A Displaced story. Marshall, a Toriko fan, is sent to a Gourmet Age Equestria. Read as he makes friends through food and battles rare ingredients. “To the world that has bestowed it bounty upon us, we give thanks. Itadakimasu.”
Disclaimer: Blur the Hedgehog does not own My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic nor Toriko. They are the sole properties of their respective owners and subsidiaries. Thank you.
Summary: The Butcher, when most think of this title they think of the gory blood filled mess that Hollywood has portrayed. The Butcher is nothing like that. If The Butcher is doing their job right, you can see no difference between them and a surgeon. This is the mindset of Marshall, a Toriko fan and newest displaced. Empowered by the Gourmet Cells, he shall travel the Gourmet Age seeking new flavors and friends to share them with. “To the world that has bestowed it bounty upon us, we give thanks. Itadakimasu.”
“Yum, yum, yum!” A male voice stated. The voice belonged to someone wearing a pair of blue jeans tucked into brown construction boots. He wore a blue-grey t-shirt under a red jacket with the sleeves torn off at the elbows. He had a mane of curly brown hair that stopped at his shoulders. His overall build was a balance of strength and speed. Around his neck was his convention pass with his name: Marshall. “The food court at this convention is so good.” He exclaimed as he took a bite out of some food he got at the international food court. He bought a small sampling of every food from each country. “Dongos from Japan, Swiss chocolate, hot dogs served Coney Island Style, genuine Greek gyro sandwiches. This place is awesome!” Marshall laughed out loud as he passed some merchant stalls. “Listen to me carry on like that;” he took another bite from his sandwich, “I must sound just like Toriko when he eats good food.” He noticed the food he was carrying all added up to one bite, so he simply stuffed it all into his mouth. “While the food does make a great memory, I cannot take it onto a plane to take home now can I?” He reasoned as he looked at the merchandise on each side of him.
“Perhaps I could help you stranger.” A slightly creepy and raspy voice spoke from behind him. Upon turning around, Marshall saw a man dressed as The Merchant from Resident Evil 4. Before him was a wide selection of items from multiple genre. He saw power ups from platforming games, weapons from shooter games and many books from various cartoons and anime. However the thing that drew his eye the most was a hook and cleaver set made of semitransparent blue plastic. The overall design of the set looked like they could fit around his hands.
“These are perfect.” Marshall said as he picked up the items. “These are the perfect accessories to finish my cosplay.” A light bulb flashed above his head as if the universe was waiting for his revelation. ‘Wait a second,’ he thought as he took the merchants appearance was too perfect. ‘Those missing people from the blog seemed to have bought something from a guy like him.’ He looked at the items in his hands, ‘And here are the items I need for my outfit.’ “To heck with it.” he stated as he gave the man a serious look, “You’re one of the guys causing people to disappear, aren’t you?” the merchant chuckled and nodded, “Alright then, if I go through with this, I want something put straight now.” He held up a finger, “First off, I want the place you send me to have anthro people.” He held up another finger, “Secondly, I would like a representative from the IGO to be there when I appear.” He raised a third finger, “Lastly, I want my journey with Toriko to start when the Rainbow Fruit is ripe.”
“Your terms are acceptable stranger.” The Merchant said as he was paid three hundred for the props. “I’ll even have your convention pass turned into a Gourmet Identification card for free.”
“Cool,” Marshall stated as he then started to feel dizzy, “Wish me luck.” He fell back as his world faded to black. The next thing he knew he was getting awoken by a ship’s whistle. Marshall opened his eyes and saw he was in a rather Spartan room on said ship. The first thing he did after getting up was to shape his hands like the props he had bought and scrapped them against each other.
*Shing* *Clink*
“Glad to know that works.” Marshall stated as he stood up only to bang his head against the ceiling. “Ow, that’s right,” he moaned as he rubbed his head, “My OC was loosely based on Toriko and he was the second tallest of the Heavenly Kings.” A knock on the door catching his attention, “You may enter.”
“Good day to you Marshall.” A man in a three piece business suite said as he opened the door. He wasn’t really anyone of significant note in the anime, one of the generic character models the show used to flesh out crowded areas. “Are you excited about your first assignment for the IGO?”
“Oh I really am.” Marshall stated although he was a little confused as to why he was on a boat. “In all of my excitement, I may have forgotten what the assignment was exactly.” He gave a sheepish smile.
“I suppose that is to be expected from a new graduate.” The man stated, “Well then to refresh your memory, I am agent Lee. We have been assigned to an expedition to investigate a previously undiscovered island group.” Agent Lee handed Marshall a Manilla folder with the IGO logo. Inside was a high altitude photo of a group of landmasses. Marshall instantly recognized it as Equestria. “The IGO wants us to document the largest of the island group. The Gourmet Cartographer that is coming with us will be documenting the landscape.” He then pointed at Marshall, “Your job is to defend the team and test the ingredients that we encounter.”
“That seems straight forward,” The Gourmet Hunter nodded, “What if we meet an indigenous people living here.” The file was closed and handed back. “A place that big, it has to have some kind of native people.”
“Then we are to establish a peaceful report with them and see if a trade route can be made.” The agent stated. He held the photo of Equestria and pointed at a certain spot. “We will be making landfall here,” he pointed at a spot that looked like a horseshoe. “We will then fallow the river inland.”
“How long will it take until we get there, Agent Lee?” Marshall asked as his nose twitched. ‘The cooks in the Galley must be working hard to make enough for me.’ He chuckled and walked toward the door. “Don’t want to run out of food before we get there.”
“We left the docks a day and a half ago.” Lee stated as he followed the Gourmet Hunter. “Seeing as how we are on one of the fastest Gourmet Liners around, we should make land fall within three and a half days.” Lee smirked, “We have no worries about running out of food. The president gave orders to pack enough rations to feed Zebra for a week.”
“He’s gonna take a potshot at you for saying that ya know.” Marshall said nonchalantly. A thought came to Marshall as he looked down at his hands. “I should probably train to keep my skills up and with the length of this trip I don’t want to get rusty.” Marshall said aloud in a way that wouldn’t seem suspicious. Marshal soon got into a routine; he would spend hours honing his skills with his Butcher Tools. By the time the coastline of Equestria came into view, he had improved the reach of his Hook to three feet. His Cleaver could now break the bones of a moose like beast. His Hot Press Punches could reach 300 degrees Fahrenheit and his Cold Press Kicks Reached -300 degrees Fahrenheit. Marshall was currently on the bridge of the ship looking out at the ocean. He was helping the lookouts keeping an eye out for Equestria. Suddenly, through the binoculars he was using he saw the glint of something in the distance. “Could it really be?” Marshall asked as he adjusted the device in his hands. He saw what looked like a large port city with tall skyscrapers and air ships flying above it. “Captain,” Marshall said as he lowered his binoculars, “Call agent lee up to the bridge.”
“What is the problem,” Agent Lee asked looking at Marshall, “The captain asked me to come here and sounded urgent.”
“You know that plan B the president wants us to use.” Marshall said still staring forward, “We may have to use it from the get go.” Marshall pointed at the distance and handed the binoculars to Lee.
“Is that a city?” Lee asked astonished at what he was seeing. “I guess you were right about a native people living here.” He adjusted where he was looking, “Seems like there is a place we can make port.” He then saw something approaching the ship. “I think the natives are coming to us.”
Marshall took a set of binoculars and spotted a group of creatures flying toward them. Their general appearance was that of a human with horse like add-ons. Instead of feet, they had hooves and the tops of their heads had pony ears. Coming off their backsides were tails and meeting the shoulders were a pair of wings. The thing that stood out most was the law enforcement uniforms they wore. The one at the head of the formation held a megaphone in her hand. She had a sea green coat and sun yellow mane and tail. Her steel grey eyes were hidden behind orange sunglasses. When the formation got within a few yards they stopped and the leader raised the megaphone. “Attention unidentified vessel, this is Captain Steady Wind of the Baltimare Port Authority.” Her voice was just as commanding as her appearance seemed to hint at. “Drop anchor and prepare to be boarded.”
“Do as she says Captain.” Agent Lee stated getting a nod from the captain. “You and I will head to the main deck and speak with this Captain Steady Wind.” Lee walked toward the door as he spoke to Marshall. “With any luck, we may get the diplomatic affairs settled faster.” As Lee and Marshall stepped onto the deck, Captain Steady Wind and her fellow Pegasus ponies landed. “Captain Steady Wind,” Agent Lee said as he approached the mare, “I am Agent Lee of the International Gourmet Organization.” He handed her his badge to look over, “I, along with Gourmet Hunter Marshall, am the leader of an expedition team sent by the IGO to explore and map out this continent.” He pocketed his badge before he corrected, “At least that was plan A if the land was uninhabited, plan B was to get in contact with the leader of your society and establish a peaceful and lucrative agreement between us.” During his talk Steady Wind’s wings seemed to twitch however to the rest of her squad she was actually giving them their orders.
“We’ll have a message sent to Princess Celestia,” Steady wind stated as two of her squad flew off, “My team and I will escort you to the harbor.” Even though she had schooled her features well she still held some satisfaction about one piece of the regulations she had to follow. “When we get there, we are going to demand that you and your crew get checked by our medical staff and be inoculated.”
“I hate getting shots.” Marshall groaned as he rubbed his right arm. “Not only do they hurt, my family is notorious for having hard to find veins.”
Later that evening in the center of Equestria, a city sat on the side of a mountain with a castle above it. In the throne room of said castle sat a pony woman wearing an ivory white dress and golden jewelry. Upon her head sat a golden crown with her multi colored mane and tail blowing in an unseen wind. This was the alicorn princess Celestia. Her beautiful face that normally held a serine smile was now marred by a concerned frown as one of her many guards had finished giving her his report. A dangerous beast was driving the more vicious predators from the depths of the Hayseed Swamp. Many of the outlying settlements had been sighting Timber Wolves and Hydras. Her little ponies were in trouble and she had no idea what to do. “You’re Majesty,” a unicorn stallion clad in gold armor said as he came in with a scroll. “We have received a message from Baltimare.” He levitated the scroll to her.
“A foreign ship was sighted in the waters off of Baltimare.” Celestia said aloud as she read the report. “The crew was sent by something called the International Gourmet Organization to explore Equestria.” She then saw something that made her think. “They have a person known as a Gourmet Hunter.” Her eyes widened at the description of such a person. “A gourmet Hunter is someone that is capable of taking on creatures that would normally need several well trained Army Platoons to kill.” She then looked at the report from the Hayseed Swamp. She stood up and walked toward the door, “Sargent contact my chariot team and tell them to be ready to leave for Baltimare in a few hours.”
“Yes you’re majesty.” The stallion said as he left to do just that.
“Captain Steady Wind,” Celestia said as she penned a letter to the captain after she summoned a quill and parchment.
Chapter two: Hunt the King of Hayseed Swamp – Marshall VS the Cragadile.
Someone once said, out there in the world deep in the mountain’s, spires of rock candy grow and shimmer like rare jewels, Jewel Candy Caverns. The world is in the great Gourmet age, an age where people quest to discover unknown and wondrous delights.
Marshall sat in his room on the ship massaging his arm. He had been poked and prodded by the medical staff of the Port Authority. He was certain that the good Captain was having a laugh at him. The medical staff stated that he and the crew were safe to walk about the city as they all seemed healthy. He was currently waiting for the go ahead from the princess seeing as how she had the final say. “All this red tape makes doing anything a god damned nightmare.” Marshall growled before his stomach growled. “I was so hoping to try the food here.” He wiped the drool from his mouth as he walked to the galley. The galley of the ship while just as Spartan as his room it had tables and chairs that would not be out of place in a small Bistro.
“I’ve never had a salad like this before.” Captain Steady Wind stated as Marshall walked into the room. She was sitting at a table with Agent Lee a look of bliss on her face and sparkles in her eyes. “The leafy greens are so crisp and the vegetables are so flavorful.” She then looked at the little mollusk sitting on the table next to her, “Not to mention this little guy here.” She stroked its pointed yet bulbous head getting a happy chirp from the little guy. “A Dressing Squid you called it.” Agent Lee smiled and nodded. “Fascinating, to think that somewhere out there are animals that naturally secret condiments instead of ink like normal animals.”
“I once saw a herd of sheep that was covered with cotton candy instead of wool.” Agent Lee chuckled seeing the childlike wonder on the grown mare’s face. “If all goes well here, you might be seeing an influx of exotic foods like these.”
“The way through red tape is through their stomach.” Marshall laughed from the buffet table, loading his plate high with food. Lee and Steady Wind turned to see him all but clear the table of food. “Sharing the food of one’s home with others makes it taste all the better.”
“Are you going to be able to eat all that?” Steady Wind asked a little shocked by the pile of food. “I’ve seen stallions try to be all macho and pile on the food only to not even finish a quarter of their plate.” She saw the glee on Marshall’s face as he sat down and start eating.
“As a Gourmet Hunter,” Lee explained not even the least bit surprised by the scene he was seeing. “Marshall has a higher nutritional demand than a normal person. One of the most extreme examples of a Gourmet Hunter’s appetite would be a man known as Zebra.” At the shocked look from Steady Wind. “He is in prison for eating several species to extinction.”
“That’s not Lee making Zebra out to be a cocky bastard,” Marshall stated as he stopped eating to join the conversation, “That is a documented fact.” Before Steady Wind could retort, a flash of light came from her badge and a scroll appeared. ‘All ways wondered how Celestia contacted her other important ponies without a dragon assistant.’ Marshall thought and saw the royal crest.
“A scroll from the Princess,” Steady Wind said as she picked up the scroll. She opened it and seemed to speed read the message. Her eyes widened and she jumped to her hooves. “You need to come with me.” She stated as she pointed at Marshal. “The Princess wants to meet with you specifically.” She then noticed the empty plates and was about to question it when she shook her head and handed Marshall the scroll. “Your occupation has caught her attention and she wants to test your ability.”
‘Something pretty big must be happening if she trusts a foreigner to deal with it.’ Marshall thought. “Alright, if that is what she wants, that is what she shall get.”
“The princess will be meeting us in the conference room back at HQ.” Steady Wind stated as she stepped onto the deck. “I’ll fly ahead to let her know you’re coming.”
The Baltimare Harbor was full of ships loading and unloading cargo. Marshall saw the ponies of the harbor gave looks of either confusion or mild indifference. Thankfully the Port Authority office was within walking distance of the ship. It was a rather plain looking three story building with a plaque over the entrance that said what the building housed. He saw a golden chariot out front with four anthro Pegasus guards clad in gold armor standing near it and something that surprised him the most. Attached to the chariot was four Draft Horse looking Pegasus. ‘So the Equestria I was sent to has both anthropomorphic ponies and regular beast of burden horses.’ Marshall thought as he passed the four guards. The first floor of the building was designed for tourists and had a stairwell to the left and right of the main floor. Marshall walked up to the receptionist and said, “I’m here to see the Princess.”
“She is waiting for you in conference room three upstairs.” The brown earth pony mare said pointing to her left.
“Thank you.” Marshall said as he made his way up the stairs. The next floor had the conference rooms and all of them were the same in appearance. A long table and chairs around each side. In the room with a three on the door, Marshall saw the Captain sitting with a woman who would make most in his old world jealous of her beauty. “Princess Celestia, I presume.” Marshall said to the regal mare. ‘I’m still wondering if gravity can affect her hair.’ “Why did you want to see me?” He asked as he sat down across from Steady Wind.
“For the past few weeks,” Celestia said and handed him the report from Hayseed Swamp. “Some dangerous creature is causing the more vicious predators to leave the deeper part of Hayseed Swamp.” She sighed sadly, “If some beast is dangerous enough to cause a Hydra to flee the depths of Hayseed Swamp, I fear my little ponies might not be enough to stop it.”
“This beast sounds like it is a Capture Level 8 or greater.” Marshall stated as he read the report. “The big question right now is,” He leveled a stern look at the princess, “Why are you asking a foreigner you’ve known about for, at the very least, half a day?” He pointed at Steady Wind, “The Captain here said this assignment was going to be a test for me.” He took a deep breath in through his nose, “You don’t have the scent of one who has spent their entire life in luxury. If I had to guess I would say you were at one point a front line fighter. Experience like that means you’re a strong woman.” Celestia was surprised at the man’s analysis of her scent. “So I ask again, why ask me to do this as a test?” The princess suddenly saw a being rise up from behind Marshall. This being was humanoid in appearance and looked like it was made of stars. In the being’s chest was a black hole and when she looked into its eyes she was looking into a pair of spiral nebulas.
“You’re wrong about me being strong.” She seemed to say before she could register her words. “While I won’t deny that I am magically powerful I was not strong enough to prevent the one I cared about most from succumbing to darkness.” She shivered as the memory of that day came to the surface. “In the one thousand years since that day I have had doubt plaguing my mind. These doubts have left me questioning my worthiness of my title of princess.” The truth of her words seemed to wash away the image of the perfect princess and leave behind a tired war veteran. In spite of her natural beauty she suddenly looked much older. “I understand if you won’t take the assignment.” She started to say when Marshall cut her off.
“I will be taking this assignment.” Marshall stated getting a surprised look on her face. The being behind him reached out and gently pet Celestia like a vet calming a wounded animal. “You showed me a side of you that you have not shown to anyone in a long time and you showed it to a stranger.” He placed his hand on hers, “Since you have told me something deep and personal, it is only right to do the same.” Marshall pointed over his shoulder. “I take it you saw him, right?” Celestia nodded and he continued. “What you saw was a manifestation of my gourmet cells, the secret to my power. Not everyone where I come from can do this but those that can are usually strong enough to take on a beast of a capture level of 50.” He thought back to the info he learned from the internet. “These people go on to give their manifestations a title, mine is known as The Butcher.”
Both Celestia and Steady Wind shivered, “That is a very disturbing title.” Steady Wind stated.
“Popular media has portrayed The Butcher as some gore loving mass murderer.” Marshall said calmly, “The Butcher is nothing like that. If The Butcher is doing their job right, you can see no difference between them and a surgeon.” *Shing* *Clink* Marshall scrapped his butcher tools together allowing them to manifest around his hands. “The Butcher’s job is to properly prepare meat so that only the best and healthiest are sent to their consumers. The Butcher is the first line of defense for the health of the people.” Marshall saw the mare’s pensive looks and decided to change the subject. “When do I leave for this Hayseed Swamp?”
“You’ll have two hours to prepare.” Celestia stated as she sat straighter. “I will lend you the use of my chariot and send one of my trusted soldiers to go with you.”
Marshall spent those two hours gathering some insect repellent and a special salt that causes leeches to let go of someone. He also found the Gourmet Cartographer, named Smith, and told him what was happening. The two of them made their way back to the Port Authority Head Quarters and saw the chariot was ready to go. A new mare was standing next to it. She was wearing gold armor and had a grey coat and white mane and tail. She was a unicorn with an athletic build. “Lieutenant Stalwart Light,” she said with a salute, “Princess Celestia has tasked me with overseeing your mission.”
“Very well, let’s get a move on.” Marshall stated after he sniffed the air. They piled into the chariot and the Pegasus started to move. When the chariot started to fly up into the air, smith started to look over the side in astonishment. “How does this chariot fly like it is?” Marshall asked as he rubbed the gilded vehicle.
“Magic reactive metal,” The Lieutenant stated, “It allows a Pegasus to channel their magic into it and grant it the same abilities as they have.” The chariot flew across Horse Shoe Bay and in three hours touched down at the northwestern edge of the Hayseed Swamp. As the group disembarked the gourmet cartographer gasped.
“What are those things?” he pointed to a rocky outcropping. The rest looked at what he was pointing at and were shocked. It was a troop of chimpanzee like creatures with anglerfish like faces and crustacean like shells on their bodies. Their hands looked like a combination of lobster claws and regular ape hands. Coming out of their tail bones were lobster like tails.
“Their overall appearance reminds me of Friday monkeys.” Marshall stated as he noticed them looking at the group fearfully. “If I had to hazard a guess, I think they have a habitat farther in land.” He tapped his forehead to think, “Their Capture Level would be around a two if I had to be generous.” The sound of something hard hitting a rock drew his attention. In front of the troop was a much larger creature. His shell was blue with red spikes. Its left hand was much larger than the others. On its chin were thick feelers that twitched every now and then. “That one seems to be the leader.” Marshall pointed out, “If I had to guess, Capture Level four at best.” He noticed the cartographer writing some notes down and stated, “I think I’ll call the smaller one Angler Shrimpanzees and the big one Red Spine Shrimpanzee.”
“What should we do about them?” Stalwart Light asked as she lit up her horn.
“We take care of the beast that has driven them from their home.” Marshall stated as he flicked her horn. “Let’s get going and restore the balance to this ecosystem.” The group gathered their supplies and started to walk into the swamp. The group had been walking for a few minutes when a small rumble could be heard. A small group of rodents started running by but they were all really strange. Their bodies were shaped like vegetables from artichokes to zucchinis. Marshall reached out and snatched one that was shaped like a radish. It squirmed and squeaked as it tried to get freed. “Veggie Rodents,” Marshall said as he looked at the beast, “Capture Level One depending on the swarm.” He let the small thing go and it ran off.
“What were they running from?” Smith said before he gagged as a foul odor assaulted his nose. “What is that smell?” A hungry growl answered his question. A group of wolves walked out of the shadows. The wolves had glowing green eyes and their bodies were made of wood.
“Timber Wolves, here?” Stalwart Light asked as she looked at the pack.
“I’ll handle them.” Marshall stated as he set his pack down. He rushed forward and delivered a powerful punch to the head of a wolf causing it to explode. The rest pounced with gnashing teeth and slashing claws. Marshall punched and kicked the wolves and swayed and bended out of the reach of their attacks. He then noticed that the ones he put down or injured got up again by pulling dead vegetation to it and rebuilt itself. “Looks like I need to kick things up a notch.” His fists and forearms started to heat up while his feet and shins started to cool off. “HOT PRESS!” he punched one of the wolves and it burst into flames ten seconds later. “COLD PRESS!” he kicked another wolf and ice spike erupted out of it and ripped it apart. He kept punching and kicking them but soon found that the ones he set on fire would not reform. He looked at the last one and said, “You have one chance to leave now, TAKE IT!” the wolf growled and glared then its eyes flashed as it howled. A pillar of green light burst up into the sky. The remains of the pack flew to the beast while larger pieces of dead wood came to it as it started to grow. The beast now stood twenty feet tall its wooden hide was thicker. “A final stand ability,” Marshall said in shock then got excited, “Very well then, let’s make this a battle one for the ages.”
“GRRAAAARRRRGGH!” The wolf roared as it charged and swung one of its paws. Marshall dodged only to be caught by the leg by the wolf’s jaws. He was swung left and right before he was tossed into an oak. The wolf charged again and slammed its head into Marshall and through many trees behind him. Marshall recovered and slammed his fists into the skull of the beast causing it to stumble.
“HOT PRESS!” Marshall shouted as he delivered a right jab to the side of the beast which burst into flame but only around where he hit. The wolf thrashed and kicked Marshall across the clearing. He flipped around and landed on his feet before launching himself in a flying kick. “COLD PRESS!” His foot made contact with the wolf’s leg and the ice burst off the first layer of wood. “You’re now tougher than you were as a pack.” His arms erupted in flames and his feet had freezing mist swirling around his legs. After this the wolf charged again and Marshall dodged it. “300 DEGREE HOT PRESS!” This time the whole left side of the wolf turned into a bonfire and before the beast could thrash, “-300 DEGREE COLD PRESS!” He kicked the bonfire causing spires of ice to break the wolf in half.
“That was so amazing!” Smith exclaimed as he and the Lieutenant walked forward. “That was like something out of an action movie.” He took out his note book and started to write down what he saw.
“This beast was a worthy adversary.” Marshall stated as he looked at the remains of the wolf. “Capture Level 4 or 5 as a pack and a Capture Level 6 or 7 when using that final stand ability.” He then noticed a strange looking fruit. It was pulsing with a green light. He picking it up and noticed that the fruit looked like an apple. He bit into the fruit only for his taste buds to be assaulted by the foulest flavor to ever exist. “GAH!” he exclaimed dropping the fruit spitting the piece he had bit out of the fruit. “This creature is rotten to the core.” He noticed the apple on the ground was no longer glowing.
“It would seem that you have broken the wild magic that makes up a Timber Wolf.” Stalwart Light said as she watched the core and remains of the wolf rapidly decompose.
“Good news is that when they die, their bodies become premium compost.” Smith stated after he used some analysis tools to check the once fearsome creature. The group then proceeded farther into the swamp. It was well past evening when the trio set up camp near a large body of water. Within an hour a fire pit and metal grilling grate was burning between the group. On the grill were some shishkabobs.
“You told the princess that the creature was a Capture Level 8 or greater.” Stalwart Light said as she bit into her veggie kabob. “What makes you so certain of that?”
“The beast made a hydra flee from the swamp.” Marshall stated as he ate his meat kabob. “Ancient myths that surround them say that they can regenerate. The myths also say that hydras have a venomous bite.” He took another bite, “Those myths alone for me class a hydra as a Level 7 or more.”
“I can’t help but notice that this place seems a little desolate.” Smith said with a shiver. Their campsite had little to no vegetation and the ground looked like cracked rock.
“That’s because we are in the heart of its territory.” Marshall said finishing off his kabob. While he was speaking a shadow was moving in the water. “The creature has eaten all the food it can near its home and is slowly working its way outward.” Marshall looked back at the water from the corner of his eye. “It can sense me presence and it is not amused.” The shadow had gotten near the shore and erupted out of the water causing the trio to back away.
“Oh my Celestia, it is a hydra!” Stalwart Light exclaimed as she backed away with Smith. The retile had four snake-like heads that connected to a heavy looking torso. It had two massive tree-like legs and a long spiked tail. The mighty beast gave a roar before collapsing dead. “It’s dead?” Stalwart Light asked as she and Smith walked closer to Marshall. “How is it dead?”
“That should answer your question.” Marshall stated as he pointed at the chest of the hydra. A large wound was seen in its chest. A large bite mark seemed to encompass the whole way across. “This juvenile was hunted by the beast we are after. Note how its heart is missing, that’s the only reason why it’s not regenerating.” Suddenly the corpse was dragged into the water before another large creature lunged out of the water right at Marshall. He dodged by the barest millimeter and the creature dug a trench in the ground as it skidded to a stop and turn to face Marshall. The full moon soon came out from behind cloud cover to reveal the monster. The creature looked like a crocodile made of rock. The reptile was 20 meters in length and 6 meters tall. Its stone hide looked like it was made of polished stone.
“That is a Cragadile!” Stalwart Light shouted and cast a shield spell around Smith and herself.
“Correction,” Marshall growled, “It is a 1000 Year Old Cragadile, Capture Level 9.” The cragadile then lunged toward Marshall again who dodged once more only to have the reptile turn around as slam its tail into him. Marshall went flying through some trees. “Damn that hurt,” Marshall growled as he stood up and tossed the rubble off of him. “Let’s see how you handle this,” Marshall growled as his fists ignited and feet froze. “300 Degree Hot Press!” his fist connected with the side of the reptiles neck and caused it to glow red for a moment before he kicked its neck, “-300 Degree Cold Press!” The reptile was thrown a few meters away when the spot that was hit exploded with thermal shock, it stone hide cracked. The Cragadile charged forward again and swiped its head around knocking Marshall around. ‘This is reminding me of that fight Toriko had with the Galala Crocodile.’ Marshall thought as he winced in pain. He looked over at his companions and saw their worried looks. ‘I have to beat this thing before it can do any harm to them.’ Suddenly The Butcher appeared in his vision showing him the skeleton of a crocodile and showed him the damage he already done. “Cragadile,” Marshall shouted as he stood taller, “You have shown yourself to be a mighty beast. You are indeed a worthy foe and for that I shall show you the tools of humanity.” His muscles suddenly tensed up as power surged through him. “GRRAAAARRRRGGH!” In the Cragadile’s view point the little ape before him was suddenly replace by a massive monster that looked like it was ripped from the night sky. The ground beneath itself was replaced by a wooden cutting board. The monster before it held in its left and right hands a hook and cleaver respectively.
“GRRRAAHISSSSS!” the Cragadile gave a defiant bellow before charging again.
“To the world that has bestowed it bounty upon us, we give thanks. Itadakimasu.” Marshall stated as he clapped his hands together and closed his eyes. *Shing* *Clink* He snapped his eyes open as he sidestepped the charging behemoth. “HOOK!” Marshall shouted as he caught his opponent with his left hand and twisted him so he could get a clean hit on the damaged part of its hide. “CLEAVER!” he brought his right hand down on the Cragadile’s neck and decapitated the might reptile.
“Such power,” Stalwart light gasped as the head rolled across the ground.
“This is the might of a Gourmet Hunter.” Smith said astonished and unknowingly finishing Stalwart Light’s sentence.
“Hey Smith,” Marshall exclaimed with a smirk, “Before we sample this mighty beast, how about we get a portion of this in a Gourmet Case or else I might eat it all.” Within a few moments three Gourmet Cases had been filled and the rest of the beast was roasting over the camp fire. “Oh wow,” Marshall said excitedly as he drooled while smelling the meat cooking. “That smells like some premium Surf and Turf. It’s taking all my will power not to eat it before it is fully cooked.”
“If it is anything like Galala Crocodile,” smith stated as he rotated the meat over the fire pit. “It should be done by now.”
“Look at those glistening juices,” Marshall said as he looked at the piece of meat he carved off. “Itadakimasu.” Marshall said before he took a bite out of the meat. His taste buds were graced with heavenly flavor. “Yummy!” Marshall cheered as he rapidly finished the piece he held. “The taste is perfectly balanced between high end lobster and sirloin steak.” He sliced off a bigger piece of meat, “In spite of the age of the animal, the meat is tender and almost melts in your mouth.”
“This is so good.” Smith said as he ate some of the meat.
“Even though I prefer a nice salad,” Stalwart Light said with sparkles in her eyes, “This however is something I would not mind adding to my diet.”
“Glad to hear you say that … Celestia.” Marshall stated as a look of surprise appeared on the Mare’s face.
“How long have you known?” She asked as she dropped her illusion.
“The whole time, princess,” Marshall said with a smirk, “As any predator would tell you, the nose knows.” He chuckled and then asked, “Have I passed your test?”
“You have and I think it would be most beneficial for both our nations to open trade.” She said as she enjoyed her meal.
“In that case…” Marshall said as he grabbed the spit and took it over to himself and began eating right off of it.
“HEY!” Celestia and Smith shouted in rage as they tried to get the spit away from Marshall.
Three weeks later a news report was seen on several televisions across the nations of the IGO. The reporter sitting at the news anchors desk was a brown haired woman wearing a pink business woman’s outfit. “This is Tina from Gourmet News bringing you a fresh and fantastic new scoop.” The woman stated with excitement. She held her hand up as the image of Equestria followed by Marshall, the Shrimpanzees, Veggie Rodents, Timber Wolves and Cragadile appeared on the screen. “A new nation has started negotiations with the IGO to establish trade routes between the two governments. Rookie Gourmet Hunter Marshall has discovered 4 new ingredients with the cream of the crop being the fearsome Cragadile.” She shivered a little as she saw the reptile on her teleprompter. “The Cragadile’s meat is already edging out the Galala Crocodile for the most sought after meat on the market. Keep watching Gourmet News for more heaping helpings of the latest scoops.”
Chapter three: Prelude to Nightmares Part One – Honest Strength.
Someone once said, out there in the world exists a volcanic region where spicy curry bubbles up from below the surface, where said curry flows over fluffy rice mound, Curry-cano fields. The world is in the great Gourmet age, an age where people quest to discover unknown and wondrous delights.
Marshall was currently sitting in the dining car of the friendship express with Smith. Three weeks ago he had been made a special guest of Celestia after the Cragadile mission and had sampled the food. Luckily the chefs had been told about the diet of their guest and had meat added to the menu for his stay. A day ago Celestia had told Marshall about the Summer Sun Celebration and that it was being held in Ponyville. She had told him to go and meet the locals and sample the area’s food. Marshall noticed that Smith was reading a book with the title Ponyville: a History. “What did you find out about the town?”
“The town is primarily an Earth Pony settlement.” Smith stated as he recalled what he read. “Started out as a homestead for a family of apple growers, with the discovery of a fruit called a Zap Apple it soon bloomed into a prosperous town.”
“Zap Apples, hmmmm?” Marshall said as he started to drool. “Those sound really good.” He wiped his mouth before adding, “We should visit that family when we get there.”
“Next stop,” the conductor stated, “Ponyville Station, thirty minutes until arrival.”
“This is going to be so exciting.” Smith said as he returned to his book, “The primary export of this town is apples although pears were a close second up until 24 years ago.”
“While that is interesting,” Marshall said as he took up a lotus sitting position, “I’m going to get in touch with my Appetite Manifestation.” Marshall soon closed his eyes and concentrated on his breathing until he heard the sound of someone eating something. He opened his eyes and saw The Butcher sitting at a large table. The only change to its usual appearance was the white tuxedo it now wore. Above and behind the starry being were its tools, crossed over a shield shaped plaque. “I half expected you to be wearing a butcher’s smock and standing behind a butcher’s table.”
“We aren’t on a hunt right now.” The Butcher stated as he cut a piece of meat that was on his plate. “You wish to learn something from me, don’t you?” the mouth part of its face tore open into a fanged maw as it ate its meal. “What do you wish to know?”
“What sort of Full Course Meal would unlock your true power?” Marshall asked as he noticed some of the dishes served were only halfheartedly eaten.
“I do not know the exact dishes that would accomplish that task,” The Butcher stated as he looked at the offered dishes before it with an unsatisfied look on its face. “However, I do know that it is a meal that will taste all the more flavorful when shared with true friends.”
“A Full Course Meal of Friendship, hmmm.” Marshall said thoughtfully. He grinned as he looked at the Butcher. “That is a menu I can get behind.” Marshall then felt a hand on his shoulder and was dragged back to the real world. “To use a tired old question, are we there yet?” Marshall asked Smith when he woke up.
“We are just pulling in to the station.” Smith said as he grabbed his backpack. Marshall picked up his duffle bag and followed Smith out onto the platform. The town looked like it was taken from the late 1600’s back in Marshall’s home dimension. “Alright let’s see,” Smith said as he looked at a map of the town that Celestia gave him. “We are here,” Smith pointed at the northern part of the map, “And Sweet Apple Acers is here.” He pointed to the southern part of the map. “Wow it looks like a nearly strait walk there from here.”
“Well then,” Marshall said as he turned south, “Let’s get going.” As the two of them walked toward their destination, Marshall reminisced about how the town reminded him of his own home town. “There is so much nature here.” He took in a deep breath in through his nose. “The air is so fresh here.” He smelled the air again and caught a curious scent. “That’s odd.”
“What’s odd?” Smith asked as he looked at the gourmet hunter.
“I smell something very sweet nearby.” Marshall said as he sniffed the air, “It’s gone now, whatever that smell was it made me hungry.” He drooled for a few second before he wiped his mouth. “Let’s get to Sweet Apple Acers and try those apples out!” It took Marshall and Smith about half an hour to walk toward the farm. The farm had near countless rows of apple trees all of which were filled with ripe apples. ‘These Gourmet Cells are both a blessing and a curse.’ It was taking a godly amount of will power to keep himself from jumping the fence and just take one.
“YE-HAW!” A female voice shouted from nearby. Marshall and Smith turned to see a young woman running at a tree before she planted one hoof and delivered a roundhouse kick to the tree. She wore a blue denim skirt and a white and green shirt. Her blond mane and tail were styled in a classic cowgirl ponytail. She stood back to admire her work as her green eyes sparkled with amusement. Every apple in the tree fell into the baskets below.
“Those are some impressive skills, Miss Apple.” Marshall said as he and smith walked up to her. The mare turned to the one who spoke to her and saw Marshall and Smith.
“Howdy there, stranger,” the cowgirl said as she walked up to the duo. “My name’s Applejack, what can I do fer you gentle colts?” she shook the hands of the two men and only left smith still shaking when she let go.
“I am Gourmet Hunter Marshall and this is Gourmet Cartographer Smith.” Marshall stated as he stopped Smith’s arm.
“So you’re the feller that whooped that Cragadile a couple weeks back.” Applejack said with an impressed tone in her voice. “Thousand year old varmint from what I read and y’all took it down with your bare hands.”
“Whoa now don’t go making me sound cocky.” Marshall said nervously as he looked over his shoulder. ‘I know I’m going to get sniped by a voice missile if people make too big a deal out of my deeds here.’ “My job often requires me to deal with threats to an ecosystem and that Cragadile was certainly a threat.”
“Glad to see you don’t like to brag.” Applejack said as she looked the duo over, “So what brings you fellers to this neck of the woods?”
“We are here to map out Equestria.” Smith stated as he held up his note book. “As a Gourmet Cartographer it is my job to document where ingredients grow best or make their home.” Smith then pulled out the history book he had with him. “This book said that your family grew the best apples in the area and we were wanting to try some.”
“Well if you came to sample some Apple Family apple product you certainly chose the right time to do so.” Applejack said as she walked over to a metal triangle. “Me and my family were just about ready to break for lunch.” She rang the triangle before shouting, “SOUP’S ON EVERYPONY!” Marshall and Smith were pushed to a small gazebo that was growing around a stump the size of a bistro table. “This here is my immediate family.” Applejack stated as she stood with three other ponies. One was a stallion, standing on her right that was a head or two taller than Applejack with red fur and an orange main and tail. He wore a red flannel shirt over a white t-shirt and blue jeans. He had large muscles that did not hinder his movement. He also had a gentle giant aura about him. The next pony he saw was a filly, standing to her left that was height of the average twelve year old. She had yellow fur and a red mane and tail. Her mane was held out of her face by a red bow. She wore a green t-shirt and blue jeans that stopped at her knees. The last pony was a head or two taller than the filly. She stood to the left of the filly and looked absolutely ancient. Her mane and tail were done up in a bun. She wore a beige blouse and red skirt. Around her waist was a white apron and over her shoulders was an orange shawl with red apples polka dotted on it.
‘So these are the apples I have read about and seen in the show.’ Marshall thought before an image super imposed itself over the family before him. He saw applejack and the stallion wearing military garb, the filly wearing a fancy sundress and the old mare wearing what she was only it looked more upscale. ‘Okay I can definitely see this family like that one.’ He then tapped his right cheek as he looked at the stallion. ‘I wonder if he actually knows THAT greeting?’ he smirked and took off his jacket. “Hey Smith,” Marshall stated as he held his jacket out to the Cartographer, “Hold my jacket for a moment.”
“Um, okay?” Smith asked cocking his eyebrow. Once the jacket was in the small man’s hands Marshall walked around the table and stopped in front of the stallion. He then grunted as he pressed the back of his hands together over his chest and tensed his muscles. Said muscles bulged as he flexed, his shirt tightened and defined his physique. A full minute passed before he looked the stallion in the eye. The intense nature in them seemed to speak to the stallion.
“Are you feelin’ alright?” Applejack asked as she saw Marshall flexing. While she was annoyed at anyone who would show off for no reason, she had to admit Marshall did have a nice body. ‘You could grind rocks on those abs.’ She heard the rustling of fabric coming from her right and saw her brother taking off his flannel shirt then held it out to her. She took it with confusion as her brother stepped forward. An intense look suddenly appeared on his face as he flexed his own muscles, his palms pressed together. “What in tarnation is going on here?” Applejack asked/shouted after a minute. She was then surprised when Marshall and her brother stood up and shook hands.
“Hoo-wee,” Her granny suddenly stated as she fanned herself, “Ah ain’t seen the Strongman Greeting since mah pappy met that Minotaur prince when ah was Apple Bloom’s age.” Seeing Applejack and Apple Bloom were looking at her in confusion she explained, “It’s a special greeting in which two buff stallions would gain each other’s respect by flexing and letting their muscles do the talking.”
“Well now that we are done with that,” Marshall said as he put his jacket, “Let’s eat my friend.”
“Eyup.” The stallion agreed as he put on his flannel shirt and sat down.
“Well now since you’re all chummy with mah brother,” Applejack stated as she set some apple desserts down on the table. “Allow me to introduce you to everyone.” She pats the stallion on the shoulder, “This is mah big brother, Big Macintosh.” She ruffled Apple Bloom’s hair, “This is my little sister, Apple Bloom.” She then held her hand out to the elderly mare, “Finally we have mah grandmother, Granny Smith.”
“Before you have any of our desserts maybe you should have one of our apples as is.” Apple Bloom said as she handed Marshall a Red Delicious.
“Smooth skin and a natural shiny surface,” Marshall said as his companion took one for himself. “Certainly one of the best looking apples I have ever seen.” He held his left hand in front of himself, “Itadakimasu.”
“What was that you said?” Applejack asked before Marshall could take a bite.
“It can mean either ‘thank you for the food’ or ‘let’s dig in’.” Smith stated before he repeated the gesture. “Most of the time we say it before we eat.”
*CRUNCH* Marshall bit into the apple he had been holding and his eyes widened in surprise. ‘A crisp and refreshing crunch, as I chew the rich apple flavor spreads throughout my mouth. The fruit is naturally sweet like it could be a candy all on its own.’ He swallowed and was met with a new sensation, ‘The juices of the apple are so soothing as it goes down.’ The moment it was in his stomach a jolt of energy race through him. ‘My body feels more awake right now like I had drunk an entire pot of coffee.’ “Yummy!” Marshall cheered as he took another bite. While he ate, Applejack sat shocked. She had never seen someone eat an apple with such gusto before. It did however fill her with pride to see this honest reaction.
“Apple fritter?” Big Mac asked in his rich baritone as he offered Marshall a plate of the golden brown pastry.
“Thank you very much.” Marshall stated as he took three of the pastries. He took a bite and shivered at how good it was. “Crunchy shell, fluffy inside and fruity flavor, so good!” He grabbed a slice of pie and took a bite. “The cinnamon and sugar enhancing the apples natural flavor and this crust is just firm enough to hold the slice together yet flakes away.”
“This cider has a great punch.” Smith said as he drank some of the cider provided. He then looked thoughtful for a moment. “Where are these Zap Apples that we have read about?” he asked looking at the table.
“We usually turn those into jam almost as soon as they are picked.” Granny stated with an apologetic tone. “We also sell out of those fairly quickly.” She tapped her chin a moment before looking at the barn. “Big Mac, I got a jar of the jam squirreled away in the hayloft. Go and fetch it for these fine gentle colts.”
“Eyup.” Big Mac said as he stood up to go get the jam. Three minutes later he came back with a Mason jar filled with Zap Apple Jam. A semiliquid substance in the seven colors of the rainbow it also glowed softly in rainbow sheen.
“Zap Apple Jam,” Marshall said as he looked at the jar in awe. ‘I think it might just be the gourmet cells in me but this looks so much more mouthwatering than in the show.’ He stood there mesmerized by the jar before him. He took a plain biscuit and twisted the lid off the jar. He gulped nervously as he took a butter knife and dug into the jam. “What, it’s heavy?” Marshall asked no one as he held the jam to his eyes. He had apple jam plenty of times before back in his home dimension however this was different. He then spread the jam over the biscuit. “It is like spreading cake frosting.”
“Are you okay there sonny?” Granny asked as she saw Marshall shivering a little.
“I’m a little nervous,” Marshall explained as he stared at the treat in hand, “We did our research before coming here, but now that we’re here, with this famous spread in our presence, I’m a bit overwhelmed.” He quickly took a bite and was shocked. ‘Did I just bite into a real apple?’ he asked himself as he chewed. The jam subtly shifted between different kinds of apples, staying just long enough to be recognized before leaving. When he swallowed, every cell in his body charged up and he started to glow.
“Whoa nelly!” Applejack exclaimed as she shielded her eyes. “Ah don’t think ah ever seen anyone react like that to havin’ some of our Zap Apple Jam before.”
“En-nope.” Big Mac stated.
“This jam is resonating with my Gourmet Cells!” Marshall exclaimed as he looked at his glowing body. “Could this be one of my dishes for my Full Course Menu?” After a moment of thinking he said, “It needs to be paired with something before it can get an actual spot on my menu.”
“What is this I hear about a Full Course Menu?” Apple Bloom asked with a raised eye brow.
“All Gourmet Hunters have a set of dishes that they eat to bring out the full power of their Gourmet Cells.” Smith explained as he had some of the jam. “Oh wow! This is really good.”
“Miss Smith,” Marshall said with a bow, “In the spirit of the trade agreement between Equestria and the IGO, allow me to give your family,” he placed a bag on the table, “These Blue Apple Berry Seeds. These seeds are for a blue berry that grows to the size and shape of an apple.”
“Some exotic produce would attract some of the fancier folk.” Granny Smith said as she accepted the bag. “We’ll get these planted after the Summer Sun Celebration.” All of a sudden the ground started to shake. Marshall, Smith and The Apples looked around for where the shaking was coming from.
“That’s comin’ from the west orchard!” Applejack exclaimed as she started to run toward the orchard in question. The group of six ran to the epicenter of the small quake and when they arrived they all saw the ground was cracking as something was coming out of the ground. The creature that emerged was toad like in appearance with a hide covered in moss. Its red bulbous eyes held a nigh insatiable hunger. The monster stood half again as tall as Big Mac. “What the hay is that thing?”
“I don’t know what that thing is but I have a feeling that it is bad news.” Big Mac said as he and Applejack took up a boxers fighting stance. The toad opened its mouth and launched its tongue at an apple tree before pulling said tree back into its mouth and eating it.
“We have to exterminate that thing before it eats anything else!” Marshall shouted as the amphibian swallowed the tree. The toad launched its tongue out again but Marshall was ready for it. “300 Degree Hot Press!” Marshall shouted as his ignited fist made contact with the offending muscle. The creature croaked in agony as it pulled its burning tongue back into its mouth.
“Haaa!” Applejack shouted as she bucked the creature into the air with a dent shaped like her hoof in its squishy side. “Big Mac, its falling your way!” Applejack stated as the toad flew through the air.
“Eyup!” Big Mac stated as he punched the toad in its mossy back. The toad croaked angrily after it bounced and rolled across the ground for a few meters. It launched its tongue out at Big Mac only for him and his sister to catch it and pulled the toad to them.
“-300 Degree Cold Press!” Marshall shouted as he and the Apple siblings kicked toad’s face. A cracking sound was heard as Granny Smith was covered in a green aura returning her to her late forties. She was ripping a chunk of stone from the ground alongside Apple Bloom. Between the two of them they crushed the boulder into bowling ball size chunks. The toad croaked in anger and jumped into the air intent on crushing anything beneath it.
“Take this, ya filthy varmint!” Apple Bloom shouted as she and Granny threw the chunks of stone at the toad at cannon ball speeds. After it was bombarded by stone the toad was now staggering and dazed. The Apple Family stood ready to charge the creature for a couple of seconds.
“Raaahhhh!” The Apples shouted out in unison as they charged forward and delivered a combined rising kick to the creature and sending it over the horizon.
(Meanwhile in the Dragon Lands.)
A large grey reptile stood in front of a cauldron of bubbling liquid as she tapped her chin with a giant wooden spoon. “This soup needs something,” she thought out loud, “Something exotic and not easily found in the Dragon Lands.” Something landed in the cooking pot with a splash. The dragoness looked down and saw a moss covered toad. She blinked a couple times before grinning, “That will do.”
(Back in Equestria.)
“Whooo-weee!” Applejack cheered after the battle. “That was a real hoot and a half.”
“Much obliged Marshall,” Granny stated as she turned back to her elderly form, “If you hadn’t been here that might have been far tougher.” Big Mac and Apple Bloom helped Granny stay standing.
“Dealing with things like that is all a part of the job.” Marshall stated before his stomach growled again. “That fight really worked up an appetite, too bad that creature was launched over the horizon would have been nice to have tried that creature’s meat.”
“Let’s go get something to eat to celebrate.” Apple Bloom said as she helped Granny back to the table.
“Eyup.” Big Mac agreed.
(Smith’s notes) Species name: Marimo Toad (Edited) Species type: Amphibian Species appearance: Toad covered in moss Species diet: Herbivore possible omnivore (Edited) Species use: Unknown at this time (Edited) Capture level: 6 to 10