The Equestrian Omni-Knight

by Azure5555

Sidework: The Guardian of the Forest

Author's Note:

This was actually supposed to go up waaaaay before the Fire Orb Arc... Apologies in advance.

I stood before the Everfree, a gate emblazoned with Harmony’s sigil had formed over the currently closed off forest.

“I don’t think you should go in, this all sorta screams ‘trap’.” I flinched and took notice of Veral. Empowered by the Orb, she readied her axe as she hovered by my side.

“Trap or not, I promised Trixie I would find...what did she name him?” I asked my ghostly floating companion.

The ghost snapped her nonexistence fingers. “Cancer!” Only to put her paw on her chin. “No that's not it… what did she call him…”

“Answer.” I stated as I inched closer to the wood made gate.

“Yeah that's it! It was Question!” She said in mock excitement, complete with outstretched arm and pointed paw.

“I ever tell you how adorable you are?” The sigil upon my hand resonates with the gate as it too began to glow with all the colors of Harmony.

“I like to hear you say it every now and aga-hey wait don’t go in-” Veral’s last few words had been cut off as I made my way through the opened gate, which shut behind me once I past the threshold.

“Without me.”

---

-Everfree Clearing-

The forest was… beautiful. The crooked trees that had once been decrepit and devoid of life were now this awe inspiring shade of dark brown and covered in lush green foliage and vegetation… though they were still quite crooked.

The ground at my feet hummed with energy, a sign that anything planted within the soil would no doubt grow fantastically!

The entire area had been flooded with small green orbs of light which not only lit the once frightening forest, but did well to accentuate it's newfound beauty.

“There's no way this is the Everfree Forest.”
My musings and footsteps had seemed to alert something, or somethings as the shrubbery began to shake.

Three Timberwolves exited the bush and gave me these… … really really weird and adorable expressions. The middle wolf barked and motioned for me to follow them.

“Meh, trap or not, I can't resist anything THAT adorable.”

The wood wolf lead me deeper into the forest until we reached a wide clearing, hovering in the middle and thrumming with elemental force was my clone.

He had this… serene look in his eyes, as if everything that lead him to this point in time mattered little to him.

“And yet all of it does indeed matter.” The empowered and floating clone stated.

“Did… did you just read my mind?” I asked as I approached with caution.

His stone covered feet touched upon the ground in a slow descent, his blackened hair writhing in anger as his golden wings folded into his back.

“Queery. What brings you here, when you should be out there?”

“Trixie wants me to bring you home, so here I am.”

My clone gave a soft laugh as a… coffee table… and a pair of chairs rose from the ground. He motioned for me to sit with him, a pair of wolves setting down a pot and a pair of tea cups.

“Please, rest your weary feet. You have questions yes?”

Taking my seat, a sweet brew was poured into my cup. I took a sip and… well it was beyond anything I'd ever had.

“Mm… wow. No, okay… wow.” I kept blinking, my mouth unable to process the intense flavor. “Questions… questio-oh, yeah. I don't want to sound rude or anything, but uh… you sound really… uh…”

“Intelligent?” He tilted his head, his own cup held close to his chest.

“Yeah. I kinda had the impression your growth would have been stunted in some way.”

He looked away, his right hand daintily making contact with an orb of light.

“I have this forest to thank for that I suppose. It's raw and untamed magic began to mold me, it hoped to control me, yet in the end it was I who controlled it,”

The orb was absorbed into him, a faint glow graced his form for a second.

“So here we are, in a forest once again graced by Harmony.”

“But the plunder vines-”

“Now give back, as they were meant to do.”

I mouthed a visible ‘Oh’ as it was really all I could do.

“Um… Wait… no. Trixie. She wants you to come home.” I say as I place my now empty cup on the table. “That was some bomb ass tea though.”

My clone stared into the forest solemnly, his wild hair setting his own empty cup upon the table for him.

“Yes, that is what you came for. She must have prepared everything for my arrival, yes? Even a name if I am to guess.” He tilted his head toward me with a smile. “Tell me, what has she christened me?”

“That's a weird way of phrasing that question… She uh… She calls you “Answer”.”

He chuckled. Not a demeaning ‘wow what a git’ kinda chuckle but a ‘ah it reminds me of the hunt’ kinda chuckle. “As if the answer to her prayers. Not the name I would have chosen but if that's my name, then I shall wear it with pride.”

“So… you coming?”

“No.”

“Woah hey, no no no no no no. She MISSES you. You're coming back.” I say as I get up from my chair and stare the man down.

He rises, the table and chairs sinking into the ground (not before some wolves picked up the dishes though).

“She has every right to see me here, I promise her safe passage, and a home should she so desire.” Answered… Answer.

“Okay, yeah, but… we could really use your help out there, you know… where all the shit keeps hitting the fan?” I say as I gesture both arms out to where it was I came in from.

“And yet I must stay here, so that if one day the “shit” out there becomes too much, you and yours have a place to find refuge.”

His wings flared out, his hair went wild and the fires upon his arms began to roar.

“At least give me something to prove that you're still alive, asshole.”

The air grew thick with tension, he took a step back and took a fighting stance. “I believe I shall, but only if you can prove your worth. Ahem, Asshole.”

*Sigh* “Oh find me in the Alps… why’s everybody gotta be so difficult...”

Wings flared, I soar straight to my target. He sidesteps, believing he has me where he wants me.

He’s wrong.

With a quick burst of Chaos Control, I rush him from his left. Poor bastard barely has time to look at me as his ribcage is impaled by the inhumanely large crystal that is my Lost Blade of Thagnul.

“SURPRISE ROSE!”

‘I’m sorry did he sa-’ A mass of diamond dense stone kicks me in my chin as he jettisons me skyward and pummels my chest with his feet. He strikes me back down after the ninth kick, all the while floating down ever so gracefully.

‘Nokay, he’s got moves…’ “I'm sorry, but where in the BLEEDIN’ HELL YA LEARN TO DO THAT!?”

“Whatever I am, you made me.” He rushes me and begins throwing punch after air splitting punch.

“You may know everything I'm going to do,” I let a left hook slide along my cheek so as to cartwheel my legs onto his neck and bring him down to the floor. “But I know everything you're going to do!”

He fakes me out and I slide back, rushing in again with a charge of Ball Lightning. Answer does the same as we both shout:

“STRANGE ISN'T IT!?”

If it weren't for the inherent wild force of the Everfree, chances are the blast of electric blue magic would have been seen for miles…

After a while of just standing about like a couple of mooks, Answer just started laughing like a hyena caught in a bear trap… Which got me laughing like a hyena in a bear trap, which got us funny looks from the Timberwolves.

---

-Home-

“So… he didn't come back.” Trixie said more than asked as she looked down at her tea.

“I'm sorry, Trix, but he did leave you with something.” I placed a heart shaped pendant on the table and slid it over to her. It was made of dark and enriched earthen materials and glowed with a serene light.

She took the pendant in her hooves and balanced it in her grasp. “It's… it's beautiful…”
She smiled as her voice began to hitch and tears fell from her cheeks. “I think I'll go see him…”

Comments

[CroisSunnyPlay]

Love that Sonic reference.

[Azure5555]

9265975
I thought it was a nice touch.

[Lord BLACKHUNTER]

I just got done binge reading. I can't wait to see the next arc. I would love to see the cmc make some problems in the next arc.

[Azure5555]

9279689
Actually... Hmm...

[Chris Russell]

From a Mirror to Canterlot High look for wicth one hold her in this storie