It was night in the Everfree Forest. A portal opened up near the edge of the forest and out walked a very tall smiling monster cover with ink blankness on his body and her had a very large set of what looked to be butterfly wings with iridescent rainbow lights on the them. Around his neck there was a necklace made of what looked like dark green thorn vines. Gar had returned to the forest and the Everfree welcomed him as if he were an old friend that it had missed him for many years.
The monster looked around with his usual toothy grin on his face. "Hmmm.... wonder how long Iv'e been gone in this world?" Gar walked through the fist while the animals came right up to him and greeted him before returning to their own business.
Out of nowhere a particularly brave white bunny white a carrot strapped to its back hopped up right up Gar. The monster stopped and looked at the rabbit and kept going on his but suddenly felt something hit the back of his head. He grew an eye and his back to see the bunny tossing pebbles up in the air and catching them again.
"Something is telling me that I should keep an eye out for that lagomorph," Gar said to himself as he went on his way.
Eventually Gar came across a somewhat familiar steam. He decided to sit down and rest for a while. Even though he had eaten plenty he hadn't rested at all on all of his constant transformations in Zeldris's world had lift him drained not to mention that he'd just used a very high-tier ability for the first time to heal a very badly injured filly. Basquias turned from a small necklace into a mass of giant thorned vines the completely covered Gar in head toe. Gar also shrank down to his Zebra form and snuggled into his Sacred Treasure's embrace. Basquais used its vines to lifted Gar into a nearby tree off the ground.
He face the stars and wondered,"So my big brother really is Edward Elric now, and he seems to be the same as he was when we were kids but he also seems, older. As if he's been alive for many years. I could see it in his eyes, he... he's been through so much. He gave off the same bloodlust as me but a hundred times more. What has he done in order to become the thing he is now? He may have looked human, I know for a fact that the Allen I knew probably did die some time ago. do hope he's living a life that he wants. Goodnight big brother," Gar said as he drifted off to sleep and dreamed of the days when he was a child and his big brother still lived in their home, back to when their family was whole, in a sense of the word.
The next morning soon arrived. Gar was still sleeping soundly in his nest when a bright red and orange bird flew down from on high and landed next to Gar's Face. The bird twitched as it moved it's head to the side to like the the face of the sleeping zebra perfectly camouflaged in with the dark green thorny vines of the Basquias. Gar snored away as the bird watched then got curiouser about the face. It started to peck at Gar but the Basquias quickly enlarged its thorns to protect its master. This did not deter the colorful assailant as ti kept trying to get at Gar's face. Eventually, the bird managed to figure out how to get the thorns to work for it and used them to poke Gar.
"Mmm....Joe," Gar grumbled as his eyes fluttered open to see thorns and a brightly colored bird. "You look like one of those phoenixes Zecora and Spike talk about." His gaze shifted to the blue sky behind the bird, "Morning aye, suppose I should get moving again." Gar said in a monotone voice. "I could get there with Basquias no problem now that I think about it.
Gar sat up and the vines around him reacted as the spear took on its first configuration, Basquias. Gar simply sat on the spear and gave a slight yawn and then stretched. He noticed that he still had his fairy wings out. "I guess I'll have to figure something out with these. As pretty as they are, they'll get in the way. Perhaps I can try a spell or something." The phoenix that had wait on a nearby branch flew over to Gar's shoulder. "Didn't leave?" the bird chirped at him "So your names Philomena. I am called Gar, nice to meet you." the bird proceed to rub against the demon/fairy parazyte with much affection. "You can come along, just don't get very attached to me. I do live in this forest."
Philomena gave an excited whistle and Gar gently ascend on Basquias to get his bearing and look for his hut. It would stand out in all the greenery seeing as it was made of bone. He scoured the forest in all directions, generating several eyes to do so. It didn't take Gar and Philomena long before finding the bone hut.
"Would you like to meet my pony friends?" Gar said in his usual tone. The bird flapped and whistled in delight. "Very well, let us go. I do hope I am not in to much trouble." He said as he rode Basquias to his homestead.
Gar and Philomena touched down in front of Gar's hut in a matter of minutes. "It's not the prettiest thing under the sun, but it's very sturdy and keeps me out of the elements." Gar noticed there was a strange scent coming from his door. It was a new scent, and reeked of metal. "It would seem guards have been at my home. I can't say I'm surprised with what I did and how I left." He looked to the Phoenix still perched on his shoulder. "I guess we should go down to Zecora's hut. There is no pony inside or around here at this time." Philomena nodded.
Gar had Basquias return to it's necklace state and then walked, or hovered, down the path the led to Zecora's home. Gar reached the hut Philomena still perched on the mock zebra's shoulder. He reached up and gave three knocks on the door and no more as he waited fro a response.
"One moment please," Rang Zecora's voice came from inside. She opened the door, "Look if yo're here to get a brew then you'll- GAR!" She tackled the monster to the ground while Philomena fluttered in the air confused. "You're unhurt!" she cried into his chest."TEMPEST! GRUBBER!" Zecora called out in to her home.
"Zecora are you al-Gar!" Tempest looked at the duo on the ground while they were soon join by the hedgehog man Grubber.
"You got some explainin to do," Grubber scowled at him.
"As SORRY as I am for causing you all fright I must as something of you right now," Gar said in a strained voice.
"What?!" Tempest scowled at the Fairy King.
"Please help Zecora get off me," Gar commented as he seem to be in pain. "Her knocking me over has caused me to land on my wings and it really hurts."
"Why do you have wings in zebra form any ways?"Tempest raised an eyebrow as she got Zecora to her feet. " I can see you needing them to fly here but you usually shift them away after you land from flying."
"Normally, yes I WOULD because I grew them myself," Gar got to his feet a little off balance and then his fairy wings popped to reveal themselves and their wide array of brightful colors. "But I gained these through another means." He commented as he started to float again.
Both mares stood there looking at the mock zebra floating off the ground with the giant light bright wings floating in front of them barely off the ground in awe. both of their mouth were wide wide open as they started.
"That's pretty," Grubber pointed with a twinkle in his eyes. Meanwhile Philomena, who'd landed on a branch, watched all this unfold while internally laughing to herself.
"Let us enter the house so I can explain and we may eat," Gar said and everpony merely nodded. The Phoenix flew back down and landed on his shoulder but at the point no pony was surprised by it.
Later after breakfast
"Now that you've eaten can you please tells where you've been for the last three days," Zecora looked at Gar with a baited breath as the monster finished his breakfast.
"And what's with this bird?" Grubber point at Philomena perched on his head. She whistled.
"I guess I should've informed you all earlier of what my my kinda are, and I don't mean my specific race," Gar motioned to himself. "I am part of a community of beings called the Displaced. Short for any number of things but usually for Dimensionally Misplaced. We are those who have been sent out in to the mutliverse or as I like to call it, the omniverse."
"Will this explains your origins how being in the forest when you found me that first night," Zecora crossed her arms under her chest. "But why did a rift open in my open and only close after you jumped in?"
"The second part," Gar got up and move to the sink and washed his plate then set it off to dry. While he did this Tempest noticed a strange red boar tattoo on the upper left side of Gar's his neck and that when her she scanned the rest of his body noticing his strip pattern was all black mainly on the right side of his body. "The Displaced have what are known as token that are sent out for other Displaced to find in whatever world they're sent to, usually another version of Equestria according to the letter my older brothers sent me." He turned to face them doing his best to keep his wings from knocking things down.
"Okay but how does this relate to you having light up rainbow butterfly wings that put the Dash ponies rainboom colors look like a dull light up sign, OW!" Grubber asked as Philomena suddenly pecked his head causing it to make a hollow conking noise. "And this thing," He shewed the bird but it merely landed back on his head.
"I get these after I was given my spear," Gar motioned his hand and the vines around his neck uncoiled and went out side the nearest window and formed into Basquias further stunning everyone. "Apparently being summoned my personal magic was unlocked from a deal I made with a demon."
"A DEMON!" The mares shouted in unison.
"If I HELPED and LOST I would die and lose my soul, if I helped and WON, i would gain power." Gar said nonchalantly. "I gained TRANSPORK," everyone stared. "Not me that named it but whatever I would eat and has magical power I would gained its powers and a similar appearance. So, in order to test this power I ate demons, and the more I ate the more I changed more and more each time. Until I ate a high level demon and my body adapted to its flesh and now I am part demon, from that world."
"He ate demon flesh and survived," Zecora fill to her knees, her eyes glazed over. "No pony has ever survived that before."
"Then I got Basquias and before I left, grew these wings marking me as the fairy king," Gar explained. "The bird woke me up this morning." He walked a=over and picked Zecora up off the floor.
She was muttering to herself and then looked up to him. "Did you know you would become a demon?"
"Yes but it was not supposed to be permanent," Gar sad with a bet of regret. "My body adapted to the flesh I ate and evolved to make it so I was longer just a normal monster. I do feel a bit of regret I happened but if it help me keep those who matter to me safe then I'll do it." He set her on the couch gently.
"I can't say anything against you for getting power but what did it cost," Tempest glared. "Was what you paid worth it?"
"I simply won I BET at the cost of the lives of those that were harming those I consider important that world," Gar said in a monotone voice. "There were hurting the young one and I stopped them. That is what it cost."
"So you didn't kill innocents," Zecora a let out a sigh of relief.
"Never,"Gar nodded as the Basquias returned around his neck. "I may look evil and gained dark abilities bu tthat doesn't mean I lost WHO I was."
"Good cause I would'v killed you had you answered differently," Tempest glared at Gar. "Sure you'd have probably kill me but I would've given you quite a beating before you did."
"All though I do kill with our hesitation. I still don't like needless death Tempest, and I do have feeling even though they are muted most of the time," Gar looked at her. "And they are growing stronger and much harder to control."
"Another question," Grubber cut in. "WHAT ABOUT THIS DAMN BIRD?! OW!"
"Her name is Philomena, she woke me this morning and stayed with me on the way here," Gar deadpanned. His attention was back on Tempest. "Have there been any summons to the palace?"
"Yes actually," Tempest raised an eyebrow. "How'd you know?"
"While Philomena and I were at my hit earlier I caught the scent of unknown ponies mixed in with metal," Gar kept his emotionless expression. "Guards?"
"A few that accompanied Twilight the other day during her visit to say the princesses wanted to thank you personally, but that was the day after your disappeared," Tempest looked a little worried. "They've been coming by every day at least twice looking for you. We told them that you were off doing something on your own deeper in the first and said you'd be back in a few days. Luckily you did come back in a few days."
"They said they'd be back today," Zecora added, and then there was A knock on the door.
Grubber went over and opens it letting Twilight and a small contingent of guard ponies. "Hello everypony, They asked me to come and see if I could get Gar to come out today, though that seems unnecessary as you're here like Fizzle and Zecora said." Twilight scowled over her shoulder at the guards who were looking in different direction. "Now that you Back, GAR WHEN DID YOU MAKE THOSE WINGS?" Twilight shot over and looked excitedly at the smiling fairy demon king. Her attention was then pulled to Philomena who repositioned herself on Gar's shoulder."Philomena? What are you doing here?"
"You know this phoenix?" Gar pointed showing genuine surprised.
"Yes, she's Princess Celestia pet. She rarely ever comes so far from the castle with out a reason though," Twilight looked at the brightly colored bird. "Why are you here girl?" Twilight scratched the phoenix under her chin cast the bird to whistle in delight. "Did you come to see Fluttershy?" Twilight retracted her hand to Philomena's disappointment.
The bird shook her head side to side for 'no'. Then she hopped closer to Gar's head and leaned against against the fairy letting out a loving pur while she nuzzled him.
"I think she has a crush on you," Twilight giggled.
"Princess," One of the guard cough into his hand.
"Oh right, Um Gar would you be willing to accompany to see the princess, that want to see thank you for what you did for Equestria," Twilight motioned to the door with a smile. and a bit of a flush in her face.
"Yes, but I must shower and put clothes on first," Gar said with no sign of modesty as everyone looked in opposite direction as he motions to his' nakedness'.
"Please hurry sir," one of the guards facepalmed.
After a brief shower and a new set of hydra scale leather vest with new adjustments, pants, and most importantly hat, Gar was now ready,
He walked out of his home and looked to his group and the guards showed uneasy with his hut his hut and garb, "I am sorry but these only these are the clothes I have at my disposal."
After all, hydras are top of the food chain and to take even a single head is a feat for an for experienced hunters, but to have a home mode of hydra bone from a single harvest and to wear clothes made of meant you were not just a skilled hunter but in a class all your own. It meant that you ponies needed to respect and fear you.
"It's fine sir, to appear before their highnesses in hydra scale shows that you are to be respected, not that you don't already have it." One of the guards in the back said.
"It's fine Gar," Twilight reassured him. "Though the vines around your neck might be a bit, much."
"They will remain," Gar said like as this wasn't up for debate, and no pony was going to goes against it.
"Okay but we need to go now, the train leaves soon," Twilight threw her hands up.
"Very well lets go," Gar hovered above the ground to town.
Twilight held back and leaned to Tempest. "What exactly was he doing out in the forest that cause all this to happen to him?"
"Ah... You'll have to ask him Twilight as we're still having a hard time processing it ourselves," Tempest placed a hand on her head.
It didn't take the long before they were in Ponyville and it would take them a little longer still as the train station was on the other side of town. As the group walked, Gar floating, through the town a lot of whispers could be over heard, mostly about Gar and his appearance. No one believed the rumors that a monster had saved Equestria's Princesses, even though though most had seen him as a statue. they all figured that what he was or at least one of enemy put in the forest to prevent his allies from seeking him out. Most of this talk was about a zebra having technicolor wings, or wing at all in general.
Finally the made it to the station where the Element Bearers were waiting with Spike. When the saw Gar they were all baffled in other ways by hi swings. Rarity was adoring the shifting colors. Rainbow kept asking if he would race her. Pinkie wanted to the a rave party with him as the center light show, she immediately called a pony DJ named Vinyl Scratch. Spike kicked the dirt as he didn't even have wings and Gar usually only grew them when necessary and none had been as impressive these so far. Fluttershy went into care mode. And Aj wanted to know where they came from.
"You all have questions and in order to know you will wait for Princesses," Gar told them all flatly. Then Twilight raised her hand. "What?"
"Can I ask about what you are and your species on the ride up to the castle at least?" Twilight looked wide eyed.
""Gar looked at her and then to the guards. "I will answer what questions I CAN, but don't expect to much Twilight. I also suggest we sit some where the guards can be close to do their job. It may take some of there edge off." Twilight squeed with joy as she pulled out a scroll and quill.
"Lie's start," She squeaked.
"Mmm.. I may have chosen the incorrect action," Gar murmured to himself while the others giggled and the guards rolled their eyes. "Definitely made the wrong choice." Gar said as he noticed the reactions.