The Equestrian Gourmet

by Gamel_Lightshow

The more we know the less we wish we didn't

Author's Note:

I've scrapped this chapter several times in order to fit into what I want to do and what I plan to end with and such. I'm not good with doing planned content, but it's a lot easier than just drowning on till people grow to resent it for being so long and incoherent.

Also, does anyone wanna... idk... maybe make some cover art for me?

So my fan, as well as a bunch of things, broke and I had to keep delaying this chapter to the point where I just want to post it as so I can finally move to the next chapter.

"Come on man. You just can't keep hiding stuff from me forever." Seafoam nags on while Richard picks plants planted a week ago that is already ready for harvesting.

They're not as big as what the gardener, known as Lucky Clover, grows in the giant ass garden that Celestia and Luna like to walk through in the way to early ungodly hours of the morning chatting about who knows what, but they're good enough for what he needs. And what he needs is the Experience points each one gives him towards his gardening skill. They're just four carrots, two beat, and three celery. If he had one more, he could fill the stupid green bar and gain one experience point to level up again before the week is fully up.

He considered himself crazy for ever think that something like this would actually work, but due to growing the various amount of plants in the room with him as well as tending to weeds in the main garden with the permission of Mr. Clover he would say that this is a pretty effective and efficient system. He also found out that levels are independent of each other while the skills are pretty dependent on each other. It was very unsettling when the system told him new skill branches had been unlocked for him to increase suddenly one day when the bar for cooking ticked to 10 yesterday.

Apparently, when skills reach certain levels they branch up and off towards other skills that can be used in a various amount of ways as well as unlock perks and such for these skills and himself. Being a level 10 cook allows for some of his crafts to now go from normal to uncommon depending on what material he uses. The new skill he unlocked though was to be able to call certain groups of food to him so he didn't have to leave his cooking station. Easy enough to say he was quite upset with the development but tested it to see the range of the skill. It is about 60 feet right now. A pretty effective range for how big the kitchen is, but still not the type of skills he would like to see.

He's kept pretty hush hush about what he's been up to, but the insistent cries of Seafoam to let him be in on what he's been doing and to what ends has been wearing at his resolve. He wouldn't consider him a friend quite yet, but he is very good company. Even if he has his tendencies to try and get things to go his way. It's nothing that a normal human being wouldn't do in his shoes, but still. The more he has to compare these Ponies to Humans he feels himself slipping further and further into what ever clutches put him here in the first place.

"Again. There is nothing that needs to share right now Seafoam. I'm simply minding my garden and indulging in some of my hobbies before Celestia can let me into this mysterious library." Richard says taking a small bite into the carrot finding it of poor quality and quite bitter.

Well, that's what you get for not having a high enough gardening skill and trying to rush these things...

Actually, now that Richard thinks about it, it has been a while since he last talked to Celestia. He hasn't even seen the two sisters on their usual path in the morning for the past two days. Perhaps something is happening behind the scenes he hasn't noticed yet.

... A bad premonition was just said, wasn't it?

"Come on dude. I have a knack for this type of stuff! I can smell your thought just like your cooking! They're delicious! And I wish to serve them to myself!"

... Despite being disturbing and... Nope, that's just it. It's just disturbing for him to say that with that crazed look in his eyes like looking a prey ready to give in to its prey.

"Uhhhh huh." Richard says moving away from his garden and heading into the bathroom, "You can keep rambling on about your conspiracy theories against me while I take a shower alright?"

Upon the door closing to the bathroom, Richard pulls up his screen for his stats. It's mainly his health, mana, stamina, level, experience points, class, and everything equipped to him. Which, other than clothes, is nothing. His max health is 280, max mana is 180, stamina 320, level 10, all his experience points equal to 109, and class is the cook to his disappointment still. Below the main screen is a bunch of tabs for various amount of stuff. He has an inventory tab, a spell tab, a cook book tab, a friend list, a party list, and a chat bubble tag that usually opens to a blank screen telling him no one in range. So that could mean a various amount of things, but he can't speculate anything yet.

He walks over to the tub shower combo and turns the water on just in case Seafoam is trying to listen in on him. He opens his inventory tab and takes out the journal and pencil he has been keeping in there along with a trowel, hoe, shovel, kitchen knife, and gourmet hat. Turns out, the gourmet hat increases his cooking skill by a whole two points when put on. Though his cooking skill is currently 10 matching his level, it doesn't help to be higher in skill levels than level. Right?

He begins to look over various notes, thoughts, and theories he has jotted down since first arriving in this world and obtaining these items. None of them are solid, but he feels like he's coming closer and closer to the answer that'll crack this whole thing open. He jots down some more notes about what does and does not count as gardening. Such a speaking to plants, unless that is a certain skill he can gain while leveling up the gardening skill. For some reason, all the mundane stuff he does either give him zero, one, or two experience points towards whatever it is at a time when either completing a task or doing something related to it. He's worked hard to get to his proud level 10 skill in cooking and level 5 in gardening and it just sucks that it takes such a long time to hop from one thing to the next. In one more skill up, he'll be 11 since the level up system seems to go in 10.

He finally managed to get some fighting in with a knife to see if that could unlock a new skill for himself or increase a skill to help him level up, but he would rather not remember that attempt. There's not help guide, how was he supposed to know the knife would just fly out of his hand if used for anything other than cooking or mundane tasks related to it! It wasn't his fault that the same exact guards making fun of him happened to be close enough for the knife to launch off toward.

Before closing out, he decides to humor the chat system one more time to only receive an actual chat room with one other name besides his own there.

"Beatrix?" Richard asks aloud feeling very confused, anxious, and happy all at the same time.

Could this be a fellow human? Could she have the answers he needs? He quickly hits the chat bar and a mock keyboard spits out towards him ready to be typed on.

Hello?

He waits. Minutes go by with no answer. Soon Seafoam hits on the door and asks him if he's alright in there?

"Yea! I'm about to come out! You gotta understand, us humans have a pretty intense cleaning sessions sometimes."

Another lie, but what else was he supposed to say? He doesn't know who to trust yet. If he was to trust Seafoam with this information, what's to keep his big mouth shut? He still might be a spy for Celestia for all he knows. He doesn't know if either princess trusts him, most likely not, and whether they will simply just execute him at the slightest sign of him being trouble.

He shakes his head of his doubts and fears closing out of everything and cutting off the shower.

---

"Hi, there! Celestia and Luna have told me quite a lot about you and I'm certainly glad to finally be able to meet you!" A very enthusiastic Alicorn says shaking Richard's hand vigorously with a strength he's afraid may just rip his arm off.

"Now calm down there Twilight. No use trying to learn about em if you just scare em off." A more level headed southern sounding cowboy hat waring freckled faced orange pony says tipping her hat towards me, "Names Applejack."

"Nice to meet you both. Applejack and ..."

"Twilight! Oh jeez, I'm so sorry! I just get really excited still sometimes when it comes to learning something new. Especially something as grand as this! When Celestia and Luna told me about your sudden appearance, I wanted to do nothing more than just bring me and the girls as quickly as we can to learn every last bit of info on you and your circumstances to..."

"Now Twilight." Celestia says chuckling and placing a wing on the other Alicorn's shoulder, "You must remember to breathe now."

"S-Sorry Celestia." She says nodding her head once and doing some weird breathing exercise where she holds out a hoof and brings it in before letting it back out while taking a deep breath and exhaling.

"Others? There are more I'm meant to meet besides you two?"

"Sure is! We got Rainbowdash, Fluttershy, and Rarity. Pinkie Pie would be here too, but she's on official business right now due to the Map of Cutie Marks" Twilight says proudly listing the ponies beside herself and Applejack, "I'm sure you've already heard about how we're the Elements of Harmony, but more than that we are the greatest of friends. I wouldn't be where I am currently without them."

"Oh? So you weren't born as you are?" Richard asks while making sure to take a mental note on Map of Cutie Marks.

"Oh no no no! I ascended with the help of my friends helping me discover the true power of friendship and all it can do to everypony. It is a beautiful thing that we will have to talk about more once we have time." Twilight says a very bright and nostalgic smile on her face as she looks at Applejack.

Applejack nods her head along what Twilight says while Richard scratches the back of his head wondering what type of power friendship holds. From all the fantasy stuff he's seen, friendship can deter a god, not defeat it. The way they're talking about this power and Elements of Harmony are making it sound like the ultimate weapon held by only the most elite. He considers finally settling down and reading that book one of the maids brought to him when he brought up not knowing why the princesses seem so important.

Raising the sun and the moon. Who the fuck gave them such power? That is far above the norm for any power. The moon, sure because it's an actual physical thing we can touch with ease, but the sun? That sounds like something the sun god in Greek mythology would be doing.

Moments later the three other ponies in question walk in. The first being a while and purple maned Unicorn who just emits an air of royalty and elegance. It makes Richard wanna ask who's a pretty pony. The second to walk in is a Pegasus emitting a sense of weakness and anxiety with yellow fur and pink mane and tail. Something he can relate to when he was much younger and going through his first years of college. The last being right at her flank is a blue Pegasus with rainbow maned hair and tail giving off a cocky aura. And he thinks that despite the cocky smile on her face.

"Girl! I'm glad you're finally here." Twilight exclaims going to her friends.

"Yeah, what took you so long? Usually, Rainbowdash is ran to get here as soon as possible." Applejack says

"Well, Rainbowdash ran into some of her fans and it took everything I had to pull her away from them before her ego was bigger than her head." The white one says.

"Well, let me quickly introduce everyone." Twilight says more the eager to get introductions out of the way, "This is Rarity."

The one she points do gives a curt bow and I return the same.

"A pleasure." She says.

"Quite," Richard replies having a flashback of pompous customers.

"This is Fluttershy," Twilight says standing beside the weaker looking of the group currently and giving her a slight nudge to look my direction.

"H-Hello." The now named Fluttershy says pawing the ground slightly. Hoofing? Same thing.

"Nice to meet ya."

"And last but not least-"

"The most awesome, spectacular, most daring Pegasus you'll ever find this side of the Applelouisan range! Rainbowdash!" Rainbowdash says doing several backflips in the air before landing and striking a pose.

Humble.

"Always humble aren't ya sugar cube." Applejack says shaking her head.

"Well, how else will he know how awesome I am aside from seeing one of our shows?" Rainbow dash says blowing off a hoof.

"Well if it's as great as you say it is, you can count me in on seeing one."

"Oh, yeah! First human that gets to see the Wonderbolts! I got to let everyone know so we can show you what all we can do!" Rainbowdash says excited and ready to strut her stuff.

Twilight rolls her eyes, "And aside from Pinkie Pie, we are the Elements of Harmony.

"Magic," Twilight says

"Honesty." Applejack says following up

"Generosity." Rarity says tossing her mane in such a way to accent her elegance.

"Kindness," Fluttershy speaks up with a lot more confidence than I would give her credit for.

"Loyalty!" Rainbowdash says doing another backflip.

And despite someone else not being there, Richard could swear he hears another voice says Laughter. Though despite that, he has to give it to these girls. They certainly have something about them that not a lot of people do. Something about being just around them makes him feel lighter in his gut and a bit happier despite his constant thoughts. Maybe the power of friendship is stronger than he gives it credit for.

"So these are the Element of Harmony I speak so highly of," Celestia says.

"They are quite something for sure. My name is Richard and I am a... human." Richard says quickly correction himself before telling his class.

Though I guess he could anyway since it was on his grave... No, the grave he woke up in. Nothing more.

"I'm happy to meet each and everyone one of you. All of you have been so welcoming so far and I'm sure this Pinkie Pie fellow will be just as welcoming."

Rainbowdash chuckles, "You have no idea. "

"So what's the first order of business," Richard asks looking at everyone.

Twilight's grin becomes bigger than he thought was possible, and he is quite perturbed. Her horn ignites and a list appears from thin air ready to be red.

"Well for starters~"

Richard gulps.

Comments

[lonelywhitefox]

The first thing that comes to my mind when I read the chapter was 'The Gamer manga'. Though it could just be a chance and you don't even know of that manga.

[Gamel_Lightshow]

9062088
Yea I actually have no idea about that one but now I wish to check it out. I actually got this idea from reading the rise of the shield hero