//------------------------------//
// Opulence and Orgryns 
// Story: An Ogryn in a Pony's world 
// by An Odd Hermit 
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Lug’s stay at Fluttershy’s cottage had been quite pleasant, if only brief. A few days after Twilight had left, she had sent over a batch of Ogryn sized clothes from rarity and a doctor from the local hospital to perform a healing spell on Lug… Or, at least, they would have, if they didn’t faint the second they saw the gargantuan Ogryn. It took fluttershy nearly half an hour to convince the doctor that Lug wasn’t dangerous. Lug, of course, watched this interaction with amusement. Normally he’d be a bit hurt that a pony would react so violently to the mere sight of him, but as long as he had his friends he was more than content. 

The spell felt quite strange. Like warm water flowing over his body, seeping into his many wounds. After the spell, Lug stood up to find that he was good as new! Even a few old injuries that always plagued him seemed to be cured. This put Lug in quite the good mood, because he was now ready to return to sweet apple acres, and more specifically, to the apple family. He gave Fluttershy a warm hug goodbye when he was ready to leave, thoroughly enjoying the time he had spent there.

“I’ll miss ye, Fluttershy. Yew come visit me, yea?” He asked hopefully, wanting to see more of her at the farm. Over the past few days that he spent recovering in Fluttershy’s cottage, the two had formed quite the bond. Fluttershy loved having somebody to dote on, and Lug was more than happy to be doted on. Meanwhile, Daffy and Angel bunny had formed a sort of shaky truce, shaking paws in a sign of begrudging respect as the two larger creatures shared a tender moment.

“Of course sweetheart,” She replied, nuzzling his bearded cheek. “If you’re ever feeling sad or you get hurt, you just call me, okay? I’ll come as quickly as I can and mama you until you feel better again.” She finished sweetly, pulling herself from the embrace to fly up and place a kiss on the Ogryn’s shiny bald head. 

Lug smiled happily at the little gesture, rubbing the spot she kissed, a goofy look spreading across his features. He almost didn’t want to leave now, simply wanting to stay with her forever and help her tend to the animals that he had very quickly gotten along with. Especially the bear for some reason. But he knew that he couldn’t. He worked with the Apple family now, and was their faithful farmhand. He couldn’t forsake them… But maybe he could talk to applejack and work something out. Time would tell. 

They gave each other one last goodbye hug, and then Lug set off for sweet apple acres, waving at fluttershy as he went. His gaze never left the soft sanctuary that were her cyan eyes as he walked and waved. Well, until of course, he tripped on his own feet and fell face first into the stream. 

He picked himself up from the stream and looked back again to see a worried looking Fluttershy half outside her door, a hoof over her mouth. Lug stood up and looked down at how soaked his new clothes were, and then proceeded to laugh himself silly as he clambered out of the shallow stream and back onto the bridge. 

The Ogryn’s goofy laughter melted Fluttershy’s heart, washing away her concern like a soft summer breeze and bringing a giggle to her lips. Whenever she looked at Lug, she had this strange tugging in her chest. She wanted to sweep him up despite his size and bundle him up in a mountain of cozy blankets, so that she may keep the Ogryn safe from the world, and to spoil him rotten beyond all belief.

During those quiet days in her cottage, something had awoken within her. Despite all the horrors that Lug had seen, he maintained this air of innocence and purity, an aura of childlike wonder that fluttershy wanted to protect at all cost. She found herself getting swamped with emotion as she watched Lug lumber away, as if she were watching her own child leaving the safety of the nest. She had to close the door before she was consumed by the feeling, and immediately went to busy herself with chores. 

Meanwhile, Lug had felt a mix of emotions. Happy he was finally going back to the farm, yet sad he had to leave Fluttershy’s cottage. As he walked, his thoughts slowly grew brighter at the prospect of seeing Applebloom and AJ, as they hadn’t visited him during his stay with Fluttershy. He didn’t mind that. He knew that they were busy with all the chores they had at the farm, and was eager to start helping, to ease the load on their shoulders. 

When Lug made his way through town, he was once again greeted by the sight of ponies dropping everything they were doing to stare at him. Though luckily enough, they recovered quite quickly this time and went about their business. Lug still didn’t mind much, already getting used to the curious gazes the ponies gave him, and his walk was peaceful.

Until it wasn’t.

A shrill scream ripped through the air and he whipped around to find the source. He saw a little pink filly with wavy purple and white hair, and what looked to be a tiny crown atop her mane. She looked at Lug with joy and a fierce, burning desire that, frankly, made the Ogryn flinch. She opened her mouth to scream again, tugging viciously at the necktie of whom Lug assumed to be the filly’s father. 

“DADDY DADDY DADDY LOOK LOOK LOOK! I WANT HIM!” The little filly screamed again, which made Lug realize she was screaming with excitement. The father looked between the filly and Lug and heaved a tired sigh, as if this wasn’t the first time she’s done this.

“Diamond tiara, darling, you have an entire zoo of creatures at home. Do you really nee-” He began, only to be interrupted by his daughter.

“YES! LOOK HOW CUTE HE IS DADDY! JUST LOOK AT THOSE BEADY LITTLE EYES!” She squealed, covering the distance frighteningly fast as she latched herself to Lug’s leg. The Ogryn balked at the sheer greed of this little creature, utterly shell shocked with how she wasn’t even slightly frightened. Lug gave the filly’s father a frightened look, and he just returned it with his own exhausted gaze. 

The wealthy looking pony walked up to the Ogryn and said nothing as he took out a rather heavy looking bag of bits, pressing it into Lug’s hand. The pony beckoned him to lean forward and Lug did so, the pony taking the chance to whisper in his ear as the filly buried her face in Lug’s shin.

“Just play along. She’ll get tired of this eventually. Just… Take the money for your troubles.” He said apologetically as Diamond tiara leapt up and clamped a leash and collar around Lug’s throat. He quite honestly didn’t even know what was happening at this point, his mind overwhelmed with the absurdity of the situation. All Lug could do was nod dumbly.

The wealthy pony backed up and addressed his daughter sternly. “Now, tiara, are you sure you’re ready for this kind of res-” He began, before being once again interrupted by his daughter. Lug wondered if this was a common occurrence. The Ogryn could never imagine talking back or, emperor forbid, interrupting his big sister while she spoke. He felt a twang of sympathy for the wealthy pony.

“Yeah, yeah. I’ll feed him and water him and take him out to potty and yada yada yada. Come on, Goobins! Let’s go home!” She replied to her father curtly, and then smiled up at Lug. He didn’t know how to feel about his newly given name. All he knew was that he was given a hefty amount of money that he’d absolutely be giving to the apple family after this strange situation blew over.

The little filly led Lug to a giant mansion that he was honestly surprised to see. He didn’t think ponies built such grand structures. The ornate marble and gold inlays gave Lug the impression that they were much more wealthy than he previously thought, and he was suddenly daunted at the prospect of entering such a home. He didn’t want to mess anything up and get punished for it. 

Lug didn’t even have to duck as Diamond tiara took him by the leash through two grand, dark wooden doors opened by a waiting servant. The dignified stallion gave Lug one studying look and for a second, the Ogryn thought he could see a glimmer of sympathy in the butler’s eyes. The shared eye-contact ended swiftly however, as he was yanked along by the impatient filly. 

She took him throughout the mansion, giving him an impromptu tour of his ‘new home’ that he absolutely wasn’t staying the night in. He wanted out, and as soon as possible. Lug couldn’t trust himself not to break something expensive, and he knew how nobles could get over perceived slights against their pride and possessions. But before he could make any sort of protest, he was forced to duck inside a room. 

He had to crouch to fit inside, but he saw that it was filled to the brim with mountains of plushies and dolls. It gave Lug quite the sense of foreboding, and that feeling only increased as Diamond tiara sat him down and began taking out make-up boxes. She slowly turned to face him, her eyes as big as saucers, filled with anticipation and glee. 

Out of all the horrific things that Lug had seen, from watching grown space marines getting ripped apart by 10 foot tyranids, to getting into a bare-fisted brawling match with a Plague Ogryn, nothing quite scared him as much as the glint in that little filly’s eyes. He felt himself crawl backwards as she approached with the make-up boxes wielded like weapons, her crazed smile sending yet another tendril of fear into his heart. 

He could feel his stomach drop when his hand slipped on a nearby plushie, and his back collided with the carpeted floors. He could barely let out a scream of raw, unfiltered terror as the Filly bore down on him with lip gloss and three different kinds of make-up tools, silencing the Ogryn with a surprising amount of strength for something of her size. 

Four hellish hours later, Lug had given up any hope of escape, and lied there lifelessly as the little filly made him look like the ugliest drag queen to ever grace Equestria. She had been ruminating on what tiara would fit him best when a servant knocked on the door, Diamond tiara’s face twisting into an annoyed scowl.

“WHAT IS IT! I’M BUSY PLAYING DRESS-UP WITH GOOBINS!” She yelled angrily, prompting an old looking maid to open the door and gave Lug a look of undisguised horror and sympathy. She quickly shook her head and turned to address the young filly. 

“It’s dinner time, Diamond tiara. Your father has a very special guest tonight, and he requests your presence at the table.” She said, giving Lug a few more glances before turning around and closing the door behind her as she left. Diamond tiara turned to Lug and heaved a sigh, grabbing his leash and yanking him towards the door. Lug prayed a waterfall of thanks to that old maid as he followed the little filly out of the room, his face absolutely covered in makeup and lipstick. 

They soon approached the dining room, and Lug could immediately smell a variety of different scents, all mouth watering in their own right. A butler opened the large dining room doors for them as they approached, and they entered. 

Lug could only gape in awe at the opulence of it all. Crystal chandeliers, velvet dining chairs, a long dark wood table that shined like metal, and the sheer quantity of food. Lug liked food. His mouth began to water as he stared at it, zeroing in on it all. Without warning, a maid appeared by his side and began wiping off the makeup with a glittering rag, cleaning his face without any effort. He gave her a small thank you before she disappeared. Where? Who knows. It was a big house, after all. 

Diamond tiara had him sit down on the floor by her seat, a labeled food bowl already sitting there with the juiciest cooked steak he had ever seen. He didn’t even wait to begin eating, grabbing the hot meat with his bare hands and tearing into it with his teeth like the animal Diamond tiara thought he was. Luckily though, nobody was paying attention, as all focus seemed to be on the stunning white unicorn that sat close to Diamond tiara’s father. 

The meat was the best thing Lug had ever tasted, even better than the apple fritters, and that was really saying something. It was perfectly cooked, and practically melted in his mouth as he ate. He was once again in food heaven, and he couldn’t be happier, unknowing how silly he looked squatting there, eating a large steak with his bare hands. 

He was snapped out of his food trance as Diamond tiara began speaking about him. It appeared the pretty looking unicorn asked what he was. 

“Honestly, I don’t know myself, but just look how cute he is!” She said, grabbing Lug by the collar and forcing him up to face the diners at the table. The filly’s father gave Lug a glance, and the white mare brought her gaze to meet his. The Ogryn felt rather awkward as they stared at each other in silence, which was soon broken as she turned to face Diamond tiara. 

“Can he speak?” She asked curiously, her voice heavy with an accent that Lug couldn’t quite place. Diamond tiara then held a quizzical facial expression before turning to the Ogryn. “Goobins, Speak!” the filly ordered, her eyes stern.

Lug gulped audibly and raised his hand in greeting, a motion that was now well worn out. “Ello’ there, pretty pony lady.” he said nervously, side-eyeing the filly at his left, hoping that appeased her. The white mare once again focused her pinkish white irises on the Ogryn, and he noticed something shift within her gaze. He didn’t like the look in her eyes.

“Well, well, isn’t he quite the charmer? Si terriblement charmante, et robuste.” She practically purred, making the Ogryn visibly shrink back. He didn’t like this pony. The only time he was looked at like that was when he had to fight a slaaneshi demon by himself. That experience had him thoroughly shaken up, and since that day he always wore his belt a little tighter. He hoped that this dinner party would pass quickly so he could get back to Sweet apple acres, as they were probably worried sick.

As dinner progressed, the tall white mare kept flashing Lug glances that made him increasingly nervous. What was her problem? He didn’t like the fact that her glances had turned into full-blown stares as she eyed his rippling muscles with undisguised desire. And once again, for the second time that night, the servants came to his rescue as dinner had concluded. The dishes were swept away by butlers and the table was wiped clean by maids, with the occupants of the seats now rising to leave.

Diamond tiara’s father turned to address the scary white mare, a smile on his face. “Thank you so much for visiting, Ms. Fleur de lis. It was wonderful having you.” He said amiably, though the mare didn’t seem to be listening as she was still completely focused on Lug. 

“Yes, it was quite the pleasure, Filthy Rich. I do so love making new friends.” She said, talking more to Lug than she was the wealthy stallion. Filthy Rich seemed to catch this however and he let out a nervous laugh, walking over to Lug and giving him a few pats on the arm. 

“Yes, indeed! Now, Tiara, darling, why don’t you go get ready for bed? Goobins is probably very tired, and a creature of his size needs his rest.”

“Alright, daddy. Come on, goobins! It’s bedtime!” She said, Filthy Rich’s expression awash with surprise at how easily she listened to him. The little filly took Lug by the leash and sprinted out of the dining hall. They had nearly reached her room when they were intercepted by yet another servant. It appeared to be the old maid that had been his saving grace the first time around. 

“Miss Tiara, your father asked me to tell you he has a present waiting on the front lawn for you.” She said in a monotone voice, still eliciting a gasp of glee from the little pony. With barely contained excitement, she let go of Lug’s leash and zipped off in the opposite direction, leaving him alone with the maid.

She sighed and shook her head, using her magic to undo the Ogryn’s collar. Lug rubbed his neck where it had started to chafe and thanked her. 

“You’re quite welcome, now follow me. Mr. Rich asked me to help you vacate the premises. Also, don’t worry about Ms. Tiara coming to look for you. She’ll likely not even notice you’re gone.” she said quickly, leading the now free Lug through the mansion and to a back door. 

She opened the door and looked around, as if worried she was going to be caught red-hoofed in a terrible crime. She gave Lug a smile and pointed out the door.

“Go you poor, misbegotten creature, you. Go.” She said, not unkindly, like she was freeing a wild animal that was held captive. Lug smiled in return and nodded, making his way through the small door and into the back lawn, which was quite expansive. He paused for nothing as he sprinted for the wrought-iron fences, barreling straight through them as the weak metal gave way for his hulking form. 

He was finally free, and now homeward bound. He didn’t stop running, trying his best to forget about the horrid experience he just had, incredibly glad to be out of that mansion and away from the filly and the scary mare. It was nearly sunset now, and he had a lot of explaining to do. 

After completing his dead sprint through town, starling many ponies that saw him go by, he approached Sweet apple acres absolutely wheezing. He nearly collapsed from the exhaustion his legs held, carefully leaning against a fence post as he caught his breath, his thoughts turning to how he was going to apologize to the apple family. A split second after he righted himself after catching his breath, He felt yet another filly latch onto his leg. Strange that it’s happened twice today.

He looked down to see who it was, and was glad to see a beaming Applebloom looking back at him. “Ello’ lit’l Applebloom!” he said cheerfully, patting her red mane. 

“Welcome back, Lug! We missed yew!” She said, nuzzling his shin. 

“That we did. Glad t’see you back again, Lug.” Said a familiar voice, prompting Lug to turn to see Applejack trotting up to meet him, a smile on her face. Applebloom turned her muzzle up again to look at Lug, a question on her tongue.

“Why do yew smell like perfume?” She asked innocently, giving Lug vivid flashbacks of the horrible experience he wished he could just forget. A look of fear washed across his face, confusing the two ponies in his presence.

“Don't wanna talk about it.” He said with finality, his tone giving no room for argument. Applebloom shrugged as she let go of Lug’s leg to go beside Applejack. 

“Well Lug, I hate to bust your chops since you just got home, but it’s about high time you explained yourself.” Applejack said, the two ponies now looking rather stern. Lug sighed, nodding his head in agreement. The Ogryn then took a deep breath, and began his long winded explanation and subsequent apology.

﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌ꕥ﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌

As the day was coming to a close and Princess Celestia finished her duties, she gave one last surveying look at the throne room, making sure that nopony was around to see what happened next. When the coast was confirmed to be all clear, she visibly deflated, drooping on her throne with a hefty sigh. Same problems, different day. Nothing but impotent nobility and petty grievances were brought to her court.

She almost wished that things would liven up, whether it be good or bad. She just needed something to break the terrible monotony of day-to-day protocols, and would soon find that her wish was granted, though not in the way she’d like. 

In a burst of magic, A scroll appeared in front of her. When she opened it, it appeared to be from her student, Twilight Sparkle. Princess Celestia smiled upon seeing this, as she always looked forward to the quaint little letters that her faithful student would always write to her about the joys of friendship. Unraveling the scroll to its fullest length, she found that it was quite long, which was uncommon but not totally rare. With a curiously raised eyebrow, she began to read.

That face of curiosity slowly melted away as she read, being replaced by a deep-set scowl that was wholly out of character for the matronly sun diarch. The letter spoke of horrors she knew well enough of. With a furrowed brow, she burned the letter. Celestia needed to speak with her sister.

She touched the bejeweled plate upon her chest and activated the magic within it, causing the purple gemstone to glow brightly before the light winked out entirely. Almost immediately afterwards, Celestia’s sister appeared beside her, a look of great concern on her face.

“Is something amiss, sister? I came as quickly as I could. You haven’t used your emergency signal since the rise of Sombra.” the moon diarch said, peering around as if expecting to see some long forgotten monster rise from the shadows. Princess Celestia once more heaved a sigh of astronomical proportions, prompting her sister to give her another concerned glance.

“Luna, do you recall the unnaturally large human you told me about? He has already made contact with Twilight Sparkle and her friends.” She grumbled ruefully, sincerely wishing she could have intervened, and that this letter had reached her days sooner. The lunar princess’ royal demeanor seemed to waver with this information, her posture faltering slightly.

It seemed that her scholarly student was so focused on learning more about the new creature that she completely forgot to write to her. This happened often when it came to new discoveries in any particular field. Celestia put her face in her hooves and groaned. 

“I’m terribly sorry, Celestia. I cannot divine a creature’s location within their dream. If I could, I would have certainly informed you.” Luna replied, her voice tinged with regret. 

“I know, I know… Just earlier, I would have given anything for a bit of action. Now? With this looming on the horizon? I sincerely wish I could take back that wish, as this has become something beyond us,” The sun princess gave Luna a forlorn look. “We may have to convene with the council.”

This news elicited a look of surprise from Luna, her wings fluttering. They hadn’t called upon the council in eons! One might assume that princesses had their own courts, and they’d be right, but the particular council that The Sun Diarch just spoke of, far surpassed any ordinary mortal gathering. 

This council was one of Immortals, each ruling their own respective planets in distant parts of the galaxy, and each were equally difficult to deal with. But Luna surmised that this particular issue would once again unite them all on a common front. 

The Moon Diarch had to sit down in her personal throne, as her sister had begun reciting from memory the letter that Twilight Sparkle wrote to Celestia, and each sentence only confirmed her fears.