suddenly pulled back into the water. What then came out was without doubt the one responsible for the slain swamp snake. The massive alligator was as tall as a full grown elephant at the waist and at least four times as long. It had blood red scales and not four, but eight powerful looking legs.
She looked on in horror as the beast's roar actually blew Komatsu back. He fortunately recovered quickly. "Shouldn't we be running now?!" yelled Komatsu in a reasonably frightened tone. Twilight looked to Toriko who said something she couldn't make out. "You're honestly talking about flavor?!" came a snappy reply to the unheard comment.
Twilight couldn't begin to question Toriko's sanity before the beast lunged with a speed rivaling a striking snake. Toriko gracefully sidestepped the blow and delivered a punch that nearly brought the gator to its side. Its tail followed up and struck Toriko cleanly on the side, but the man caught the blow and then threw the multi-ton creature nearly twice its own body length. What thoughts Twilight had of trying to save her new friends were shattered completely. Toriko clearly could handle himself.
The gator was no pushover either as it recovered mid-air and landed on all eight legs without missing a beat. It shot forward at impossible speeds and snapped at the space Toriko occupied just an instant before. Twilight lost sight of them thanks to the cloud of dust kicked up by the attack. This lasted only a second when the force of Toriko's punch dispersed the cloud and spun the gator in the air. Twilight watched as it lashed out with a surprise tail attack that sent Toriko through two trees and near the tree she was spectating from. She looked at Toriko in disbelief as he sat up like he was waking up from a nap. "I'll lose too much blood to those leaches if this goes on long enough."
Toriko glanced to his left and saw Twilight watching him intently. "Hey!" She flinched at his voice. "Think you can keep your dinner down?" She hesitantly nodded back in affirmation. He then turn his attention back to his reptilian foe. "You're a real specimen: scales like steel, razor sharp claws, countless fangs, and a jaw with three tons of force. You've earned your title as the king of these islands!" Time slowed down for Twilight as a pinkish-red aura began to spill out from his body. "I offer you my respect."
She soon could make out the image of something that could only be called a demon rising from the aura. What she saw had the body of a muscular human with skin only a few shades off from being pure red, fingernails of pure black that were shaped more like claws, pointed ears, and a wild pink mane. It's face was the true terror due to an expression set in a ferocious snarl and a gaping maw filled with razor sharp teeth. It held in its left hand a massive fork and in its right an equally large knife. "Allow me to show you the most sacred tools humanity has ever known." With that phrase and the image of that demon in her head, Twilight understood completely who the victor of the fight would be; who it could have only been.
When the aura vanished, Twilight watched in fascination as Toriko placed his palms together and closed his eyes. "I give my humble thanks to the vast bounties this world provides. ... It is time to eat." Toriko yelled wordlessly with he same expression as the demon from before, his pink-red aura returning, and his muscles pulsing. As if waiting for this queue, the gator leapt towards Toriko. The man hit his hooked left hand against his straight right hand twice, forming the distinctive clink of metal hitting metal both times. "FORK!" he yelled just before driving his left hand into the gator's neck. "AND KNIFE!" He hefted the massive beast into the air with his left hand then brought his right down on the Garara Gator. The blow beheaded the beast completely. He allowed the two halves to soar behind him, hit his hands together forming the same distinctive clinks as before, then brought his palms together again just as they landed. "Thank you for the meal."
Twilight new that she should have been terrified. She knew that she should be flying away with all the speed her wings could manage. She knew her prey instincts should have been in overdrive; but all she could feel was a combination of overwhelming fascination and admiration. "Twilight, you done gathering those macaroons. I bet they'll be great after this Garara Gator meat." The wide drooling smile that was a far-cry from the ferocity from before only intensified Twilight's curiosity. "Komatsu!" he yelled in the other direction. "Get ready! Tonight we feast!"
She watched with a smile as the pair headed back to the fire with Toriko dragging the gator's remains. Somehow she knew that those two were set to become the best of friends. She looked back at the Macaroon Mangroves and decided to get started on her own task of collecting the bountiful fruit. She carefully collected nearly all of them in hopes of saving enough for later before carrying the massive array of sweets over to the pair who she was sure would be friends with her as well. She wasn't surprised that in the time it took her to collect them, Toriko managed to divide up the gator's body into large clean slices of flesh. The real surprise was how little the carcass bothered her.
She closed in to find Toriko already eating a slice of meat. "It tastes incredible! I've never had meat that good! It's like an explosion and tsunami of flavor all at once!"
"Okay," started Komatsu holding out his own slice. "Eating one piece shouldn't hurt." He chewed on the slice with an infectious smile that Twilight mirrored. "The meat and fat practically melts in your mouth." His eyes widened from a bolt of inspiration. "I've got it." He picked up a nearby rock and placed it next to the fire.
"Hey," said Twilight seeing a good chance to interject. "I don't know anything about meat, but these macaroons are delicious." As soon as she said that, Toriko stood up and grabbed a large handful of macaroons. "Hey!" she protested while levitating them out of his reach, but the damage was done.
"Delicious! Each one's exterior is matched perfectly with its filling! This is what you call high class macaroons!"
"Mr. Toriko!" Toriko's attempt at some more was halted by Komatsu's voice. "I grilled a slice on the stone so the fat would be charred on the surface and would trap the juices inside. ... It's ready"
He sliced the piece he was grilling in half with each of them taking a piece and biting simultaneously. Toriko's eyes shot open. "The surface is crispy and grilled to perfection "
Komatsu's eyes followed suit. " not to mention the inside that's rich and tender.
They threw they heads back with the widest grins they could manage. "SO GOOD!"
Twilight narrowed her eyes due to feeling envious of their omnivorous diets, but their smiles were too infectious for her to produce a matching frown. "Hey, don't forget about me." They laughed as she tried and failed to pout at them, joining in on their laughter instead.
Komatsu looked up at Twilight and managed to look pleadingly while laughing. She rolled her eyes with a chuckled and levitated a few macaroons down for him. He ate them as gleefully as everything else. "Spectacular." He looked at Twilight with another spark of inspiration hitting him. "Can you do that fire thing again for this one."
Twilight immediately picked up on his plan and levitated the macaroon a safe distance before momentarily engulfing it in flame. Toriko grabbed the toasted treat and ate it before they could react. "Hey, that was mine."
Toriko ignored her protest. "Amazing! The toasting caramelized the sugars and really brings out the nut's flavor. Great job you two."
Toriko chuckled at her pouting face but Komatsu decided to placate her. "Don't worry Twilight. There's more where that came from." She chuckled at her own silliness and prepared to toast enough for all of them. "Hey Twilight. Can I have some almond ones without any filling."
She quickly found, toasted, and sent the requested items to Komatsu. She and Toriko watched in interest as he ground them up over the hot stone and placed a slice of meat on it. Toriko's salivation went out of control as he proceed to cook the other side the same way while Twilight once again felt herself envying their omnivorous diet. They shared the piece and once again started gushing. "Now the surface is even crispier than before..." started Komatsu.
"And the nut's fats are blending in with the meat fat, releasing a whole new level of flavor."
"IT'S PERFECT!"
The two fell onto their backs out of shear elation while Twilight simply elected to sit down. After a moaning stretch, Toriko sat up and looked over at Komatsu. "I don't get it. Why would an amazing chef like you come with me to these dangerous islands."
Komatsu sat up and looked between them. "It's because of my dream. I want to be a world class chef, and I don't think I can do that staying in the kitchen all my life. To really bring out the best in the ingredients, I need to understand them and see them firsthand. I understood that the first time I saw you hunt. Sure it's dangerous and terrifying, but I was able to get a feel for what the Garara Gator was really like in a way that I could never get from a book, you know?"
Twilight wiped a tear from her eye that came from how well Komatsu's words resonated with her. "I know how you feel Komatsu. I speak from experience when I say that there are things out there that you can never experience by reading some dusty old books." She chuckled at remembering how that was how it started for her.
"So Twilight, do you have a dream?" asked Komatsu.
For a short moment, images of home flashed through her mind; a home that she may never see again. Toriko took notice of her quickly falling mood and clapped loudly. "How about I go next?" He leaned back onto his hands and looked up at the stars with a thoughtful gaze. "My dream is to make my own Full Course Menu."
"The life's goal of a Gourmet Hunter."
"That's right Komatsu: Hors d'oeuvre, Soup, Salad, Fish, Meat, Main Course, Dessert, and Drink. These core dishes represent a Hunter's life's work; nothing matters more. I've only settled on one of them so far, but I'm going to find them all. This world is enormous with countless things that man has never tasted. I want meet all of those wondrous things, and then ... I'm gonna eat'em."
"Wait," said Twilight nervously. "Does that mean you're gonna eat me?"
Toriko stared at her before laughing. "What?! There's no way I'm going to eat someone I've shared a meal with."
Twilight smiled at his response until she noticed how he looked at her with unrestrained curiosity. "You're actually thinking about it, aren't you?!"
Toriko put his hands up defensively. "No I wasn't, honest." Her response was to glare at him incredulously. He soon dropped his defensive pose and looked up apologetically. "Okay, maybe a little."
Her glare only narrowed. "No macaroons for you."
"WHAT~!" He looked into Twilight's eyes pleadingly. "Please, please tell me you're joking." Toriko got his answer when the mass of macaroons were levitated further into the air.
Toriko jumped at the treats and grabbed a number of them. He took a large bite only for him to taste air. He looked around frantically upon landing and found the treats levitating a fair distance away. He looked at Twilight confused as she smirked back at him. "Teleportation Spell."
Rather than sharing Komatsu's surprise at another type of magic Twilight could use, Toriko thought frantically on how he would handle a combination of teleportation and levitation until settling on a last ditch effort. On Twilight's end, her eyes widened when he enacted his tactic. She truly couldn't believe that a man who had just recently battled a ferocious predator to the death was now using puppy dog eyes on her. It was nowhere near the level of the CMC, but it still had quite the impact coming from such a powerful and fierce individual. Unable to watch him degrade his self for long, she relented and toasted a few of the macaroons for him which he ate gleefully.
All through this encounter, Komatsu could only laugh at the super-powered pair's antics. He decided that after Toriko swallowed his macaroons was a good time to speak. "So Twilight, what about your dream?"
"Yeah," added Toriko. "It's not every day I get to talk to a blue and purple flying unicorn."
Twilight raised an eyebrow in disbelief. "I think you need to get your eyes checked. I'm not blue."
The two looked at each other then back at Twilight. "Well yeah, you are purple..." started Komatsu.
"But you have blue in your hair and tail," finished Toriko while pointing at her hair.
She shook her head at them. "I'm sorry but I don't have any..." She paused in shock as she finally looked at the bangs hanging just over her eyes. She then looked back at her tail to find that the stripe on her tail had also been turned blue. "What happened to my hair?! My stripes are supposed to be magenta! How did this happen; why did this happen?!"
Toriko began to panic not directly because of Twilight's panicking, but rather because her panicking was causing her to drop the macaroons. While Toriko saved as many as he could, it was left to Komatsu to return her to her senses. "Twilight!"
With one look in his eyes, Twilight managed to regain herself. She inhaled deeply while placing a hoof on her chest and extended her hoof in tandem with her exhalation. "You know what. It doesn't matter if I changed color a little. I am still me and that's what matters."
Toriko swallowed the macaroons he caught and smiled at Twilight. "You still haven't told us your dream."
Twilight took notice of how the two were looking at her eagerly then turned her gaze towards the ground. She spent a few moments in thought before coming up with a proper answer. "You may have already realized this, but I'm not from around here. I'm sure that I'm not even from this planet. Somepony that I've never met before pulled me from my home and dropped me off here without giving me a choice." She looked up from the ground and glared ahead as defiantly as she could muster. "I know he didn't bring me here alone. He also took five of my dearest and closest friends. I know that they are somewhere in this world and I won't stop until I find them and figure out a way back home. I don't care if I have to fight my way through Tartarus and back; we are going home."
After her story, Twilight smiled at the two who now had a comical cascade of tears flowing from their eyes with a bubble of snot sticking from Komatsu's nostril. "That's so sad."
Twilight couldn't help but to let out a happy chuckle. "Yes, but I never would have met you two if it didn't happen."
Komatsu's crying increased two-fold, "Twilight!" then he jumped at her and engulfed her in his arms.
Twilight laughed at the affectionate display until scrunching her nose. "Ack, what's that smell."
Komatsu backed away and rubbed the back of his head in a clear sign of embarrasment. "Oh yeah. ... I think I soiled during that fight."
Twilight could only stare at him with her eyes slowly widening as she realized that she actually came in direct contact during that hug. "Ew." She turned and began running for the lake. "Ew ew ew ew ew ew ew ew ew ew ew!"
"No, the macaroons!" yelled Toriko as he tried to save the mass of sweets that Twilight dropped in her own panic. The ones he couldn't catch in his hands he caught with his mouth. Komatsu simply sat in place feeling bad at grossing out his new friend.
Unbeknownst to the group below, a small metallic sphere with insectoid wings looked down on the group. The machine sent its signal nearly halfway across the world to a castle in one of the darkest corners of the planet. In the castle's throne room, a human figure hidden in shadows sat upon the throne as another with a hunched over stance, wearing a black robe and holding a violet staff, approached him. Visible beneath the robe's hood was a pale wrinkled face that looked like the lips had once been stapled together. "I have a report master. The reason behind the ecological disturbance at the Baron Archipelago was being caused by an abnormally large Garara Gator, and not by the degree of ingredient we are searching for. We however managed to gather two pieces of info you would be interested in. The first is that the Garara Gator was slain by none other than Toriko. The other lends credence to two unconfirmed reports of colorful miniature horses appearing to possess the ability to communicate. They may very well be a species that no one has seen before until now."
"I see," the shadowed figure said narrowing his eyes. "The four heavenly kings are not a concern at the moment, but these new creatures are ... interesting. Capture one if the opportunity presents itself."
The decrepit individual bowed. "Of course master. I shall inform the chefs and hunters at once." As the man walked away, he hoped that there were enough of the creatures for him to be able to research them. It would be a shame if his masters ate them all before he had the chance.