I found myself looking at the portal back to Equestria, I gazed into its purple void and began to wonder if now would be a good time to return. I gave the impression that I needed to cool down…to be honest I do. But moping about the loss of a part of what I am wouldn’t do me any good.
I heard footsteps behind me. It didn’t sound like an NPC came to me. Sometimes they do when they find something interesting but that’s about it. It’s like they don’t really care what happens to me as long as I have gold. I assumed the demo guy was coming to give me another one of his terrible but convincing pitches about dynamite.
“Hello my lord.” That voice however didn’t sound like wolfGear or an NPC. I spun around and looked into the eyes of my intruder.
I was momentarily speechless. In front of me was one of my older characters named Jungle God that I’ve created a long time after I upgraded wolfGear to molten armor. He had green hair and green pants and shirt and shoes. His skin was very pale like it would reflect the sunlight and make the world a whole lot brighter. His eyes were also green and mystical up close.
I was impressed by how friendly he looked. He looked like a guy you would trust your life with…but he didn’t look that strong.
He was used for a role playing in a server. I directed adventurers and let them into my jungle hut and helped them run around the jungle. It was fun.
“Um hi…You’re who I think you are aren’t you?”
“Who do you think I am my lord?”
“I believe you are Jungle God. Tell me, do you have a pen of bunnies by any chance?”
“No they were lost in the last map.” He looked at the floor sheepishly. “I miss them.”
‘Are all my role playing characters here?’ I thought to myself.
“Do you know how you came here?”
“When wolfGear…died.” He winced at those words. “I’m sorry master I’m not used to the idea of being…gone for good…Anyway when he died part of your life that he stole poured into me. I’m not sure if the others are here too.”
“Others.” I said while my heart drops to my stomach…
“Yes others.” Said the green haired man confidently. “…My lord are you ok?” He said concerned with my twitching eye.
“Dark Wolf…If he’s here.” I said to myself.
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At the far left of the floating sky home was a massive black tower. There were many levels in this tower and many traps. The outer walls were three layers thick. The first and last layer was corrupted brick, however the center was filled with lava to punish those who try to skip whole sections of the labyrinth.
In the very top of the tower was a figure on the throne. His demon wings and six red light saber swords made him a difficult to defeat foe. His necro armor made his demeanor very threatening. His body was obscured by shadow and his red eyes were hard to see with the dim light.
“Shadow Master!” He shouted and his voice reverberated through the millions of halls and floors of the dark tower.
A shadow started to move in the background until it moved toward the light. Another figure appeared. Only this time the figure was wearing shadow scale armor.
“Yes? What do you want?” He said hostilely.
“Spread the corruption throughout Terraria. Then go to Equestria and give them my gift of the corrupt forces.”
“Very well. And if I should fail?”
“I will no longer give you protection from my traps. And I will make sure you have to go down every single flight of stairs.”
Shadow Master grumbled angrily and walked up to Dark Wolf. Wolf threw the seeds at his feet and it was picked up by Shadow Master.
“Take care not to be seen by the murderer of wolfGear.”
“Puppet Master?”
“Yes. That traitor. Gives us all life just to STRIKE US DOWN! But I will not let him kill us. But I will make him suffer! The corruption will serve me and the hollow will be removed! SEND OUT THE CORRUPTORS! They will help you with your task.”
“Yes lord wolf.” He backs into the shadows and disappears from view.
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I crafted a green light saber for Jungle God because…that was his color. He jumped for joy like a child at Christmas. It was quite adorable so I let him have his episode.
“OH THANK YOU MASTER THANK YOU!”
“Why do you keep calling me master?”
“Well you created me. It’s only natural I hail to you.”
“Fair enough. I need to introduce you to all my friends. Follow me through this portal.” I emphasized my point boy presenting it with my hand. “Quickly before we waste the day light.”
“Yes my lord!”
We both bum rushed the portal and hilarity ensued.
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A lone Corrupter floated above the cloud layer high enough so no one from below would be able to spot it easily. It used its many eyes to scan the landscape of Equestria. A new place for its master to call home.
It spotted an area far from villages where the trees grew tall and obscured the ground below. Perfect for the domain of his master. The Corruptor moved with haste to the location and once it found itself below the tree canopy it lobbed a ball of corrupt spit at the ground below.
Upon impact the corruption spread instantaneously. Within five minutes of spitting at the ground the lone corruptor has covered much of the area with the corruption.
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After our fit of laughter from rushing the portal we began our trek through the Everfree and along our way a thought occurred.
“Jungle God do you have any special skills?”
“Not that I know of my lord.”
“We’re in a forest. Your environment. I’m sure you can do something.”
He looked around and observed the forest and had the deepest expression on his face. Like he was looking through the trees and seeing them. Not just looking at them but actually seeing everything about them. His gaze passed me and it felt like he was staring into my soul. But it was like a friendly entity was rummaging around it seeing what can make me tick.
“Sorry master.” He apologized and winced when he realized he was doing that.
“Not a problem. What’d you find in me?” I said raising an eyebrow.
“Well I know you miss wolfGear. But you’re over that because of me.”
“True true.”
“Also you like it when people look up to you.”
“Aw I miss my posy.”
“They sound wonderful my lord.”
“Yea…I don’t need them anymore. Now that you’re here everything’s ok.”
“Thank you my lord.” He seemed so happy that I praised him. Maybe I should do it more often.
‘Why is he so happy to serve me? I know I created him but this is almost obsessive.’
“Can you do anything with the trees Jungle God?”
“Yes my lord. Watch closely.”
He held out his hand to the sky and I watched in amazement as the grass grew into vines and wrapped around his leg. It grew farther up his body to wrap around his torso and made its way to his arms. The vines wrapped in between his fingers and a flower bud grew in his palm. It bloomed into a beautiful yellow flower.
“That’s what I can do my lord.” He said proudly.
“Well you will be very useful to convince ponies that not all humans are bad. You’ll calm them down if they seem apprehensive. OH and look into their soul or whatever you did to me. That was calming.”
“Excellent plan my lord!”
“…Thanks. You know you don’t have to refer to me as your master all the time. You have your own free will now…well actually mine but it’s free will nonetheless.”
“M-…I don’t know Master. How do I go about being free?”
“Well you need to make decisions on your own. What do you want to do?”
“Serve you my lord.”
“…”
“Is something wrong?”
I sighed audibly. “This will take a while.”
“My lord?”
“Let’s get to Ponyville.” I deadpanned.
Walking the rest of the way I kept hearing vines moving and trees rustling. I knew it was Jungle God but I chose to ignore the tree following us because I like it when trees come to life and stalk me while I go to a friend’s house…fucking trees.
Though when we neared the edge of the forest it occurred to me that Jungle God does actually suit him…however it’s not cute and cuddly like a pony name. Besides Jungle God or J as we used to call him isn’t catchy anymore.
Radiant Garden? Red Rose? Flower Garden? Van Vine? Trip? Ent? Mr. Cuddles? This is difficult.
“I think we’ll need to change your name though.” I said out loud before I realized what I said.
“Why my lord?”
Well it’s out there. Might as well play along. “Well it’s not pony enough…Van Vine? Do you like that?”
“Yes my lord. Anything you suggest.”
“Or Radiant Garden?”
“…My lord?”
“Which one? It’s your name so which one?”
“I…I don’t know my lord.”
“Then think about it. Don’t tell anyone your name until you know what you want to be called.”
“I want to be called what you want to call me my lord.”
“But that’s not good enough. If you want to serve me then fine. I order you to learn to make decisions on your own.” His eye twitched and looked at me with a blank expression.
I waited for five full minutes….NO REALLY, five full minutes before he showed any sign of movement. I could see him breathing but at the fifth minute he looked straight ahead and at the trees. I knew what he was doing…he was asking the forest. Trees have no free will. They don’t need it, they’re trees. But I’m sure they can still help him.
“They call me the tree herder my lord.”
“Tree Herder?”
“Yes my lord.”
“An Ent then…do you want to be called Tree Herder?”
“No…maybe…It’s what the trees want my lord.”
“Then maybe you should take their advice.”
“Yes my lord. I want to be called Tree Herder.”
“They call you a tree herder. The name for those are called Ents. They want you to be their leader my green haired friend.” I said giving him a friendly smile.
“L-leader?”
“Their master. Like I to you.”
“I’m not ready.”
“Neither was I.”
“But you’re born with the ability to lead. I’m not.”
“Who told you that? Because whoever it was they lied.”
“My lord?”
“Ask them. What name would they give you?”
He looked back at a fairly large tree to the right of us. He looked at it for a while and spoke to the tree on levels I could only dream of.
“They call me…Walking Garden. Because I let them grow on me, and I helped them grow.”
“Walking Garden? Ok I liked Van Vine but-.”
“It will be Van Vine!”
“Stop it’s Walking Garden!”
“Sorry my lord.”
“Let’s just get to Ponyville.”
We continued to walk. The whole way he picked up various plants and shrubs. That is until he picked up a blue flower. He started to giggle every here and there until I got so curious as to why he was laughing.
“Garden what are you laughing about?”
“Oh this lovely blue flower my lord. It calls itself poison joke! It’s played many jokes on many creatures of the forest and it’s sharing with me some wondrous tails of little jokes it’s played on a few mares recently.”
How is he not affected?
“Will it play a joke on you?”
“No my lord, it is my friend.”
“Ok good. I’d hate to see you part of another’s prank.”
I put up with his little giggles and we reached the edge of the forest. I looked back at him and almost burst out into tears from laughter. He was literally covered in vines and bushes. If he were ten I would hug him because of how adorable that was.
The trees were right. He is an Ent. Even though I kinda made him that way.
“My lord?”
“Hahahahaha! Oh wow Garden you’re such a tree hugger.”
“Is that a compliment my lord?”
“Yes it is. God I love you, you little bundle of bushes and fun.”
“Thank you sir.”
We walked into the town and basically everything turned to look at the bush. Even the birds and animals turned to look at us. The ponies stared at us and started talking. Some were worried and some were just confused. I looked back and realized that Garden was hiding behind all the bushes. Only part of his face and his eyes were showing.
“What’s wrong?” I asked him.
“They’re all looking at me.” He said like he was scared.
“Come out of there. They’re looking at you because you’re a bush.”
He slowly poked his head out and put down all the bushes. But he kept the vines with him.
“Bye bye plants.”
‘Wow he actually said goodbye to them?’
We continued into town but the level of staring went down. Walking Garden walked more confidently next to me and for some reason got closer to me than when we were walking without the eyes. He must be shy…
Wait…He’s a lot like Fluttershy. Only he likes plants more…right?
“Hello?”
I looked for the source of the unknown voice and I found a mare with crimson mane and tan coat. She was looking at Walking Garden.
“Hello?” he mirrored.
“I’m Roseluck, what’s your name?” her smile was deceptively cute.
However I noticed her eyes trailing over to the blue flower every few seconds. Garden had it bound to his shoulder. I knew her question would be about that flower in general.
“Oh um. M-my name’s uh.” I looked at him and screamed in my head.
‘YOU CAN DO IT J!’ But my attempt at telepathy was a failure and he didn’t even look in my direction to see my trademark overjoyed smirk.
“M-my names…Radiant Garden.”
“I’m sorry what was that?”
“Radiant Garden.”
“One more time?” she said tilting her head to the side in confusion.
“Radiant Garden.”
Wow that surprised me. I thought it was Walking Garden…did he chose one of my names?
“Oh that’s a pretty cool name. Do you know what flower that is you have on your shoulder.”
‘Can someone pick the phone up? CUZ I CALLED IT!’
“OH yes this is poison joke. It’s a very funny flower.” He smirked.
“Oh so do you have the cure for that on you?”
“I don’t need a cure. It won’t poison me.” He said with a small smile.
“I haven’t heard of a pony not being poisoned by poison joke. In fact I don’t think you know about it at all. How do you know it’s not going to poison you?” She said with a skeptical frown.
“Because I can control plants.” He held out his hand that was wrapped in vine and he grew a bud on the vine. It bloomed and got a mortified expression from Roseluck.
“H-h-how? That’s just…wow you’re so cool!” the newly named Radiant Garden blushed at her compliment.
“T-thank you.”
“Hey I run a flower shop, do you want to come with me and talk about all the different types of flowers? I have a few friends that I know would like you.”
He looked back nervously toward me and then back to her. “I-I’m sorry I’d really like to-”
“OF COURSE HE CAN!” I butted in. “Besides Garden I need to stop holding your hand soon. I used to control you but now you have free will and I want you to exercise that will as much as you can. If you get in a jam…well head home. But don’t do that because you’re afraid.” I handed him my magic mirror. “This is a nice place Radiant Garden. I want you to feel safe here, and the only way to do that is if you meet new ponies.”
“Yes my lord.”
“Wait wait hold up! You used to control him?”
“My name is Puppet Master. Radiant Garden was my puppet until he got my free will. Now I want him to use as much of it as he can or he might end up being a slave forever. And I don’t want that. Will you take care of him while I’m gone?”
She thought it over in her head. “Sure I’ll watch him. Come on Radiant Garden, I have ponies to introduce you to.”
She grabbed his hand in her mouth and dragged him away from me.
“Help.” He said pathetically.
“Sorry buddy no can do. I’ve got places to go and you’ve got friends to make!” I waved him off.
‘God I hope he doesn’t use that mirror too early.’