The Everfree Lord

by Organic Construct

The Everfree Lord IV

Adrian hesitantly followed his pegasus guide into the, for lack of a better term, "treebrary". Though he felt the desire to hesitate, he ignored it. Either this "Twilight Sparkle" could help him, or she could not. One way or another, he was going to find that answer. He was no coward to back down from the possibility of failure or disappointment.

His immediate notice was of the spacious nature of the interior. He'd taken to not thinking of the buildings as "physics defying". The physics of this world were clearly different from the physics of his own. Considering the fact that he was now a temporary visitor in this world, it didn't make much sense to think in the physics of his own world anymore.

As Fluttershy had said, the structure was indeed a library. Books of varying size and format lined the bookshelves that circled the room. The shelves themselves were carved out of the interior of the tree in ovals that were around 0.25 meters away from one another. The only furnishings of the room were a table in the center and a podium of sorts off to one wall. The only other structures of note were a few windows and a stairwell that seemed to lead towards the boughs of the tree. The windows made sense when he considered the fact that they weren't likely to have lighting based on electricity and fire in a tree seemed like a horrendous idea.

Adrian's eyes immediately picked up on the two living occupants of the room. One was an owl that happened to be sleeping while perched on the podium. Adrian spared the barest moment to admire the cliché of an owl in a library. The rest of his attention immediately diverted to the anthropomorphic lizard standing near one of the shelves with books grasped in its claws. Adrian estimated that the little fellow, spike crests included, would likely only come up to his upper thigh. It was currently concentrating on what it was doing and had its back to the pair.

Fluttershy lifted her voice as she greeted the lizard, "Hello, Spike."

Spike returned the greeting without turning, "Hey there, Fluttershy. I'll be with you in a moment. Just gotta get these books back in their spots before Twilight comes back... Annnnnd, done." With that said, he turned around.

Adrian could tell by the voice that the lizard was male. This somewhat surprised him, considering the lizard's purple and green colour scheme. However, it didn't surprise him enough to miss noticing the fact that the lizard boy's eyes had widened the moment he'd spotted Adrian. "Fluttershy, you didn't say anything about a lizard."

Fluttershy turned her gaze on Adrian. "He's not a liz-"

"Hey! I'm a dragon, not a lizard!" The little fellow had interrupted Fluttershy, and he seemed quite indignant about being called a "lizard".

Adrian immediately put up his hands in a placating gesture. "Sorry. No insult was meant. I'm kinda new to this whole shebang."

His expression immediately went from angry to curious. He quickly looked Adrian up and down as he approached. "What are you?"

Adrian, with his motion-sensitive peripheral vision, noticed the little shift in Fluttershy's expression as Spike worded the question so boldly. So, the question was considered rude. He supposed he'd make a point of remembering that. "It's rude to ask someone what they are, but I did call you a lizard. So, I suppose all's fair. To answer the question: I'm a human, and my name is Adrian." Adrian extended his hand, "Pleased to meet you."

The little dragon put his claw in Adrian's hand. "Oh, well, ummmm. I'm Spike. Good to meetcha."

At this range, Adrian noticed that the dragon had the slitted eyes of a reptile, but had a coloured iris and white sclera rather than the full-colour sclera of most creatures. The second thing he noticed was the fact that, even though his fingers were entirely scaled, he had sharp, claw-like fingertips. He had no doubt that those could do some nasty damage to his clothes and skin. Adrian immediately decided to keep from angering the little fellow, if he could.

Fluttershy slowly shifted from hoof to hoof as she spoke. "Excuse me, Spike, but do you happen to know where Twilight is?"

Spike finally turned his attention to something other than Adrian. "Oh, she went to get quills." He shrugged. "She should be back pretty soon. Why do you need her?"

Adrian rubbed the back of his head. "I'm actually the one who needs her." Adrian decided to just fire off the short version of his predicament. He wearied of explaining things to every new individual he happened to encounter. "I am no longer in my own world, and I desire to return to it."

Spike recoiled comically. "You're an alien! Have you come to suck our brains out and turn us into zombie servants!?"

Fluttershy giggled as she noticed Adrian's unamused expression. "No, Spike. Adrian is friendly."

"Maybe that's what he wants you to think..." He glared at Adrian with an accusation of treachery in his eyes.

Adrian shrugged and allowed his face to take on a grim, robotic facade. "I can't prove I'm not an alien bent on zombifying all sentient life in this world." He broke the dour expression by smiling in good humour. "But, I do hope you'll take me at my word when I say I'm not. I mean, I haven't attacked anyone even though I've had quite a few chances to already."

Spike seemed to consider this fact.

Fluttershy giggled at the dragon's expression of concentration. "Oh, Spike. Adrian doesn't want to hurt anypony. He just wants to go home, and Twilight's the only pony I can think of that might be able to help him."

It wasn't three seconds after she spoke that the door behind Adrian and Fluttershy swung open and a voice called, "Spike. I'm ba-..."

Adrian turned to find a light-purple pony with a dark purple mane containing a section of adjacent stripes of alternating colour. She had the saddlebag-like things on her sides. He could see the fluffy tip of a quill protruding from the lidded lip of one of the bags. Her face slowly lifted until her eyes met Adrian's own.

Adrian grinned. So this was the face of the individual that shou-... would be able to help him get home. "Twilight Sparkle, I presume."

She remained in her stupor for a few moments before rapidly shaking her head. "Wha-... Who... Who are you?"

Adrian turned his gaze towards Fluttershy when she started speaking. "Twilight, this is Adrian. Adrian, Twilight."

Adrian returned his attention to Twilight and dipped his head. "You're sharp. You canceled out that "What" quite tactfully even while surprised. However, it doesn't bother me. I'm a human."

Adrian could almost see Twilight's mind racing behind her eyes. "Human? I've never even heard the term before." She seemed genuinely concerned by this lack of knowledge.

Adrian chuckled. "You and everyone else, it would seem." Adrian continued quickly. "As much as I love chatting in doorways, can't we move to a table to talk?"

~~~

It took a minute or so for them to find a seat around the table. Twilight had sent Spike to make tea. Fluttershy had taken her leave to do her shopping. Now, it was just Adrian and Twilight seated at the circular table. Fortunately, sitting cross-legged placed Adrian on Twilight's level.

Adrian smiled. "Isn't this better?"

Twilight just stared at him with open curiosity in her searching eyes. "You said you were human. I'd never even heard the word "human" before now," she paused for a moment to lock her eyes on his, "Where in Equestria are you from?"

Adrian chuckled. "Straight to the point, eh? I can admire that. Alright, down to business. I'm not from "Equestria". Humans are native to a different world altogether... A very different world. That's the reason why I’ve come to you." Adrian forced himself to stop. It would be so easy to fall into a monologue.

"You come from another world..." Excitement sprang onto her features. "You're the first interplanar traveler I've ever met! What's your world like? How did you get here? What are your people like? What kind of magic do you all have?"

She paused for breath, and Adrian took initiative. "I'm not an "inerplanar traveler" of my own will. My world is very different, and we'll leave it at that. I have no clue how I got here. I'd rather not voice my opinions on the other members of my species. Oh, and our world has no magic."

She looked like he had reared back and struck her with a closed fist. "N-no magic. How?"

Adrian shrugged. "Magic is the stuff of childhood fables in my world," Adrian took a moment to chuckle, "Imagine my surprise when I learned it actually exists here."

Twilight looked down for a moment before lifting her gaze once more. "Why don't you want to talk about your world and why do you not want to talk about your people?"

Adrian chuckled drily. "The answer to both is related. Let's just say, my world isn't all that nice of a place and a lot of my people aren't all that nice either."

She took a few moments to process this. Adrian read the emotions that danced across her face. Disbelief. Dread. Pity. Wonder. "You said that you came to me specifically. Why?"

Adrian shifted his weight to get more comfortable. "Well, I mentioned not having "traveled" by my own will. I didn't come here of my own volition, and I have no idea how I might go about getting back. Fluttershy brought me here with the implicit hope that you would be willing, and able, to help me go home."

Twilight's countenance turned uncertain and entirely too hesitant for Adrian's taste. "I could try to help you if there weren't two problems. The first being that interplanar magic is dangerous, unpredictable, unwieldy, and fueled by chaos magic, which I can't use. The second being that it has been completely illegal since the reign of Discord."

Adrian took a brief moment to adapt to this information. So, the magic that could help him is dangerous and illegal... Brilliant. There was also one tiny snippet of information he was uncertain about. "Was this "discord" a pony, or does it refer to an anarchistic period of your history?"

Twilight smiled. "Discord is a draconequus that ruled Equestria in chaos before Celestia and Luna vanquished him."

Adrian raised a brow. "A draconequus being...?"

It took a moment for Twilight to catch on. "A draconequus is a type of chimera and one of the few creatures capable of channeling chaos magic."

Adrian's hope flared. "You said interplanar magic involves chaos magic, yes?"

Twilight caught the train of thought and her expression took on a note of concern. "Discord, like all draconequus, is a notorious trickster and seeking help from him would be unwise. Even if he is undergoing reform..."

Confusion flashed through Adrian. "Discord "is"? Undergoing reform? I thought the sisters vanquished him."

Twilight smiled sheepishly. "They didn't truly destroy him. They turned him into stone with the Elements of Harmony."

Adrian rubbed his palms against his temples. "If he's now stone, then how is he being "reformed", exactly?"

"He broke free from his prison and I, along with my friends, used the Elements to trap him again. Then, Celestia decided to free him in the hope that we could reform him into a force for good."

Adrian just stared blankly for a few seconds. "So let me get this straight. Discord rules over the land with chaos and, presumably, suffering for Lord only knows how long. The sisters use these "Elements of Harmony", which I would love to have explained to me by the by, to turn him to stone. He breaks free. You and a few of your friends use these Elements to reseal him. Then your monarch frees him again in the hope that he can be reformed. Is that right?"

Twilight smiled enthusiastically. "That's a good summary."

Adrian stared at her smiling face and once again pondered the sanity of this world. "Like it or not, this Discord fellow seems to be my only chance to return home. Sine he's "undergoing reform", perhaps you could test his kindness with the test of returning me?"

Twilight stared at Adrian in the same sanity questioning manner he had probably been staring at her. "Discord is a semi-reformed trickster, yet you would trust him to help you."

Adrian sighed. "I just want to return home. I don't care how."

Twilight frowned in confusion. "Earlier, you said your world wasn't a nice place. Why do you want to return so badly? Was it nicer than this world?"

Adrian pondered the matter briefly. He actually hadn't seen enough of this world or read enough of its history to know the answer. However, she seemed to still be trying to get him to answer questions about his world. If she really wanted to know, he supposed there was no problem in telling her. He doubted that his world could be that much worse than this one.

"Tea's ready!"

Adrian had to resist the urge to jump as Spike called out. He entered the main room with a tray holding a tea pot and cups on saucers.

Twilight smiled graciously as the dragon placed the tea set on the table. "Thank you, Spike."

Spike performed a brief, informal bow. "My pleasure."

Adrian watched as the little dragon began moving books and placing them on, presumably, their appropriate shelves. After a moment of this, he returned his attention to Twilight. "So, about those "Elements of Harmony"."

Adrian twitched involuntarily as the tea set began to glow. He'd seen one or two unicorns in town using magic to lift things, but this was his first time seeing it up close. Adrian watched as the tea pot was lifted and its contents poured into the cups.

Twilight lifted one of the saucers with magic and set it before him. "The Elements of Harmony are old and powerful relics discovered by the Princesses. They were extracted from the Tree of Harmony and used to counteract Discord's raw chaos magic." She paused to take a sip of her drink. "They embody the pure spirits of the different aspects of harmony: generosity, kindness, laughter, honesty, loyalty, and magic."

Adrian regarded his own cup before sipping at its content. It was undeniably good, but wasn't quite as good as Zecora's. "So, about talking to Discord."

Twilight frowned. "You never answered my question about whether your world is better or worse than ours."

Adrian sighed. "I honestly don't know enough about your world to make a comparison. I've only been conscious for two days, and only a fraction of one has been spent near any community." Adrian spent a moment thinking. "Do you happen to know the crime rates in the major cities of your first-world countries?"

Twilight simply raised a brow in response. Now that was a gesture Adrian certainly recognised. "What is a "first-world" country? Do you have more than one world?"

Adrian chuckled. "A first-world country is a country that is more technologically and economically developed than others."

Twilight seemed to consider this matter. "Most of our major cities suffer around forty cases of thievery every year. A-are you alright?"

Adrian had been taking a sip and choked at this revelation. "Forty!? What about your murder rates? Rape? Arson?"

Twilight balked. "Those crimes are so rare that we don't even have rates for them."

Adrian slowly put the cup down, shook his head, and clutched at the table with his free hand. "Impossible. You're just misinformed."

Twilight immediately showed signs of immense irritation. "I happen to be an extremely well-read and educated student of Princess Celestia herself! I do not appreciate effectively being called "ignorant"!"

Adrian met her gaze. He could see the burning confidence fueling her annoyance with his accusation. "I'm sorry. I just... I'm having... Difficulty with accepting this." Twilight relaxed as she noticed his subtle signs of distress. "In the country I come from, these crimes are fairly common in every major city. Especially in some of their really bad sectors."

Adrian heard the sound of a book thumping against the floor behind him. He turned his head to see Spike just staring at him.

Adrian's peripheral vision caught Twilight's shudder. "That's... Horrible."

Adrian chuckled. "Well, that answers that question. Your world is definitely nicer than mine. Well, at least your country is nicer than mine."

Twilight stared in disbelief. "How can you just accept that so easily?"

Adrian shrugged. "It's just a part of life. We do what we can to stop it, but these things happen." He lifted his cup and took a sip. "Soooo, about talking to Discord..."

Twilight snapped out of her stupor with a shake of her head. "You still want to go back?"

"Of course. I have family and friends back home. My life is there. I have duties. I can't remain here."

Twilight seemed to consider this. "If you're certain, then we could get Fluttershy to send Discord a letter for you."

Adrian hummed for a moment as he thought. "I think I remember the way back to Fluttershy's cottage, and I would hate to inconvenience anyone further." He dipped his head towards Twilight. "Thank you for all of your information and assistance."

Twilight beamed. "My pleasure. Best of luck with getting Discord to help you."

Adrian uncrossed his legs and rose to his feet. "Ah, yes. The tea was very good, Spike."

The dragon turned from his task to smile. "Well, I'm glad you liked it. Sorry about suspecting you earlier."

Adrian gave a terse laugh. "Don't worry about it. I would've suspected me too."

With that said, he let himself out into the streets of Ponyville. Thankfully, they were relatively clear, and he only got a few stares as he followed the path that would, hopefully, take him back towards Fluttershy's home.

Adrian couldn't help but feel a surge of hope. He finally had a plan of action, and it had only taken a visit to a single town! Surely fortune was smiling on him this day. With any more luck, the letter would take no more than a day or two to deliver and he could be home within a few days. He briefly pondered whether or not anyone would believe that this had actually happened to him.

Before he knew it, he was already on the edge of town, and he most certainly recognised the path as the one his guide had taken him along. With a certain briskness in his step, he quickly strode along the path. At its end: his access to the one lead he had.

~~~

Fluttershy shifted in her seat as Adrian finished telling her what had transpired between he and Twilight. "So, you need me to send a letter to Discord asking him to help you."

Adrian nodded once. "That's the gist of it, yeah. Would you be willing?"

Fluttershy smiled endearingly. "Why, of course I would." She seemed to hesitate. "However, it will take two or three days to reach him. I'm sorry."

Adrian couldn't help but smile in giddiness over her agreement. "Don't you worry. I'm just happy that you're willing to help me at all. If I just showed up in some random place on my world, I'd likely be killed or at least ignored."

Fluttershy seemed to pale and Adrian smacked his palm to his forehead. "Sorry, Fluttershy. I shouldn't have said that."

"I-i-it's no problem. I just can't imagine living in a world so... Scary. And that's where you're going back to..."

Adrian snapped his fingers to get her attention. "Let's just forget I ever said that."

She nodded. "I'll make sure the letter goes out tomorrow morning." Again, she hesitated. "Where are you going to stay while you wait for Discord? You came from the Everfree, but your home isn't there."

Adrian stiffened as he actually thought the matter over. "I honestly don't know. I suppose I can sleep on the forest floor. Actually, sleeping in that forest seems like a poor idea. Maybe in one of the fields near town. I honestly don't kno-" The thump of a hoof being firmly stamped against a couch cushion cut him off.

Fluttershy brought her face uncomfortably close to Adrian's own. "Nopony will be sleeping outside if I can help it. You will stay here, if that's okay with you."

Though the words were spoken softly, Adrian could almost feel a palpable force behind them. That didn't even take into account the disconcerting pressure held in her gaze. He couldn't help but feel that not being okay with her "suggestion" might not bode well. He seriously doubted she would press the matter if he challenged, but he truly did have nowhere to go. To flat out deny her insistence would be utmost foolishness. He'd have to spend a few days sleeping out in the open, and Lord knows it would rain knowing his typical fortune.

Adrian shrugged. "If you say so."

The pressure in her presence immediately lifted. "Oh, I'm so happy. I can't wait for you to meet all of my animal friends." She paused to cast her gaze about the interior of her home. "That's strange. I could have sworn a few of my friends were here earlier. Even Angel is gone." She seemed mildly distressed by this.

Adrian placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "I'm certain they're fine. Honestly, I think it might be my fault."

Fluttershy looked confused. "Why would they stay away from you?"

Adrian dropped his hand to his side. "Well, there were no animals around the last time I visited either. Correlation doesn't always mean causation, but I'm inclined to think there's a link here. As to why they're avoiding me," Adrian shrugged, "It's beyond my ken."

Fluttershy looked concerned. "That's odd. Normally, my friends aren't afraid of anypony, and Angel is almost fearless."

Adrian shrugged again. "If I'm unnerving your friends, then it might not be wise for me to remain here."

Conflicting emotions flashed across her face. "No, you're just new to them. You just need to stay for a day in order for them to get used to you. That's all."

Adrian was skeptical of this. However, he wasn't the one with a mark on his hindquarters indicating an empathic understanding of animals. Plus, if things don't work out after a day, then he could go back to the original plan of just roughing it for the remaining day or two. He'd been through worse back home.

Adrian dipped his head. "Thank you for opening your home to me, and for the aid you have given me without desire for compensation."

She lightly blushed. "It's my pleasure to help anypony in need."

"You have quite the kind heart."

She tried to hide her face behind her mane. "That's why I'm the Element of Kindness."

Adrian blinked. "Wait, Twilight told me the Elements were relics."

Fluttershy tilted her head ever so slightly. "The Elements are relics, but they can only be used by ponies who embody their nature. You've met Twilight and Applejack. They are the Elements of Magic and Honesty."

"Huh, so that's how they work. Your world never ceases to fascinate."

She smiled. "I'm happy that you find our world interesting. It's a shame that you're going to leave so soon, but I know I'd want to go home too."

Adrian shifted his weight subtly. "Yeah, who knows how long I've been gone already. My family and friends are probably worried about me." Adrian decided not to mention the nagging fear that time may flow differently here. He didn't need to worry her with possibilities.

Fluttershy rested a hoof on Adrian's leg. "I promise that I'll make certain you have the best time possible while you wait for Discord to come. I'd hate to have you constantly thinking of home."

Once again, the depth of her kindness caught him completely off guard. She'd helped him, opened her home to him, and worried about him without a trace of a hope for compensation forthcoming. He had nothing to offer her, yet she showed him unbelievable care and kindness. Hell, humans were rarely this kind to their own species, yet she was doing so for a completely alien being.

Adrian's voice was firm. "Should you desire anything from me, do not hesitate to ask. I will do anything you request. You have my word."

Fluttershy nodded in response. "It's getting late. Just let me get some spare blankets and you can sleep wherever you like."

Adrian looked towards the window and, sure enough, the sky was beginning to show the colours of dusk. He was honestly surprised that so much time had passed already. It seemed only a few hours ago he had departed from Zecora's home.

"That sounds wonderful. Thank you."

Fluttershy hopped off the couch and made her way upstairs to retrieve the blankets. Adrian took the opportunity to think about where he'd like to sleep. He'd probably just sleep on this couch. It was relatively comfy. It would be a little small, but far more comfortable than the wooden floor. He spent another moment truly appreciating how nice it was that he wouldn't have to sleep in the elements. He'd done it a few times while minimalist hunting with his father. It hadn't been a terribly pleasant experience. Especially when it had rained on the fourth night. Now that had been a particularly sobering and unpleasant experience.

The soft sound of hoofsteps on wood drew his attention to the stairs. As promised, Fluttershy had returned with a couple folded blankets on her back. Adrian immediately regretted not offering to help her carry them down. He resisted the urge to smack his forehead in order to avoid having to explain why he'd done so. First Zecora. Now Fluttershy. He was just being an ass in regard to not offering to assist others as they did things for his sake. Well, it hadn't been intentional either time, but the fact that he was being so unconsciously ungrateful irked him.

Adrian quickly deiced that this time he would apologise for his callousness. "I'm terribly sorry I didn't offer to help you carry those. I don't know what's wrong with me."

Fluttershy smiled as she transferred the blankets from her back to the couch with a flick of her body. "Don't you worry about one thing, Mister. You're my guest, and I'll make certain to care for you as long as you're here."

Adrian regarded the blankets before staring her in the eyes. "I know I've already mentioned it, but I am eternally grateful for your kindness. You have no idea how much your care means to me."

Fluttershy merely smiled in response. "Is there anything else I can do to make you comfortable."

Adrian dipped his head. "You have done exceedingly more than enough for me. Thank you."

Fluttershy yawned adorably. "Well, if there's nothing more I can do, then good night, Adrian."

"Good night, Fluttershy."

Adrian watched as she made her way to the stairs and ascended them. After a moment he unfolded the blankets and placed one beneath him while covering himself with the other. He spent some time mulling over the events of the day. Overall, it had been far more productive than he had ever imagined it being. He briefly wondered how long such fortune could last. Eventually, his mind began to slow. His last conscious thought for the evening was the smiling face of his most gracious hostess.

Comments

[Mortal Kombat]

He's the calmest guy ever.....and I love it.
lolsnaps.com/upload_pic/WellShit-39796.jpg

[Organic Construct]

4178769 Double space or maybe 1.5x? No way in any of the hells am I going back and putting spaces between all of my paragraphs. Though, I'll probably space paragraphs if I ever start another story.

4170934 Most HIE stories I've seen involve people who just give up their old world without trouble. It made me ponder what a level-headed and average individual would do. Hence, the calm demeanor, adaptive mindset, pleasant nature, and fallible behaviour.

[Mortal Kombat]

4198813 yeah, I like how he isn't flippant or uncaring.
he's just got control over himself.
He doesn't make want to facepalm or think "why do that?".

Your character has a brain.

[Organic Construct]

4198813 I'm a lying sack of shit. As per nighters suggestion, I have gone back and added some nice spacing to everything. Expect this to be a continuing theme. That is, unless I get complaints about it.

Also, expect a chapter later this evening (or tomorrow morn). I've finally got some free time baby! It's a miracle! Hallelujah praise the sweet baby Jesus!

I overestimated my ability to focus and the amount of free time I actually had. Not sure when I'll have free time again, but the new chapter has 3,800 words, so I'll likely be able to finish it when next that occurs.

It happened. I also altered some tags now that I realise I dun' goofed the first time around. Also, I hope you weren't too fond of all the introspection. Shit's gonna start impacting them rotors within the next two chapters.