This is new.
You've never ventured into the Everfree forest, for the many warnings you have received over the years made it very clear that this isn't a safe place. Keeping pace with Jade, you navigate through walls of trees and bushes. It's clear how easily someone could get lost in here; that alone is treacherous enough, nevermind the fact that there are creatures here that most likely want to eat your face as soon as they see it. Scanning the area with your eyes, you find it difficult to get a read on your current position. Meanwhile, your canine companion seems to glide through the dense mass of plant life with relative ease. Turning your attention to the diamond dog, you start to pay very close attention. It dawns on you that she isn't following any particular pattern; there's nothing around to use as a landmark, yet she moves so swiftly, as if knowing exactly where she is going and how to get there.
Angling your head to the side, you watch the side of her face. The movement is subtle, but it's there. The muscles on her muzzle appear to shift a bit almost every second, her nostrils flaring lightly with each short, quick breath she takes. It occurs to you that she isn't traveling with eyes, but with her nose. She's navigating her way through the woods on smell alone, likely following some kind of scent. You take a few sniffs of the air yourself. Your nose has become rather exceptional during your time in Equestria, however, you feel it pales in comparison to a born diamond dog. There are many smells lingering here, but nothing stands out to you as many of them are unfamiliar by default. The most notable smells you can pick up on is the general scent of the forest itself, dirt, moss and the natural musk you've come to know from Jade. You also notice a distinct lack of one particular smell that's you've gone practically nose blind to, having been around it for the better part of a year: There's hardly a hint of the smell that ponies give off. It was something you didn't really notice at first, but thinking on it a bit, the ponies here do have very distinctive smells and you can't seem to detect even the slightest whiff of it.
It's almost unnerving to you, but it's just something you'll have to learn to get used to. This is a new start with a new species; One that actually might understand you, that can sympathize with you - if everything Jade has told you is to be believed, that is. The thought alone is refreshing enough, but you're not so eager that you allow yourself to be swept off of your feet in your fantasy. There's always a chance that you came to expect too much. For all you know, you may decide to leave here as well. You silently hope that this is not the case. It would be nice to have a place you could call home and mean it with sincerity.
Your thoughts don't dwell on this too much longer as something catches your attention. Since you have been paying attention to the surrounding smells, you notice a steadily elevating change in the air. It's a familiar scent, but not something you find yourself coming to worry over. It smells of animals. More specifically, your nose is being attacked by a 'wet dog' smell that reminds you a bit of home. Wherever it is that she is taking you, this particular smell seems to intensify, giving you the impression that her den must not be too much further from your current position. This comes as a relief, as your paranoia has been growing steadily since abandoning Twilight. You're remarkably surprised that you haven't seen Rainbow flying overhead in search of you yet. The sooner you get underground, the better. The last thing you want right now is to deal with the confrontation of yet another pony who thinks you need to change.
"We're here!" Jade calls out in a voice just above a whisper. She happily trots up to a large tree stump that stands almost twice as tall as you. "Some advice, love. Diamond dogs have a lot of holes near their den, most of which don't actually go anywhere." She goes on to say as she carefully digs her claws into the broken hunk of tree bark and climbs to the top.
As she gets to the top, Jade stops and looks back at you with the ever present smile that hasn't left her face since you asked her to bring you here. "What are you waiting for? Climb up!"
You watch as she reaches the lip of the shattered wood and then heaves herself over. Her paws catch the edge and hold her up just enough to look down at you. Your eyes shift to your hands and the disturbingly sturdy nails growing out of your fingertips. Taking a breath you move in and curl your fingers before pressing them to the bark. With a bit of force, your nails slide right into the wood with ease. There's doubt in your mind as you apply pressure and press your foot into the stump. You're surprised to see how well this is actually going. The remains of the tree are hardy enough to keep you in place and your nails don't even so much as bend under your weight. As you slowly begin to climb, your feet start to slide, the smooth texture of your shoes not allowing you to get a proper grip.
A few feeble attempts at this spur you into a small fir, where you kick off your shoes before pressing only the sock covered appendage against the surface. Much like your fingers, the nails on your toes have been rather unmanageable with how sturdy they are. Their own sharp tips poke through the fabric and have no problem sinking into the wood, allowing your climb to go by much faster and with significantly more ease. As you get to the top, you find Jade still there waiting, giggling slightly at your display.
"Not much of a climber, are you?" she teases, poking the tip of your nose.
"I can climb just fine, just not used to doing it like this is all," you readily defend, having always been a great climber when it came to the trees and even a few structures on your home world. However, your nails very obviously played little to no role in any of those. This new change could prove useful though. You feel so steady and oddly stable like this.
Before you could go on to defend yourself, a pair of warm lips gently assault your own for a quick second, pulling you out of your internal monologue. As she pulls aways, Jade smiles. "Come on, I need to introduce you to Roxy!"
On that note, she releases her grip on the edge and vanishes. Your eyes widen a bit as you lift yourself to peek over the edge. You suspected that the stump was hollow, but looking over to the other side still throws you for a loop. The hole in the center of the tree stump is impossibly deep, too dark for you to see the end. For a moment, you consider that this might have been a bad idea. However, being trapped in a hole and being locked up in a Manehattan prison doesn't seem like much of a change. "Nothing ventured..."
"Handyman!" Berry yells as she pounds a hoof on the front door to the local alien's home. Word of his return had only just reached her and she was all too eager to load up her saddlebag and drop by for a surprise visit. "Wake up you lazy sack! I have a fresh set of prison jokes I wanna try out on you!"
The mare tosses her body to the side, allowing her saddlebag to fall to the ground. Several 'clinks' can be heard as it hits the grass and the mare wastes no time grabbing the bag with a hoof and shaking it around. "You hear that? That a case of cider I'm about to have all to myself if you don't open up!" Silence continues and her face scrunches as she begins sniffing around the door. "Did you get a dog? Is there a dog in there!? You know I'm allergic!"
If she didn't know any better, Berry would think that he's actively ignoring her, not unlike how she is actively ignoring all of the passing ponies who eye her curiously as she goes back to knocking heavily on the door in front of her. "Hello!?"
"Uh...Hi?"
Berry's ear twitches at the sudden voice that definitely does not belong to the person she is looking for. Furthermore, this particular voice sounds as thought it's coming from behind her. Craning her neck, she spots the culprit standing not ten hoofsteps behind her. The purple mare blinks a few times before recognizing the pony. "Hey, AJ. What's good?" she asks, turning away from the farm pony to continue her abuse on the poor wooden structure. "Open up, you big dumb ape!"
Applejack tilts her head to the side at the local pub owner's behavior. "Berry, what in tarnation are ya doin'?"
Berry stops and turns to face the farm pony. "What's it look like?" she asks plainly, as if it's obvious for the world to see. "I'm trying to get Handyman to let me in so I can poke fun at him. It's like...our only pastime."
"Uh-huh..." Unsure of if she should even really be helping Berry, who hasn't seen a day of sobriety in nearly a decade, she figures it's better than letting the mare cause a ruckus and possibly breaking down the man's door. "Last ah heard, Twi' grabbed him to have a chat at that lil' Itfilly place just across the way."
"Twilight's banging the human?"
Applejack lets out a short neigh at this. "What in the world makes you think that?"
"I don't know! You said that Twilight took him on a date," Berry replies with a shrug.
"Not a date, you drunkard!" Applejack says with just a hint of venom. Drinking is fun and all, but Berry's tendencies had worn on her nerves a long time ago. "She wants to have a chat! Ya know, a conversation!"
"Relax, filly. I'm not saying it's a bad thing," Berry counters, clearly still unconvinced. "If anything, good for her...good for him. That colt needs a mare in his life."
Look back at the human's home, the mare throws herself at the door and presses her front hooves against its surface. "You hear that, you big sod! You need to get the V!"
"Berry!" Applejack yells out, earning a few eyes of her own from the wandering populace behind her. "He's. Not. Home."
Berry looks back at Applejack before remembering what the farm pony told her earlier. "Oh, yeah! I need to go to that Itfilly place." Pushing herself off of the door, the barkeep runs past the orange mare with uneven steps. "Watch my saddlebags!"
Applejack says something in the distance, but Berry is too lost in the throws of her own eagerness to notice. She quickly makes her way to where she thinks she will find Handyman. This proves difficult, what with there nearly being two of everything since she woke up this morning. However, she soon manages to spot Twilight hunched over a table all by herself. Recalling what Applejack had told her earlier, she figures the alicorn will be her best bet at finding the man. With all of the grace of a drunken Scotsman , Berry marches on over.
"Hey!" Berry says loudly as she all but falls onto the table, supporting herself with a hoof. Shaking her head, she angles her neck to the side to face the downcast princess. "I hear you're bucking the human."
Confusion clearly breaks through Twilight's sadness as she looks over at the intoxicated mare. "What?"
"Where is he?" Berry asks, ignoring the question presented to her. "I need to test out some more jail humor on him...unless you know another pony that just got out of the slammer. I'll try them on anyone who's been behind bars. Han-ha-hand...He's just the easiest."
The conversation from earlier hits Twilight full force once more and she soon finds herself staring at the table again. She can't even place how long she's been sitting here. "I guess he's back at home right now, getting ready to leave."
"Leave?" Berrys asks, confused by the implications. "He's supposed to be here with you. I was already at his place."
Twilight blinks at this, she's suddenly focused as she looks back at Berry. "He's already gone!?"
"He's supposed to be here with you!" Berry repeats, matching Twilight's volume despite not knowing why she suddenly got so loud. "I was there, no one answered, then this orange bitch tells me that you're bucking him at this Itfilly place!"
Twilight's horn flashes and they both become clouded in a powerful, lavender glow. The world around them vanishes behind the brilliant light, and just as quickly as it had appeared, it vanished. The two mares now stand outside of the human's home while Appejack sits beside the door with wide eyes at their sudden appearance.
"Oh, horseapples!" Berry says as she dances around dizzily, trying to get her footing back from the unprompted teleportation. "I think I'm gonna be sick..."
The last thing Twilight notices is the world around her as she charges at the door and begins knocking rapidly. "Handyman! Are you in there!?" she asks aloud, before speaking to herself in frantic whispers that only Applejack seems to notice. "He can't be gone already! He just can't be! It's too sudden! Where would he even go? He doesn't know anypony else! Maybe he just went to stay with a friend? He can't have already left! There's no way!"
"Woah, woah!" Applejack announces herself, getting up and taking a few cautious steps toward her friend. "Slow your roll there now, sugarcube."
Twilight's hooves bend and stretch uncontrollably, nearly causing her to hop in place as her nerves go into overdrive. Without even thinking, her horn lights up and the lock on the house begins to fidget. Much to her surprise, it doesn't click. She turns her focus to the handle, which turns turns with ease when she grabs it in her magical grasp. The door opens without resistance and the three mares peek in. The small home is dark and shows no signs of life. Nothing has been moved, from what they could see.
"Finally!" Berry says as she grabs her pack and goes trotting in without a second thought. "Handyman! I can pay the toll! Where are you!?"
Twilight and Applejack glance at one another before following the mare into the seemingly empty house.
"Handyman!" Berry calls out once more as she sets the saddle bag on the floor, her eyes scanning the dark house as she begins walking around in search of her target. "Where the buck is that colt?
This is not what I expected.
Aside from knowing this place would be filled with Diamond Dogs, you weren't really sure what to expect from your initial visit. Upon entry, you found yourself in a series of winding tunnels and caves. It was dark, for the most part, with only the occasional torch mounted to the dirt walls to provide some form of light. None of this managed to surprise you. What did catch your eye was the reactions you started receiving just by being here. The first few minutes of trudging through the underground tunnels were plain enough, not to mention uneventful. When you started coming into larger areas where work was being done - or areas that served as living quarters - that's when things started to get weird. It was one thing when the groups of dogs stopped whatever they were doing to stare at you, it was something else entirely when you noticed that some of them were bowing down.
The eyes that watch you as you continue your journey are nothing like the eyes of the ponies. The equines would stare at you with fear, uncertainty and occasionally with lust. Here, though, the eyes that watch you are filled with shock and awe. It's an unnaturally massive change to your usual dynamic and you can't make heads or tails of it at first. Your mind then wanders back to what Jade had told you back in jail. To these dogs, you weren't just some monster that happened to be sentient; you were something of legend, a borderline demi-god in whatever lore they have on humans that Jade claims once had existed in a bygone era long before the arrival of all of these sentient races. Your own internal reaction to it all is probably the most shocking part of it all. At any other time in your life, if something like this was happening, you would feel confused, conflicted even. Your first thought would be that something was going on in the background and you were being set up for some kind of elaborate prank or something. Right now though, you feel a strange sense of satisfaction.
Jade continues to lead the way and you follow almost blindly as you go on to observe the strange behaviors of the dogs around you. It's only when your charge comes to a stop that your attention returns to her. Turning to face you, you notice an odd look about her as she speaks. "When we get in here, just play it cool for a bit so I can introduce you two. Whatever happens after that is up to you."
Taking a breath, Jade leads you into the largest area you've seen so far. In the darkness, you can make out several armored forms. There was a number of large dogs decorated in old and rusted iron armor. You can't make out much of their faces behind their helmets, but their bodily reactions to your entry scream uncertainty to your eyes. Looking around more, you spot yet another dog further ahead. You can only assume this to be Roxy, their leader. Judging by what you can see from your current position, she is not quite as large as the other dogs in this room. Given the lack of light, it's hard to pinpoint much in terms of color, but you can tell by how well she blends in that her fur is dark and you can see her hair resembling a mohawk. Your ears twitch at the sound of her sniffing, likely trying to get an idea of what you are.
"Once again, I owe our seer a ruby." Roxy stands upright and you take in her full height as she speaks with strength and authority. She's definitely taller than Jade, that much is plain to see. You, on the other hand, would likely be able to see her face to face. You make a mental remark of how nice it will be to have conversations where you don't have to practically stare at the ground. "I had a whole detachment ready to bring down the walls, but I was informed that your stay there would actually prove beneficial."
Roxy begins walking toward the two of you, while you and Jade come to a stop. Standing directly behind Jade, a whole head taller, you watch carefully as the pack leader closes the distance. She comes to a stop no more than nine feet away from you. "I hope she was right about that."
Jade lowers her head for a moment before looking back up at the dog in front of her. "Roxy, I have made a wonderful discovery while incarcerated by those filthy ponies." She steps to the side, allowing your entire person to be exposed while you continue to watch with your guard up. "This is Handyman, a human, like the ones from our oldest and most cherished stories."
Roxy's eyes have been locked onto you since you came in here. She takes a few steps forward and leans in, taking in every detail. You, in turn, do the same. With the distance between you reducing, it's easier to make out her appearance. Her eyes are a piercing blue, her fur significantly lighter in some areas as opposed to others. Black and white, you conclude. She has the color pattern and general look of a husky or even a malamute.
Humming, Roxy finally speaks. "He definitely looks the part, mostly. " She sniffs at you a few times. "He reeks of ponies, which does pose some concern."
You feel Jade nudge you a bit and you take that as your que to speak. "I have very little care for the ponies," you say in hopes that it will alleviate some of her supposed concern. "I tried my hand at it with them and it's failed time and time again. Frankly, I wouldn't care if I never saw another one for the rest of my life. Hell, I'd gladly forget most of my time with them if I could."
Roxy plays it off well, but you can tell that she's still not quite convinced. "Just to be on the safe side," her attention moves to Jade, "fetch me Madam Spot. I would like her opinion on all of this. Furthermore, I want every dog in this room to leave for the time being. I need to speak to the human in private."
The guards are quick to obey, but Jade seems reluctant at first. A few seconds of silence pass before she bows her head in submission. "Yes, Roxy."
As the dogs leave, Roxy's attention returns to you. "Do not mistake my caution for disrespect," she begins, her tone sounding much more passive than it had just moments ago. "I do not wish to offend you, sir. But, I must take every precaution necessary."
"The safety and well-being of my pack in always my number one concern," Roxy goes on to say with a disturbingly visible amount of weakness. "I would never willingly choose to show disrespect to a Beast Master."
Hearing this makes it all too clear why Jade held you in such high regard shortly after meeting you. You remember a time when you thought her a simple-minded crazy. With all this, though, from Roxy's words to the reactions you received since coming here, it's becoming painfully clear just how serious her entire race is about this whole 'Beast Master' thing. With that in mind, you decide it's best to try and console her, if only a little.
"I march into your home unannounced and you apologize to me?" you say in a joking manner, "That hardly seems fair."
This gets a very faint grin out of Roxy, so you see no reason to quit now. "This is your house, hun." You say, hopefully letting her know that you have no ill intentions. "Do whatever you feel like you need to. I would never fault someone for keeping their family safe by any means."
Roxy lowers her head for a second and you wonder for a second if that counts her formally bowing to you as if you're both in positions of power. "Your words are very humbling, Beast Master. I can only hope that your relationship with our people will grow."
You ear twitches as you hear foot steps approaching from behind. You glance back to see Jade walking with a shorter, elderly dog. The older dog is wrapped in rags made up to look like a dress of sorts, she has a long stick in her hand with a curled top that she is using to keep balance as she draws near. The hood on her head does little to hide her face. Where Roxy reminds you of one of the more graceful breeds of dog, this one looks more like a bull terrier with her oddly shaped head and small eyes.
"I was already on my way here, young Roxy," Madam Spot says as she slowly makes her way to her leader's side while Jade returns to her place next to you. "I felt their arrival not long ago. I'd have been here sooner if not for these dreaded old bones of mine."
"Your timing couldn't could be better, Madam Spot." Roxy places a hand on the elderly dog when she finally reaches her side. "How are you feeling?"
"Like you owe me a ruby."
Roxy rolls her eyes at this. "Yeah, yeah. Put it on my tab."
"You know, one day I might actually make you pay up."
"If you live that long," Roxy counters with a laugh, one that this Madam Spot happily shares. When their giggling dies down, she removes her hand from the old dog and motions to you. "I know you said Jade would return with a powerful new ally, but what exactly do you make of him?"
Madam Spot faces you. You're not sure how much of you she can actually see, given the nature of her milky, white eyes. "My, oh my..." she says with a sniff. "My visions told me that this would happen, but even I had a hard time believing it."
Slowly, Madam Spot trudges forward until her nose is nearly pressed into your stomach. "I never though I'd live to see the day that a Beast Master would appear, let alone come waltzing into our home as a guest." Looking upward, she stares those - what you think are - blind eyes directly into yours. "Please, sir. Would you allow me to take your hand?"
You've heard this woman referred to as a seer, implying that she's some level of psychic if you had to guess. The idea of giving her your hand is off putting, as your not entirely sure what all will happen after the fact. She could very well dig through all of your memories and learn every weakness you have. For all you know, she could make your entire headspace into a blank canvas. "What exactly is going to happen if I allow it?"
"Our mistress here just wants to be sure you're not a threat," Madam Spot openly responds, as if knowing your reasons for being on guard. "I simply wish to look through your mind. Just enough to be sure we have nothing to fear of you. There's nothing more to it, sir. I would certainly never wish to overstep my boundaries with you. I would consider it a personal favor and a kindness to us all."
You still feel on edge about it, and it isn't long before you feel Jade press into your side, nuzzling her face into your neck in a display that causes Roxy's jaw to drop slightly. "It's okay, love," she says comfortingly into your ear. "If everything you've told me is true, then you have nothing to worry about."
Taking a breath, you steel your nerves and hold out your hand for Madam Spot to take into her own. She closes her eyes and not long after, she begins to speak. "I see so many things here...I see trials, tribulations, heartbreak…" the old dog lists, making you uncertain about this once again. "I see your struggles with the ponies, how they tried to change you...how you tried so hard to change for them. I see a cell...one you've frequented a few times, by the looks of it.
"I see a growing resentment for those ponies that tried to change you, ponies that never gave you a chance to be yourself, never took the time to learn about you. I see the same cell again and again and -" Madam Spot's eyes open in shock and she glances back and forth between you and Jade. "you're a naughty little pair, aren't you?"
You can't see it, but you can only assume Jade is blushing given the sudden rise in heat on your neck as she hides her face. Madam Spot shakes her head a bit and closes her eyes before continuing. "I see...a few nights of heated passion." Jade digs deeper into your neck at that as well. "I see just how much you actually care for her. I see how desperate you are to start over, to find a place where you belong. I see...I see a family, one that's happy to welcome you home."
That last part really pulls your attention as she releases your hand and opens her eyes. Turning around, Madam Spot faces Roxy and speaks once more with a full smile on her face. "My dear, not only do I not see him as a threat, but I feel he would make a wonderful addition to our den."
Roxy nods to the old dog and ushers her to stand beside her once more, which Madam Spot eagerly does so. "This is splendid news, indeed." Her attention shifts back to you with Jade slowly pulling herself from your person to look back at Roxy. "Is it true, Beast Master? Do you truly wish to join us in our den?"
It's all finally starting to hit you. The last year of living with ponies, all of your effort to fit in, the friends you made along the way. Even if it wasn't ideal, Ponyville was home. It sucked, but there you had a place - No. No you didn't. You had a house that you could barely call a home, you barely had friends, and most ponies that saw you would look at you with fear or disdain, if not both. The constant weight you felt since living there was beginning to lessen the further you distanced yourself from them.
You look down at Jade, seeing a warm smile on her face, one that you can't help but to return. "I do…" The dog by your side leans in kisses the point of your chin, staring at you dreamily in a moment of bliss. "...with everything that I am."
"Little Jade, who could barely talk to a stud, acquiring a Beast Master as her first love." Jade's smile falls and you watch her features contort into a clear look of embarrassment. "I have to applaud you there."
"Given some of the things I saw, there are a few things you can applaud her for," Madam Spot interjects, "Next time, though, you should try biting him."
"Okay! I think that's enough for now!" Jade suddenly announces, grabbing onto your hand and pulling you toward the exit as she starts speaking frantically. "I think it's time I gave you a full tour! You'll need to get to know the area if you're moving in, after all! We'll check out all the best mining spots, show you where we gather to eat, maybe spend a few hours digging you a room, it'll be great!"
You can't stop yourself from laughing at her sudden behavior. Even so, with as goofy as this dog is, you find yourself being in a much better headspace. More than that, you're actually looking forward to the future and what may come from all of this. Above all else, you're happy. That's something you haven't been able to say in a very long time. For the first time ever, you are thinking to yourself that everything is actually going to be alright. Not to mention you have some fresh ammunition to use against Jade now that you know she couldn't so much as speak to other guys before you came around.
This is perfect.
Roxy watches the two depart with a smile, mentally remarking to herself about how adorable they are as a couple. She's actually a bit jealous, she has to admit. Of all the creatures Jade would eventually end up with, a literal demi-god was the very last thing she would ever expect that mutt to come home with. Once the couple is gone and she is sure they're out of earshot, her whole demeanor changes. Once again, she is the leader of her pack as she turns to look down at her seer. "Alright, you old bitch; What are you not telling me?"
"Sharp as ever, I see," Madam Spot remarks, not surprised in the slightest that it was Roxy to notice that she was holding back.
"Not as sharp as the claws I'm about to smack you with." Roxy's behavior here is typical for her, as it is with most pack leaders. While she could never bring herself to actually lay a paw on the old woman, it's imperative that she remains firm for the sake of her position and the respect she maintains as alpha. "I know how you are and I know all too well how nosey you can be. What else did you see?"
Madam Spot let's out a sigh, knowing all too well that she can't keep it hidden from her. "This transition will not be the smoothest. There will be peace for a time, but it cannot last. He is very strong and that strength is growing steadily. He will be the sole event to turn the tides when it comes - and it most certainly will come."
Roxy groans at the old dog's words. "Do you ever stop being cryptic?"
"You young pups have no patience for the world," Madam Spot says with a lidded gaze. "In moments like this, all we can do is wait and see what happens. Believe it or not, the world does not turn for us; it turns on its own. Nothing ever goes according to one plan, for fate has an unbiased grudge against creation as a whole."
Roxy runs a paw through her hair, letting out a stressed breath at the seer's message. "Please, if only for just this one time, give me something I can actually work with."
"You know all too well why I can't tell you everything. Once fate has decided our path, it is not up to us to change it." Roxy lets out a growl at this, already feeling the strain of what is to come, despite not knowing what is coming. "I can, however, tell you this. There are those that will search for him. As we speak, they've begun marching out in order to find and return him to pony society."
"And..."
"They will find him."