Nuada arrived at the far side of the Everfree Forest as the sun rose into the air.
“Time to see if, my house is still standing,” Nuada stated. Touching down at the edge of the lake, Nuada advanced upon a very large tree sitting in the middle of it. Condused as the old wood bridge looked well maintained. As he approached thin beams of light came out of the foliage and bounced off the lace surface towards the sky. Holding the sword hilt out Nuada touched the tree with it, “Hello Kirito sorry for being gone so long.”
“All is forgiven my lord,” The tree spoke into his mind. At this point the three gems in the hilt began to glow along with the tree, “The connection is reformed all energy is returning to full strength.”
“Good to hear, status of living quarters?” Nuada asked.
“Subspace hole deteriorated during your time away, living quarters in a damaged state, all food stores spoiled, workshop in need of heavy repair, general overview; unlivable,” Kirito responded, a portal forming to the side of Nuada, “Would my lord like to perform a personal review?”
“Thank you, while I’m there please prepare a summary of the general history you have seen with the high points focused on,” Nuada said pulling his hilt away, and stepping through the portal.
“Yes my lord.”
“Sister have you heard from Nuada?” Luna asked entering her sister’s room.
“Not sense he was here a week ago,” Celestia said looking around her room through some papers in her room at the stationary.
“Does thou think he shall forgive us? I’ve never seen him so angry before,” Luna asked taking a seat on Celestia’s bed watching her sister.
“Ah ha,” Celestia stated pulling out 5 golden tickets and set them aside for a minute on the top of her desk. Taking a seat by her sister Celestia spoke, “Luna my dear sister, forgiveness is but a matter of time for those who seek to truly repent for the past. So long as you make the effort I’m sure he will forgive you. As for that rage, you remember what he told us of his homeland it may be that he had too much pent up and just needs to release it.”
“We know this, we just wish for him to talk with us soon, we doth miss him much,” Luna stated, as Celestia nuzzled her.
“I know sister, I missed you both for the last millennia, I think we just need to wait a little more time,” Celestia said.
Nuada stepped out of the portal with a large empty sack across his back wearing a pale blue hand stitched tunic, and a pair of brown wrap pants, “Kirito I’ll be back later.”
“Yes my lord,” The tree named Kirito replied.
“Nurse what happened here?” Twilight Sparkle the purple unicorn asked walking into Ponyville hospital.
“Looks like case of baked goods gone wrong,” the nurse pony with a red cross on her flank stated.
“Not baked goods, baked bads,” the pink pony on a bed said, just prior to puking into a bucket. Moments later spasms rocked the pink mare on the bed.
“Pinky are you okay,” Twilight asked about to leave.
“There is a new not a pony coming to town I must greet them,” Pinky said trying to get out of bed.
"Hold on Pinky, you're in no condition to get out of bed,"Twilight's point illustrated by the sick earth pony puke into a bucket.
"But I have to meet the new not a pony," Pinky argued Twilight's magic holding her down, "if I don't then, gasp, ifIdon'tmeetthemtheywillthinkponiesinPonyvillearerudeanddon'tlikevisitors!"
With a deadpan stare Twilight rolled her eyes, "How about this if you stay in bed I will go greet this new pony."
"It's a new not a pony," Pinky said.
"Okay I will meet this not a pony and then go talk to Applejack, about her needing help," Twilight stated, turning to leave.
"Okay be as happy as you can be and smile, oh and he should be around Fluttershy's," Pinky said as she lied back down.
“That mare is insane,” Twilight thought leaving quickly.
---
Nuada arrived at the edge of the Everfree by noon and found the small village Kirito had told him of, 'Maybe I can get information from the owner of that cottage.'
"Excuse me miss?" Nuada spoke up to a small yellow pegasus flying about feeding small animals.
"Eeep," the butter yellow pony with pink hair froze up upon being startled by the voice.
"Are you okay?" Nuada asked, the animals keeping a distance from him but keeping close to the pony.
"Monster leave Fluttershy alone!" a yell came and a magic blast slammed into Nuada sending him sprawling into a tree. Looking up Nuada saw a very angry looking purple unicorn. As the stun was wearing off he began trying to find the monster only to see none.
"Wait me?" Nuada asked dodging a beam of magic. Twilight must not have heard him as she continued to attack.
"Please stop.... hold up.... STOP!" Nuada dodged her attacks expertly until he got in her face and yelled.
"You can talk?" Twilight asked falling back on her flank.
"Yes I can," Nuada stated glaring, "now then rude little pony I was about to ask this mare where I could get some fruit and some supplies."
"I.. I'm sorry," Twilight stammered, rearing back. Nuada nodded and went to walk over to Fluttershy. Sitting calmly he waited for the yellow pony to move.
"Um Fluttershy you have a visitor," Twilight said walking up to the pony.
"..." Nuada thought he heard a response but was too quiet to make it out.
"No it's not a monster at least he's not acting like one,"Twilight replied.
"If it helps I'm called a human, and I just need directions," Nuada called over calmly.
Twilight's ear flicked back for a moment, when she heard the term human.
“...” Again Nuada heard a voice to quiet to understand from the one called Fluttershy..
“Okay I’ll cover it,” Twilight said to her friend before walking over to Nuada, “please forgive her she is very shy, and please accept my apologies I should not have attacked you like that.”
“I forgive your friend, being shy is hard to get over. Now as for you attacking me that will take longer to forgive,” Nuada stated standing back up, beginning to walk “so as penance please guide me to a fruit seller and a hardware shop.”
“Um okay, I was actually going to go meet my friend who is and apple farmer after I meet with somepony out here by…” realization dawned on Twilight, as she caught up to him “oh no you’re the not a pony I was supposed to meet out here for Pinkie Pie and I just screwed it up. She’s going to be so disappointed with me. I told…”
Nuada listened to the little unicorn spaz out for about half a minute watching her mane start to fray and split. When she went into world ending due to this he bent over and flicked her ear.
“Owch! What was that for?” Twilight asked rubbing her ear.
“Calm down,” Nuada said, “let me settle your many fears. First I am not mad at you, annoyed but not mad, this has happened enough that I don’t really mind anymore. Second if you give me a formal greeting including your name and the name of this town, you will have ‘greeted me’ and I’m sure your friend will forgive you, lastly I really just need help getting around, let's say it’s been awhile since I was last in the area.”
“Oh right sorry, that all makes sense and works,” Twilight agreed putting a hoof to her chest, “I am Twilight Sparkle personal student of Celestia, new Element of Magic, and librarian of the Golden Oak Ponyville library, this town is called Ponyville located in the center of Equestria.”
When Twilight finished with a hoof wave at the town Nuada nodded, “That covers all of that, now please guide me to your apple farming friend.”
“With pleasure while we walk can you explain who and what you are and why you came out of the Everfree forest?” Twilight asked.
“Name is Nuada Lugh, species Human, I live in the forest,” Nuada stated walking.
“Human? Live there! are you crazy there are tons of dangerous creatures out there,” Twilight yelled.
“I am well aware but not much bothers me, as I can outrun most of it, and if I can’t out run it, most things I can beat,” Nuada said, “as for the human part, I am the only one in Equestria that I know of, as to how and why I got here I will not share with you, but know that I am generally a peaceful creature.”
“For being peaceful you move like a well trained guard,” Twilight commented getting an eye raise from Nuada, “well you dodged all but my first attack with minimal movement all the while getting closer to me without me noticing. To dodge and move like that a pony has to be trained in combat usually.”
“First a favor I ask, I am not a pony, so please use the term person, or body, that pony thing is speciesist, second just because I embrace peace doesn’t mean I can’t wage war,” Nuada said as he began to see apple trees, “Looks like we’re here.”
“Oh right,” Twilight said looking about, “she should be out here bucking the trees.”
“That her over their?” Nuada asked watching as and orange pony with a blonde mane and tail, wearing a stetson backed a cart load of apples into a bucket. Nuada rolled his eyes seeing the cart end up perpendicular to the ground and the pony in it fall asleep upside down.
“Applejack,” Twilight said trotting up to the pony, with Nuada in tow.
“Oh Twilight, look I know what you’re gonna say but I don’t need no help from no pony,” the one called Applejack said as she tried to wiggle the cart so she was back on the ground. Nuada watched this for only a moment before putting his hand on the cart and forced it over.
“Thank you but I didn’t need your help…” Applejack paused in her conversation, “now what in tarnation is this Twilight?”
“This is a human named Nuada Lugh, he’s come to see about getting some apples,” Twilight stated.
“Well it’s nice to meet you mister Nuada but I’m a bit busy gotta buck these apples,” Applejack said walking over to a dead tree, and began kicking it.
Nuada face palmed, “a pleasure to meet you miss Applejack as well, and if I may you are literally beating a dead tree.”
“I knew that,” Applejack said before walking off.
“She always like that?” Nuada asked Twilight.
“She’s a born and raised farm pony, a good friend but stubborn as a mule,” she replied before looking over at a mule that had walked by, “no offence.”
“None taken,” the mule said before continuing on his way.
“I have and idea then, thank you for your time miss Twilight, you have guided me to a fruit seller, as such I forgive you for our first meeting,” Nuada stated turning to go.
“Wait what are you going to do?” Twilight asked.
“Getting some apples, don’t worry gonna do it totally legit,” Nuada stated and left Twilight there.
“Miss Applejack,” Nuada called to the exhausted mare.
“What do ya want?” Applejack asked.
“Well I would like to get some apples from you, so I was hoping to either buy them from you real quick or make you a deal,” Nuada stated.
“Yur not gonna leave me alone till I agree are ya?” Applejack said almost asleep.
“Probably not, how about this, I will help you buck these apples until you’re done and I get a bushel of them?” Nuada asked.
“I don’t need no help,” Applejack stated.
“Not saying you do you look strong enough to buck this whole field,” he agreed, “I am merely offering to speed the process along.”
“Look I ‘preciate what you’re trying to do stranger but I can handle this now leave me alone I got apples to buck,” Applejack ordered, kicking a tree. Nuada shrugged at her and walked away. Halfway back to the path he saw a very large red pony walking in his direction.
“Hello,” he said nodding his head.
“Sup,” Nuada replied walking past him.
“Spike can you get me the book, ‘An Expanded Guide to the Creatures of Equus’,” Twilight called from her pile of books.
“Here you go,” Spike said pulling a book from his shelf, only for it to be pulled by Twilight’s magic causing him to fall off the ladder into a pile of books.
“Thanks Spike I know I’ve heard the term human before,” she said reading thru the book at break neck speeds.
*Knock Knock Knock*
“Spike!”
“On it,” Spike said opening the library door, “sorry the library is... closed.”
“Oh my apologies,” Nuada said, “Um is miss Twilight around?”
“Um yeah one second, Twilight!” Spike ran of with the door open.
“What Spike?” Twilight asked continuing to read. Spike moved her head to look at the door that Nuada was standing on the other side of, “Nuada what brings you by so late? Oh please come in.”
“Thank you,” Nuada said ducking his head to enter the building, “I am here because, well you are the only pony I sorta know around here, and I got lost coming back to town and now it’s too late to go shopping. Would it trouble you if I slept on your floor.”
“Like a sleep over?” Twilight’s eyes lit up.
“Kinda but were I just sleep off to the side, and we leave each other alone,” Nuada said remembering the description of female sleepovers in his home world with a light shiver.
“But we could do so much,” Twilight started grabbing a book, then realized the state of the room around her, “eh hehe, um sorry about the mess.”
“No problem for me, how about I just help you and the small dragon over there cleanup?” Nuada asked.
“I’m not small,” Spike said puffing his chest out.
“Oh Spike this is Nuada, the human I told you about,” Twilight said as she began shelving books with her magic, “Nuada this is my assistant and friend Spike, he’s a baby dragon.”
“Nice to meet you Spike, and I meant no insult but from my hight most ponies and such are small,” Nuada said as he looked at the second to top shelf of the library.
“Just so long as you’re not trying to make fun of me,” Spike said in a huff picking books up.
“I would never think of it,” Nuada said sorting books into alphabetical by title.
The next morning found Nuada waking to the sound of Spike making pancakes and Twilight watching him intently. “Good Morning Twilight.”
“Good morning, Nuada, can we talk?” Twilight asked hair seemingly unbrushed.
“Sorry, I think I’ll take a raincheck, I still need to gather things today,” Nuada stated tossing the mostly empty bag over his shoulder.
“Raincheck?” Twilight asked confused.
“We’ll talk in a month,” Nuada said slipping out and running off.
“Noooooo!”
Nuada’s bag was mostly full at this point with some lumber sticking out of the top of the bag he had. He had been napping on the top of a building keeping out of sight of the skittish ponies.
“The horror, the horror.”
“It’s awful.”
“A disaster. A horrible, horrible disaster.”
Nuada looked down and saw and infestation of bunnies and one Twilight Sparkle heading in the direction of the apple farm. Nuada shrugged it off until he saw the shy little pony he’d first meet in a panic over the bunnies. Making sure his bag was secure he hopped down and calmly walked up to the yellow mare, “is there something I can do to help?”
“Oh no the bunnies all got scared and now I need to get them to.. stop.. eating…. the….. town,” Fluttershy finally noticed the human behind her, “eep.”
“Gather bunnies sounds easy enough,” Nuada said stretching a little and began calmly walking up to the bunnies and began gathering them in his arms. Fluttershy watch in amazement as Nuada would gather armloads of up to twenty bunnies and deposit them at her hooves telling them to stay. Moving at an unnatural speed soon all the bunnies were in a group.
“How did you do this?” She asked as she began guiding the bunnies back to the woods.
“Mastering the art of calm,” Nuada said keeping an eye out for stragglers, “many animals in this world seem to be receptive to emotions and the calmer one is the more at ease they are.”
“Um how did you learn that, if you don’t mind me asking that is,” Fluttershy’s voice wavering.
“Spent a few years living alone in a forest made friends,” Nuada said averting his eyes from the pony, “can’t speak the language but I like to think we understood each other.”
“Um thank you for the help, I’m Fluttershy by the way,” she said as they left town.
“Nuada we sorta met yesterday,” Nuada said, “well this looks under control see you around.”
“Bye,” Fluttershy watched him walk back to town.
“Can I help ya’ partner?” Applejack asked as Nuada arrived at the farm house.
“Trying to get a bushel of apples,” he said setting his bag down, “I need to leave shortly, so I wanted to see if you’d be more receptive to dealing.”
“Sorry ‘bout that, meh pride got a hold ah me tighter than one of them fru fru dresses,” Applejack said standing up, “but I’ve learned my lesson, lets see if we can make a deal.”
“Okay, I want to get a bushel of apples, I’m a little short on money, so if I can I’d like to earn it,” Nuada said point to his bag.
“Whew whe, that is one heavy looking bag, alright well bucking needs to be done, lets see ifen ya can buck a tree,” Applejack led him to some apple trees, “the goal is to buck the tree and knock apples down, I’m thinkin ya saw me workin yesterday.”
“Yes I did,” Nuada said walking up to the tree, “gonna go for a different style though seeing as I’m not a pony.”
“What ever suits ya best partner,” Applejack said nodding to him. Nuada took a low stance feet shoulder width apart, lowered center of gravity, and roundhouse kick. As his foot made contact with the tree, apples shook and fell into waiting baskets.