When I’d first became sapient all those months ago, I had followed my prey as instinct had told me to, which meant that I spent much of my time hunting north east of me. Later, when I had become aware of Zecora, I had continued to send my puppets in that same direction
South west and due west were mostly marshes and bogs — poor soil and few animals. Because of that, I rarely traversed that way. Even with my expanded range, I gave little thought to an area that made up almost a quarter of my territory. So, imagine my surprise when, upon reaching the western edge of my territory, I found myself among row upon row of ally-trees and there were no timberwolf trees in sight.
Oh, I should probably explain. Ally-trees are a type of tree that is similar to my kind, but not, like a zebra and a pony. Unlike most of the other trees, the ally-trees have lots of magic, like us timberwolves. They always grew near us; our magic helps them bloom, and their magic helps us lure in more prey and defend us from lightning. Tending to the needs of the ally-trees is instinctive in us and deeply ingrained in our behavior. Even after my awakening, I’ve spread the seeds and tended to the saplings of my own allies.
The ones here looked tired and sickly, and every last one of them was hibernating. That was no good at all. Well, they were clearly in my territory, so it was my duty to help them. Striding up to them, I dug my wolf’s claws into the hard soil, and grimaced. Without my moving roots nearby, the soil for these trees was too densely packed and wouldn’t drain well enough. Maybe for another tree, this soil would have been fine, but ally trees were notoriously picky. And, to top it off, there was way too little organic matter in the soil. Seriously, they needed the same dense layer of rotting plants and animals that I did.
It would take time to fix this soil, and I didn’t know how much I could do from this distance. Hmmm... perhaps Zecora would know if there were any tools that I could use to help them. The Other vaguely remembered that farms had tools that could help, and Zecora did say that there was a village just beyond the northern border of my territory. I’ll have to see if she can enlist any help.
For now, all I can do is wake them up. I’ll come back later for their seeds. Even if I lose them, I will preserve their children.
I gather my magic, that inexplicable energy that wells up from the very core of your being and that flows in blood and in sap, and release it into the air. Each and every one of my puppets howled to the great light of the night. We sang.
Awaken,
Awaken,
Awake, our allies.
Bring forth your seeds.
The ally-trees stirred. They answered my call. Their magic was weak and feeble. It will take time for them to bloom, but already I could feel the energy building in the air. Dark clouds gather as the trees come alive, sparking and hissing as they awake.
I nod, satisfied that I have done my part. I’ve expended a lot of energy, and it is tiring having my puppet out this far, especially without the sun’s warmth. Knowing that there is little more I can do now, I have my wolves retreat to me for the remainder of the night.
As I retreat, I hear a loud, metallic clatter in the distance, a sound that I find excruciatingly unpleasant. Hastening my retreat, I barely hear a voice shout out, “The timberwolves are a howlin’! The zap apples are comin’!”
I let my puppet rest in the shade of some lesser tree. Without magic to bolster their minds, their thoughts — if you could ever call them that — revolved wholly around flowers and the sun. Thankfully, they were quiet as well, so my rest went undisturbed.
And yes, I do grow tired at times; I only have so much strength. I'm just a tree — a magnificent one, to be sure, but even I have my limits.
I was roused by the sound of voices approaching me. Sniffing, I recognized one of the three approaching me as Zecora, so I lowered my guard somewhat. As for the other two, I did not know them. However, one of them frequently traversed the rows of my ally-trees, so much so that her scent clung to practically everything in the area.
I sniffed again. This time, I could pick out more of the subtle differences between them and Zecora. Were they ponies? I think so.
Finally, they were close enough to Lycan for me to hear clearly. "Zecora, how much further is this fella? Ah can't go too far from the orchard; the zap apples are comin' in and Ah have to be ready."
"Yes, Zecora," the other voice said, "I'm curious as to how much further into the Everfree we need to walk to get to this pony. I'm also curious as to why he'd need to be all the way out here, in this icky, nasty, and damp forest."
"Do not worry, Rarity; this shall provide some clarity." She paused and sniffed the air. "Lumber Jack, I know that you're here; the scent of blossoms tells me you're near."
I chuckled; it was a deep, gravelly sound that Zecora's throat couldn't replicate. Then I stood Lycan up to its full height. My wolves were already twice the size of Zecora, and Lycan towered over even them. Lycan could probably eat both ponies without getting too full.
Stepping out from behind the tree, spear in hand, I enjoyed the look on their terrified faces as they gazed upon me.
The feeling of holding power over others is something I could grow to enjoy, it seems.
"Zecora, are these them?" I asked as my baleful, luminous green eyes examined them. The orange one had dense, strong muscles all over her body, all of which were tensed and ready to run. In contrast, the white one was visibly weaker and possessed more body fat. To me, the latter looked both tastier and easier to catch.
Of course, I pushed those thoughts aside as quickly as they came, though it didn't completely remove my first impression of them.
"Yes, Jack, these are the ones for which you ask. Applejack and Rarity are up for the task," Zecora replied.
"Good." To each of them, I handed a small strand of my flowers. "I'm Lumber Jack, pack leader of the southern Everfree timberwolves, but you can just call me Jack. I would like your help, if you're willing to give it. My friend Zecora said that both of you could help me."
"A talkin' timberwolf. Now Ah've seen it all," the one Zecora identified as Applejack said.
Rarity was still staring at me, so Zecora nudged Rarity and told her in a whisper — one that I could still overhear — to accept my gift. She nodded, composed herself, and then levitated my flowers towards herself, and in the process caught my full attention; Zecora never mentioned that ponies could levitate plants like I could.
"Thank you, darling. These flowers are really quite beautiful, and they smell simply divine," Rarity said. In response to the praise, the flowers perked up just a bit more.
"I'm glad you like then; I grew them myself."
I would later realize that Rarity was a pony who loved bringing beauty into the world, and anyone who shares that passion is almost immediately granted respect in her eyes. But in that moment, all I knew from her face was that I had just opened the door to friendship with her.
Applejack also seemed somewhat placated by the fact that I grew flowers. I don't think she was picturing the right meaning behind my words, though, but either way, both ponies looked and smelled more at ease.
"What did ya need from us?" Applejack asked.
“Zecora said that you take care of trees, correct?” She nodded, so I continued. “There is a type of tree we timberwolves care for in exchange for protection and food. Recently, I acquired some more territory and I came upon a massive grove of these trees, far more than even my whole pack could care for, all without timberwolves of their own. Their soil was so hard and poor, it’s a miracle that they even survived this long. They tell me that they only ever have enough strength for a single crop of fruit all year - just one! They should be bountiful all year, with ten harvests that last more than a single day each! They’re desperate, and I don’t have the strength or time to care for them all. You have to help me save them! I’m sure they would love for you to have their fruit if you help them.”
“Aww shucks, of course I’ll help you save them. These trees, they wouldn’t happen to be zap apple trees, would they?” Applejack asked.
“I wouldn’t know what you ponies call them, but I can see that being a fitting description. They bear a rainbow-fruit that-”
“Yep, those are zap apples,” Applejack declared, cutting me off. “Mah family grows many of them, and we have been growing them for years; ah think ah can help ya real easily!”
I couldn’t help it; I scooped her up into a tight hug. “Oh, thank you, Applejack! Thank you!”
“ACK! Put me down!” the orange pony cried out. Sheepishly, I obliged. She stepped back and then rubbed her neck, where some of my Lycan’s sap had spilled on her. “Bleh. This stuff stinks.”
“Sorry,” I said.
From the brush, I sent out one of my wolves. The two ponies jumped back, while Zecora barely spared it a glance. “Here,” I said, this time through the wolf instead of through Lycan. “Follow me; I’ll show you the trees and what’s wrong.”
“Wait, there’s another one of ya talking wolves?”
Both puppets cocked their heads. “No,” they said. “Just me.”
“But yer there.” She pointed at Lycan. “Ya can’t be him,” she said, referring to the wolf.
“One mind, many puppets,” Lycan and the wolf spoke together. “I have twelve puppets: eleven wolves and one lycanthrope. They are all controlled by me.”
“Puppets? Huh, that actually makes a good lick of sense. That explains why you get back up if you're smashed."
Her words triggered a memory within me, from the time before I burned, and before the Other's memories became my own. Ah, so that's why she smelled familiar. "It was you that kept hitting me in the face with rocks!"
She paused, trying to recall what I was talking about. "Wait, you were the wolves chasin' Spike! You were gonna eat him."
"Meh, I was an idiotic beast back then, and the lizard did trip over the old pack leader's claws. What creature is dumb enough to trip over a timberwolf's leg?"
"Hey, don't insult Spikey-Wikey like that!" Rarity exclaimed.
"He was in my pack's territory; he should have known better," I replied, shrugging. Really, I had no idea why they were so upset for the sake of a lizard, nor did I care. "Anyway, Applejack, can we get moving? I need you to look at these trees."
"Zecora, are ya sure that he's safe?" the orange pony asked, looking over to the silently waiting zebra.
Zecora nodded. "Although I wouldn't trust him with my life, I am sure that Jack intends no strife."
"Zecoraaaa... I thought we were better friends than that."
She snorted dismissively. "He's turned over a new leaf, it seems. He now has his own hopes and dreams. There is no need for a heart of ice; I find that he can be quite nice."
Applejack looked at Zecora critically. "Fine. If ya think he can be good, I'll give him a shot." She turned to my wolf and waved to it. "Come on, you. Let's go take a look at your trees."
I smiled. Don't you worry, my allies; help is coming.
Now all that was left was getting clothes from Rarity. Granted, it was a much less important issue than the health of my allies, but it still mattered to me. "Rarity, Zecora told me that you're a seamstress, yet I find her claim suspect. If you can make great clothes, why are you not wearing any?"
"Excuse me?" she asked. Her tone was level and inquisitive, rather than defensive as I had expected.
"It's just that both Applejack and Zecora are wearing some adornment, and I have never seen Zecora without her jewelry, and rarely without her cloak. The wilted hunter is a poor partner; I see no proof of your supposed skill."
Rarity scoffed, "The forest is hardly the place for my creations. Why don't you come back to my boutique with me and we can make something for your... unique stature?"
How rude... "No."
"No?" Rarity echoed. "Why ever not?"
"My puppets cannot go beyond the forest's edge, and as for the real me, I am very much a part of the forest. If you think that your creations are too good for a forest dweller, then I should take my business elsewhere," I answered.
The seamstress's eyes went wide. I thought she was aware that she had offended me, and I had my suspicions confirmed a second later when she said, "No no no! I didn't mean it like that. The garments that I create are all very delicate. To wear them in a forest with unpredictable weather and all that mud and filth would destroy them."
"Then your products are inferior to my needs," I replied. "I guess I'll have to go back to making my own clothes." But ugh... tanning. Why does it have to involve fire?
"No!" Rarity shouted pleadingly. "Let it never be said that Rarity failed a customer's request! I accept your challenge of making extremely durable clothes fit for a forest king! Let's talk details."
AJ is gonna feel either insulted or embarassed that the unhealthy zap apple trees are the ones her family planted.
6454461
Wait, they are? Wow. Can't believe I missed that. Thanks.
This is really going to be interesting then!
6454461
She's a shrewd businesspony however, she'd see this as a way to generate far more zap apple jam that ever before. While the law of supply and demand would cause the overall price to drop, I can see her utilizing zap apples in other ways that could not be thought of before due to their extremely small window of time to harvest. Zap apple pie? Heck, zap apple cider! I bet that stuff is more powerful than a 5 Hour Energy drink and tastes awesome-- unlike Redbull's claim, this new stuff might actually give you wings for real, heh. Who knows, maybe even Lumber Jack might like to sample some Zap Apple jam on his roots? It's probably just as magic-saturated, as the critter's blood he has been soaking up.
I do hope the story maintains it's casual lope. There's still quite a number of characters that could interact with Jack, willingly or not. Jack could even explain why the CMC get splattered with tree sap so much. Unless it's one of those mysteries of the universe, like Pinkie Pie. Still, now that AJ and Rarity know of Jack, it's just a matter of time before the other four thrust themselves into the tree's life for better or worse.
Looking into the future, as news spreads, opportunistic ponies such as Flim and Flam will no doubt try to make bits off Jack (forcefully harvesting the Viagra-flowers comes to mind) while xenophobic ones would grab a can of oil and a torch looking to "end the dangerous menace before this cunning blood-drinking tree kills everypony". Those kind of ponies are in Canterlot however, the sane bunch in Ponyville will probably just shrug, call it a typical Tuesday after learning of Lumber Jack, and go on with their lives. (When you live in Ponyville, you have very few bucks to give)
Overlapping territories? This could prove troublesome.
MOAR!
6454461 Well to be fair they didn't have timber wolves looking after them before.
Heh, 420 likes...
I ruined it!
Never thought I'd be such a fan of a tree
6452338 I made that thing as more of a joke, really. But if you're to take it seriously, who am I to complain?
And I find that tidbit fairly fascinating. Characters like that, with a very primitive view on life, add a new perspective for others to see from. I wonder how he, a being that lives through the law of the jungle, would understand the idea of 'good' and 'evil', or 'harmony'. He'll latch onto 'friendship' fairly quickly. He'd probably understand 'chaos', more than likely. But the idea of him not understanding their societal standards will certainly make for both humorous, and deeply philosophical moments.
For example, he sees nothing wrong with killing a 'bad guy', because they threatened him. Law of the jungle. Strong survive, the weak perish. How will they react to that? And how will he react to their reaction? Or how about Pinkie Pie's parties? He may not understand the point of a party, or anything else of that sort.
This is why this kind of character is so awesome. Keep it up, lad!
I can't wait till Twilight finds out about Jack. Oh the funnies, I can see them now.
He's too human, much too human, his personality should be just developing but this seems to fleshed out,
This is really interesting, even more so for being in the third timeline.
AJ is going to be so embarrassed when they end up at her grove of zap apple trees.
Heh, thanks for the map, that really helps me picture it better. I had always thought the Everfree was West of Ponyville for some reason
lose
stir
apples
Keep it up.
Wait. Are the Zap Apple trees that Jack saw grown by the Apple Family, or are these different trees? Because if they are grown by the Apple Family, why did Applejack not take offense to how Jack criticized their health?
Or... are they going to find out that they are in fact, the Apple Family's zap apple trees the next chapter? That can only end well...
~FORESHADOWING!!!~
That is one hell of a baller reputation Lumber Jack will carve for himself in Equestria!
Mayhaps he might learn to spread his mind's range through earth-pony assisted grafting!!!
Oh my god with AJ and Zecora, Lumber Jack will learn both mundane and magical agriculture sciences! The Forest King is going to turn the Everfree into his personal garden-fortress!!! He'll create literal breeding grounds for stronger, nastier, more specific-utility oriented flora and fauna!
Lumber Jack is Fangorn and Saruman rolled into one!
I can't wait for Lumber Jack to send a graft-beacon to Hollow Shades! Big Bad #2 will be discovered there!
I FORGOT ABOUT THE DEER!
That first-contact scenario is going to be insane!
6455252 Well, he did have about four months of self-discovery and observation of surroundings. On top of him being infused with a human's sapience and basic knowledge, it's not much of a stretch to think he developed a personality.
EDIT: And i just thought of this, but it's never specified how much time has passed between him meeting Zecora face to face and now. Could be a couple weeks.
Was kinda 'iffy if I should read this at this late of night...
Fucking WORTH IT!
Clearly, the solution for Jack's main "body" to move is to build a giant flowerpot on treads.
6455625
>fangorn and saruman rolled into one
So he's going to destroy vast swaths of forest while protecting the forest? But seriously, Fangorn is just a forest protected by ents. Nothing special about it. And Saruman... well, a wizard SHOULD know better.
And now, apples and clothes are friends with the wood~
6455604
1. AJ probably hasn't realized, yet, that the zap apple trees in question are her zap apple trees.
2. even if she did, she might-MIGHT-be more willing to take advice from the expert on how to properly care for the magical trees that her family just barely knows how to care for.
3. Though it's more likely she'll react hilariously when she does find out.
Wonder how AJ will react to the rare zap-apples producing ten times the usual amount?
Nice chapter, good work.
this is avery interesting story. im curious to see how it develops. ill be tracking this
How far away is the Tree of Harmony? I'm guessing its about 17-20km away from Jack judging by the map.
That will be an interesting conversation.
6457084
Closer to 25-30 km. The original map has a "not to scale" written on the bottom, and I've always pictured the Everfree as a much larger forest than its depicted as. The comics have an entire minor kingdom of deer hiding in the Everfree; there's no way that they could hide that many people that well in a forest the size depicted on the map. Now, while I'm probably not going to have the comic's deer in the forest, but there is something there.
6456385
Blood for the Blood
GodTree6458880
In essence, yes, though nowhere near as malicious.
This is relevant:
6458881
DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA JUST HOW LONG IT TAKES MY KEYBOARD MONKEYS TO TYPE THIS SHIT UP?
*Cough cough*
I mean, of course you can, little Dagon, just as soon as my CRYSTAAAALLL SSSLLAAAVVVEEESS get back to work.
*Cough*
One more try... yes, I'm working on it.
The wood in this story is about as hard as mine!
6458998 no where near as long as my keyboard monkeys. lucky bastard.
6459199
Let me guess, you have a palm tree with plenty of coconut oil?
You know, Lumber Jack's already been deflowered, and if he ties his aphrodesiac flower strands in a loop and gives it to a mare, that mare would get lei-d.
Can you say the same, sir, or do you need some aloe for that burn?
6459385
It's a rare occasion when I thumbs up a comment, and you just got one. Well played, well played indeed.
6459385 I hate to admit it...you win...
Aww, I've already reached the latest chapter? More waiting to be had, hrm...
In any case, this story gets a Like, Fave, and will be Tracked,
Wow, this story has gotten me hooked! Having a character as a tree works remarkably well! Bravo~!
I do find this interesting. Can't wait to see where this goes with the Zap Apples. I see a lesson in humility on the horizon should the Rich family decide to push the Zap Apples for all they're worth.
This is surprisingly good. I am reading about the life and times of a tree. . . A friggin' tree! Yet its soo very interesting that I still hope more is to come soon.
Even if a small part of me is saying I shouldn't put too much hope onto the story, as "unplanned" stories tend to be cancelled (even worse if cancelled on a cliffhanger).
6462878
Meh. I once played a rock in a forum role-playing game.
It looked different to each person who saw it (but was the same rock for any given person).
You could tell how it felt, though you were never quite sure how. (It looks happy!)
It would move and things would happen near it, but only when nobody was looking. (Wait, how did that rock get on my chair? Where'd all my pens go?)
It was an amazing psychiatrist. (It was a good listener.)
I wonder what a zap apple favorite soil components? I hope apple jack accepts the care methods I don't think ponies would feel comfort in knowing the food cycle of life and death.
Moar horse words, please! (or, in this case, wood words)
6463718
She's farmer. She have pigs. Figure out, does she know about life and death cycles.
Also, Fluttershy is vet. And some of her animal friends are carnivores. Figure out about her too.
6464525 true but the lupine tree gonna do it old school on her first probably involving rotted decomposed corpses with bones and that funny smell of death that put herbivore on edge see how he following a method he knows by instinct he knows what they need and like and normal soil and methods ain't gonna cut it with these magical trees. I'm worried applejack just might not find it worth it but it depends I guess if she give it a chance.
6458563 Krone starts a green house now on the Heresy channel
6464623 Putting decomposing fish in the beds of flowers and berry bushes, has been a long standing natural way of fertilizing soil, that avoids many of the pitfalls of modern chemical fertilizers. Another similar agricultural practice is using mulch, which Jack actually mentions in the piling of organic material of plants and animals over his soils and roots.
That's Jack's territory? You do realize it touches a house in Ponyville?
6495607 Future shenanigans involving Fluttershy perhaps?
Oh dear god... Can it be?... Do these wolves of timber... Praise the Sun?
SOLAIRE GET YOUR ASS OVER HERE WE HAVE MORE PEOPLE WHO WORSHIP THE FIERY SUN!!!!
6456162 You forget, the trees in Fangorn have a sort of sentience. I forget how the book says it, but in the movie Legolas says, "They have feelings, my friend. The elves began it, waking up the trees, teaching them to speak..."