Hunting and Festival Crashing
Gar’s POV
I had now been in what was called the Everfree Forest for a few days. In my short span of time here I had managed to figure out how to use my body’s shapeshifting and adaptation abilities rather quickly. I also came to find that Zecora is this world’s version of a zebra and a native of this continent. She explained to me that the locals are called ponies led by a diarchy, but that there are four princesses. The two that are the acting rules are also sisters and a little over a thousand years old and this was their kingdom of Equestria. The third is a rule of an Empire to the far north and the adopted niece of the two sisters. The fourth princess doesn’t actually but is still a princess in name and duties and even has a castle in the town next to the forest. She also has saved this continent from great evils several times in the past with the power of friendship.
‘Had you told of such things before I became the smiling monster I am now I would’ve merely dismissed them as the notions of a childish fairy tale or the ravings of a loon. Now, however, I just don’t know.’
Zercora took some time to explain that the ponies of this land are separated into the distinct races, them being unicorns, pegasi, and lastly earth ponies. They also each have very unique magics as well. She went further into detail and said there was also a fourth race that combined the traits of all three into one, and that was the alicorn and that the four princesses were the only ones out. Zercora did till there was a fifth princess and alicorn but this was nothing more than a foal, or baby unable to speak proper words but understood things well enough. She also told me that the alicorns had a form of immortality, but it was nothing more than agelessness and that the could still be killed by natural or normal means.
All had been going well until the end of the day when I realized that I’d never found out what ponies’ diets consisted of. This thought was brought on by my own growing stomach nonetheless. Zecora had been feeding keeping me nourished on some form of stew for the time I’d been staying with her but after I’d spent a good deal of my energy from learning how to use my shapeshifting and adaptation skills I found the stew to be insufficient means of nourishment for my body.
Zecora explained that ponies are in fact omnivorous and partake in the consumption of a rather large variety of foods, including meats. She went on to say that her kind usually stuck to plants as they were the most abundant source of food available to her village. On the other foot the ponies of this land more or less stuck to fruits which they cultivated in mass on farms, one nearby being the Apple family’s apple farm. For protein, the ponies turned to lighter meats such as fish, fowl, and most poultry, but for the darker meats, they mainly went after small game like rabbits. The large red meats were mainly large predators like hydra and manticore that require specialized skilled teams and large numbers to hunt down.
When I asked about cows Zecora tilted her head slightly and said that they were the females of the minotaur race. ‘Go figure,’
And that brings us to our current place and time in the Everfree Forest, hunting for food. But I needed a disguise to allow me to move through the forest without alerting prey let alone scare a passerby and have the guards called on a new type of monster. Perhaps go into town once I feel more comfortable here.
Thanks to my shapeshifting I had disguised myself as a male zebra as Zercora was my only reference to what equines looked like. The only detail that I’d forgotten had been the mark on the thigh area. Zecora had to explain that in pony society the mark was called a “cutie mark” and that it signifies one’s specialized talent in life. I found this notion to be utterly ridiculous beyond all measure but Zecora insisted that I have one. Somepony, as she put it, would question me about not having one as ponies get them at rather young ages and a fully grown pony without a cutie mark would draw a lot of unwanted attention.
I decided my mark would be related to my job studies to become an astronomer back home. I designed it to have an old telescope-like what was used in the early days of sea firing travel with a starry sky behind it. I took some influence from Zecroa’s mark and made it mostly lines with tribal influences from what I’d seen around her hut.
I was now fully disguised as a zebra. I was an old friend of Zecora’s from her old village across the sea on my own journey of discovery.I was following the stars and mapping them when I was led here to the forest and the stars had told me to stay here. That was when Zecroa found my camp in the clearing, the one I awoke in upon my arrival here, and offered me a place to stay.
So now with my disguise and story no longer up for debate we set out to procure some fresh meat and other edibles for Zecora’s hut, my temporary lair as some might say.
We set out in the later hours of the morning so the beast would be starting to stir but awake enough for them to be out in force. Zecora’s main focus was to gather her plants, partially for her food, but mostly for her potions and various brews and other medicinal and varied uses.
Zecora led me to an area of the forest that was a swamp and mentioned that there was a hydra that called it home. She informed me that hydra can regrow their heads as long as one was left on the body and that this was a stable supply of red meat for many of the creatures that called this continent home, but it was mainly the likes of griffons that hunted the hydras. She also told me to watch out for crocodiles, a type of meat-eating amphibious lizard with a rock-like extra shell-like skin that was nearly impossible to breach with any type of weapon unless it was steel or a magic metal such as magic iron. These cragadiles were considered a delicacy food item due to how nearly impossible they are to hunt due to their natural armor. Zecora demanded I not face these dangers alone as not even with her help would we be able to face off with a hydra let alone a juvenile cragadile but merely ignored these warnings.
I do have to say that I rather enjoy Zecora’s company and the sight of her body is nice and very stimulating. I noticed that my pattern of thinking has become even more analytical and mechanical by degrees and I have to add it was a rather nice feeling to know that she showed such concern for a random stranger that she just met by happenstance in the forest. A stranger that is a variable predator and could’ve easily killed her at any time. I do have to add that not once have I had the urge to kill anything out of bloodlust or even anger.
That being said I arrived at the swamp while Zecora stayed hidden behind the tree line and the hydra took no time to show itself after I released my killing intent. It was a short fight as I returned to my original three-meter monster form and changed my shoulder tendrils to have bled tips and easily hacked off three of the serpent's four heads within a minute. With the heads separated from the body, I wait for the last bit of life to wane for the dismembered heads as the main body scampered further into the swamp. I was informed that the heads would regenerate within a day and be full size in another two,
I noticed the blood in the water and some movement out of the corner of one of my lower eyes. Small what I assumed to be cragadiles were coming out of the tree line, I assume these were cragadiles as they resembled crocodiles made of stone and rock.
I quickly pulled the heads out of the water and Zercora came out looking at me in total shock. “What I have just seen simple word can not describe this scene.”
“I would imagine so Zecora,” I said with a bit of a chirp tone. “But I am afraid we must get these to the hut before any more predators smell the blood in the air,” I pointed to the incoming cragadiles as I reverted back to Gar the Zebra, “I will haul them back.”
We went on our way and got to the house around late afternoon and I got to work deboning the heads and skinning them. Zecora said she could use the skins to make clothes and other things she needed for her home while she could use the venom and teeth in her potions, I took the skulls and the larger bones and started to make a frame for a hut of my home.
‘It’s strange as I was never one for roughing it or camping in the woods but this hunting, gathering, and outdoors survival lifestyle really feels natural to me. I guess you could say I feel at home with my surroundings.’ I thought with a smirk..
It was safe to say that Zecora and I ate rather well that night and the night after that and the night after that. We smoked and dried much of the meat but she also used some of her potions skills to preserve some of the hydra in a type of suspended animation. As long as the meat stayed in the concoction it would stay as good as the day I’d caught it.
In the passing days, I continued to work on my own home with help from Zecora, who had finally stopped rhyming. My hut was further into the forest but not far from Zecora’s home. There was a secondary trail that we carved through the brush that branched off of the one that led to her’s. During our time setting up I noticed that there had been quite a bit of pony activity in the forest in gathering a large variety of plants and animals, even saw a band of griffons hauling out a hydra’s head but they were very beaten meaning the beast put up a fight.
I found Zecora picking herds near the ancient castle that was at one time this continent's seat of power. Even with this place over a thousand years old, I could tell that some form of a battle between two superpowers went down.
I walked over to Zercora who was sitting outside one of the walls. “Gar is something wrong?”
“Why is there so much activity from the ponies lately?” I came right out with it. “I see many of the pegasi flying over and up the forest and up the face of the mountain and a lot of hunters and guards in the forest.”
“Ah, they have been preparing for the Festival of Friendship being hosted in Canterlot,” Zecora giggled. “It is the first big event that my good friend Princess Twilight Sparkle is hosting as the Princess of Friendship.”
“The title is odd but the name of the events sounds rather intriguing,” I rubbed my chin with my thumb and pointer figure.
“I highly recommend we go,” Zecora got up and brushed the grass off her legs. “It would be good for you to meet more ponies and perhaps I can introduce you to Twilight and her other friends.”
“I would prefer to meet ponies in a smaller gathering, say a welcome part from the local townspeople but beggars can’t be choosers,” I gave a simple shrug. “And getting to know your friends sounds like it be a very pleasurable experience as well as visiting the big city and enjoying a festival after the last two weeks of training, hunting, gathering, and building my home.”
“Then we shall leave for Canterlot tomorrow morn,” Zecora decreed. “On the train, we must get bored.”
“Very well,” I nodded. “Let me help you get those back to the hut,” I bent over and easily lifted the baskets of plants and flowers then we headed home for the day.
The next day
We woke up early and walked into the nearby town of Ponyville and as soon as I stepped foot into this place a slight tingling ran down my spine as if someone knew I was a new face in town from far away. I told Zecrora as she merely giggled and I found it quite infectious as I was soon chuckling alongside her.
She wasn’t wearing her usual leather loincloth dress bottom and bra but a sort of grey t-shirt and black skirt. It was nice to see her in normal clothes as it was very cute on her, but I still prefer her usual manner of dress over the outfit.
Unfortunately, my own wardrobe was a bit more on the rough side. I didn’t arrive in clothes and only wore a set of leather shorts that Zecora made for me when I was usually disguised as my zebra alter ego. Usually, when I was behind closed doors I would remain my usual smiling self just a lot smaller. This trip into town required more clothing than a simple pair of leather shorts so Zecora took some of the hydra leather we’d made and made me a set of plants, a visit, and a sort of wide-brimmed hat that she presented to me this morning. I didn’t question the necessity of the hat and gladly accepted it, with a smile of course
Back to current events.
We are now walking through Canterlot and I must say that the city is beautiful but what is more impressive are all of the clashing coat colors of the technicolor pastel ponies. I was already caught off guard by the differentiating color pallets when we’d walked through the town to get to the train station but being in this city was almost like being in a blender of rainbows.
Speaking of rainbows, one zipped around and by us earlier while a lot of these ponies broke into a sing-along, odd but cute but odd. Zecora and I continued to walk around and enjoy ourselves until we came across the rainbow from earlier or at least the pony that created it as she had the same scent as the rainbow.
It was a light cerulean pegasus mare with a rainbow tail and hair that had moderate cerise colored eyes. She was wearing a black sports top with white jogging pants. From her build, she was rather athletic but not a bad sight to behold as she still presented her feminine side rather well.
She was part of a group of six ponies. One was a butter yellow pegasus with moderate cyan eyes, a light grayish rose tail, and hair. She sported a dark green turtleneck with black pants.
Next to her was a blonde hair and tailed pony with a brilliant orange coat sporting a red plaid button-down shirt tied up in a not showing off her stomach with blue jeans with a stetson hat on her head.
The was a pearl coated unicorn with azure eyes, blue-violet hair, and tail that resembled a corkscrew. She sported a frilly white top and black dress skirt.
The next one was an all pink earth pony mare with excessively poofy curly hair and tail. She was wearing a pink long sleeve shirt with three balloons on the front with pink shorts,
Then there was the mare with varying degrees of purple all about herself, She was a little different in that she had wings and a horn, one of the princesses if I had to guess. She had a purple and dark sapphire hair and tail with raspberry streaks in them,She sported a purple shirt with a starburst on it that matched the colors of her hair and a crown of sorts on her head while she was wearing a purple plaid skirt that matched her hair as well.
I didn’t notice until we’d gotten closer but there was a little green-haired youth amongst them who had purple skin, he had a kind of scaly-looking texture to his skin. His eyes were bright electric green. He wore a purple shirt with a black vest and tan cargo shorts.
“There is Twilight Sparkle and her friends,” Zecora pointed out to the group. “Come and I shall introduce you to them.” She happily pulled at my arm.
Twilight sparkle's group
3rd POV
“See Twi,” Rainbow Dash smirked. “I told you, that you got this.”
“Especially since we’re here to help you out silly willie pony princess,” Pinkie Pie giggled as she then turned her head toward the crowd. “Something new is coming over to see us with someone we know.”
“Pinkie dear you’re not making sense,” Rarity raised an eyebrow.
“Ah think she’s sayin that there’s someone we know comin to see us with someone we’ve never met,” Applejack pointed into the crowd. “Is that Zecora?”
“I think it is,” Fluttershy quietly added in. “I’ve never seen her go outside the forest except to make trips into Ponyville every now and then. I never thought she’d come all the way to Canterlot.”
“You’re right Fluttershy, I know the festival is about Friendship and I’m glad she’s here but it’s still odd that she’s here,” Twilight scratched her head.
“Is it just me or there someone with her?” Rainbow pointed out as she hovered in the air.
“You’re right Rainbow,” Rarity put her palm over her eyebrow. “It appears her company is another zebra. I can’t see any definite details from here but it’s definitely a zebra.”
“Is it just me or are they coming straight at us?” Rainbow pointed out.
“They most certainly are comin,” Applejack added as she rolled her eyes. “We’re pretty much the only ones here that she knows in any kinda detail.”
“She’s waving at us,” Spike pointed out. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen her so happy before. She’s here.”
“Hello Twilight Sparkle and company,” Zecora said with joy. “I dope you are fun.”
“Zecora are ya feelin okay?” Aj looked concerned.
“I am fine Applejack,” Zecora smiled.
“It’s just you usually rhyme,” Spike pointed out the obvious question that was on everyone’s mind.
“Oh yes, well my friend found it quite hard to understand my meanings when I spoke,” Zecora gestured to Gar. “And I have found that many others find this manner of speech much better and don’t take me as much of a joke.”
“But she still rhymes every now and then,” said the Zebra stallion next to the shaman.
“Oh so you’re a stallion,” Rarity chimed in with a chipper tone.
“Yes. my name Gar,” Gar took off his hat. “It is nice to meet all of you.”
“Is Gar short for somethin?” Applejack squinted.
“Yes, but that is a need to know thing,” He smiled at the group of mares.
“What is you do Mr. Gar and how do you know Zecora?” Fluttershy looked at him with a soft smirk.
“I met Zecora while I was in the forest running in fear,” Gar smiled. “I grew up with her and have been on my own journey to study the stars. Unfortunately, I went into a bit of frenzied panic and got lost in the forest but came across her in it and she brought me back to her home.”
“You study the stars?” Twilight said enthusiasm.
“Yes but not only study but commune and follow as well,” Gar confirmed before he turned his head to the sky. “I thought pegasus controlled the weather?” he pointed to a massive storm cloud.
“We do,” Rainbow and Fluttershy said in unison.
“There shouldn’t be a storm, I ordered clear skies,” Twilight pulled out a scroll to recheck her list. “Rainbow Dash,” Twilight looked at the pegasus from the corner of her eye.
“Those don’t storm clouds,” Gar interrupted as he scowled at the brown clouds.
“What is it Gat?” Zecora asked with worry.
“I smell exhaust,” Gar scowled. “There is some form of machine in that cloud.” He looked to Zecora and began to whisper. “I’m going to slip off. If things go south get as many out as you can.”
“What will you do?” Zecora asked with worry.
Gar’s POV
“What I can if need be,” I whispered as he silently and swiftly left.nI made my way to the nearest building and grew a set of wings then took to the skies to watch what was unfolding from above as I stayed out of sight and changed back into my true form. “I’ll have to do something but I’d rather not act until I know what’s going on so I’ll watch for now. Be careful Zecora.”
The cloud soon revealed a ship that descended on the city, breaking several of the stone and marble flag posts and pillars as it did. The debris crushed several carts of party supplies and other stands. A ramp descended from the ship and crushed a balloon dog. A little stocky looking man with a white mohawk who resembled a hedgehog in a black suit with an odd blue symbol walked down the ramp carrying a sort of box. He set the box down and it opened with a large megaphone popping out of it.
“Ponies of Equestria, we have come on behalf of the fearsome, the powerful, the almighty Storm King,” the hedgehog man evilly announced, “And here to deliver the evil message, put your hands together for Commander Tempest!”
All of the ponies in the crowd were looking amongst themselves as a form appeared from inside the ship, slowly, out walked a taller pony with a dark orchid coat, deep rose hair and tail with icy blue opal eyes. On her forehead was a broken horn and a scar downward across her right eye.. She was wearing a black bodysuit with a dark navy utility belt with the Storm King’s symbol on both her thighs.
Then from a nearby balcony, the other three princesses flew down and landed in front of the crowd.
The tallest princess had a pure alabaster coat with rainbow tricolor hair and tail that flowed in a none existent wind and cover one of her magenta eyes. She wore a shimmering golden dress and was adorned with golden regalia with amethyst in them.
Second of the princesses had a dark blue coat with cyan eyes, ethereal night hair and tail with twinkles in them. She was wearing a deep navy blue dress and was wearing black metal regalia with diamonds mounted on them.
The third princess was the smallest of the three newcomers and she wore a cyan silk dress her coat was a pale cerise. Her hair and tail were a blend of rose and violet with pale gold streaks. Her eyes were a light purple and she wore light golden regalia adorned with aquamarines.
“Tempest was it?” The largest of the three princesses asked. “How may we help you?”
“So glad you asked Princess,” Tempest smirked. “Hw about we start with your total surrender and then you can hand over all of your magic.”
“Hi there,” Twilight slowly came out from behind the. “Princess Twilight Princess of Friendship. I don’t know what going on so let’s talk, I’m sure there’s something we can work out.”
“Listen up,” Tempest said in a commanding tone as she slowly walked down the ramp, “I need your magic ladies now please give it up or we’ll make things difficult, for everyone.” She emphasized the last bet of her sentence.
‘I don’t like where she is going this,’ I thought to myself as I readied to strike.
“And why should we surrender? There are hundreds of us and one of you,” the blue princess said without fear.
Tempest gave a slight evil chuckle, “I was hoping you’d choose, hehe, difficult,” and dozens of creatures started to move behind her. Soon more airships appeared and creatures jumped from them into the crowd of ponies, insighting panic amongst them.
“Crap,” I said as I shot down.
Suddenly Tempest jumped up and kicked some sort of crystal ball at the princesses. The pink one jumped in front and cast a shield of ice blue magic but couldn’t the ball back. It hit her and soon she turned in a black stone statue.
“Cadence!” The white one shout in fear before turning to the blue one. “Luna go south past the Badlands. Seek the help from the Queen of the Hippo-” she couldn’t finish as Tempes kicked another orb at her turning her into a statue as well.
The blue took off flying, “I won’t make it,” I said through my teeth as Tempest kicked another orb hitting the blue alicorn mid-flight. She was falling but I saw Twilight catch her with her magic.
“Luna!” Twilight shouted as Tempest giggled while jumping up again as she kicked another orb at Twilight.
“Not this time,” I said to myself as I shot down fracturing the ground sending large chunks of it up as orb was about impact. The was a green fog but it was blocked out by the dust I had kicked up.
“What?!” Tempest shout in surprise.
I looked down to see a cower purple princess as she looked at me. “You heard your mentor’s message?” I asked quietly and she slowly nodded at me. “Good, then flow her instructions. I know I look scary but you can trust me Twilight. I’ll hold Tempest and her goon squad off while you and your friends escape.”
“Grubber, what happened? Why the orb explode like that?” We heard the angry voice of Tempest. ‘Where’s the princess?”
I looked back at the still shaking princess. “As soon as I throw off the rocks, you run,” She nodded
3rd POV
Tempest looked at the mound of earth and rubble in front of her with a scowl on her face. “Grubber!” she called out to her second in command. “Find her now!” Tempest stomped her hoof as magic crackled from her broken horn.
“Right away boss!” Grubber saluted and started to run off while calling out. “Okay, guys come we gotta find the princess!”
Tempest moved closer to the mound. “How?” she leaned in. “How did she dodge the obsidian gas?” A small piece of rubble fell and tapped her head. “Unless she didn’t, she buried herself” The mound began to shake. “She’s not trying to…”
BOOM!
“RAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!”
Rubble was sent flying in every direction as what could only be described as a monster emerged from inside the mound. Tempest had managed to jump out of the way but some of her surrounding forces weren’t so lucky and ended up crushed. She looked on in horror at a monster she’d never seen before, I monster that wore a truly sinister sharp-toothed smile on its face.
She was so fixated on the monster she didn’t see the last princess slip away to her friends. The monster however stared at her and roared again.
“RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!”
“GUARDS TO ME!” Tempest shouted as she snapped back to reality.
A battalion of the creature ran to her aid but before the could reach her a tendril shot from the monster’s shoulder in lighting speed and cut the incoming reinforcements to shreds. “Guards!” She shouts as more monsters came to her aid. Electric colorful magic sparked form Tempest horn and shot at the beast. Its arm suddenly shifted into a shield. “What in Tartarus are you ?”
“The smiling Monster,” it replied showing quite a level of intelligence. The beast continued to ripped and slash apart the other storm creatures, but more and more ships were coming and it didn’t have infinite energy and stamina.
“Keep hammering it, Cannons fire on that beast!” Tempest yelled to her ship.
“I’ve done my part,” the monster smiled evilly as it raised its hands and slammed them into the ground sending up debris and a dust cloud up. In the cloud, he shrank back down to a snake and slithered after Twilight and her friends.
“Twilight what was that thing back there?” Spike asked as the ran from the storm creatures.
“I… I …. I don’t know but every pony just keep running,” Twilight replied in fright as the came to a bridge but on the other side were more storm creatures.
“What’d we do?” Rarity panicked.
“We fight!” Rainbowslammed her fist into her palm.
Twilight charged her horn with magic and shot a beam at one of the creatures but it was deflected back at the ponies from the creature’s shield. He ponies dodged and the blast hit the bridge shattering it sending the ponies into the water. The smake monster saw it and jumped in after them and wrapped itself around the group and inflated itself slightly as they all tumbled over a waterfall off the mountainside.
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Zecora x Gar
I decided my mark would be related to my job studies to become an astronomer back home. I designed it to have an old telescope-like what was used in the early days of sea firing travel with a starry sky behind it. I took some influence from Zecroa’s mark and made it mostly lines with tribal influences from what I’d seen around her hut.
I was now fully disguised as a zebra. I was an old friend of Zecora’s from her old village across the sea on my own journey of discovery.I was following the stars and mapping them when I was led here to the forest and the stars had told me to stay here. That was when Zecroa found my camp in the clearing, the one I awoke in upon my arrival here, and offered me a place to stay.
I walked over to Zercora who was sitting outside one of the walls. “Gar is something wrong?”
Zecora
“What is it Gat?” Zecora asked with worry. Gar
“So glad you asked Princess,” Tempest smirked. “Hw about we start with your total surrender and then you can hand over all of your magic.” Fix to how
“Hi there,” Twilight slowly came out from behind the pure alabaster one. “Princess Twilight Princess of Friendship. I don’t know what going on so let’s talk, I’m sure there’s something we can work out.”
“What’d do we do?” Rarity panicked.
You need an editor baddly or pirate word for the spellcheck and look before saving the file it hel avoid obvious grammar errors. I think we have a grammar nazi group that might help.
Well shit... Coming so late into the game... That bad
Less time to get the MC establisment and his skill development... Im curriouse how he will cope.
Interessting way to be a introduction.
follow
Zecora
*Looks to the mane 6* Not bad the menue.
Behind! I do give it!