//------------------------------// // Welcome to the Forest // Story: The Equestrian Gourmet // by Gamel_Lightshow //------------------------------// Fallen leaves crunch beneath feet and hooves filling the air with some of the only consistent sound other than the occasional clank of a weapon against armor. The odd group's breath is somewhat visible every so often from heavy breathing or Richard breathing into his hands in an attempt to keep them warm against the cool breeze. Today marks the first day of fall and like most things in Richard's life, it came hard and without a warning. He remembers all the vibrant and healthy colors of the trees just yesterday, and now all of a sudden everything was a multitude of dim and warm colored orange, red, yellow, and brown. Though a good bit of them are on the ground already somehow. "Can't we just skip the fall cold?" Richard asks glancing to one of the Pegasi guards on his right, "Or at least push it back a day or two since you guys can apparently control the weather to an extent." No response as usual. The silent guard act is generally used when out in public settings. Otherwise, a lot of the guards are pretty chill. The train ride here had proven so as the guards proceeded to play cards, gossip, and basically become normal ponies for a while. Richard would have joined them was it not for his constant need to better himself in his pursuit of learning more about his powers. He still says there has to be some sort of offensive property somewhere. What's he discovered so far is that he is able to organize his inventory into quick selection bars for quick access to various healing buffing food items. Not as useful as being to throw a shield or become death itself, but not as lackluster as finding out that even a spoon can be classified as a weapon. That was an experience he'd never forget. The train ride to whitetail woods from the Canterlot led them through Ponyville where the last of goodbyes was given to the element bears as they went and did whatever they usually do when the world is in danger. Richard has a bet with Armon that the girls will just make friends with the puppetmaster behind all of this. He's hoping to get more of the Champions in on it, but those are thoughts for later. The train ride from there was actually a lot longer than he thought it was. He didn't think the woods were so far away from Ponyville, but then again maps can be deceiving. They had ridden it all the way to the station set up at the very edge of the Undiscovered West. There was a faded dirt path that led far off to the west, but none of the ponies wanted to speak up about what exactly is out there. They were very adamant about how none of them knew of what was out west other than large disturbances of magic and the occasional class S monster. Richard had asked why the name isn't Unexplored West instead of Undiscovered West but none of them would answer him. Secrets and questions galore. "Right. I forgot vigilance mode is on." Richard says rubbing his hands together trying to keep them warm still, "Why didn't we get a notification that fall was just around the corner? Do you guys just have some biological clock that just says 'hey guess what fall is here'! God, I hope the Deers have some form of heating or magic that's affecting the area to keep certain areas warm. Doubt it, but the wishful thought keeps me warm." "Do they at least know we're coming?" "Yes. They should have a group ready to escort you in." The Unicorn to my left states as they grow closer to the woods. "Anything noteworthy I should look out for? Like certain actions that may make them upset at me all of a sudden? Certain words that are forbidden there compared to here?" "Do not offend the land and nature. And steer clear from accidentally associating yourself with minotaurs. They have a deep-seated hatred with them and the Minotaurs share that hate as well." "So calling them tree huggers is a no go?" Richard asks with a chuckle. "Not unless you wanna find out what its like to get placed inside of a tree they hug." Richard goes quiet as he mulls over whether or not the Unicorn is actually joking with him or giving him an actual warning. The stock faces on all of them doesn't really help with his deduction of this either, but the mulling of the information is broken by a feminine scream of horror and terror. From the forest shoots a light brown Doe galloping as fast as her four legs can take. Her dull green eyes are filled with terror. Her eyes land upon the group making hope appear in them. She goes to yell but it seems to get caught in her throat as a large screeching noise followed by something with talons long and arched shooting forth from the forest she had run out of. Its mighty jet black wings cling close to its small horrendous round body. The face of sorts has several rows of teeth in its agape maw. It doesn't seem to have eyes and there are thorns all around its body poking out as some sort of natural shield. The creature lands what seems to be a fatal blow as its talons pierce through the Doe's body causing her to scream out in pain. Speckles of blood fly out of her mouth and wounds as worm-like appendage shoots from the beast's body and latches onto the Doe's neck. "Jesus..." Richard states eyes widening as the guards run past him horns lighting up to cast spells. Before a spell could be fired vines shoot from the forest and wrap themselves around the bird of prey yanking it back towards the source. A tree seems to come to life suddenly and rips the bird from the vine's grasp as it passes the tree line and crushes it into black smoke in its limbs. The Unicorns descend upon the Doe in an attempt to stabilize her and tend to her wounds. From behind the treant Bucks come out running as well motioning with horns, shouting words, and pointing with hooves directions and orders. "It never gets any easier..." Richard says trying hit best to keep calm and not freak out and look away from what just had happened. He proceeds to open up a quick bar and yank out food items under vegi-heal. As he approaches he can't help but notice the differences of levels displayed among the Deers and Ponies. But one that stands out the most is that of a young boy talking to one of the treants that had caught the shadowy bird creature from before. "That looks like Blake alright..." Richard says eyeing the blonde-furred, brown-haired, bipedal dear morph. Blake in question looks a lot younger than what he said he was. From first glance, someone might think he's around eleven or thirteen rather than being sixteen. He stands just shy of five feet and seems to have a thumb and three fingers. Apparently, his ability goes hand in hand with nature being able to control, talk, and manipulate it to some extent. His powers fall off when dealing with things and creatures that are alive in nature and have minds of their own already. Richard hands one of the bars to a nearby Earth Pony telling said Pony to feed it to the Doe quickly. Said stallion nods his head and quickly goes to do so explaining to what looks to be the group's leader or captain or whatever. While that's being taken care of Richard makes his way towards Blake waving a hand towards the young lad. "Mind sharing some of your fur with me?" Blake looks at Richard confused seeming to be processing what just came forth from his mouth before covering his chest in an attempt to protect himself, "N-No! I need my fur!" "Relax relax I'm only kidding! Besides, I doubt I could get a skinning skill anyway or a lot of fur for that matter..." "Y-You're still kidding right?" Blake asks taking a step back. "Jeez... Alright, let's start over. I'm Richard." He states holding out his hand upon reaching the tree line where Blake stands looking to either flee or climb up the tree beside him. "R-Right! I'm Blake! Black Winter-Tail" Blake says suddenly turning from nervous to eager in an instance gripping onto Richard's hand with both of his own, "I can't wait to get to work with you! But first, we should probably take care of a small rift we found open nearby." Richard frowns, "Is there something a matter?" "W-W-Well no. It's just that well. Y-You'll have to see for yourself is all." Blake says becoming nervous again, "It's not like I'm afraid or anything! Honest!" "Right right. No worries. Whatever it is we'll take care of it as a team alright? Plus I never said you were scared anyway." "Y-Yeah. Alright!" Blake confirms excitement building back up in his voice. "So where is this rift exactly?" "I don't know!" Blake says all too eagerly. "...Then, where are the monsters coming from?" "A cave near one of the villages. I would take you there right now to show you what the problem is but..." "But what?" "The elder ones would like to speak to you first in order to make sure you don't do anything reckless to offend the spirits like harvest some material from the wrong place." "And do you agree with this?" "Well, the plants and trees are always going on about not being over-harvested or baring enough food or protection. So I kind of agree, but I mean I could just ask the trees if its alright with them for you to gather material off of them which I'm sure they would be cool with because it's me asking and.." As Blake goes on Richard attempts to make sure his smile never wavers. This is one of the hidden skills he has had to use more than he would like to admit during his time as a chief back in his homeworld. And even more recently against the dreaded Pinkie Pie. Yet, no matter how many times people, or in this case humanized animals, do this he can never get used to them droning on and seemingly talking about everything at once. A mental sigh and a nod of his head continue the one-sided conversation as Blake takes Richard's hand and leads him deeper into the forest. The trek through the forest was less than eventful as the two entered the town with Bucks and Doe that had managed to catch up whilst Blake had stopped to speak of his first time appearing in the world atop of one of the tallest trees here. He had said that his people believe that the god of the world and all worlds decide when it is a person time to return to the earth and enjoy peace and bring forth good unto others. For when it is not your time and you face a horrible fate or not so horrible fate, you wind up coming back to life in a place that requires you or a place where you can begin anew in order to achieve a natural end as their god had wanted in the first place. He said that the cycle could be continued on and on over and over again. Richard had brought up what would happen if someone committed suicide. The only answer he got was 'same applies to that or I wouldn't be here' and the conversation dropped. Now standing at what could be assumed as one of the many entrances to this place of living amongst the Deer, Richard can really appreciate nature a bit more. Everything in Canterlot seemed so planned with only a few outcroppings of what may be seen as random here and there to make it seem less so. Sure the gardens were nice but compared to the wild beauty of actual nature, it pales. "And this is the village that I've been living in since I first got here! And that tree way waaaay over there is where they found me!" Blake says pointing out what could be said to be Gaia's tree. Just less whimsical. "Oh man. I couldn't imagine being that high up, but at least it was better than how I came to be in the world..." Richard says eyeing the buildings, bucks, and dears. "Oh yea! I've been talking so much I forgot to let you talk about you! I-I'm sorry..." Blake says lowing himself into an apologetic bow, "Hey! How about we get to know each other over dinner." Resisting the joke that's there, Richard nods his head with a smile, "Of course. But first, we should probably alert whoever is in charge know that I'm here." "Oh, I'm sure they'll come to get you when they need you! Besides, I'm sure someone will do it for us anyway. Come ooooon! I wanna show you my favorite place to eat!" "What is it that you eat? Given your appearance, I would assume you are a herbivore." "Nope! Omnivore!" Blake says proudly strike what would be assumed a power pose with both his fists on his hip. Richard raises an eyebrow at such a statement, "You're kidding right?" "Nope! Everything fits somewhere in the cycle of life! Sometimes other people are needed to fit that cycle so we adapt to the chain of food. Predator can become someone else's prey, and prey can start become predators as well..." Blake says his eyes getting a bit distant. "I... I don't think that's healthy..." "Well, I have the fangs for it" Blake pulls back his lips to in fact show off what seems to be small fangs set behind his flat teeth. And looking closer, it would seem that even his flat teeth aren't so flat either as if someone..., "Anyway, let me show you where I like to eat!" Richard gives Blake a concerned look before following after the young amphromorphic Deer. After all, there was a time and a place for everything and obviously now is the time to simply give a nod of the head and follow. All the while Richard couldn't help but put together what may have happened in Blake's past that led him to kill himself and wind up here. The place in question looks to tie into what seems to be a very large fallen tree. Windows seemed to be carved into the dead bark and are without glass but seem to have leaf-like curtain parted around the natural frames. Branches act as some sort of doorway leading in and out of the place. The branches are easily moved out of the way with either using their antlers or the magic that their antlers seem to be able to produce. It seems just like that of the Unicorns, but they all seem to have the same color. "I guess now should be the time I mention that I'm also an omnivore, but I can't digest what most creatures here can." "Oh yea? Well, I guess we'll just have to try everything to see what you can and can't eat! And I'll eat whatever you can't have!" "... With what money?" Richard asks slowly. Blake chuckles at that and punches Richard lightly in the shoulder, "It's my treat no worries." "Alright. So do we talk while we're eating or after?" "After... I wanna kill two birds with one stone so. We'll eat and chat a bit on lighter stuff, but I wanna get closer to that source I was telling you about before. And show you what I meant." Richard nods his head and moves the branches out of Blakes way. "Thanks bro!" Blake says rushing into the store and running up to the counter his deer-like tail wagging happily as he talks animatedly to the register buck. Richard can't help but muse on how much his life has changed. For the better, not so much. But it hasn't fully gone in the other way other than the episodes of depression and suicidal thoughts and actions that have been met with... less than perfect results. On the flip side, he at least knows that all the Champions can't just outright kill themselves now. Blake grabs Richard's hand pulling him further into the restaurant, "Come ooooon you're letting the AC out!" "Alright alright sorry. Just got a little caught up in thought." "Yea... things are always so weird, right? Like one minute something and then next minute we're like superheroes!" "I call dibs on Batman than," Richard says rolling his eyes at the child. "Than I'll be Buck Grayson!" Richard can't help but lift an eyebrow at that as he takes a seat in front of the deer morph. "They have Batman from where you are?" "Well of couuuuurse! He's like a legend! Of course, his presence would go through all dimensions like wonder woman, my personal favorite, Superman, Spider-man, gre-" Richard begins to zone out as the kid talks about all the superheroes he knows and how he hopes how he would be able to meet a counterpart or find a comic based off of them in this world. A ponyfied Superman seems quite dumb in Richard's mind but given with everything else happening as well as his own power, he can't but sigh and smile listening in and out of Blake's lively talk. It turned out to be a long sit and eat as Blake seems to be bottomless. He seemed to devour whatever was placed in front of him without a care in the world about price or flavor. Though he admits that everything tastes good to him. He had also proven to be correct in saying that he could very well eat meat despite how disturbing it looked to see what should be a herbivore devour meat. All and all it all seems to be starting on a good foot and hoof.