The Equestrian Gourmet

Chapters

The rise of the Cook
Morning chats and Hallways.
The more we know the less we wish we didn't
The Usual Spot
And the game begins
What a chef can do
Road to Recovery
Meeting
Just an Average Day
Countdown
Welcome to the Forest
You and Me and the first dungeon
Boss Hunters
Boss Fight!
On the Road Again
Panda Expressions
Intermission
Surprise!
Chapter 19

The rise of the Cook

A Caucasian man waves his final goodbyes to the company he had just finished eating with. They watch him from their porch of their two-story home surrounded by trees and summer like decorations of suns and tropical trees. Chimes dingle and dangle their song in the soft cold breeze of a Summer's night. Today has been spent driving about to different locations visiting friends, family, and co-workers with this stop being the last of them. Tha man's friend, known as Handel, had just been recently married to a girl the two had considered way out of their league. Due to missing out on the wedding due to work, Handel's friend saw fit to help make a feast with his wife in order to make up for missing it and not visiting sooner.

The cooking went without a hitch and soon the three were chowing down on cuisine made with what's around the kitchen. After almost an hour of eating and talking, Handle's wife Elora brings up needing to work the weight off tonight along with some other hints that it's time for the visitor to leave.

While walking from their porch the visitor was greeted by the enchanting sound of chimes blowing in the cool summer's night breeze. The enchanting sound speaks of a better time and moments of relaxation and greatness that awaits ahead. A smile plays on his face as he looks down at the white bag of leftovers he's bringing home for himself for later tomorrow.

Back to the present, his keys fire the car to life without even a single stutter. He sighs and shakes his head placing the white bag of leftovers in the passenger seat thinking of when he'll go for his next meal after all he ate.

"God I ate too much." He says leaning back in his seat a bit rubbing his starting to ache stomach.

A quick flick into drive and the press of the gas brings the man back down the dirt road that had brought him to Handel's home. A short drive brings him to the open road with the moon peeking above the distant horizon. He realizes only now that he has been there longer than he had planned, but at least the pie was divine enough to make him not regret it. His vision has lessened through the years, but he wasn't going to let the dark deter him away from driving himself home to his sweet sweet most likely unmade bed.

"Alright, Betsy lets get a move on." He says bringing his car to a smooth fifty-five while turning his phone back on and turning on some of his music.

Some jazz begins to play out the speakers making his head bob with the beat of the song. Two hours of driving and music brings him home to his one story house and porch welcoming him home with no lights or sounds. Out front in his yard in nothing more than a sign that says private property. He parks his car beside the house and quickly hops out yawning and feeling stiff from the AC and the drive.

"I'm gonna regret eating all that... Oh well, at least it was good. Though I guess that's a little self-centered of me." He says chuckling making sure to grab his wallet, keys, and leftovers from the car before moving towards the front door of his home.

He begins to remember helping his friend's wife cooking in the kitchen. All the fun of doing spices, salt, and wrapping to make sure everything is cooked to perfection. Oh yes, Summer is going to be amazing with all the new ideas roaming around in his head of different tastes being mixed together to create either something horrific or passable. After all, one can't have too much confident in their cooking ability.

He pushes the door open and runs a hand through his hazelnut colored hair while taking in the foreign yet familiar look of his home. He's never been too materialistic, but he had become a hoarder of certain things over the ages. There are a lot of things he doesn't wanna let go of due to the memories they hold. And probably do to the fact his mother was somewhat of a hoarder as well always reminding him to hold on to the things that are dearest to him.

Of course, his place isn't cluttered. Nor could it be considered cramped by people. It certainly isn't clean, but it feels cozy to him as he moves to close the door and lock it behind him. Of course, he couldn't see everything with the lights off, but with what he could see in the dark was enough to let him know that summer fun would have to hold off until he cleans some of this stuff up.

He makes his way semi-blindly to his room just off the kitchen and onto his bed too tired to be bothered with changing. Today had been a great day and tomorrow may be even greater with now being home. Of course, that is if nothing bad happens to him while asleep. After all, the good lord could take him at any moment. To him though it just more religious monotony that has been drilled into his head over the years.

"I'm sure if the Lord wanted to kill me he would've by now." He mumbles to himself bring his pillow more under his head forgetting his sheets.

He soon nods off into a dreamless sleep.

Elsewhere more than lightyears away from the world we've come to know as Earth is the world unlike ours known simply as Equestria Prime where a midnight blue horse with billowing mane and tail filled with the starry night sky that shines just above it stands in what looks to be a semi-maintained graveyard filled with many statues and epitaphs. Each one depicting hero or villain, powers, and what their end status was. Each died fighting some grand villain before winding up here deep underground forgotten to time and history. Only so few remember them and they are never taught to the youth in fear that one may one day try to bring back such a grand evil in an attempt to usurp the throne away from those currently in control.

"Lulu?" A pristine white horse with a clear and majestic feminine voice speaks out slowly entering the graveyard all while approaching the midnight blue horse now known as Lulu, "I thought we promised to never come here again."

Both horses share some of the same attributes. Both have billowing manes and tails where one is the night sky and the other a faded rainbow. Both have horns protruding long and proudly from their slender foreheads and wings placed softly along their back folded close to their bodies. Both hold a regal air about themselves and almost seem well informed on everything that has ever been and will ever be.

"I couldn't help myself. I found myself coming here unconsciously. We've lost so many friends through the years Celly. It still troubles my heart with how many have died both physically and mentally. I look up at my sky and still see the stars they have named and helped me paint into pictures. Our little ponies still pride me on the creation of such art. I don't deserve such credit."

Celly moves forward and wraps a forehoof around Lulu bringing her closer to her before nuzzling her softly with her muzzle as tears begin to leak down Lulu's face. The years have been hard on the two. Year after year they have to live through history knowing what decisions brought them here and always remembering what others have forgotten. History has been rewritten over and over again as new generations come forth while the last of the first generation rules.

Its painful. More than painful. There are no words to explain such a feeling of guilt, sadness, and pain. Knowing that you will live while others die. Whether it be heroic or not. Every death is a loss greater than the next.

They spend the next few moments in silence before their silence is soon broken by the sound of shifting dirt. Lulu's eyes snap open and stare at one of the graves far in the middle of all the other graves. The one belonging to the legendary cook of the adventures. He was neither good or evil and simply sought to feed everyone good or not. He traveled far across Equestria and the Bad Lands acquiring recipe after recipe.

"Celly... Its... Is it?" Lulu says unmoving as Celly moves forward through the graves towards the one shifting one.

"No Luna. Everything here should be dead. There is no way that a human could live underground without air, food, and water for so long." Celly says her horn starting to glow a bright yellow like that of a lightbulb or the sun.

The glow warms the area around her horn and her body as power begins to emanate from her. Her head tilts down allowing her horn to point straight at the once undisturbed grave. Lulu holds her breaths watching the grave with wide eyes.

From the grave, a hand followed by its arm shoots forth. Skin intact, not bones, and no signs of wear and tear except for the dirt now clinging to some parts. Soon to follow is a head gasping for air and brown hair attached to it. The creature is faced towards the epitaph and has no knowledge of the horse preparing herself to fire a spell at the person rising from the grave. Soon the opposite arm rises from the grave as he coughs, wheeze, and gulp down breath greedily.

"Holy fuck!" He yells catching both the horses by surprise.

Celly's horn raises and the glow slowly disappears as she watches the creature with interest.

The person in question has hazelnut brown hair and white skin. Unlike the person that was once buried there. He looks up at the epitaph above him and his breathing slows down before stopping. He looks at the other graves but never behind him.

"Wait... wait wait wait wait. No. No." He begins to chuckle and shaking his head, "It's a dream! I just went to bed! Of course! There's no other reason for it honestly. Haha. Brain, you almost got me on that one there!"

The man slowly but surely pulls himself from the grave before starting to dust his clothes off. Jeans of blue and a solid gray t-shirt are what he wears. He walks forward and rubs some of the dirt and cobwebs from the epitaph in front of him.

"Richard Caldway. Cook. Yea. Funny." The man says shaking his head and turning around to face the two horses that had been watching him since her rise from the grave.

Silence returns and even the breeze seems to stop its soft whoosh. Eyes lock between the white horse and the man. A moment passes that feels like minutes before Celly rises to her full height.

"Welcome back. Richard. We had assumed you dead after such a long time." She says with eloquence without a single hint of emotion in her voice. As if it been practiced over and over again.

The man says nothing as he walks slowly towards the horse that rises higher than his five foot six self. His hand slowly raises towards her making her horn light up with brilliance along with his body.

"I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to refrain moving forward more. After all, being dead for so long can change a person."

"Yea. Dead. Me? No. I'm pretty sure that you're nothing more than a dream horse of something I watched today and my brain is just processing all that I've been through. This is all just... symbolic. Yea! That has to be it!" The man says a smile playing on to his face, "Me rising from the grave indicates how I've been working so hard I've been dead to my friends. So now that I'm back, I'm out of my grave and back on the surface to reconnect with them."

"Celestia. I fear for his mind. He doesn't seem to recognize us," Lulu says walking closer to the man, "But perhaps we could convince him this is not a dream."

"Okay, Luna," Celestia says her horn's glow dissipating and the glow around the man disappearing alongside it.

With the man released his arms drops beside him as he stands there watching the two horses. He wants to call them unicorn's for their horns, but they have wings also. The wings would make them a pegasus, but the horn says otherwise. So what are they?

"Are... Are you Richard?" Luna asks coming closer to him.

"Yea? I mean wouldn't you already know that? You're just the creations of my mind."

"But you're not asleep. I am Luna. I control dreams and am the mover of the night. I and my sister rule Equestria controlled by pony kind."

"Okay? Let's say if I believe you. Explain how I'm here." The man says crossing his arms.

"I... I do not know. I and my sister will have to look further into this. If you'll allow us, we would like to take you with us to Canterlot in order to keep an eye on you and make sure you're safe from harm. After all, you have died once and it would be a shame for you to die again after such a short time. Equestria is no longer a purely safe world that you may or may not remember. For it seems you don't remember Celestia and me."

"Yeaaaaa right. Equestria. You know, when I wake up I'll make sure to write all of this down and try to pass it off as a story idea. It's one hell of an opener." He says chuckling and shaking his head, "I just don't know how my brain made this feel all so... real."

"For you're not asleep," Luna says walking to be beside the man.

"Yea well I'm certainly not Jesus. I can't come back from the dead."

Celestia sighs and looks towards Luna, "Sister. He is confused and needs to rest longer. I shall bring us back to the castle. From there we'll have a room prepared for him. He'll understand when tomorrow comes."

"If you mean why I'm having such a vivid dream, I would hope so. So how are we supposed to get back to this castle of yours? Should I get on one of your backs or?"

Celestia says nothing as her horn begins to glow once again. It covers herself, Richard, and Luna before a bright light blinds all those that may be watching the scene as well as those who are part of the scene. Silence returns to the graveyard again as the wind begins to blow is cool summer breeze.

A room filled with tapestries and two thrones fill with blinding light blinding all who were not prepared for the sudden appearance of Celestia, Luna, and Richard. Richard falls to his knees throwing up hard after seeing such brilliant and rapid colors and having his stomach lurched harder than its ever been lurched before. Luna lays a wing across his back in sympathy.

"I suppose it would have been better for you if we had prepared you for the sudden travel."

"Oh god, it hurts so much!" Richard yells before dry heaving hard his back lurching up and his head flinging down, "Why does it hurt so much! I thought you weren't supposed to feel pain in dreams!"

"Then I suppose you've learned it's not a dream the hard way. " Celestia says chuckling lightly making her way towards the giant set of doors across from the thrones.

"Fu-" Heaves of pain break his shout as Luna's horn ignites.

"Here. Hopefully, my magic will be able to soothe some of your pains." She says her horn glowing a faint blue that soon surrounds Richard's body.

Richard shivers as the cold touch of Luna's magic starts to go to work on his body. He feels his stomach pains lessen and soon finds himself able to keep his head up without nausea taking over.

"At least warn a guy if you're going to pull some shit like that," Richard says using Luna's body to help himself up to his feet.

"Yes, sorry. I forgot you probably wouldn't be accustomed to equestrian magic anymore. Though I do hope that will change as time goes by in order to better prepare you for the world before you." Celestia says walking into the hallway and waiting for the two others lagging behind now.

"Yea... Right. So say I believe you now. What does this mean for me? I'm sure this isn't something that happens every day for you guys. Somebody comeing back from the grave. Even where I'm from they would put me down with out a second thought."

Luna chuckles half-heartedly and Celestia sighs with a grimace.

"That...That doesn't sound good. Nor does it sound right. The dead should stay dead." Richard moving fast towards Celestia not being to keen of having this sort of situation being made fun of.

"Yes. I agree with you, but the past seems to always rear its head up in familiar or new forms here." Celestia says shaking her head.

"My sister and I have lived for eons on end. We are still young in our species life span but old to the ones that know us. We grow at a slower rate, but grow old none-the-less." Luna says looking at all the different elaborate stained glass windows above and beside them.

"Okay. I... I just wanna. No. I'm gonna go lay down. Because. No. Just no. I will not and cannot accept this. I'm sure when I lay donw, I'll wake up." Richard says as Luna opens a room further down in the hallway revealing a bed, dresser, and desk complete with chair.

"Well do rest Richard. You will need it. Tomorrow will be a busy day." Celestia says as he walks into his new room.

"I hope not. I'm still betting I'll wake up in my bed safe and sound away from all this... mess." Richard says walking into the room and sitting on the bed.

"If not, we will see you in the morning. Good night, Richard." Luna says closing the door.

The sound of hooves grows distant as Richard looks at his hand. They're still covered in some dirt, but not as bad as when he first climbed out of the earth. He gets up and begins to look around for any signs of it being a prank. Cameras, bad pro designs, anything. Upon finding nothing he begins to examine the room.

There's another door on the oposite side of the door leading out into the hallway. There aren't any paintings other than the picture on the window. It looks to be horses surronding some darkness. A rainbow illuminates the entire group, but other than that it just looks like a bunch of mess to him. He shrugs it off and walks into the next room.

Inside he sees a giant bath. Most likely because these creatures are horses more than anything. Beside the bath is a shower, sink, and toilet. He's pretty suprised to see working plumbing, but being sentient as they are he suppose that basic plumbing would eventually come along at some point.

He proceeds to draw water and think overthing he's just witnessed. he sighs and disrobes to nothing before climbing into the oversized tub. He finds himself relaxing in the warm draw of water letting his head lay back and stare at the faraway ceiling.

"This isn't how I thought I would be spending my summer vacation you know." He says to no one.

He claps his hands together and closes his eyes.

"Our lord..."

Morning chats and Hallways.

Author's Note

Before you read, let me just say I'm not the best when it comes to this, but I'm certainly trying my best. I'll take any feedback you guys have and try to make improvements.

Morning chats and Hallways.

Morning comes all too soon. The sound of hooves can be heard outside, which is pretty surprising since last time Richard checked, horses can't fit in most homes. He sits up turning his head towards the noise. A knock emanates from the door before it opens wide allowing a horse to walk into the room.

This horse in question wears a very clean and ironed tuxedo that covers the barrel of his body and some of his forelegs. He's completely dull brown and has black and yellow mane and tail. There seems to be the picture of a folded napkin on his flank which might indicate his servitude to a certain order or person. The thought of slavery comes to mind along with thoughts of keeping one of those away from any part of his body.

Then, of course, that's immediately overcome by the fact that he is still in fact in his "dream". His body goes rigid as the horse does a mock of a bow and speaks.

"Princess Celestia and Princess Luna wish to see you in the throne room just down the hall."

The stallion turns and leaves out the room closing the door in the process. Richard stares wide-eyed at the door before lifting one of his hands and slapping himself across the face.

"Yup. Bad idea..." He says rubbing his now stinging cheek, "Shit. Well. I guess... I guess this isn't a dream than huh?"

Richard lays back down on his back wanting to just close his eyes and pretend this is all just a horrible nightmare. His friends, dead? How? Why? So many questions flow through his mind and he knows where he might get the answer. Of course, that means facing the day before him and seeing the.

"Wait. Princess? Princesses?" He says sitting up mulling that new bit of info through his mind.

He quickly hops from the bed and grabs the shirt he discarded before falling asleep. If it's one thing he's learned in his line of work, never keep the big important figures waiting. He opens the door after donning his full attire and is greeted by the sight of servants moving about in the light of day dusting, sweeping, and arranging busts of figureheads. It all seems surreal, but this is his life now. He just has to come to accept this. Or reject it with all his body.

He moves down the hall leading toward a set of doors he previously existed yesterday. While walking, his mind begins to race while watching these horses walk about with sentience when at one point and time he would’ve never considered these creatures of ever becoming intelligent enough to form a government and clean. Let alone grow horns and wings.

He can’t seem to come up with a conclusion on how all this would’ve happened. Were humans wiped out? Did they just take over and eliminate all of us like some Hitler two point o. If they did they wouldn’t have used us in the attempt to destroy some evil.Or perhaps... we’re slaves?

A shake of his head knocks him from his despair-riddled thoughts in order to focus on the first of the main issues he wants to be answered. Where is he and if there is a way back to where he’s from.

Richard comes to the doors where he knows his answers await. On either side of the door are Unicorns dressed in golden armor both with white coats. The spears they wield look natural in their hoofs and seem to be for more than just show. Richard presses his hands against the door and pushes them open. Or at least he would if they would bulge.

"What are these doors made of!?" He exclaims shoving his shoulder into it trying to force it open, “Hey! A little help here?”

The Unicorns ignite their horns and the doors swing open dropping him onto his face. He slowly gets up groaning from the sudden impact and takes notice the two princesses looking on with amusement in their eyes.

"Good Morning," Celestia says.

"Morning," Richard says quickly getting up and bowing before the two.

The two look at each other before Luna says, "There is no need to bow before us. I hope you enjoyed your sleep last night."

"Uh. Yeah. Sorry about. Yesterday. I hope I didn't offend your royalness in any way." Richard says straightening himself.

"Richard. Please. Come closer and forget the royal business. If anything, we should be the ones treating you on a higher pedestal."

"No. You shouldn't. I am not the person you once knew. And I do not wish to overstep my boundaries if I am to be stuck here."

"Ah. So it seems you already know why we have called you here for then." Celestia says rising as Richard comes closer closing the doors behind him, "I and my sister have spent quite a time in the library looking for any signs that this may be some type of destiny magic at work, but nothing has come up so far. As for being stuck here, it seems there is no way to know if we can return where you came from seeing as we do not know what plane of existence you have surfaced from."

"Right. But that doesn't mean you can't."

"There are various magic that may be able to return you home, but yes there is, in fact, a way for us to send you to where you came from if we had an exact point and the time for the spell to be fully constructed." Luna says nodding her head, "But on other news, we were able to dig up some information on you and the others you might be interested in reading. I have not gone through a lot of it myself, but I hope whatever you find in them are incisive."

"Alright. I'll do that as soon as possible then. For now, I would at least like to know where I should start integrating myself into society. As much as I would love to live a life where I don't have to work for a living, I would very much like to hold something I can call my own without it given to me through the act of kindness or pity."

"Of course. Perhaps I could offer you a job somewhere within the castle so you may have a starting point for if you wish to move from our fair capital. After all, the lights, sounds, and crowds aren't for everypony." Celestia says rising from her seat.

Luna yawns loudly covering her face with one of her wings, "You must excuse me. I'm not accustomed to being awake for so long. I mainly sleep through the day so I may perform my job of serving the night as a guardian and a counselor."

"Of course... Luna, correct?"

"Yes. Goodnight Celestia, Richard." Her horn ignites and she disappears from the room leaving a semi-blind Richard and fully seeing Celestia together.

"So are you ready to begin the day?" Celestia asks a smile on her face.

"As ready as I can be."

Celestia comes down from her throne and leads Richard back out into the hall where ponies bow before the presences before going back to their medical tasks. The guards from the entry way flank him and her as they make their way further into the rest of the building. Richard assumes the place must be of a considerable size with the guards here and her being royalty and such. He wasn't prepared of course to find out how high the floor to ceiling ratio is.

Richard looks around astonished at all the horses moving about through the area and how high up the stairs ascend. He can't fathom how long this place must have taken them to build let alone whatever else is outside of these walls. These horses move about like normal humans, yet they're nothing like him. Or the ones he knows.

"Um. Forgive me for my arrogance for asking this, but what is your race called? Or I should say your kind." Richard asks trying not to sound offensive.

"Ah yes. There are many things that I wish to bring you to light about, but first I believe you should probably have something to eat. Whatever magic used to bring you here probably used both the caster's and your own magic. I'm sure you will start feeling hunger pains sooner than later, so we shall discuss more over a morning meal." Celestia says leading him past several more doors before pushing one open revealing a room with a small clothed round table set up with four chairs around it, "Here is where I, my sister, Cadence, and Twilight eat breakfast together on some days. Sit down where you like and one of my pony chefs will be out soon enough to ask us what we would like."

"Right... Tell me first then, " Richard begins as he takes a seat across from Celestia, "What type of government do you guys run?"

"Ah. You might think we would be a type of monarchy with us being princesses, but I assure you we are a more democracy, orientated people. We are standing in for power and for issues that no normal pony can take care of."

"So you and your sister are figureheads?"

"Figureheads with certain powers over the state, but figureheads nonetheless. We tend to try to keep out of our pony's lives as much as possible in order to not influence the delicate balance of nature within our world." She says levitating a cup of steaming coffee from a coffee maker nearby, "Saying that, this doesn't hold up true for everywhere that hooves touch. The Crystal Empire is, in fact, a republic state that decides through a voting caste system. It is older, but it seems to work out best for them. As it has proven to be no problem what so ever, we have had no reason to bring up any complaints."

"Interesting," Richard says relishing over the new information along with the fact she said pony, not horse, "Do you think I could look through some of your history books? Kind of get an idea of what I should expect from this uh era."

"If you're looking for information about you and your friends, you won't find it in any of these normal libraries. You would have to go with me and Luna to our special library where we keep very sensitive information. As far as the other information goes, you can find most of everything you need within the castle's library."

"I'm not allowed within the personal archive by myself?"

"It is for your and my and my sister's safety mostly. There are very ancient and powerful books within our ever expansive library." Celestia says as a pony with a gourmet hate trots in dressed in a white button-up shirt with multiple gold plaques upon his chest.

"What shall I bring for you, Princess and guest."

"The usual for me," Celestia says with a sweet smile.

"I'll take some tea, a biscuit, eggs, and a bit of strawberry jam," Richard says catching himself before asking for sausage along with that.

"Of course. It will be right out." The chef says before turning and trotting away.

Richard slumps forward and places his hands on his head wondering what his life has come to. What will his life become now that he's here? Will this all become normal eventually?

"Tell me. Are the only ones who know of my presences those of the immediate area, or do civilians know as well."

"Only those who need to know of your presence as we don't wish to draw out the creature who has summoned you closer to you. If say, a pony, were to have summoned you and they find out that they indeed succeeded, we don't know what they, he, or she may have done to the spell and for what purpose. For all we know, you could be a ticking time bomb or something or someone being controlled by another creature far off. It is suspicious that on the night Luna decided to appear in the graveyard you arise from your grave." She says setting her coffee down with her magic.

"Ah. So you want to keep a close eye on me then. I guess that answers some of my other questions then for a while. So say that I am being controlled, wouldn't you have already known that? Isn't there some kind of like magic detection magic like in D&D?"

"Yes there is, but it can be easy to hide magic sometimes. I don't know how your D and D works, but even we are unsure of certain magic." She says matter-of-factly.

"Right. So hidden magic controlling me, or a spell that might make me into a bomb. Got it. Both unfavorable lines of thinking with unfavorable outcomes most likely. Well I know I feel alive despite my best attempt to not accept it, but this will be my home for a while huh?" Richard says leaning back in his seat with a huff.

"Yes. For the time being, this shall be your home so we may monitor your behavior, health, and help you reach the information you are seeking. After we have confirmed many things around you will you be free to roam outside of the castle walls."

"Of course. Thank you, Princess."

"Please, Richard. Just Celestia."

"Of course, Celestia."

Breakfast continues on without much of a hitch. They discuss the position Equestria is in and all the places it controls as well as some of the other species that live in this world. Richard mentioned this sounds like something out a fairytale and learned that humans are mythical creatures within this realm along with many of the relics he once considered normal. Further discussion revealed that everything within this world has magic, including him.

"But I come from the world without magic. That doesn't make any sense." Richard says finishing his glass of tea and pushing his plate slightly aside.

"I assure you, it's not all that senseless. I'm sure it'll show through something. I'm certain you don't have powers like us, but you and your friends were extraordinary. The power of flight, being able to clone oneself, conjuring things from the mind, expanding the body beyond its limit. All of you had different traits and powers.

Of course, not all of you were good either. Yet, you all fought together like you had been through all the years despite the many fights between one another. Forgive me, it's been many years and I hardly remember the details. Though I remember you we're an extraordinary cook. Your gift for creating cuisines from the basic of ingredients was unparalleled."

"Right. I noticed my tombstone simply said, cook. If I had to guess, my magic comes from cooking?"

"Perhaps. For now, l have to take my leave. After all, I am meant to be watching over the day court."

"Please, don't let me hold you back from your royal duties."

She nods, "Later we should discuss this more as well as visit the personal archive I spoke of."

"Of course."

With that, she leaves the room taking her two guards with her. The chef comes back out after Celestia leaves and takes the dirty plates and cups with him into the back. Richard rises from his chair and faces the door where Celestia exited.

"Now, where do I start..."

"Shit..." Richard breathes out realizing he's back at where he began for the fiftieth time.

An exaggeration? Maybe. For it certainly feels like he's been past the kitchen door far too many times than he would like.

He pushes the doors open and walks in if only to take a simple break. He sits at the table and lays his head down weariness on his face. He begins to wonder of the halls are enchanted for him to not wonder, or if he simply has no sense of direction.

"Afternoon, Richard? Right?"

Richard looks towards the source of the voice to find a sea-foam lime colored pony looking at him with a broad smile plastered on his face. He says his for the voice is too man like. His mane and tail are a deep shade of purple.

"Afternoon," Richard Speaks back.

"What brings you back around here?"

"Call it a fate."

"Ah. Fate is an interesting thing you know." The pony says taking a seat across from him, "I feel like fate governs our lives more than the people higher up. But you didn't hear that from me."

"Really now? What makes you come to that?" Richard asks propping his head up with an arm.

"It's because our cutie marks mean so much to each and every one of us. From broad to narrow, they govern how we act mainly."

"Cutie marks?"

"Oh? No pony has explained to you, have they? Well here, let me show you."

The pony hops down and walks around so the side of his body is facing him. Once again, Richard takes note of the brand upon his flank that seems to be two knives crossing over each other over a plate.

"That picture on my flank represents my talent as well as my destiny. It's called a cutie mark."

"You're talent huh? So cooking?"

"Not quite. I am good at cooking, but my talent lies in the presentation of the food. See, aesthetics can make a dish taste great or bad because the brain processes what it'll be like right off the bat. Of course, cooking can be surprising, but it is an art I train myself in."

"I see. So tell me, were you hired for your cutie mark then?"

"Actually no. My family is of noble birth and they managed to get me a job here as a servant for a while until I found my talent. Which so happened to come while helping a chef impress some diplomats from Griffonia."

"Really now? I assume you blew them away and that's when that appeared, or did you have to get it put on you."

"No no. It appears when you have found your special talent. We all never know what it is, but when we find it this cutie mark will let us know."

"Huh... that sounds pretty bad actually. But I mean to each their own I suppose. I honestly thought it was some sort of slave mark."

"By Celestia no!"

"My bad I didn't mean to offend. Mind if I watch your special talent in work?"

"I wouldn't, but our chef is out."

"I'm sure I can fix something up still. I used to cook back where I'm from."

"Oh really now? Perhaps you could cook up one of your world's recipe for us." He speaks out hopping from the table and making his way into the kitchen.

"I'll see what I can do," Richard says getting up and following behind into the kitchen.

And what a kitchen it is. Many boxes of ingredients, different sort of ovens to cook from ranging from clay to porcelain, and all sort of weird looking cooking utensils he is used to and unused to. To say he was blown away from the sight of the giant kitchen that would put the one he used to work in to shame is an understatement. He makes his way over to the boxes of ingredients and notices stuff he's never cooked with before.

Grass, some purple plants called perfrail, and some weird blocky brown shapes called Orchal. He picks up the Orchal and his mind is assaulted by pictures of recipes associated with it. He drops the block out of shock and still sees after images of the sudden assault. He places a hand on his forehead as he stumbles back making the pony beside him jump in surprise and worry.

"Hey! You alright?" He asks taking a step closer to Richard.

"Y-Yea... Just a sudden headache is all..." Richard says leaning over and picking the piece of Orchal up again before tossing it away into a nearby waste bin.

His mind was assaulted by recipes again, but this time he was prepared. He instinctively picks out one that he can completely read and see that includes it, a clay over, flour, and a few spices.

"Okay... I think I'm ready to cook something." Richard says in almost a spooked voice.

"You sure? We can hold off until you feel better."

"No. I think I need this, to be honest with you. I want to try something." Richard says making his way through the kitchen putting on a gourmet's hat and setting up what all he needs the recipe seemingly floating in front of him.

This is so weird... I wonder what would happen if I... Richard thinks as he raises a hand to the recipe.

He feels his hand touch the intangible object and moves it to the side of his vision with the ease of moving actual paper.

Creepy. Very very creepy. Though I guess this is the magic Celestia was talking about.

"Alright. Let's get to cooking."

Richard lays the plate of oddly smelling strips of wooden looking bacon upon the table for the pony, whose name is Sea Breeze after various conversations, to get to work. The pony walks over and picks up a piece and looks it over in wonder.

"Wow... I've only seen this with bacon that the Griffins usually eat when they visit. You sure this is safe to eat? I mean I watched you cook it so of course, it is." Sea Breeze says chuckling to himself before taking a bite.

The thing Richard hasn't brought up yet is the fact that after he finished it the recipe has been burned into his head under a recipe section that appeared on the left side of his vision like some kind of game bar. Below it is stats listed as well. It says HP gain +50, defense increase +5 for three minutes. Upon touching it, it minimized into some kind of bar he's just taking notice of in the bottom of his vision. Beside the recipe section is his stats section.

Upon opening, he's come face to face with a literal game interface of clothing, health, mp, sp, and lots more. He has low attack, low defense, low health, low everything. His profession is The Cook and apparently, he's level 1 halfway to 2. Just from one simple recipe too. It gave him 35 EXP.

"Hey, Sea Foam. How do you feel after eating that?"

"Actually... Healthier. It tastes pretty good too. Can't say I've ever eaten anything like this before. Why ya ask?"

"I was just curious is all..." He says putting away all the menus.

"Well after watching you work, sit back and watch me work!"

Richard can't say he watched him work as much as he probably watched him work. His mind was too filled with questions and thoughts of everything that just transpired. He applauded his craftsmen ship and excused himself to his room where he began searching frantically for anything to write on and with. He came across a journal, inkwell, and a feather. With thoughts still fresh in his head, he began to jot down everything that has transpired up till now.

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.

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

"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.

The Usual Spot

Richard taps his fingers along the desk staring into his journal. Things have been getting out of control of late and he can feel the tension in the air. It's so thick and bitter and feels like a weight you can never shake off. A week has passed and it seems as if Celestia is attempting to avoid him after their last conversation. Her words haunt her in his waking moments and he can't shake off this feeling of uneasiness of late.

Oh Richard, before I forget, do be careful with who you speak and associate yourself with. It would be a shame if something were to happen and you wound up injured or missing. Would you like another slice of cake?

"Does she know something I don't? Does she know about..." He looks towards the button to bring up his menus and sees a glowing number two letting him know that he has two unread messages from his latest discovery.

His discovery being not complete isolation.He no longer has to wonder if he's the only person who can see these menus and stats anymore. Of course, he hasn't actually met her either, but just the confirmation is enough for him right now. Words through text can be just as loud as no words at all. It would have been better if it was someone that he actually knew, but that would be wishing a very unfavorable fate onto one of his friends. Something that's beneath him.

Here he is getting all giddy about the two unread messages yet almost a week ago Beatrice messaged him personally saying Hello?. And In that one word, many feelings burst up from his chest in a grand magnitude. He would have yelled in happiness and glee if it wasn't for it being the early hours of the morning. He did jump for joy surprising Seafoam who decided to join his hobby of early morning gardening.

He didn't figure that one simple action would bring suspicion on him. Well, not from the higher-ups assuming that he may or may not be up to something. He assumed the gardener and Seafoam would probably assume that's something up with him mentally being cooped up behind walls for so long.

Seafoam. Could he have known something he shouldn't have and reported it to Celestia? Out of all the Ponies, he has run into, Seafoam has been the most welcoming and most personal out of all them. Nobody else has approached him as Seafoam has and none of them seem willing to do so either. Sure there have been random conversations here and there and the ponies from Ponyville seem to be quite interested in what he has to say, but there's something about Seafoam now that feels him with a bit of dread. What if he isn't what he seems?

"Is Seafoam a-?"

A hoof raps against his door making him stir from his musings. He makes sure to close and pocket away his journal.
Wouldn't want anyone finding out about his most inner feelings of his situation as well as any of his plans.

"Come in." He says turning himself and the chair around.

Then walks in Rarity. Not much of a rarity as there will always be more than one Unicorn and fashion designer, but such is her name. She has taken it out of her way to do everything she can to help Richard grow accustomed to ponamity, as Richard likes to call it, and all of their customs and such. On top of that, she has also decided to throw her two cents in about the clothing being made for him. Richard hasn't been one for gifts, but he'd never look a gift pony in the mouth.

Quite literally now since that would be beyond rude.

"Good morning, Richard." She says walking in head held high while closing the door behind her with magic.

That's something Richard thinks he'll never really get used to. Seeing magic in action in front of you compared to watching it off of shows and hearing about is something truly breathtaking as well as terrifying. Just the thought of what a battle pony could do to him with battle magic sends a shiver down his spine. Richard truly his human adaptability for allowing him to get used to how freaky magic is aside from his thoughts.

"Morning, Rarity."

"I hope you were able to sleep well last night."

"I had a few things on my mind, but it was a peaceful night as most nights come. Is there something I should be rested up for today?"

"Did you not hear darling?" She asks stopping near my dresser where I keep most of my clothes now.

"Hear what?"

"About the party events today? I would assume you would go to represent, what you call it, humanity?"

"I... doubt I would be a good pick for representing humanity as a whole. Most people would like to stand up for themselves than let others stand for them. Of course, that just depends on what part of the world you're from." Richard says rolling a hand through the air, "If I would represent humanity, I would have to represent a small minority of it."

"Representation of anything is still representing darling. Even if it is a small minority or a small nobility, you should still address those with fear still towards you and those that may try to use you and your mysteries." Rarity says starting to pull open more drawers and clothes with her magic.

With a pensive sigh, Richard stands to rub the back of his head, "I guess I could. I've never really been invited other than to cook at events like this. Though with all you've taught me so far, I suppose I could manage for a short amount of times."

"Oh, that's wonderful darling!" Rarity exclaims clopping her hooves together distracting her from whatever she is doing with his clothes, "Than after I spruce you up a better attire for the first event, I'll personally guide you there! Do try to keep your schedule busy for me."

"R-Right," Richard says trying his best to look through the brightness at Rarity as she carries off most of his clothing, "W-W-Wait! Wouldn't that be like a-"

The door closes leaving him to himself again. He sighs a bit flustered and opens the menu and quickly pulls the chat from the background to the foreground from one of the many tabs he leaves open.

Good morning,

I hope you woke up better than I have today.

Richard smirks at the two messages sent to him this morning from the mysterious Beatrice.

Morning to you too. If you would just let yourself be known, I'm sure you could find a comfy or semi comfy bed here.
Richard replies before closing everything back down again and making his way to the door.

Once in front of the door, he waits. A few minutes later Seafoam bursts in smile plastered on his face, "Morning!"

"Morning to you too." Richard says startling Seafoam who is suddenly pressed into Richard, "You've become predictable."

"Darn. I need to come up with something new then." He says stepping back, "Well if I'm so predictable, what am I about to say?"

"That Celestia trusts me and wishes to send me out into the world?"

"You know I wouldn't be here to give you that news cause Celestia would give it to you herself. Plus I would be pretty upset to see you go and would try my best to keep you here."

"I doubt that. She's been way too busy to help me with anything she promised. Though I suppose I shouldn't complain. I have a roof over my head, a full belly, and no bills. That's more than a lot of adults can say." Richard says moving past his friend and into the hallway, "So tell me, how would you keep me here?"

"I'm sure I could think of something or another. I am very convincing if you haven't figured it out yet." He says boasting about himself, "After all, you're my friend."

"That may be so, but if convincing people are forcing them to cook and kidnap them to do what you like then you are doing a fine job."

"Oh shush. I'm not here for you to insult my fine conversation skills." He says stepping outside with Richard after a while.

"Then what are you here for?" Richard says beginning to walk with Seafoam quickly matching in stride.

"I'm here to formally invite you to a meet and greet! It'll be taking place in a couple of hours and you'll need to be at your best and prepare yourself for a bunch of questions."

"You're a bit late on that news. Though I suppose you can let me know who all will be there since that part hasn't been told yet. Breakfast?"

"Breakfast. But after that, you have to answer my question on who ruined the surprise..."

Once full of a healthy breakfast of none grass infused pancakes, Richard finds himself lazying about in the garden looking at some of the flowers he has helped plant and grow to their very clearly distinct size and color. They're so much more vibrant than some of the other flowers and plants. The gardener says he has a real and true green hoof, but Richard knows its more like a cheat at life than anything else.

Seafoam flutters about in the sky above him watching birds and keeping an eye on Richard. Even from far away, he can tell Seafoam seems a bit on edge. As if he's watching for something of sorts. What that could be is unknown to him. Nobody wishes to tell him anything until last minute so this might as well be no different.

He sighs and goes back to looking over flowers and such when he notices a red number one appear on top of the menu. Now that's something he's never seen before and catches his attention all too quick. He would open it immediately if it wasn't for the fact that Seafoam or another pony that might pass by would simply see him poking at the air. He experimented successfully to see if any of the creatures around him could see the menus and now knows full well that they can't. So that's one fear eliminated from his.

Only several more to go.

He makes his way to the shed where most of the tools are placed and stored and quickly opens the menu. He opens the chat and finds a picture awaiting his eyes of a waterfall where a various amount of animals drink and stand. These animals look like deer with wings and the tail of a rat.

Simply put, the picture is very scenic. That picture is quickly followed by the picture of the woods where it seems someone has made a makeshift hammock and resting spot. There is a firepit with small embers just barely out of the picture as well. The next is that of a path that leads off towards seemingly nowhere. But if there's a path there must be some kind of sapient creature that made it. Perhaps more ponies or something else.

She I follow it? Is the question that follows after that.

Fire of all, how did you do that? Second, you should, but be careful. You never know what there is lurking in the shadows.

Nothing I can't handle She replies before sending a picture of two very long and shiny daggers stretched from her body.

Her nails also look very very sharp as well. Her skin looks very smooth with tufts of fur on the back. It's very strange, but something he hasn't seen before so he disregards that.

You'll have to find me if you wish to know. She follows up with before he can even start typing.

The door opens behind Richard and he quickly turns to see Seafoam giving him a curious look.

"Trying to hide from me?"

"Nah. Why would I need to hide from you? I feel like the roles of prey and predator would be reversed if that were to happen."

"I don't think I could ever imagine a rabbit or a squirrel hunting down a wolf."

That is quite the mental indeed. It brings a small smile to his face before he waves Seafoam off.

"It would kill it with a heart attack of cuteness maybe. Anyway, I came in here to check to see if there was more fertilizer for some of the flowers I have in my room is all."

"You must be blind then if you can't see the bad by the door," Seafoam says poking a hoof into the bag.

"Must be." I say walking towards the bag and grabbing a clay pot to scoop some out, "So why have you come find me? Am I being called to somewhere?"

"More like someone is calling for you," Seafoam says stepping out of the building allowing a miffed Rarity come into the building.

"There you are! Do you know how hard you are to find! I have all the clothes finished and the pony they are made for not even there!"

"Oh! I'm really sorry about that. I and Seafoam went and got breakfast after he stopped by to let me know about the events also."

"It's 'I' darling. Seafoam and I." Rarity says sighing and grabbing Richard's hand with magic, "No matter. Come along now. We have much to discuss and to prepare for."

"Wanna tag out?" Richard asks passing by Seafoam.

"You're on your own bud."

"Some friend you are," Richard grumbles out causing Seafoam to chuckle and take off into the sky to who knows where.

Richard raises the glass to his lips and drinks down the last shot of red wine. He had seen the wine before but didn't think ponies could drink due to physical differences but apparently, they can. He can't help but wonder if they can get drunk as well. A butler stops by and takes his glass before offering him another.

"No thanks," Richard says waving the offered glass away.

He nods and trots off into the crowd of Ponies, Griffons, Minotaurs, and Deers. It is certainly quite the sight to see these four creatures conversing and dealing in various business. Though it's very easy to see how the social groupings go with the deers and ponies hanging with one another more than Griffons and Minotaurs. Despite that, Richard finds himself alone mostly nears the snack table munching away on celery, carrots, and the occasional meat link.

"So, Human you say?" Someone asks from his side.

Richard looks over to find a rather non-muscular minotaur standing beside him wearing glasses and a tuxedo of purple and green. He looks so unlike any other of his kind and maybe some kind of scholar or another. Either that or very eccentric.

"Uh, yes. Yes, I am. I go by Richard. Mind if I get your name?"

"Irvine Seagrove, at your service. I just had a very amusing talk with a Miss Twilight Sparkle and the topic of you and your kind was brought up. I have a few questions of my own if you don't mind me asking."

"Sure. I don't really mind one bit actually. I figured there would be people bombarding me, but this is rather tame. I quite enjoy it even if it is a bit boring."

"Ah, yes. These events do tend to just drag on here and there. Nothing like the major events that'll happen later tonight. That is if you're interested in watching or competing yourself."

"A competition tonight?"

"I assume you haven't heard?"

"I don't hear a lot these days." Richard says chuckling pausing his eating, "But I guess we should get back on topic."

"Yes! I had almost forgotten! So tell me, how far along would you say your people are in technology?"

"Further than you can imagine actually. I've seen all sorts of beginning points for various of stuff we have, but I would say you guys are pretty limited with the whole magic and being able to fly. Since most races have no needs to really go out and invent and improve on things, I say you guys are limiting yourselves. I feel as if pony civilization could be far more advanced if they didn't use magic for all there problems so much."

"I see. And tell me, what's something you would want from your world that you want here?"

"I guess some form of entertainment we used to have. Maybe a game or a phone of sorts. I wish I had kept something on me if I would've known that I would wind up here of all places."

"So, you wouldn't be interested in something like this?" He asks reaching into the front tuxedo pocket and pulling out a flip phone of all things.

Richard's eyes go wide and he feels his body tremble lightly at the sight. Questions bombard his mind and he almost spits them out as fast as they come when he presses the phone into his unconsciously outstretched hand. The minotaur brings a finger to his lips and points outside towards the garden.

"We'll meet you outside when you're ready. We have quite a lot to talk about actually. Me, you, and a friend." The Irvine walks away whistling a tune as he goes out one of the side doors toward the garden.

"W-What just happened?" Richard asks bringing the phone to where he can see it, "Is... is this real?"

Richard slaps himself one good time to make sure he's not dreaming any of this. He slowly opens the flip phone turning away from the crowds and finds that the messaging center has been left open with a single text waiting to be sent.
Three words that would change everything in his life. Three words that will forever etch this moment into his head where his life goes from semi-normal day to day behavior to something more.

I see you.

And the game begins

Richard folds the phone down finally pulling himself from the message swallowing a held breath before breathing again. He glances around to see if anyone else noticed what has happened before turning away from the sea of faces and putting the now sacred object away. This contact means everything to him, but why wouldn't they use the chat system? Maybe it's being monitored by something or another? Or better yet, they probably figured his reaction and planned ahead so he isn't just poking at the air in erratic motions.

Richard's mind slips into a processing mindset as he wonders what it would be like to be with more of his kind. So far that makes him, the one other person, and his friend that he's been talking to through the weeks. This new development leads him to think there may be even more out there either out of range or ignorant to others being out in the world. Perhaps he should ask Irvine and the others more about their thoughts before he starts laying down his own theories.

Speaking of the fellow, he just kind of left without giving Richard any type of location to go to, most likely hoping that he would follow him immediately without becoming lost in his own thoughts and becoming paralyzed in his own thoughts. Now out of his own thoughts, he quickly looks for his body... shape?

What was Irvine? Was he a pony? A Griffin? Was he even real? What color was he? Why can't he seem to remember anything about Irvine?

Richard pulls out the phone to find the same message there along with a new one underneath it once opened. It first states he thinks too much followed by directions to where the mysterious fellow and hopefully his friend will be waiting for him. He can't help but wonder how they possibly met. As far as he can tell, he didn't show up first possibly. Or if he did, they have a much better grasp of everything than he does. Well, as a simple chief with only the experience of traveling for work, anything is possible outside of his knowledge.

He considers whether or not he should just leave or try to make up an excuse so he can have an alibi for why he's gone for so long. He scans the crowd over to spot either Sea Foam, Rarity, or Twilight so they can let everyone know he'll be out for a while in case more of them wish to come ask him questions and the sorts. So far the night has been tame, but he doubts that all of these drinks are non-alcoholic. Or... can they even digest something like that?

Questions for later.

After a while, he spots Sea Foam moving away from a group of Deers and heading towards the all Vegan table. Richard B-lines for him and meets him at the table.

"Hey buddy, I need a favor."

"Oh? What kind of favor do you need? I feel like I owe you after everything I've forced you into."

"You're right, and you can pay it back by announcing to anyone that asks that I've retired to my room after falling ill."

Sea Foam looks Richard up and down, "You look fine to me."

"Just do it. Or you lose a chef."

"You drive a hard bargain." Sea Foam states with a nod of his head before moving to pile plates of greens and vegetables, "I'll see what I can do. I'll probably play it up some ya know. Maybe make everyone think you're a zombie and the apocalypse is upon us."

"Uh huh." Richard says moving away from the Pony, "You know, I and you have to have a really long talk about the crazy stuff you say."

"Crazy? I'll have you know I'm probably the sanest between the two of us."

"I guess I'll have to really go see a doctor then."

"Oh, so you're not sick after all?"

With that Richard makes his way from the crowd and out into the main foyer Celestia is busying herself talking to some very important looking members of the other tribes. Richard says important looking cause they all have the common trait of being bigger than the others by a couple of feet or so and have very distinct differences about all of them to set them away from getting lost in crowds. In fact, that minotaur fellow has red eyes and muscles that would make a god jealous.

Putting his ogling of the different possible leaders of the races to the side, he quickly makes his way past them and into one of the many hallways that seem to stretch on forever till you actually need to be someplace of some type of importance or in Richard's care an area that isn't off limits. He soon finds himself getting more and more anxious while checking his phone to make sure he's still on the right path and not about to walk into a broom closet or some other unhelpful room. They're not the best directions, but someone has been doing their research on the place. Or lurking around enough and already has a feel for the place.

One of them might be a sneak and able to do such a task like being able to turn invisible. That is if all of them have a menu like him as well as abilities that they can level and use. For all he knows he could've got chaffed by a God he never prayed to and this is the punishment. Be it not a terrible one, but one he is not comfortable with at all. He preferred his normal life more than this one despite the fun points during all of this mess.

He's just saying that if he was cursed to be a chef for the rest of his life, he would like to get paid for it.

He begins to think on what everyone's stories will be like if they have one. Perhaps there will be a beautiful woman there that likes chefs. Hopeful thinking, but not likely. Though he can't help but think about everything that they've probably left behind and such. Did they also wake up in graves, or was he just the butt of the joke. Then there's the Irvine fellow.

His thoughts from earlier resurface as he thinks of how they managed to recruit... whatever Irvine was. Perhaps that's just another one of Richard's own in disguise. Or what if it's an illusion? Well, that just brings up the question of whether everything is an illusion and he's starting to go a little bit more than just stir crazy. He can't help but think of that one movie where they were all plugged into a giant machine and there was like five or four other movies about it. It's on the tip of his tongue but just can't pull it forward before a sudden pain strikes his head.

It's not like getting hit, but more along the line of something striking his head from the inside. Its probably from thinking too much like his mysterious direction giver said earlier.

Richard's steps slowly come to a stop as his face become confused coming close to the last door of the hall as a thought comes clear through his mind overpowering any other thoughts or pain. He looks down at the phone and asks aloud, "But how would he know that?"

Another sharp pain hits the inside of his mind. He begins thinking that something is very wrong as he grabs the side of his head. He winces as the stabbing pain continues as part of him just wants to forget he thought about it and the other half yelling at him to use his god damn brain right now before its too late. Because something is obviously wrong here. The phone buzzes angrily over and over again while messages pop up on his phone telling him to stop thinking so much and to walk through the door he has stopped in front of.

"Shit... Where the hell did I even walk to?" He says his hand slowly going towards the door as he feet seem to refuse against his will of not walking to the door.

If his friend had come here, wouldn't they have sent a message beforehand to let him know they were coming with someone? After all, they talked this morning and nothing seemed to be off of the sorts. They seemed perfectly content wherever they were, so why would they come out this way unless there was something happening? Or perhaps they just wanted to visit.

The door opens through a forced will of not his own and he finds himself walking outside. The phone slowly dissolves out of his hand as he looks up to see the sky slowly cracking and opening above him. The crack becoming massive far back behind him where the party should be taking part. The force of will seems to break off of him as he drops to his knees shaking and clutching his throbbing head. The now liquid phone slithers off back into the building leaving him weak of will.

"Oh fuck..." He mutters over and over again attempting to stand but being met by repeated failures of falling back to his knees.

He knew something was wrong when he could venture so far without being sent back to the same place again, but he didn't think it through with whatever got into his mind. After the sixth attempt, he manages to stand and slowly force himself back inside and down the hall.

From far away he can hear screaming and quickly pulls up his menus to find he has been bombarded by messages from his one and only friend. He shifts through them quickly to find that something of the same thing was happening where they were but they went stalking after some weird figure that led them to a hole in the ground where the monsters of black ickiness of different sizes and shapes began pouring out and killing animals and destroying the nature all around them.

Richard speeds up into a run trying to make it back to the party knowing that the picture of the crack of the sky looks a lot like his own. And if it is, it means that everyone at the party is in grave danger. He starts typing into the chat window sending messages of help and asking if they're okay.

"Fuck me... I'm a god, damn chef! What the hell am I supposed to do anyway!" He says constantly running down the hall until he feels a wave of something run over him.

He quickly finds himself running past very familiar kitchen doors and quickly skids to a stop knowing whatever magic Celestia put on him has finally turned back on. That means whatever is doing this nullifying magic and effect thinking and actions. Which is not a good thing at all for multiple reasons.

He pushes open the kitchen door to find something he never thought he would ever see. Creatures of the night jumping over counters and sinking teeth and claws into the flesh and fur of pony chefs and staff ripping away there lives and splattering blood like tomato sauce over cabinets, counters, and walls.

Richard feels his breath picking up and his heart hammering in his chest as he watches the scene unfold in front of him. Some of the staff fights back throwing knives and hitting the creatures back with pans only stunning them for short times before they lurch forward again to kill and maim. Some are eating the fallen far behind their brothers and sisters that still continue to slay the Ponies.

Richard slowly backs out and takes off down the hall trying to get away from the madness and reach somewhere safe. Obviously, the guards would be a safe choice. He turns the corner to find unicorns and guards blasting away the creatures while yelling out orders and commands to people freaking out and passing out. It's then that he notices that the guards are having an actual effect on the creatures depleting there health bars that Richard just now noticed they have.

"Human! Celestia wants to see you, now!" Someone yells beside him pushing at his legs and back.

Richard nods his head lifelessly as he's shoved and dragged along by one of the many guards leading him to the Alicorn. He can't help but think that this is his fault in some way. That because he left, things decided to fall apart where he couldn't do anything to warn anyone. Perhaps there was a warning at some point, but he never noticed it.

"What do you mean you don't know!" Rainbowdash yells getting right into Richard's face causing him to wince back and look away.

"I mean what I mean," Richard says not wanting to look at them.

He's seen those faces before and he doesn't want to see them again. But they're better than the flashes of horror he had to endure to make it back here. Even locked away where they are now, he can still hear the screaming like its happening beside him.

He was brought into a room with bearers of the Elements of Harmony, Celestia, Luna, and the other leaders of the tribes. Their emotions range from sorrow, pain, and anger. The one that's messing with him the most is Celestia's abstained reaction, but her eyes say it all.

Whether or not they show her true emotion is another thing.

"You better start making sense before I start beating in your face!" Rainbowdash says dropping to the ground in a low predator like stance.

"That's enough Loyalty," Luna speaks out stepping forward towards Richard.

Rainbowdash gives one last angry look towards him before backing away and making her way to Fluttershy who has been crying into her mane and tail for quite a long time. Probably even longer than Richard has been in this room with them. It's only now that he notices it.

"I know you are hiding something from us. I allowed Celestia to play her game, but now it is the time we take my approach." Luna says glaring down at him.

Luna grabs Richard by his collar and yanks him to his knees to become eye level with one another. Despite not looking, he can feel her hatred and a dangerous cold seeping into his body.

She slams him against the wall hard before yanking him back under her glare, "Look at us welp!"

Richard slowly looks up to meet her eyes and winces back at how much emotion they show.

"You have this one chance to tell us what you know before I toss you to the guards. There is more than one way of gaining information and most of them are not gentle."

"L-Luna, don't you thi-"

"Stay out of this Twilight. These are things you must learn as well." Luna says never breaking her glare to address Twilight's concern.

"I've written down what I know," Richard says reaching out towards his inventory tab.

After switching he reaches forward and suddenly his journal appears. It's snatched from his glow by a yellow aura and floats of to Celestia who scans the pages with a very indifferent face. She reacts to none of the information and Luna continues to hold him up by his collar never breaking her gaze from him.

"I see." Celestia closing the journal soon after scanning a few of the pages, or was it all the pages, "We certainly have much to talk about. And I want to know everything regarding your friend and all this about menus. If everything is true than you are just like the ones before. They wouldn't talk much about this, but now I'm demanding answers as one of the leaders of my people."

"Of course, Princess. I never knew anything like this would happen. If I had I would've... I don't know. I don't know anything." Richard says becoming more slack at helpless and useless he currently is.

He's attempted to make his power work offensively or unlock some kind of thing, but nothing to avail. He doesn't have any skills that could help them fight, other than what the food can do. Even then, what more is he supposed to do? Not like he could make something right now for them. Perhaps if he had stored food in his inventory.

A bunch of ifs and not a lot of doing. Richard berates himself for being this way. Always playing it too carefully. Maybe not careful enough.

"Twilight, I assume you and your friends are willing to help solve the problem here?"

"Of course Princess!" Twilight says followed by confirmation from the others as Fluttershy slowly comes down from her despair riddled cries, "The Elements of Harmony are at your disposal!"

"Good. Now Richard, if this is all true than it is imperative that we get you to the kitchen area. Or a place with raw ingredients. I doubt the road to the kitchens is anything but safe, so I'll send you to the storage area near the barracks. I need you to get to work making the guards stronger to help push back this wave of evil with Twilight and her friends."

"Anything to begin to help with what I've brought forth."

"I understand you feel deep remorse but know that I believe that you have no idea where these creatures have come from. But you and they are connected, that much I can see." Celestia moves towards generals who are yelling orders and relaying information back and forth, "General Wild Ace, I need you to send some of your best soldiers with Twilight."

"Of course your highness!" Wild Ace says saluting before yelling out orders sending four soldiers over to stand at the ready dressed in golden armor with gray and brown fur.

"Now go with our blessing," Celestia says referring to the group.

Luna lets go of Richard and moves to his sister's side.

Richard slowly gets up and looks towards the group then begins to trot off. A sigh leaves his mouth before he too follows behind.

What a chef can do

The clanking of armor fills the void that would normally be filled with the sound of voices and laughter. Richard, the Elements of Harmony, and guards move through the destroyed and chaotic environment of hallways that used to be seen in a beautiful light. Broken windows, smudges of blood, and weapons lay across the environment leaving everyone on edge.

Richard's head hangs low despite being given a second chance to prove himself to everyone here. He failed to do something when it all happened except run and watch things take place. To his credit, he had assumed he would be dead by now from all the fighting or the group he's traveling with.

The pony at the head is an earth pony known as Wild Feet. He wields a spear at his side and his ears are perked to their highest point. The swivel on the side of his head trying to hear for any sort of ambush from our enemies. Despite they've probably already moved from this area.

From what Richard can remember, or what he tries to forget, these things attack like animals. And from all the carnage that they're seeing right now, they don't seem to be holding back. More importantly, they probably can't hold back seeing as there isn't even a corpse around. Perhaps they hadn't killed anyone and merely injured a couple before giving chase. Or maybe they never left.

"So what is it that you can exactly due to attract all this?" Rainbowdash asks glaring at Richard, "I don't really see how you're all so dangerous. I don't you can use magic and you don't have wings to fly."

"I... I cook," He starts slumping a little bit more, "Everything I cook changes people in different ways from making them healthier, stronger, faster, etc. The other stuff I have is to help further my cooking ability apparently and I don't have a way of attacking. Makes me realize I have to sit on the sidelines for these fights..."

"Really? That's it? You can't just tear these things to shred?"

"I... I can't. They have health bars and all the guards are doing a pretty good job at holding them back and dealing damage. I attempted to learn how to fight, but I'm restricted from wielding anything for the purpose of fighting. Most I can do is just keep feeding you guys things to stay alive."

"So useless but not entirely useless. Great." Rainbowdash says snorting and moving back to her group of friends.

"Now Rainbowdash, obviously Princess Celestia wouldn't have sent him with us if he was useless. Didn't any of those friendship lessons teach ya anythin?"

"Yea yea. I just don't like him. He seems spineless and weak."

"Rainbowdash! You never judge a book by its cover." Fluttershy says wiping a few tears away from her eyes, "I-I'm still n-nervous and sad and distraught about all of this, but I'm willing to try for everypony that needs our help. Doesn't that count for something?"

Rainbowdash goes quiet as she averts her gaze from Fluttershy's. Applejack and Twilight nod their heads.

"Tell me, Richard. Why hadn't you thought it was good to tell Celestia about your unique power? You know you can trust the Princess." Twilight says stepping around a flipped over servants cart.

"We have a different experience with government. Remember what I said, Twilight? About how the different countries in my world have different sort of government. Well, my countries government was believed to be an entire body of corrupted and non-corrupted people where the corrupted people would slowly consume the non-corrupted people before they can think of never abusing their power some way. A lot of people didn't like or trust our government." Richard says looking out the window towards the calm and quiet city below the castle that know not what's going on currently.

"Than why not put people into power you could trust?"

"That's the funny part, we always think we do," Richard says shrugging his shoulders.

"Dat don't make a lit of sense to me." Applejack says scratching under her dirtied Stenson.

Wild ace suddenly stops and holds up a hoof. The two others on either side of the main party quickly move to the point's side. Every one of us tense up looking down the hall. Their ears begin to swivel as Ace begins to take his spear into both of his hooves and stand on his hind ones. Quite an impressive feat Richard would say if t wasn't for the fact that he knows his life is in danger.

"Do you guys hear something?" Richard asks leaning over to Pinkie.

"Nope! I just like moving my ear around!" Pinkie replies cheerfully before flopping her ears up and down.

"R-Right." Richard says pulling away from her with a curious look.

Ace begins walks again making sure everyone stays close but far enough back that he can use his spear effectively.

"We're getting close to the target. I really hope you don't disappoint us." Ace says with the guards nodding their heads as well

"I won't. Not this time. I'll put my heart into it." Richard says his eyes never leaving the carnage or floors.

"I think all hostiles are behind us Ace." One of the two unicorns says whose on the back right of the front line, "Pretty sure you can let-"

Before he can finish something black and snake-like shoots out of one of the rooms and wraps its slenderness around the unicorn's throat before dragging him into darkness. Screams are heard from the main sex and the guards hope into action. The last unicorn begins to charge up a spell until something heavy lands on it. That something is one of the creatures Richard had seen when he first started encountering them.

It stands taller than a pony and yet shorter than Richard at four foot six with spikes running down it's back and across his head. A tail that seems to be a battle ax swishes behind it as claws at least 4 inches long extend from its three finger hands. The claws swipe through the thick neck of the unicorn separating it cleanly as he laughs all too happily.

Ace swings back around and thrusts his spear shoving it straight through its chest. Richard watches as the health bar above the creature shoots down and it staggers back. It growls and strikes out towards the Pony, but true to his position he's quite good. He ducks under the overstretched attack and hits the dark figure with the other end of the staff causing it to turn into a black liquid and splatter across the floor. Meanwhile, the other soldiers chase after what took one of their comrades.

Ace point s hoof towards me and points down the hall, " Go! Now! It's just around the corner!"

"Right!" Richard says recovering from the shock of watching that quick battle and the possible death of two ponies.

Richard moves through the group of ponies and takes off running as more of the black creatures begin to rise from windows and rooms equipped with spikes, claws, and wings. Richard looks back to see that most of the other ponies have recovered and are fighting off the other creatures as well.

Beams of magic fire off in different directions one shotting or pushing creatures back to only be destroyed by a rainbow blur, a spear, Earth Pony kick, or a cannon filled with more than what it should have inside of it.

"Damn," Richard says returning his vision forward knowing what his objective has to be.

He turns the corner and runs head first into something making him stumble back as well as the creature. The creature is the same one has before and growls at him before swiping his claws. Richard's eyes go wide as he jumps back and falls on his butt in fear. The creature spins aiming at his head with his battleax like tail. Richard falls to his side and attempts to get up while it rightens itself on him.

"You're a big guy aren't ya!" Richard yells backing away from the creature as it drags its left set of claws on the wall beside it leaving deep grooves in the stone.

Richard grits his teeth and runs towards the creature hoping to catch it off guard. The creature reacts without flinching bringing its other clawed hand up and into Richard. Richard's eyes go wide as he feels the sharp digits sink into and through his body. Richard gapes and yells. Not in pain, but in shock that he just got skewered by this creature and is still somehow alive.

Its hand retracts and begins to swipe the other one at the dazed Richard. Magic suddenly blasts the creature apart as Richard stand there trying to catch his breathing and not pass out at the feeling of what should've been death.

"Richard! Are you alright?" Twilight asks running up to his side while eyeing other creatures rounding the corner.

Richard's eyes go wild as she backs away from the creature rounding the corner. He heartbeat quickens as he begins to realize how outmatched he is. He can't take one of these creatures. He's supposed to be a cook, not a fight. He can't shake off the dread and the thought of dying keeps flashing through his mind. He finds himself frozen in fear even as the creatures are destroyed before him. These creatures are weak to them but are far stronger than himself.

"Richard!" Applejack yells while knocking him down and slapping him across the face with a hoof, "Snap the hay out of it right now or so help me Celestia!"

"I-I can't! What the hell am I doing! I can't do this! There isn't a person I know that would just do this! Why do you need me! Why can't I go home!"

Wild Ace quickly whips around towards Richard, "We need you cause her highness thinks so! You see what happened back there! She thinks that you prevent that from happening again, and I'm happy enough to think it. I've got three dead for this mission, Richard. So you better get your flank up now and get to work while we hold them off. They knew we were coming therefore whatever you can do is more important than you think!"

Richard just stares ahead fear still evident in his eyes. He knows what needs to be done and perhaps he could help prevent others from dying. Three of the soldiers that came with them are already dead. The least he can do is uphold their deaths and not treat it like it means nothing by falling over in fear before creatures he can rely on other people to handle.

"I'm... I'm sorry." He says slowly getting up while shaking, "I'm so sorry..."

"If you're sorry, hurry up and get in there before we all die!" Ace yells while pushing a small bat-like creature away from him before a bolt of purple light arcs through its body turning it too into liquid.

Richard nods his head as he makes his way around the corner and into a storage area filled row to row with boxes and containers. His still shaking hand pulls up his recipe list. He begins to go into autopilot mixing things together and making sure they all have the effect he needs to keep them alive. If he can keep them alive, he can keep himself alive.

"Survival." He mutters to himself slowly calming down from the adrenaline rush.

His head throbs and his body feels slightly heavier as he slowly regains his breath he hadn't realized he lost. He slowly starts making bard from grain, paste, and clovers each giving the stat increase of bonus health and defense. The bonus of health is 50 and the bonus defense is a measly 10. But even a little bit counts. Perhaps it stacks up, or is it on a time limit? This was the only thing he never really tested or took notes on.

"Just gotta..." He says shaking his head still making more even as his vision begins to go blurry.

He wipes sweat from his head and suddenly a message appears that tells him he can't make any more low-grade health bars. He blinks slowly and his shoulders slump as he looks at how many he has made. Before him is a pile of at least 80 of them. Not much compared to how many ponies are risking their lives, but still a pretty good amount for however long he's been in here. A few minutes? Felt like seconds.

He slowly starts shoving them into his inventory trying to stay awake as a wave of sleep attempts to take him. He can't understand why he would be tired all of a sudden as the last big of them are shoved into the inventory leaving nine left for the ones outside. He scoops them up and pushes himself forward and out of the door. The scene before him is quite something.

Wild ace is spinning wildly slamming and stabbing his spear into various creatures that never seem to stop while Twilight runs guard on anything that might attack the ones in the front in the back. Applejack is using her hind legs to basically cave in the heads or bodies of any of the creatures that get too close while Rainbowdash does air control by either knocking them out of the air or smashing them against the ceiling or wall. Pinkie Pie and Rarity are at the side of Fluttershy trying to calm her down to the best of their abilities.

"I. Have. Them." Richard manages to get out his legs feeling like jelly under him.

Rarity eyes the food in his hand, "Is that it darling? I expected something a bit more... eloquent and large."

"More. In. Inventory." Richard says as his eyes close and he takes a deep breath.

"Well if. Darling! Are you alright! Richard? Richard!?"

Richard's world suddenly flips on him as he feels something hard slam into his body. After that, darkness takes him.

Road to Recovery

There are a many a great sounds to hear upon returning to the waking world from the ever silent void that lies, possibly, between the realm of life and death. The veil that shrouds the line between these two worlds are so thin you would think you could hear whatever is on either side, but on either side is apparent silence. Or maybe the assumption that the veil is thin is the problem.

Either way, being bombarded by screams of either joy or fear are not something so pleasing to the ears after what may have been minutes, hours, days of silence. The once still form of Richard flinches and attempts to move his arms, which he finds are as heavy as a steel beam, to cover his head to the assortment of sounds can stop. It is moments like this where one actually appreciates the silence.

"Girls please!" A nurse or doctor yells out of the vision of Richard's view, "He needs rest. He's stable for now but all this screaming is going to help him."

"S-Sorry." Twilight, because of how distinctive her voice is, apologizes before the sound of several hooves clop away followed by the closing of a door.

The nurse or doctor sighs before appearing in his view. The mare in question has a ponytail of pink hair hanging behind her on her head. In contrasts with her green eyes and gray coat pretty well. Richard wonders for a moment if that could be considered hot pink or just a regular pink for this world.

"Afternoon sir. Assuming from that wince earlier I assume you can hear me." She asks gently.

"Greh." Richard manages to get out of his very dry throat before starting to hack up a lung.

"Oh sorry! Your body really had to compensate for restoring your mana fill." She says walking away.

She returns soon after with a glass of water with a straw she gently brings down to him. She sips slowly while trying to ignore the burning of his throat as the cool liquid goes down. Whether it's from his coughing fit earlier or just the water itself lies a mystery on him. She pulls the glass away and sets it down somewhere nearby.

"How do you feel?" She asks.

"Heavy," Richard replies testing his voice, "Very very heavy."

"Ah. Yes, that is one of the drawbacks." She says sighing.

"Drawbacks?"

"Yes! Magical drawback, otherwise known as mana withdrawal, on your body. You'll be feeling heavy for quite some time, but given proper care and nutrition you should be fine as long as you don't push yourself to the limit again." She says starting off cheerful and getting serious towards the end.

"R-Right." Richard croaks out feeling a menacing aura radiating from her.

"Well, I'm glad we're on the same page!" She says moving away and to the other side of him.

"So, what happened?"

"Oh right. You probably don't know what happened. Well as you can see, we're all fine and well. The soldiers and the mane six were able to push back the remaining of the dark forces and Celestia and Luna were able to expel the force that was summoning them here. The first group said they had you to thank. Whatever you did filled them with energy and made them feel like they could take on the world. In fact, Wild Ace told me to contact him as soon as you woke up. If that's alright with you of course."

Richard sighs inwardly in relief at hearing that whatever was causing all this damage had finally been taken care of. He would have liked to be there to actively help, but beggars can't be choosers in the end. He just wishes he could bring up his screen and menus so he can check his stats and inventory. Then there's also the unknown progress of the only other person that seems to know what's going on in some form or sense.

"Maybe later," Richard says not wanting to face him just yet.

"Of course! Wanna make sure you get all rested and back on your feet!"

"Yeah..."

"I guess while your conscious, I suppose I should ask what your favorite color is."

"Huh?"

"Just tell me what you're favorite color is! It's fine I assure you."

"O...Okay? Brown, I guess."

"Alright! Brown it is!" She says overjoyed about something before the clopping of hooves is heard, "Oh! And before I forget, I'll be sending your friends in one by one to keep an eye on you. Don't need you passing out on us again."

"Again?"

"Be good now!" The door is heard closing leaving Richard to his thoughts once again.

He can't help but ponder on what she means again. Could he have come too before after the first time the darkness swallowed him? He can't really remember anything and it didn't feel like time was moving at all. There wasn't any dreams or anything. It was like being trapped in a waiting screen. He shakes the growing coldness of his body away trying to forget the silence and all it brought.

The thoughts and regrets that flitted through his mind where not kind to him. The things he wanted to do, say, and see. It all seemed to meld into one big creature of lingering depression and shame that have been hunting him down since he first woke up here. He considers the notion that he may be going insane but pushes it aside for a more rational train of thought.

The first thing to come to his mind is whatever happened to the source of all this destruction. Sure it was closed, but how was it closed? Could it be prevented and can it be closed again by anybody using the same method? Were the other sources closed as well using the same method or a different method. Were they ever closed at all?

His train is derailed as a gentle voice speaks up to him with a small tap on his body. He glances over to see a pink-maned and tear-soaked coat of Fluttershy looking down at him with those gentle spring green and black eyes. She goes to say something before tears start to appear again as she tries to hold them back. She must have feared the worse from the look of her. He wishes he could console her with more than just words. But he knows the next few minutes or so is probably going to go this way.

As the last mare of the group clops out Richard manages to sit up in his rather small cot. He's able to absorb in the details of the surrounding areas somewhat as the fatigue slowly drops away from his body. He can move his arms better and his legs no longer feel dead to the world. This would be a cause for celebration if not for all the information he was just given by six different mares. Each of them having something different to either rant or talk about whether it be his health or his power.

The two most persistent of them being Twilight and Fluttershy on opposite ends of the spectrum. At least Fluttershy had the thought of it might get tiresome to answer so many questions where Twilight just didn't stop until she could squeeze whatever she needed out of him. Both were hysterical and seemed to the point of obsession with his power or health respectively.

Richard sighs and lets his arms slumps some after laying his hand on his lap. He can't help but wonder how long he'll be like this. He takes a moment, brought longer due to the strain on his arms, to bring up his stats menu up to see that not a lot has changed since he last saw it. His level is still the same and all the levels of his various skills are all the same. All that changed is the number that's flashing red next to a blue number. It displays 30/250.

He knows that's probably where is problem lies in despite everything else being green or red to represent his health and SP. If mana withdrawal is this bad, he has to remember to keep an eye on all of his other bars as well.

He closes it down and looks for the chat window to find that there are a bunch of red, green, and yellow numbers flashing. He slowly reaches out and pops it open to see not just one, but three people chatting in the room so to speak. The chat seems to have been going on forever so he looks back over the short version of the latest text indicating that the two new additions to this world being Armon and Liloth. The main talk seems to be around whatever happened and the counter that has appeared as a new menu.

Richard makes a quick check and finds that, in fact, there is a new menu when once opened shows a counter counting down from 10 days 8 hours and 54 minutes. What's it counting down to is unknown it seems, but the theory of the group right now seems to be about whatever attacked the various points that they were all at. Beatrix says she was able to close hers on her own, but Armon and Liloth had to get help due to their abilities. All their locations are unknown it seems and the last statement is uttered by Armon who says she spotted a flying horse. And that was yesterday morning. Beatrix is no longer under the available people in the chat, but Armon and Liloth still are.

He manages to slowly type out "Hello?"

Minutes pass as he stares the chat down hoping for a quick reply, but receives none. The door to his room opens and he hesitantly lowers down his chat.

"Sitting up already!? You're a quick one to recover aren't you!" The seeming doctor says trotting in carrying something on her back.

The item in question in a rather large box that has several crystal-like locks upon it with the symbol of wings on top of it. She lets the box slide off at the foot of the bed and makes her way to unlocks it with a very odd looking silver key. Richard can feel himself tensing while warily watching the very happy and go lucky mare.

"So... what's in the box?" Richard asks as she moves away from it after unlocking it.

"Well~ Would you like me to open it for you?"

"I think I would like to know what's inside of it first before you do that."

"Well, that's no fun."

"Does this have to go back to the question about my favorite color?"

"Maybe~"

"Well. I suppose nothing good will come from just leaving it closed. NOr will anything come from opening it probably.."

"So is that a yes?" She says creeping closer to the box.

"Yeah?" Richard says trying to scoot further back in his bed.

The mare darts over and quickly yanks the box open to reveal.

"... There's nothing in- Hey!" Richard yelps as something stabs him in the back.

A cooling liquid follows after the sudden intrusion and small burst of pain. The mare comes out from behind Richard and plops down a bear that has a bunch of stars all over its body.

"Sorry about that! A lot of my patients I get are really squeamish about needles so I come up with new ways of giving them shots."

Richard winces as she carries the now empty tube and needle over to the hazard sink. The needle is indeed quite large and should've caused a lot more pain than it had. He still can't help but be bitter and wonder why she didn't just ask him first. He probably would've said yes.

"Well jeez. Thanks." Richard mumbles out picking up the soft bear while feeling a bit more of himself return after the shot.

"No problem! You be good now! Princess Celestia said that she wanted to talk to you later tonight!" She says leaving out of the room.

Richard nods solemnly while looking the bear over. He wonders for a moment whether its been hoof made, by magic, or a machine. Is there even a sewing machine in a world that uses magic.

Richard looks towards the nearest to him to see that much of the sun has really disappeared.

"I'll just take a quick nap." He mumbles to himself.

Meeting

Author's Note

I forgot to proofread this 😐

Meeting

Richard couldn't believe his eyes. He wouldn't believe his eyes as food falls from his mouth at the impossible sight before him. He shouldn't call it impossible, but he can certainly call it unlikely. He would stand if not for the fear and anxiety crippling him further than his mana withdrawal has already, but a single finger raises from his seated position towards the three figures standing in the doorway. One he can safely say he has become accustomed to in the late days of recovery, but the other two are foreign beyond belief.

Well, he can't call them too foreign. After all, he already knows there names just by looking at them. Above both of the figures flanking the right and left of Celestia are humanoids like him with their names on full display above their heads. Underneath that is the class and beside that are their levels which, he might add, are much higher than his own. He hadn't been able to do anything other than rest and speak to the passing nurses and doctors, but their levels are absurd to him. The right one being twenty-one and the leftmost one being twenty-five as if it's completely natural to be well in the twenties. He can't help but consider the possibility that he's been slacking at his duty on getting stronger if people like him are already this high in levels.

Of course, people like him don't mean exactly like him since they certainly don't look anything like him. The right one resembles a more well-built version of a proper minotaur he would see in movies and shows. He visage is very muscular without a single thread of clothes to cover his bruised chest. The class is called Shield Defender and he wields a very daunting silver shield on his right arm that covers a large portion of his arm and body.

The tower shield, if his memory serves him correctly, is painted silver with the shape of a circle in spikes of red in the center of it. The lining of the shield is painted gold and the entire thing seems to radiate a power much like the creature it's attached to.

The person in question standing to the right of Celestia has longhorn like horns protruding from the side of his head and pointed forward. They're light brown and swirled from the tip all the way to the base of his head where jet black hair sticks out wildly from his light brown head. He has a bovine snout that goes covered in fur like most of the rest of his body that's uncovered. He eyes are a dull green and cow-like ears flop every so often on the side of his head.

The next thing to catch Richard's attention is the Minotaur's hands. They have three fingers and a thumb attached to very large palms. Richard wonders for a short second if the palm of the MInotaur's hand could cover the entirety of his own face.

Despite no shirt, his pants are more like armor, silver to match the shield and looking to be made of not only cloth but some sort of metal integrated with the material in question. They reach all the way down to his black hooves that seem to move without making any noise indicating either a spell or some sort of wear underneath his hoof to help with the noise of clopping one would expect.

Either that or Richard had grown used to the sound long ago.

The next figure is lither in figure giving away feminine curves despite the black, silver, and blue cloak that masks the body except for the head and hands. The class seems to be "dark mystic" and her hair is very long and tied back into pigtails with what seems to be dark energy bands in place of a rubber band or whatever hair product used to keep the hair in such a style. In size, she would probably stand somewhat smaller than he would but more on eye level to Alicorns. Her eyes are a very deep purple with what looks to be a deeper shade of purple, almost black, lining her mystic eyes. Whiskers sprout from above her lips that are pulled up into a very wide smile as her cat-like ears twitch here and there. Her hands are the same as the Minotaurs except for the white hair that grows along the back of her hand and down into the sleeve. Her feet are properly covered, but Richard assumes that they are mostly cat-like since most of her features would hint at it.

They're not human to say, but they're human enough for Richard to feel both relieved as well as startled at the current situation. Their human traits are easy to make out and can be mistaken as one of his kind at first glance for the most part. But what really strikes him is their names. The cat-like one named Liloth and the Minotaur called Armon share the same name as the one that had appeared in the chat room while he had been unconscious. He could chalk this as one of the very surreal dreams he has been having, but the food that lays wasted in his lap would have to disagree.

Richard opens and closes his mouth wordlessly trying to come up with anything to say.

"Good morning to you too," Celestia says walking further into the room and levitating an apple from the rather large wooden basket from the center of the long table that could probably fit a least ten of the Alicorn, "I see that you're recovering well. They told me to expect a full recovery from you in a day or so."

"Y-Yeah..." Richard says watching as Liloth walks into the room following behind Celestia while watching him with those purple eyes of hers.

Armon on the other hands stands by the door as Richard slowly returns his finger to his hand and his hand to the table. Armon just seems to be looking Richard over as Richard had looked over them. Armon's expression seems stoic and unchanging before he seems to decide to enter the room and takes a seat towards the middle of the table laying the shield against the wood. The other one takes a seat beside Celestia who sits right beside Richard at the head of the table. Richard and Liloth look at each other as Celestia bites into her apple with a satisfying crunch.

"So." Celestia asks after what seemed to be a full minute of silence and staring, "I'm guessing everyone here knows one another?"

"Not in the slightest other than a name." LIloth says with the voice of that of a pampered teen, "The name is familiar, but can't say I've seen a face like that at all. Furthermore, he doesn't seem to be a Neko."

"I see. And he certainly isn't a Minotaur or a ponykin." Celestia says nodding her head, "But you already know each other's names?"

"Yeah." Armon speaks out in a deep bass, "It's one of the few things each of us seem to understand about this world. There's a place where we can all talk secretly and discuss things. But also we can see each others name, class, and level above each other's heads."

Richard nods his head slowly listening to the two while wiping the dropped food off of him. The appetite he had from earlier is all but gone as the room seems to be tense. Celestia seems perfectly at ease with the situation, but that probably goes with being in a situation like this. Probably.

Celestia finishes off her apples before levitating the leftover to a nearby garbage can, "You know you two can eat anything you see that might look good."

"Ate already," Armon replies.

"I'm more of a carnivore than a herbivore," Liloth says smiling to show off her long canines.

"Noted." Celestia says looking Richard up and down, "So remind me again what your race is called."

"Humans. The basic makeup that leads to their subspecies I suppose. Unless it's some sort of evolution into what I'm assuming from cow/bull and or cat. I could be wrong since it's only an assumption." Richard says trying not to stare at the people that usually only exist in stories and shows.

"Well on to the next stage of business since we don't have to worry about full introductions, do you all know what you are doing here and do you know anything of the recent events that have happened? We'll start with Armon and have his input."

"Yes. My people have chosen me as their champion and have sent me here in order to combat the demons that may be laying waste to this land. They told me that there would be a few others to help me, but I hadn't realized they meant people from other planes of existence. I thought they meant the people of the land would help me, so please excuse my surprise."

Richard tries to keep a calm expression as internally he feels himself growing panicked. Apparently, it wasn't at random? Does that mean he got here not on his own? Or was there something already set before his time? He can feel a headache growing very fast.

"As far as the creatures go, I only know that they are supposed to lay waste to worlds if left unchecked. I hadn't realized they show up as they do since none of the champions ever seem to return to the homeland. This is the final and greatest quest and way of death of my people. We believe that through this, ascension is guaranteed."

"Nyaaa~ That's just adorable! A cult of Minotaurs!" Liloth suddenly cries out at the end of Armon's talking, "We really must come from different worlds if this is perfectly normal for you."

"Why don't you talk next than," Armon says crossing his arms.

"Gladly." Liloth says standing and walking to the other end of the table proudly, "Good morning everyone! Unlike Armon over here, I arrived here semi-willingly. I was working on an experiment when it sort of blew up in my face. Upon happening, I began to stumble away before falling into my assistance spell circle during his preparations for the second part of said experiment. Upon falling into it, the magic holding it in place as well as the magic inside of it went off and boom. Here.

I won't go into the inner workings of the whole process, but I somewhat got the desired results. Though the circle was meant to only making a viewing port into a world and not actually displace someone." Her expression goes from something of joy to that of irritation while talking all while her tail flicks here and there.

"So it's safe you know nothing of the creatures attacking?" Celestia asks.

"I wouldn't say nothing. I can sense the magic pouring from the portals and it definitely feels familiar. Which is the only reason I knew how to dispell it after awhile in the first place. Of course, there are some very foreign parts about it that don't make a sense when you look into the smaller part of the construct of the spell."

"Thank you for your input. Remind me to clash what I know and what you know later in order to see if the foreign parts you speak of are merely the natural magic of Equestria or something more." Celestia says nodding her head.

Liloth nods her head and returns to her seat with quite a smug expression. Celestia than turns to Richard and waits for him to speak.

"I... I don't really know what to say. I mean about how I got here and everything. I just got home from visiting a friend and I went to bed. Then I woke up in a grave and dug my way out full of desperation and panic. I know nothing like you guys do since this all seems to be quite random."

"Well, that's boring," Liloth says flatly propping her head up on the table.

Richard sinks back into his seat wondering if he should've just made up a story to tell them. Some brave and heroic like Armon or something like an accident like LIloth. He can only sigh inwardly as the time has passed.

"Sorry to disappoint."

"Nyaaa... You look like you say that to all the ladies."

"I think that's quite enough." Celestia says staring at Liloth, "Now, it seems that Armon has some sort of idea about the creatures pouring through. I'd like to focus on the creatures and the portals they come through in order to better benefit us all so we may take them out as efficiently and as easily as possible to reduce the damage that may be caused by them. Last time, multiple of these portals opened here, in the forest, in several cities, and of course one in every major capital outside of the borders of pony-kind.

"I'm curious. How did you two go about getting rid of the creatures and the portal itself."

Armon stands up picking up his shield and backing away from the table. The shield suddenly changes to show inch long spikes all along the front of it.

"Through various skills and a beam that can be shot from our hands. I'm the defender and have various skills to help protect people and deal damage. One such ability is shield bash and spike shield."

"Me on the other hand." Liloth says smiling wide, "Am a sorcerer of the dark arts and one of my abilities is life drain. Very useful, but unfortunately it requires me to be pretty close to my enemies. Luckily my natural dexterity keeps me out of harm."

"Very interesting. So tell me, did you learn these skills on your own or did you have to read up on them?" Celestia asks looking Armon's shield over.

"They are all skills that we've gotten from one branch or another of abilities we can use whenever we gain enough experience or levels. Every five we can pick a new one with no foreseeable end in sight."

Richard suddenly shoots up, "What!?"

Liloth frowns, "Please tell me you don't know what we're talking about. Have you not been using your abilities and menus right. I guess that would explain your level of all things. Not as high as mine, because no one here can be as great as me, but pathetically low."

"Shut up! You act like this is completely normal."

"N-Nya! Did you just tell me to shut up you worm!" She yells shooting up from her seat, "You best watch yourself, Chef!"

Armon shakes his head as Liloth and Richard stare daggers at one another.

"Both of you calm down! I'll not have you both raising your voice against one another like this. This is a time of danger and co-operating with one another is a must. Now all of you sit down and please walk Richard through the process of acquiring such skills."

Hmph." Liloth says plopping down into her seat followed by Richard and Armon.

"Thank you." Celestia says shaking her head lightly.

"He has a point I guess." Armon says, "It would probably catch someone like him off guard after having to crawl out of a grave. I guess I can try to do my best to help you out.

"First go into the menu. Next, find your name and basic stats and such. Underneath that should be your class and level. Beside your level should be a yellow arrow. Click that and it should pull up a tree of skills that seem to stretch on forever. From there you should be able to pick at least three skills to help you."

Richard stares at the branches before him. As the Minotaur had said before Richard were branches of various skills he could gain with the bottom ones not looking too great. He figures they'll only get better as time goes and tentatively reaches his hand to the middle of the three main branches and watches as one of the yellow numbers at the bottom of the screen disappears.

He's able to get three abilities in all from this. The first being Instant Cooking Fire, the next being Green Thumb, and the last being Fire Enchant. It's pretty nice all things considered. The first allows him to create a fire for cooking anywhere he goes, the next ability allows plants to grow healthier and produce better food for ingredients, and the last one lets him embed fire into the food to increase certain stats and decrease certain stats which means even more experimenting. He nods his head and gives thanks to Armon who simply nods back.

"Great! Now this beam you said that closed the portal. How did you two go about this?" Celestia asks.

"Well, it wasn't us that came up with the idea. It was Beatrix, but she left at the first sign of someone discovering her. She said to be careful about the citizens of this world, but so far things have been pretty nice." Liloth states.

"And I'm assuming you don't know where this Beatrix is."

"You assume correctly."

"Can you reproduce the beam right now?"

"I've tried and it only seems to work when there is a portal. Speak of the portals, they seem to be only minor ones since a true demon never came out. Only minions. So it's probably just starting all things considered."

"That's foreboding..." Richard mumbles.

"You would be accurate. I believe its time I put in some of my knowledge as well. I've been alive long enough to see this happen once, and I'm not about to allow ignorance destroy what I and all the others have sought to set up. So let me be the first to call you by the proper title of all those that may and or have come before you. Each of you are Mytherils.

"Through one mean or another, you have been cast into this world. The process is usually random or on purpose. When chosen, the Mytherils are meant to stop the coming of a great evil that will not only destroy this plane but all the others that are now connected to it from your worlds. So Armon's people have the right idea of sending a champion through in order to prevent disaster on not only their plane but all the other planes as well. The number of Mytherils are always random, but last time there were at least over one thousand of your kind and almost every one of them died.

"Not all of them were good and not all of them were evil. They stood side by side in order to cast out the greater threat that loomed over all of us. I ask that you do the same in order to prevent your world and ours from being destroyed."

Celestia stands after dropping the information and makes her way past the small group and towards the door they had entered from, "I understand that this is a great task I'm asking you to do and I shall give you all time to-"

"Not needed. My people sent me here and I will not let my homeland be destroyed." Armon says with ease.

"Well, I don't really care honestly. My people saw me nothing more than a scapegoat at times of great tragedy. I'd love to see all their smug faces as skeletons. Do you think I could strike up a deal with whatever evil we have to face?"

"Are you serious!?" Richard blurts out looking bewildered at the Neko, "You can't be serious right? Just people treat you a certain way doesn't automatically label them for life or death."

"Depends on whose issuing life or death I say." Liloth replies rolling her eyes, "Besides, what's a race compared to everything else. Planes of existence come and go you know. Science and magic go hand and hand and can do some pretty amazing things. I'm sure, in a century or so, we could easily remake all of this if we put our best foot forward."

"That's my people you're referring to as being able to remake." Armon says leaning against the table and glaring at Liloth, "Perhaps I should have let you died to the fiends."

"Yea, Cause that would've solved things. Listen, Celestia. I understand what you're doing, but let's be honest. If you already know what's going to happen and what needs to be done. Let us not beat around the bush. I wanna sit one on one with you and really talk everything over from survival rate to if we will receive anything from actually beating this evil bad.

"I'm sure you guys want to do the right thing, but I want to do what's best for me. If nothing other than destroying can be done, sure. But I want to be open to all options. If this is a magic we can use and harvest, I'm all up for using it various types of ways and seeing if it works. Especially if it makes me stronger and allows me to go home."

"You're sick," Richard states leaning away from her.

"And you're dull. Let's keep stating the obvious."

"You son of a-"

"Enough! You, Liloth. We shall have the talk as you like. I figured one of the Mytherils would most likely have this way of thinking. I have a few things to show you. Seafoam will be around to take you back to your room Richard, and I'll have someone show you to your room, Armon. I'll personally escort Liloth myself."

"Oh goody!" Liloth says hopping up her tail moving excitedly as she approaches Celestia.

Richard closes his eyes and lays his head down as the door closes leaving only him and Armon together.

"Her words are unkind, but she means well. She's just nervous and doesn't do well outside of a seat of power. She is mearly trying to assert dominance over you."

"Well it's working..."

"Give it time, Richard. The day will come where we will all have to work together. For better or worse and overcome this challange."

"I hope your right Armon. I really hope you're right."

Just an Average Day

Author's Note

Sorry ran into some financial problems and had to put everything on the back burner. Also, this chapter came out late this week because of finals.

Just an Average Day

Liloth moves like a serpent through water as Armon roars and slams his shield into several guards causing them to fly backward. They roll across the ground and groan in pain. They hadn't taken much damage, but pain is still pain in the end. Armon ducks as beams of energy fire from the tips of Liloth's "fingers" above his head. They all find a mark sending them flying backward causing their weapons to fly through the air.

The guards skid to a halt beside the resting area where multiple other guards are currently crunching on bars of oats and grass mixed with various substances like honey, jam, and liquid kale. The recently put down guards get up groaning and make their way to a large box holding all these various bars where they begin to snake away on them. The wounds and bruises that were beginning to appear quickly fade away as they are filled with energy. As the five sit down five get up and rush out on to the battlefield picking up discarded weapons.

And behind the resting area stands Richard as he continues to make more and more bars while watching the training exercise continue. He sighs watching as unicorns try to get a hit onto Liloth only to be stopped by Armon's shield. His shield bash skill always seems to be up whenever a brave soldier rushes in with a spear or shield in order to attempt to distract him. They've quickly learned that Sanctuary is quite the battle reset skill when it comes to rushing too hard.

Liloth joyfully laughs as she jumps over the head of a Pegasus that decided he could take the pair by the air. A clawed hand comes from her paw and latches on the Pegasus as he attempts to fly away onto the ground. She kicks the poor stallion in the gut before turning her attention to everyone else who seems to be between plotting a way to win to simply just giving up at this point.

"Really makes you think who's training who..." Richard mumbles motioning for Seafoam to take the small box beside him to the larger box near the soldiers.

"Yea... It seems kind of unfair don't you think?"

"Unfair or not, it's probably a learning experience for the guards for sure. They handled themselves well earlier, but I don't know. They seem way too eager about all of this." Richard says stopping his cooking for a second and looking over all the guards currently present.

The captains are watching overhead due to the orders of Celestia and Luna. The emotions they're all showing are very mixed seeing as they all have some sort of ability that has made them all captains. From being great at offensive magic or having a very keen sense of combat, they all seem to get along to a certain sense from an outside view. But having to gotten to know them after a while is a completely different story. But at least with them, all fighting the same cause has calmed them down from their infighting.

And with the captains finally working more together the soldiers have been gung-ho to finally be able to see a lot more combat. Much to the chagrin of the captains and all his underlings. From here the miffed faces of the captains can be seen as Liloth and Armon make quick work of their soldiers.

Armon summons forth another sanctuary pushing all the soldiers back and knocking unlucky Pegasi out of the air and on to the ground. Magic from the Unicorns goes wide bouncing off the shield and causing a chain reaction of hit Earth Ponies. Seafoam flinches at the sight and glances at Richard for a moment before grabbing a box of food and bringing it over to Richard.

"If you're wondering if I can do that, no. Do I wish I could? Yea. I feel like I got the raw deal of this thing."

"Nah. Without you, I doubt the soldiers would be taking so much of a beating right now."

"Yea. We all have our jobs, in the end, don't we." Richard says putting the top back on the pot as the soldiers begin leaving the training field as the captains begin to jump and float down to the opposite side of Armon and Liloth.

"Clear out everyone. It's time for us to take a crack at the new guys. Champions or not, everyone has their limits." One of the Unicorn captains says.

The five captains stand in a line with a Unicorn standing on each side, a Pegasus on beside them, and finally Wild Ace stands in the middle a giant smile on his face.

"Wait... I thought Wild Ace was a General?"

"He is. But he's also captain of the Umbra guard as well. Specially trained to work both days and nights for guard duties."

"Okay? Well, I know Ace, but what about the others."

"Left to right we have: Flawless Gem who took over for Shining Armor after he moved to the Crystal Empire, Next is Lucky Hearts whose easy on the eyes but a maniac in combat, on the other side of Wild Ace is Onyx Dare, last is Solar Dawn. Not much can be said for the last two except they were chosen for their talents and not for their personalities."

From left to right they all look vastly different. Flawless Gem is a Blue coated male Unicorn with white almost see through hair that hangs well below most manes and tail, the picture of a diamond surrounded by what looks to be an aura dorns his flanks, and at his side are two cleanly cut green gems. He looks quite interested in the shield that just came down around Armon and Liloth muttering softly to himself of one thing or another. The gems held in his magic seem to hum with power as they circle around his barrel clockwise as if they have a mind of themselves.

Lucky Hearts is a pink coated pony with blood red mane tied into pigtails on either side of her head and tail. Her wings seem to always be arched at her side as if ready to hit or hug anyone that comes close. Her cutie mark is that of several hearts floating around what looks to be a four leaf clover. At her side looks to be metal or rubber ball that she seems to move about underneath her from time to time. She giggles as she as she seems to ramble on to Wild Ace about how her second and third in command are going to flip to hear that they missed they missed the fighting.

Wild Ace is the same as ever as he roles his polearm around above his head while standing on his hind legs. Richard has yet to ask him where he had learned that style of fighting, but it seems that he's not the only odd fighter around the area for sure. He seems annoyed and excited at the same time, but the annoyance could either come from the pegasus nagging his ear off or the fact that Liloth and Armon are wiping the floor with the guards. Speaking of guards Richard can't recall seeing any of the Umbra guards...

On the other side of Wild Ace, Onyx Dare seems to be glaring at the winded guards who seem to be shifting and squirming underneath his intense glare. Onyx is a deep shade of brown making him look almost black with his mane gray and cut short military style and tail almost the same way. His cutie mark is of a mountain exploding from the inside. Onyx, like the others, has quite a weird weapon at his side. Said weapon being completely invisible and entirely not there since he does not have a weapon or blade shoes.

"Why doesn't Onyx have a weapon?"

"You'll see."

With his question answered his eyes wander over to the last of the captains being Solar Dawn who, despite her or his name, does not seem as bright and sunny as the name would imply. In fact, Solar's mane is disheveled and bags are seen underneath the eyes. Solar's coat is almost a dirty white with blotches and spots of yellow indicating what might have been a yellow furred body. Other than the being unkempt, the tail and mane of said pony seem muted as well with various color sticking out here and there on top of what looks to be an orange base. From the base to end, it seems to be orange, yellow, white, light orange, red, then yellow again to finish it off. Solar yawns and at first glance would seem disinterested in the entire thing, but Solar's eyes seem to be completely focused on Liloth and Armon.

"Are you sure that's Solar Dawn? I mean, and I don't wanna be mean here but, it looks like somepony just got out of bed and didn't bother trying to make themselves presentable for the day."

"Yeaaaa Solar has always been a character. Don't let the appearance fool you. Solar's got the mindset of a genius but the body of a sloth."

"That... does not make any sense to me what so ever. Is this another one of those bad pony similies?"

"Wha- Bad? Oh, come on like you got anything better mister "just woke up out of bed". At least I'm trying to be creative." Seafoam says huffing and crosses his forelegs across his chest as he sits down beside Richard, "If you've got a better one let me know. I doubt it."

"Nah I've got tons, but you'd never be able to understand why for some of them. Different cultural experiences." Richard says chuckling watching as Solar pulls something out from thin air.

The object in question seems to be a greatsword with the sun's symbol engraved into the hilt. The entire blade glows a dull yellow and the blade fall sinking halfway into the earth in front of him. Solar walks up, yawns, and just leans against the entire hulking object as if it was completely normal. Richard can't help but mumble how useful magic is.

"Try me," Seafoam says narrowing his eyes and looking directly at Richard breaking him out of his own musings.

"Alright alright. I'll go real easy on you for the first one for ya. Solar looks like a person whose eyes get more of a work out than the person."

"Weak. Solar is a pony who would fall asleep and still complain about doing something while in his sleep."

"You're going to at least bring your B game if you wanna step to me. Solar is-"

"Shut up they're starting!"

"Defeat you!" Ace finishes after what must have been quite the motivational speech as the guards begin stomping and clopping their hooves on the ground and against one other.

The last line is uttered after spinning his spear around his body and stopping it to point directly at them like some sort of action star. Richard can't help but chuckle at the thought of a pony Micheal Bay. He considers whether it would be the same type of explosions here as to where he was, or if the explosion would be replaced with more dramatic features like glitter and enchantments. Then there's the question of if it's possible to actually enchant a fire in the first place or even an explosion let alone the entire chain reaction to--.

A gush of wind and a loud noise brings Richard back to the earth as Ace dances around Armon as he fights off Ace, Solar, and Lucky. Liloth seems to be taking on Onyx and Flawless. Both of the non-pony fighters are currently unable to hold their ground once being split apart, but Liloth isn't letting that stop her and neither is Armon.

Liloth dodges under a heavy strike from Onyx reach out a hand to touch his barrel when a gem flies in close before making small force field pop up stopping her hand and causing her to quickly jump back before Onyx comes down on her. Onyx and Flawless are working together perfectly with Flawless maneuvering one of the gems to always be near Onyx and the other around himself. The one around Onyx always covers a weak spot an opponent would try to take advantage of which Onyx gives out quite a lot. He doesn't seem to have any concern for his safety as he just recklessly attack his opponent.

Liloth growls and heads and begins to slowly move around the two who only watch with their eyes. Liloth holds up a hand and it seems the area around her grows darker. She lowers it to face Onyx and a dark hand shoots out to grab ahold of him while her other hand shoots five beams of energy at Flawless.

"Now that real fight starts," Richard mutters as Flawless dodges three and the shield eat two.

Onyx is grabbed by the power and yanked in towards Liloth. He lands within the dark area around her, which is about ten feet all around her, and he seems to stop for a moment before rushing in on her. She can easily move around Onyx's attacks and just smiles with pride as Onyx can't touch her. Up to the point where she feels something in case her legs and she plops to the ground on her back unceremoniously. Onyx proceeds to dig his hooves like butter into the ground and throw a large layer of dirt over her.

Seafoam sighs and shakes his head, "How the might fall."

"I wouldn't call her mighty. I have a few more colorful adjectives to call her, but definitely not mighty."

"I feel like you don't like her."

Richard looks to Seafoam and raises an eyebrow, "What give you that idea?"

As Onyx and Flawless are about to call their victory a shield comes flying in blindsiding Onyx causing him to stumble slightly. Armon's shield return to him just in time to block a heavy swing from Solar who is easily throwing the greatsword around like it's nothing. Ace comes in from behind to catch him unaware, but Armon's battle sense is on point as he lets the sword slip down his shield to only turns around and bash it into Ace's fast at a breakneck pace. Sadly he's not able to move fast enough to stop the ball from slamming into his head toppling him on the ground hard.

Richard starts focusing over the heads of their comrades and just nods.

"Yea they've lost. They barely have any stamina, mana, or health left. Chalk up one to the captains."

Ace puts the blade of his spear in Armon's face smirking, "Good fight."

Armon Grumbles something about pride while Onyx digs up a shivering Liloth. Armon is helped up and all of them seem to be taking this in great spirit, except Liloth but that's to be expected at this point, and they seem to be trading notes and such. The guards seem pretty happy that their captains won, but some of them have worried looks on their faces and are whispering to one another. Richard extinguishes the fire he made and motions for Seamfoam to follow him. He does so with a shrug.

Hours later find Richard walking into the Palace garden with Seafoam close behind.

"Why'd we come out here?"

"To have a wind down after watching such a fight. Our lives can't always be action."

"Well maybe not my life, but your life is going to be great!" Seafoam says taking off into the air to hover in front of Richard, "I mean just from watching them and seeing what all you can do to help that! It's going to be chaos out there on the battlefield!"

"Yea..."

"Something wrong?"

"Perhaps," Richard says sitting down to prop himself underneath a tree, "But that's neither here nor there for now."

"I just think you think too much. I'm just glad I finally got you out of those journals and books. I swear you're going to turn into one of them at the pace you're going for sure." Seafoam says landing.

Richard reaches out a hand to the unaware Seafoam and starts scratching him behind his ears. Seamfoam purrs lightly as he flaps his wings at his side slowly as he eyes go half-lidded. He moves his head more into Richard's hand while his body slowly lays down.

Richard chuckles and pulls Seafoam over to him, "You know without you, I might have descended into insanity right?"

"Uh huh~" Seafoam replies as Richard's hand rubs, scratches, and massages his ear and down his neck.

"I'm serious. I don't know how those guys can take all of this so easily. I mean I know, but still. None of this really makes much sense. I'm trying to just go with the flow but. My old life is dead you know?"

Richard's hand stops on Seafoam's back causing Seafoam to open up his eyes and move to sit on Richard's legs and lap. He raises up both of his hooves and grabs ahold of his face.

"Listen to me. That life may be over, but you have this life to live. We've been over this man, you can't just keep dwelling on the negative like this. It's bad for you. It'll destroy you from the inside out and I don't want to see you hurt more than I already have. You're too great of a person."

Richard sighs with a half smile, "Thanks."

"No problem!" Seafoam proceeds to lay across Richard's lap, "Now I require more of your hands or I will keep you trapped underneath this tree forever."

"Oh no." Richard says rolling his eyes, "I must give into your evil demands!"

Seafoam purrs as Richard begin his ministrations again upon the Pegasus' back. He can't really tell if this life is better or worse from his old one. Sure it has its ups and downs, but so did his old life. The more he compares it the more they seem alike and yet different at the same time.

Richard looks up into the sky as the sun proceeds to dip down towards the horizon. Surrounded by all this nature and at the same time walls of stone and mortar just seems so surreal to him. Almost like an endless dream he can't wake up from. Yet he's not sure if he wants to wake up from it. What would be waiting for him when he woke up anyway?

Countdown

The morning catches Richard alone, once again, rifling through various books and scanning over a general area of the lands map. The map in questions doesn't go far out of the lands rules by ponykind, but it does allow him to see the other options of places champions and rifts could be. Of the books laid out in front of him, several seem to be journals belonging to those of history's past. None of them go into detailing of the rifts, the creatures, or just the whole system that him, Armon, and Liloth all seem to be in, but it does mention that the blooms near the Everfree Forest on the far east side are very lovely to watch and smell. For whatever reason...

Richard gingerly raises his coffee up to his lips and allows the caramel blended mix pass its way through his lips, along his tongue, and down his throat well it will sit in his stomach and release the magic that was put into it. Because everything he makes, let it be even a simple cup of water, is imbued with some sort of magical property. He once brought up why is that to Twilight, Celestia, and accidentally Luna and all the answers have been very mixed. This led to whether or not magic in large douses would be safe for a body of any sorts which led to a special invitation by Twilight for medical and scientific check-ups.

Simple to say that his life has fallen further since the days have gone by. But this being said he was able to spend some time working on his level bringing up to fifteen and gaining ability. The ability he has taken allows him to summon a set or anything cooking item he would need. Such as a pot and ladle for a soup or a toaster for toast. Seafoam had seemed impressed but Richard had let him know that if there is a plan for him and the others to be sent out, this basically means less stuff for him and them to carry. Mainly himself because he doubts Liloth would allow more stuff than her to be carried around.

Speaking of Liloth, she hadn't taken the loss to well and has demanded several rematches which have all ended in losses. Even when pitted up against a single opponent of the captains. She's even started having trouble with fighting some of the lieutenants who she had previously wiped the floor with. Other than her, morale has never been higher from what Richard has seen. Seafoam has started disappearing more and more, but he can understand somewhat why. Which has left him to try to make nice with people other than the ponies Seafoam tries to introduce to him.

So far Richard's friends consist of Armon, Seafoam, Golden Harvest (the gardener for the royal gardens), Grape Wine, and Merry Light. Aside from Armon, he can't really get used to the names or talking animals. Though it's more the names that are off-putting than the actual sight of a pony talking at this point. He's mainly become numb to the entire effect by this point.

Speaking of becoming numb to things, Liloth enters for possibly another session of berating and questioning Richard's intellect to the point of trying to see whether or not he would burst into tears or not. The first couple of time he would vent and argue back only causing her to smile as if she's won some sort of prize. Other times he would leave and she would follow calling him a coward until he would respond or simply leave after berating him for an even longer extended period of time. Now he's just become numb to the whole thing and just tunes her in and out here and there. He only replies with "hmms" and "oh yeas" at this point.

"Ah. Finally brushing up on something to help that poor thing you call a brain are we?" She begins taking a seat across from Richard upon spotting him at one of the rounded wooden tables near the entrance, "Are are you just pretending so you can at least look smart. Either way seems pretty impressive given your track record of making reasonable decisions."

Richard rolls his eyes not giving her much attention as he skims through another book regarding plants of the Everfree. Apparently, there's a weird plant out there than when "smelling" blood will use its roots to hunt down the creature and drag it back to its main body to consume. Frightening for sure seeing as it uses various different methods in order to do this. Sometimes poison to cause the creature or victim to become sleepy and soon afterward unconscious, another that simply just beats the will out of them, and finally the last reported way was that of trickery hinting that is does have a mind of sorts. Makes ya wonder if it knows creatures are keeping track of it and adapts.

"You listening to me airhead?" Liloth says yanking the book down to the table glaring angrily at him.

"And if I'm not?"

"Than there is no helping you after all despite whatever their princesses might say." She takes the seat across from him, "You're a pitiful what. Thirteen? Thirteen levels below me. And you're trying to sass me back? And here I am trying to help you out with learning something that may help you catch up to my level. Of course, that's impossible, but I do love a challenge."

"Yea I bet those challenges are what got you in trouble the first place right? I'd rather not wind up as messed up in the brain as you are. Especially not with that high of superiority complex."

She glares and leans forward in her seat, "You better what that tongue of yours before it gets you into trouble."

"I really could care less." Richard says taking a sip of his drink, "If anything, maybe they were right to lock you away int he first place."

"And what would you know!" She says her eyes squinting into a glare.

A chill runs down Richard's spine as her eyes seem to go more cat-like than they usually do. Her tail is no longer swishing behind her either which is a sign of aggression among animals if he remembers correctly. He sets the cup of joe down and glares right back at her.

With the last of his drink flowing down his throat and into his stomach with the rest of his drink, he states matter-of-factly, "You're a psychopath and probably a murderer."

"I've never killed anyone that doesn't deserve it. And I'm starting to think you are becoming one of them. So you better drop it before you go too far."

"Go too far? You say that like I care about your opinion. If you only kill people who deserve it, then I can't think of anyone more deserving of it actually. So why not do me a favor and kill yourself."

Richard never considered how fast she could move. In a flash, she vaults over the table and wraps her hands around his neck screaming in rage. She has pure anger in her eyes and he can start to feel her claws sink into the skin of his neck. His eyes go wide as the sound of chair and body slamming into the floor echoes through the library.

"life dra-!"

"No wai-!"

A flash of yellow and white sends Liloth flying into the air and onto her back on the table. A large text box begins to shimmer into life between the two followed by the words meant to be with it.

No fighting among champions to the death

Spots of light dance within the sight of Richard as he grasps at his own neck feeling something trickling down it. He keeps his teeth grit as he tries to blink away the spots as well as make sense of the floating words before him. He turns to his stomach and forces himself up as the sound of hooves galloping catch his attention.

During this time Liloth seems to be recovering just as fast as Richard. She continuously paws the area around her before rolling off the semi-broken table. She lands on her hands and knees before getting to her feet to stare at the words before them both.

Liloth just stares at Richard as ponies of a multitude of colors appear with guards. The pony Richard knows as the Librarian steps forth.

"What is Celestia's name is going on over here!"

Richard casts a sideways glance to the door leading out of his room as a set of guards proceed to walk in unannounced and uninvited. But completely expected.

It had been several days since the last incident between himself and the woman known as Liloth wrapped up. They were no longer allowed to speak to one another or be in the same room as one another. They had also be placed under somewhat heavy guard to ensure that neither he nor she tries to start anything again with one another. Of course, that was fine with Richard seeing as he mainly associated with the ponies more than the other "Champions".

Yet, the reason for this intrusion was not about the effect that the incident had but more of the current situation that has been presented to not the "Champions" but to the rulers of the various lands. For it seems the true reason behind their appearance here seems to have made itself known.

Richard rises from his seat and walks behind the guards silently mulling over the things talked between everyone as well as recent information brought to them by the Princesses themselves. It seems that other people like him and the others have been spotted as well throughout the land by various other leaders. In fact, some of them are currently staying with the other leaders as well. So far the count is up to thirteen champions including the ones in Canterlot. A very unlucky number if he has to say so, but it was said others were spotted as well through the various lands.

The throne room doors open slowly revealing Armon and Liloth staring into space as Celestia, Luna, and Twilight speak in hushed tones to one another. Richard proceeds to walk in standing on the opposite side of Armon and making no eye contact with Liloth despite her best attempts.

Celestia is the first to address the group.

"I see the day finds you well Champions."

All three nod staring at the ominous rectangle positioned above the throne that seems to be glowing with an eerie black and red glow. Said glow seems to come from the numbers that are currently posted on the rectangular floating contraption.

10/23/30/58 and counting down.

Its appearance was only noticed by Armon when he had come to talk in the night court about various night activities he wanted to push forward onto the ponies from his own culture. Needless to say, the original talk was completely forgotten when his face with from one of curiosity to one of shock and then concern. Needless to say, the leaders can't seem to see them, but the champions they have had also seen them. And all these timers read differently.

"We have been in contact with the various other nations and decided that the best course of action is to begin preparations and planning for whatever these timers are counting down as well as figuring out how to minimalize the amount of damage that will be done once said event has started. In order to do so, we have decided that taking the time we still have to find and train the other champions as well as the champions we have is of the utmost importance. News has also returned to me about the creatures you faced have been returning in an increased number around the world as well.

"Now, we have gathered up a bit of information about the various other champions and decided on how the pairings should be made based upon all the skills set forth." Celestia finishes

"Of course we wouldn't just wanna force you guys into groups that you may or may not like, so we have gathered you here in order to hand you the papers we were giving about each known member and each known power the process." Twilight quickly interjects noticing the scowl forming on Liloth's face, "There might even be a chance that you guys might recognize some of the other champions from your own world perhaps.

"We will also be giving you a set of the night, day, and umbra guards as well in order to make sure you get through the pony nation easily and no harm comes to you on your journey. The other nations have agreed to place border patrols in order to help Champions where they can. There are some neutral territories as well that all can pass through so don't be surprised if some of the guards wish to follow you longer if you do indeed head into those types of places. " Luna adds on.

"Any questions so far?" Celestia asks.

None are brought forth.

"Good. Then allow us to begin by showing the listing brought to us from the Griffonia the capital of the Griffin Empire."

"Looks like this is where we part ways," Richard says as he proceeds to step up onto the train platform Armon and Seafoam behind him, "It been one hell of a time."

"And it was one hell of a feast!" The minotaur yells gloriously patting his filled stomach, "Luckily we had you as the chef with others! I didn't think the pony chefs would've been capable of filling me up with their meager meals!"

"I'm just happy to help." Richard says wincing as Armon claps him on the back, "Aside from that, you sure you wanna go with that type of a group to the everfree? You heard what they said you know. At least wait for the rest of our groups to merge before trying to take on something so dangerous."

"If the group I plan to join with don't share my same sense of battle and honor I will postpone adventuring there until we have a safety of numbers, but if they do then I will not back down from this challenge."

Richard sighs running a hand through his hair, "Than I wish you the best of luck man. Hopefully, the guy from the deer tribe will be willing to communicate with the forest beforehand."

Armon nods his head as the conductor yells for passengers to start boarding for the Griffin Kingdom.

"Looks like your train is here. I'm just going to wait around for the Elements of Harmony group to show up before I ship out. Might as well say bye to them before things go south."

"You think to darkly. Believe in your ancestors and yourself. For both shall guide your hand to a momentous victory we can all revel in." Armon says rolling his shoulders, "Now I must go. Be well."

"And you too," Richard says watching Armon board the train much to the interest of the other ponies getting on board. Several guards that had been trailing behind the group board onto the train as well before it begins taking off down the tracks.

Richard takes a seat at the now abandoned bench. Seafoam sits down in front of him.

"You know there's a spot beside me right?"

"Yea. I just wish you would bring me along you know? I figured I'd make you feel bad as punishment."

"Oh no, whatever shall I do?" Richard says rolling his eyes.

"Bring me along hopefully?"

"I told you before I don't wanna put you into any danger. Training or not, there will be some very trying times. They'll you need you more here than I'll need you out there. Especially with all the guards, they're sending with us. With so many fewer guards they'll need you to stay here on the homefront. "

Sea sniffs, "It's going to get boring without you around. "

"Starting to sound like a forlorn lover ya know."

"I shall count the days and wait beside the sea cliff side till you return."

"And your voice shall forever keep my heart warm and my mind racing."

"Perhaps you shall leave me with a parting gift of a foal than before you leave."

"And at that, this conversation is officially dead," Richard says chuckling as Seafoam bats his eyes at him, "Also a butt baby would probably be horrible."

"Breaking character so soon huh? Guess you were never stallion enough for me." He harrumphs.

"I'd rather be a man than a stallion honestly. I like having opposable thumbs and finger and walking on two legs all the time."

"Does towering over other creatures get you off?"

"No, but being superior to them does."

Seafoam leans in closer, "Please stay the way you are. I know we won't be able to talk until you come back, but please don't let those thought carry you down again. None of us want to see you like that again."

Richard's face turns to one of semi sorrow, "I-I know. It's about pittered out honestly. I'll just keep writing and make sure to keep everything and we've said and all the advice you've given me in mind."

Seafoam sighs and shakes his head laying in on one of Richard's leg, "Its the best I can ask since you don't want me to come along."

"You know I would if I could. You're like one of my only friends in this new lands. It's still so hard to replace my old ones in my heart. The nightmare just."

"Just don't think about it. They're merely dreams. I don't see why you don't like Luna help you with them, but I won't judge you for your actions."

"Except for when my actions don't involve you?" Richard asks a bit of a smile returning.

"Exactly."

A hand finds itself on Seafoam's head and proceeds to rub itself through his mane, "Thanks for everything."

"Always."

Author's Note

Current Levels and abilities.

Armon: Level 23 1: Shield Bash, 5: Spike Shield, 10: Protect, 15: Shield toss 20: Sanctuary.

Liloth: level 30 1: Life Drain 5: Detect Life 10: Dark Pull 15: Death’s Aura 20: Dark Beam, 25: Chocking Aura 30: Mark For Death

Richard: level 15 1: Create Cooking Fire, 5: Green Thumb, 10: Enchant With Fire, 15: Summon cookery,

Welcome to the Forest

Fallen leaves crunch beneath feet and hooves filling the air with some of the only consistent sound other than the occasional clank of a weapon against armor. The odd group's breath is somewhat visible every so often from heavy breathing or Richard breathing into his hands in an attempt to keep them warm against the cool breeze. Today marks the first day of fall and like most things in Richard's life, it came hard and without a warning. He remembers all the vibrant and healthy colors of the trees just yesterday, and now all of a sudden everything was a multitude of dim and warm colored orange, red, yellow, and brown. Though a good bit of them are on the ground already somehow.

"Can't we just skip the fall cold?" Richard asks glancing to one of the Pegasi guards on his right, "Or at least push it back a day or two since you guys can apparently control the weather to an extent."

No response as usual. The silent guard act is generally used when out in public settings. Otherwise, a lot of the guards are pretty chill. The train ride here had proven so as the guards proceeded to play cards, gossip, and basically become normal ponies for a while. Richard would have joined them was it not for his constant need to better himself in his pursuit of learning more about his powers. He still says there has to be some sort of offensive property somewhere.

What's he discovered so far is that he is able to organize his inventory into quick selection bars for quick access to various healing buffing food items. Not as useful as being to throw a shield or become death itself, but not as lackluster as finding out that even a spoon can be classified as a weapon. That was an experience he'd never forget.

The train ride to whitetail woods from the Canterlot led them through Ponyville where the last of goodbyes was given to the element bears as they went and did whatever they usually do when the world is in danger. Richard has a bet with Armon that the girls will just make friends with the puppetmaster behind all of this. He's hoping to get more of the Champions in on it, but those are thoughts for later.

The train ride from there was actually a lot longer than he thought it was. He didn't think the woods were so far away from Ponyville, but then again maps can be deceiving. They had ridden it all the way to the station set up at the very edge of the Undiscovered West. There was a faded dirt path that led far off to the west, but none of the ponies wanted to speak up about what exactly is out there. They were very adamant about how none of them knew of what was out west other than large disturbances of magic and the occasional class S monster. Richard had asked why the name isn't Unexplored West instead of Undiscovered West but none of them would answer him.

Secrets and questions galore.

"Right. I forgot vigilance mode is on." Richard says rubbing his hands together trying to keep them warm still, "Why didn't we get a notification that fall was just around the corner? Do you guys just have some biological clock that just says 'hey guess what fall is here'! God, I hope the Deers have some form of heating or magic that's affecting the area to keep certain areas warm. Doubt it, but the wishful thought keeps me warm."

"Do they at least know we're coming?"

"Yes. They should have a group ready to escort you in." The Unicorn to my left states as they grow closer to the woods.

"Anything noteworthy I should look out for? Like certain actions that may make them upset at me all of a sudden? Certain words that are forbidden there compared to here?"

"Do not offend the land and nature. And steer clear from accidentally associating yourself with minotaurs. They have a deep-seated hatred with them and the Minotaurs share that hate as well."

"So calling them tree huggers is a no go?" Richard asks with a chuckle.

"Not unless you wanna find out what its like to get placed inside of a tree they hug."

Richard goes quiet as he mulls over whether or not the Unicorn is actually joking with him or giving him an actual warning. The stock faces on all of them doesn't really help with his deduction of this either, but the mulling of the information is broken by a feminine scream of horror and terror.

From the forest shoots a light brown Doe galloping as fast as her four legs can take. Her dull green eyes are filled with terror. Her eyes land upon the group making hope appear in them. She goes to yell but it seems to get caught in her throat as a large screeching noise followed by something with talons long and arched shooting forth from the forest she had run out of. Its mighty jet black wings cling close to its small horrendous round body. The face of sorts has several rows of teeth in its agape maw. It doesn't seem to have eyes and there are thorns all around its body poking out as some sort of natural shield.

The creature lands what seems to be a fatal blow as its talons pierce through the Doe's body causing her to scream out in pain. Speckles of blood fly out of her mouth and wounds as worm-like appendage shoots from the beast's body and latches onto the Doe's neck.

"Jesus..." Richard states eyes widening as the guards run past him horns lighting up to cast spells.

Before a spell could be fired vines shoot from the forest and wrap themselves around the bird of prey yanking it back towards the source. A tree seems to come to life suddenly and rips the bird from the vine's grasp as it passes the tree line and crushes it into black smoke in its limbs. The Unicorns descend upon the Doe in an attempt to stabilize her and tend to her wounds. From behind the treant Bucks come out running as well motioning with horns, shouting words, and pointing with hooves directions and orders.

"It never gets any easier..." Richard says trying hit best to keep calm and not freak out and look away from what just had happened.

He proceeds to open up a quick bar and yank out food items under vegi-heal. As he approaches he can't help but notice the differences of levels displayed among the Deers and Ponies. But one that stands out the most is that of a young boy talking to one of the treants that had caught the shadowy bird creature from before.

"That looks like Blake alright..." Richard says eyeing the blonde-furred, brown-haired, bipedal dear morph.

Blake in question looks a lot younger than what he said he was. From first glance, someone might think he's around eleven or thirteen rather than being sixteen. He stands just shy of five feet and seems to have a thumb and three fingers. Apparently, his ability goes hand in hand with nature being able to control, talk, and manipulate it to some extent. His powers fall off when dealing with things and creatures that are alive in nature and have minds of their own already.

Richard hands one of the bars to a nearby Earth Pony telling said Pony to feed it to the Doe quickly. Said stallion nods his head and quickly goes to do so explaining to what looks to be the group's leader or captain or whatever. While that's being taken care of Richard makes his way towards Blake waving a hand towards the young lad.

"Mind sharing some of your fur with me?"

Blake looks at Richard confused seeming to be processing what just came forth from his mouth before covering his chest in an attempt to protect himself, "N-No! I need my fur!"

"Relax relax I'm only kidding! Besides, I doubt I could get a skinning skill anyway or a lot of fur for that matter..."

"Y-You're still kidding right?" Blake asks taking a step back.

"Jeez... Alright, let's start over. I'm Richard." He states holding out his hand upon reaching the tree line where Blake stands looking to either flee or climb up the tree beside him.

"R-Right! I'm Blake! Black Winter-Tail" Blake says suddenly turning from nervous to eager in an instance gripping onto Richard's hand with both of his own, "I can't wait to get to work with you! But first, we should probably take care of a small rift we found open nearby."

Richard frowns, "Is there something a matter?"

"W-W-Well no. It's just that well. Y-You'll have to see for yourself is all." Blake says becoming nervous again, "It's not like I'm afraid or anything! Honest!"

"Right right. No worries. Whatever it is we'll take care of it as a team alright? Plus I never said you were scared anyway."

"Y-Yeah. Alright!" Blake confirms excitement building back up in his voice.

"So where is this rift exactly?"

"I don't know!" Blake says all too eagerly.

"...Then, where are the monsters coming from?"

"A cave near one of the villages. I would take you there right now to show you what the problem is but..."

"But what?"

"The elder ones would like to speak to you first in order to make sure you don't do anything reckless to offend the spirits like harvest some material from the wrong place."

"And do you agree with this?"

"Well, the plants and trees are always going on about not being over-harvested or baring enough food or protection. So I kind of agree, but I mean I could just ask the trees if its alright with them for you to gather material off of them which I'm sure they would be cool with because it's me asking and.."

As Blake goes on Richard attempts to make sure his smile never wavers. This is one of the hidden skills he has had to use more than he would like to admit during his time as a chief back in his homeworld. And even more recently against the dreaded Pinkie Pie. Yet, no matter how many times people, or in this case humanized animals, do this he can never get used to them droning on and seemingly talking about everything at once. A mental sigh and a nod of his head continue the one-sided conversation as Blake takes Richard's hand and leads him deeper into the forest.

The trek through the forest was less than eventful as the two entered the town with Bucks and Doe that had managed to catch up whilst Blake had stopped to speak of his first time appearing in the world atop of one of the tallest trees here. He had said that his people believe that the god of the world and all worlds decide when it is a person time to return to the earth and enjoy peace and bring forth good unto others. For when it is not your time and you face a horrible fate or not so horrible fate, you wind up coming back to life in a place that requires you or a place where you can begin anew in order to achieve a natural end as their god had wanted in the first place. He said that the cycle could be continued on and on over and over again. Richard had brought up what would happen if someone committed suicide. The only answer he got was 'same applies to that or I wouldn't be here' and the conversation dropped.

Now standing at what could be assumed as one of the many entrances to this place of living amongst the Deer, Richard can really appreciate nature a bit more. Everything in Canterlot seemed so planned with only a few outcroppings of what may be seen as random here and there to make it seem less so. Sure the gardens were nice but compared to the wild beauty of actual nature, it pales.

"And this is the village that I've been living in since I first got here! And that tree way waaaay over there is where they found me!" Blake says pointing out what could be said to be Gaia's tree.

Just less whimsical.

"Oh man. I couldn't imagine being that high up, but at least it was better than how I came to be in the world..." Richard says eyeing the buildings, bucks, and dears.

"Oh yea! I've been talking so much I forgot to let you talk about you! I-I'm sorry..." Blake says lowing himself into an apologetic bow, "Hey! How about we get to know each other over dinner."

Resisting the joke that's there, Richard nods his head with a smile, "Of course. But first, we should probably alert whoever is in charge know that I'm here."

"Oh, I'm sure they'll come to get you when they need you! Besides, I'm sure someone will do it for us anyway. Come ooooon! I wanna show you my favorite place to eat!"

"What is it that you eat? Given your appearance, I would assume you are a herbivore."

"Nope! Omnivore!" Blake says proudly strike what would be assumed a power pose with both his fists on his hip.

Richard raises an eyebrow at such a statement, "You're kidding right?"

"Nope! Everything fits somewhere in the cycle of life! Sometimes other people are needed to fit that cycle so we adapt to the chain of food. Predator can become someone else's prey, and prey can start become predators as well..." Blake says his eyes getting a bit distant.

"I... I don't think that's healthy..."

"Well, I have the fangs for it" Blake pulls back his lips to in fact show off what seems to be small fangs set behind his flat teeth. And looking closer, it would seem that even his flat teeth aren't so flat either as if someone..., "Anyway, let me show you where I like to eat!"

Richard gives Blake a concerned look before following after the young amphromorphic Deer. After all, there was a time and a place for everything and obviously now is the time to simply give a nod of the head and follow. All the while Richard couldn't help but put together what may have happened in Blake's past that led him to kill himself and wind up here.

The place in question looks to tie into what seems to be a very large fallen tree. Windows seemed to be carved into the dead bark and are without glass but seem to have leaf-like curtain parted around the natural frames. Branches act as some sort of doorway leading in and out of the place. The branches are easily moved out of the way with either using their antlers or the magic that their antlers seem to be able to produce. It seems just like that of the Unicorns, but they all seem to have the same color.

"I guess now should be the time I mention that I'm also an omnivore, but I can't digest what most creatures here can."

"Oh yea? Well, I guess we'll just have to try everything to see what you can and can't eat! And I'll eat whatever you can't have!"

"... With what money?" Richard asks slowly.

Blake chuckles at that and punches Richard lightly in the shoulder, "It's my treat no worries."

"Alright. So do we talk while we're eating or after?"

"After... I wanna kill two birds with one stone so. We'll eat and chat a bit on lighter stuff, but I wanna get closer to that source I was telling you about before. And show you what I meant."

Richard nods his head and moves the branches out of Blakes way.

"Thanks bro!" Blake says rushing into the store and running up to the counter his deer-like tail wagging happily as he talks animatedly to the register buck.

Richard can't help but muse on how much his life has changed. For the better, not so much. But it hasn't fully gone in the other way other than the episodes of depression and suicidal thoughts and actions that have been met with... less than perfect results. On the flip side, he at least knows that all the Champions can't just outright kill themselves now.

Blake grabs Richard's hand pulling him further into the restaurant, "Come ooooon you're letting the AC out!"

"Alright alright sorry. Just got a little caught up in thought."

"Yea... things are always so weird, right? Like one minute something and then next minute we're like superheroes!"

"I call dibs on Batman than," Richard says rolling his eyes at the child.

"Than I'll be Buck Grayson!"

Richard can't help but lift an eyebrow at that as he takes a seat in front of the deer morph.

"They have Batman from where you are?"

"Well of couuuuurse! He's like a legend! Of course, his presence would go through all dimensions like wonder woman, my personal favorite, Superman, Spider-man, gre-"

Richard begins to zone out as the kid talks about all the superheroes he knows and how he hopes how he would be able to meet a counterpart or find a comic based off of them in this world. A ponyfied Superman seems quite dumb in Richard's mind but given with everything else happening as well as his own power, he can't but sigh and smile listening in and out of Blake's lively talk.

It turned out to be a long sit and eat as Blake seems to be bottomless. He seemed to devour whatever was placed in front of him without a care in the world about price or flavor. Though he admits that everything tastes good to him. He had also proven to be correct in saying that he could very well eat meat despite how disturbing it looked to see what should be a herbivore devour meat.

All and all it all seems to be starting on a good foot and hoof.

Author's Note

I wanted to get another chapter out before the end of the month but I got sick. I'm not fully on par with being healthy again and probably missed editing things such as rambling or stuff that shouldn't be there. So yea point out any mistakes.

Richard: level 15 1: Create Cooking Fire, 5: Green Thumb, 10: Enchant With Fire, 15: Summon cookery,

Blake: level 10 1: Vins 5: Bark Armor 10: Summon Treant.

You and Me and the first dungeon

Richard pulls the iron cast pan off the fire before taking a knife and cutting open a part of the steak to see if it is cooked to Blake's standards. Blake, who might be dangerously close to said fire, seems to be drooling over said steak despite gorging himself on food minutes earlier. Food and stories of cooking from Richard's own world as well as talking about differences and similarities.

The gist of it goes along the line of that in their world magic was a thing along with technology, but the ones that proved to be land expanders would be their version of Native Americans otherwise known as Deerfolk. Apparently being so close to nature gave them advantages of being able to ride through even the roughest of seas, being able to always find food and make more of it, and even use the land against their enemies. They weren't blood grazed savages, but they were ambitious with uniting the world under the prospect of making sure that industrialization never goes too far.

There were some... drawbacks from this. Mainly with dealing with creatures and other people that would see to destroy such a place as well as predators that never wanted to back down to prey. So the Deefolk had to prove themselves in various ways that they're just as good as any predator. Some even went to extreme lengths. Such as in the case with Blake and a few others like him who were bred to basically be a predator version of their people. But with all things different, it wasn't received well that their people were trying to play god with a species and were scorned.

One thing led to the next over years and years and well. Not everybody can handle such scorn and torment.

"But yea. That's the basics of my skills. Other than helping plants grow and enchanting things with fire attributes, I can't say that there really isn't much to the Chef category." Richard says handing over the steak to the deer morph who devours it immediately.

"I can't really fight with this power other than making others fight better in my stead. It's been useful, but I want my own fighting skills for sure.

Richard believes his words go unheard as he watches Blake suddenly shoot up invigorated by the stats the meat has brought to him.

"Ohhhh!~ I feel like I can take on even a giant!" Blake says throwing a few jabs into the air most of his fur as well as his tail bristled.

"That's attack up, health up, and increased stamina regen. They're not big boosts, but they seem to have a notable effect on both regular people and Champions. I can't help but wonder what would happen if I really put magic into it and what are the conditions for-"

"This! Is! Ballin!"

"Just don't let the power go to your head." Richard says shaking his head, getting up, and flicking the deer boy on the forehead, "The effects can stack for sure, but I don't know if there is a cap limit or not. I would need a safe guinea pi-"

"I volunteer as a sacrifice for this delicious test!" Blake announces taking up a salute.

"No no. If we're going to do this we are going to do it in a controlled environment in case of anything bad happening. But since you have these buffs on you, I am interested to know if those buffs transfer over to anything you make or do with your own powers. That way you won't feel awkward showing off your own powers."

"Alright!"

Blake walks over to a tree and slaps his hand on it and just keeps it there. Blake closes his eyes as his hand begins to glow a pale yellow-green causing the tree to do the exact same. A smile seems to play over Blake's face as the tree proceeds to uproot itself. The limbs begin to intertwine and forms into functioning arms and the roots seem to twist together with bark to form legs. The ends of both sets of limbs end with sharp looking claws made of bark. What may resemble a face starts to appear on the front side of the bark complete with eyes and mouth of darkness.

"Hey! Feeling alright? Sorry to wake you up like this, but we wanted to test something out." Blake says proceeding to hug the tree.

The treant doesn't reply but Blake laughs nonetheless as if he can hear it. Richard chalks it up to either magic or just something a person can be born with. After all, the world is very magical in nature. And often cruel to what other creatures and races are allowed to do and control. Like the horrible weather that's still going on.

"Alright big guy! I just need you to tell me if you feel stronger and healthier than usual. I know you just wanna sleep for the season, but I gotta make sure everything will be fiiine. "

The treant doesn't act right away simply standing there as if registering the command. The treant opts to go and pick up a nearby boulder bigger than both Richard and Blake by quite a margin. The treant seems to be lifting it like a weight before making a sound, which may be its speech, of bark and wood creaking and rubbing together.

"Oh wow! Looks like it does work Richy!" Blake says scampering over to the treant and hopping up it to sit on top of the rock.

"Huh... Well, that's interesting to note. The other thing I wanted to test is if I give you something to eat with stats will the stats transfer over or will they only apply to a new one that's made." Richard says rummaging through his pack for food he's already made.

Blake's eyes sparkle at the prospect of more food as he orders the treant to put the rock back down. He happily bounds over and basically snaps up the black of food, a granola bar, from Richard's hand as he gets it out. Richard blinks for a moment before sighing.

"Always an eager one huh?"

Blake nods his head vigorously whilst chewing the bar. After he swallows and waits a bit before shaking his head, "I don't feel any different."

Richard blinks and looks at him curiously, "Check your stats. You should have increased Con and Str again. In fact, does the treant have stats that you can check?"

"No? I also kind of don't really know how to do that maybe."

Richard rubs the bridge of his nose, "Yea... Alright, don't worry we'll work our way through it."

"Alright! Seems we have everything in order then! But question. You said there was something you needed to show me out here as well as your own powers." Richard says keeping a mental note that even if its an old summon, the summoner's buff still transfers over.

He can't help but wonder if there is an exception to the rule. More importantly, if the increased vigor allows them to stay longer or reduce the mana consumption they most likely have. Perhaps a mana line between summoner and summon. For now, just more questions for later. Actually, if it applies to all summoned things, wouldn't his tool and fire-

Blake tilts his head slightly before shooting up more erect, "Oh right! There is a cave that we need to go and check out. It uh wouldn't let me in by myself... It uh. I guess you'll see what I mean."

Richard follows behind Blake shaking himself out of his thoughts filled with the ever-growing mound of questions he's been compiling and Blake's two treants as they make their way through the forest. The walk there is rather peaceful compared to when he first arrived here to take on the task of meeting with more Champions and... now that he thinks about it, the mission at hand really doesn't have any clear end goals.

It takes merely fourty or so minutes for the pair to reach their destination. The Cave in question seems to have two lion shaped black creatures prowling around in front of it. The entrance of the cave is covered in blood and a few animal bodies lay around them. The shadows don't seem to be eating the bodies, meaning that the darkness the Champions are fighting most likely hunt for fun and nothing else. Either that or they hunt to eradicate all life.

"They come from the cave behind them..." Blake says crouching down and whispering as the two grow closer, "All manners of creatures come from out of there and we I went to go enter it to confront it, I was stopped."

"Stopped how? Because if there's an army down there."

"No no. It's nothing like that, but I figured you might have more knowledge about what came up..."

"Was it a box with words?"

"Yea. How did you know?"

Richard says nothing as the shadow lions continue to prowl around. Richard looks over to Blake to ask how they should go about this to already see that he is going about this the way that he likes.

Blake is smiling his fangs in full view as vines snake their way across the ground from the treants that are doing their best to be trees. The vines manage to go unnoticed before they wrap themselves around the neck of the wolves and drag them across the ground to the treants that emerge from the woods to crush their bodies beneath their root feet.

"That... That works. Yea. You can do that." Richard says standing up with Richard and making his way to the cave.

As they approach the cave with trants in tow, a box with words appears before the two.

[Recommended level for dungeon 5-10 and requires 2 to enter]

"Huh... That's something to note then... If its anything like video games that means there is most likely a boss at the end of this to test our strength. But why? This doesn't make any sense."

Black shrugs while frowning, "But what's important is that there is a portal down there letting these creatures out. So we have to beat them in order to close it so the forest and its inhabitants are safe.

"Can you even use your powers underground?"

"I mean you've buffed me up quite a lot. Even if I can't use my powers, " He shows off his fangs, "I've got these and my fists to do just as much damage."

"How about using a potted plant to carry around."

Blake gasps as if offended, "I'll just pretend I didn't hear you just suggest I use a nature slave."

Richard just stares at Blake for a moment in disbelief, but upon seeing that he is in fact not joking on this Richard lets it drop.

"Alright. Well. I'm ready whenever you are I guess."

Blake smiles and then charges right on in with Richard behind him. As they enter, the treants slowly dig into the ground and once again become trees.

Author's Note

Richard: level 15 1: Create Cooking Fire, 5: Green Thumb, 10: Enchant With Fire, 15: Summon cookery,

Blake: level 10 1: Vines 5: Bark Armor 10: Summon Treant.

As a side note I just really hated writing this chapter for some reason.

Boss Hunters

Richard ducks underneath a heavily clawed attack all while his heart thuds against his chest and produces a rhythm of survival in his ears and head. Blake bull rushes into the side of the twin-headed bear-like creature knocking it to the floor with his enhanced attack. Previously thought dead vines wrapped around Blake's arms activate as he will his power over them to strike through the bear turning it to large smoke that floats away further down the hallway.

After such a display, Blake turns and leaps up catching a small bird-like creature with several three-inch stingers along its bottom. Blake's mouth quickly engulfs the creatures head before yanking away revealing for a second a headless creature before it too turns into smoke and floats away. An explosion to the right of them against the rocky surface of the cave wall knocks both to their sides momentarily before they scramble to their feet sprinting off into the seemingly endless tunnels. Blake, who is currently using all fours to run like some sort of wolf, looks back and grimaces before taking a right down another hallway. Richard follows suit doing his best to keep up despite his heavy breathing.

"E-Enough!" Richard says leaning against the wall for support trying to catch his breath, "I... I can't keep this up..."

"Oh don't tell me the adrenaline has already run off?! We're only on the second floor!" Blake says standing to his full height also breathing heavily.

"My point exactly!"

A might roar is heard behind the duo and a shield of vines quickly take the brunt of another explosion but the heat is enough to make Blake look away and Richard flinch and move away. Richard reaches into his pack and throws Blake a granola bar laced with various berries in it. Black catches it in his mouth and takes off running into the smoke laughing like a psychopath.

Richard looks around and spots a few green fluorescent mushrooms and decides to use the full extent of his green thumb powers. He's seen them here and there and even the larger version of them and what all they can do. His hands begin to glow green as he hovers them over the fungus while crouched and trying his best to ignore the sound of fighting behind him. A task harder than it sounds as Blake sounds to be in a lot of pain suddenly.

He hears a loud thump from behind him before he sees Blake fly a bit down the hallway past him. Richard's heart sinks as he looks back to see the creature oozing out some sort of black tar from holes riddled into it by vines. He checks the creature's health seeing it as just below half of his entire health bar. But the most terrifying thing about this creature is that despite his level eight appearance, he hits like a truck. The creature in question also happens to be an Elite. Richard yanks the more grown fungus out of the ground and chucks it at the wolf.

"Bombs away!" Richard yells taking off towards Blake who seems to be slowly standing up.

A quarter of his health bar still remains and neither of them knows what will happen when it hits zero. Richard rushes into Blake picking him up at his waist and throwing him over his shoulder as Black mumbles out medic. Behind them, an explosion is heard as the mushrooms seem to start growing brighter and brighter after being ripped from the ground. The wolf howls either in pain, anger, or annoyance.

Maybe even all three.

"I'm not feeling too hot anymore..." Blake says before hurling over Richard's shoulder causing Richard to shudder out of disgust and fear.

Fear proceeds to win over as Richard watches as all of Blake's buffs and a portion of his health disappears. A portion of almost nothing is not great in this situation for sure.

"We got to get out of here..."

"N-No! W-We got this... Put me down I-I can take him. I-I-I can k-keep g-g-going..."

Richard turns right down another seamlessly long hallway at a T-section just as a beam of light flies past where they used to be causing an explosion and sending them both tumbling into the wall and onto the floor. Richard's ears continue to ring as he stumbles his way up to his feet using the nearest wall. Blake seems to also be having trouble as he is currently curled into a ball covered in debris and clutching at his stomach.

" Richard says making his way towards Blake, "Damnit! Are you okay!?"

Blake doesn't respond, or he does and Richard can't hear him. A howl breaks the ringing in his ears. Richard spins around to see the werewolf knocked down more health, but still doing better than the two combined. The werewolf seems to regard both of them looking between the two heavily injured Champions before smiling a very wide grin. The creature gives off something of a chuckle as it walks towards the two. The creature lifts up its right paw up letting its claws run along the wall carving deep into it as if to show how sharp they really are.

Richard starts to freeze up seeing this display. He knows he should run, but at this point, he wouldn't get far. Between the power that it can shoot from its mouth as well as its speed, he wouldn't get far without Blake attempting to hold it off. Blake seems to be out of commision for now recovering from "over-eating". He also can't bring himself to leave Blake like this either.

"I... I'm going to pray if I make it out of this. I don't know to who, but I'm going to pray so hard."

Richard extends his arms and a large cooking fire appears between him and the wolf. The creature in question flinches back at the bright flames and growls. The werewolf proceeds to start inhaling preparing another one of his ranged attacks. Richard lets his instinct take over and runs forward through his own fire. He can feel the flames lick at him, and if part of him was catching fire he shows no sign of noticing.

The wolf seems shocked for a second before getting over it as it knows that Richard can't do anything or hasn't done anything this entire fight. It prepares to fire to kill as Richard's eyes open in shock as he watches an oven fall onto the wolf's head as it's maw opens. Wolf looks confused as something heavy hits his head and closes his mouth just as his power is fired. Confused goes to fear as he realizes what's been done.

Richard averts his head as the wolf's head completely explodes with the upper part of his body. It's lower half stumbles forward before falling on to the dirt as a corpse before sinking into the floor as a liquid. Richard stares at the destroyed oven in awe. He had never considered to convince himself that an oven can be considered a cookery. He also didn't expect it to work either.

Richard falls to his knees as the liquid seems to start swirling and pooling together. A box alerts the duo that the next floor is open and is labeled [Boss Room]. It states that alternatively, the party can take this time to leave the dungeon and go through it again at a later date or spend this time to recover before attempting the boss. Richard crawls his way over to the large fire and props himself against the wall sighing heavily. Nearby Blake seems to have fallen asleep and seems to be recovering health.

Richard checks his own stats and sees that both him and Blake have received the status condition [wounded] which states that they won't be able to fully recover until the wounds have been taken care of. Both of them seem to be sitting on nothing but debuffs. Despite this, Richard feels a calm drawing over him despite this ridiculous situation and soon finds himself in an unconscious state as well.

Richard frantically collects what he can from the corpses around the duo. Blake crouches down and pokes the body of the fallen Deerfolk and Ponykin. They had all been killed most likely fighting whatever lurks deeper in the darkness before the two. Blake holds a glowing stick in his right hand that he stole from Richard's makeshift fire from their 'rest point' of sorts.

"Do you think they went peacefully?" Blake asks looking over his shoulder as Richard collects more mushrooms and items off the discarded bags and bodies.

"I hope so. Whatever did this doesn't seem to be around at the moment either. I just wonder if they were Champions..."

"I doubt it... I'm sure that as Champions dying won't come so easily to us."

"... We almost just did." Richard says staring at Blake who stares right back owlishly.

"Did we?" Blake asks tilting his head.

Richard snorts and stands up fully. He looks around the damaged tunnel again taking in the various caved in walls, scratch marks, and what looks to be magical scorch marks here and there. Magic users and probably fighters. Whatever they had is no longer here other than a few closed bottles both marked and unmarked. Blake wanted to taste test the unmarked, but Richard suggested finding something along the lines of a blacksmith or at least be close to a healer before he goes experimenting.

Blake proceeds to poke around with Richard's bag eliciting a sigh from the owner. He can't help but wish he had more experience dealing with kids than upper-crust assholes.

"So what are these for again?"

"They're for helping us stay alive in here. Let's just say that there are a few loopholes I wanna see if I can exploit. I noticed earlier that I didn't get an error message when using the shrooms to attack shadow warrior earlier. I figured if I just used ingredients to fight or somehow weaponizing food, I should be in the clear for helping with frontline stuff."

"Wait, so that's what that explosion was? I thought you were just using some magic you've been holding back."

Richard sighs and rubs the bridge between his eyes and nose, "We've been over this Blake... we can't do things out of our categories despite whatever they tell you."

"But I reeeaaaaalllly think I'm starting to get the hang of it. I just need like like three maybe four more weeks!"

"Of course of course. Just expect me to come telling you I told you so." Richard says pulling the bag and mushroom away from Blake.

"And you better be prepared for when I do the same!"

"Oh, I'm shaking in my boots," Richard says mockingly making his away from the skeletons.

Blake runs off ahead laughing on all fours. Richard chuckles and shakes his head while glancing behind him. Richard just can't quite figure out if he's laughing at Blake's antics or his own anxiety over being so calm about any of this from the corpses to the fact that he could die down here never knowing anything about anything of this unique situation.

"So this is it right? I expected a little bit more of a challenge along the way." Blake says disappointedly.

"Yea well. Don't jinx us quite yet. We still gotta deal with the gate and whatever keeps making those bodies."

"I'm sure we'll be fine!" Blake says walking up to the ominous black door looming in front of the two.

"Murphy's law..." Richard mumbles following behind the all to eager young buck.

Author's Note

Richard: level 18 1: Create Cooking Fire, 5: Green Thumb, 10: Enchant With Fire, 15: Summon cookery,

Blake: level 14 1: Vines 5: Bark Armor 10: Summon Treant.

Boss Fight!

Richard can only stare in awe as the giant blackened tree uproots itself in the center of the jungle like cave. The bark cracks open revealing a gaping black maw behind bark sharped and made like teeth. Eyes snap open revealing blackness illuminated by several yellow lights that lock onto the duo. Roots of various textures and sizes rip themselves from the earth as fruits fall from the giant dead tree top. The fruit all have various different effects from the explosion to summoning smaller versions of it that proceed to make their way to the duo. The blacked Trees roars making the two clutch their ears.

Other than the creatures being summoned by the fruit, there doesn't seem to be anything else here ready to attack the two. Above the trees seems to be a hole that allows for natural light to come in and blend with the glow that some of the mushrooms give off from both the ceiling and floor. Said Mushrooms are much bigger than their tunnel brethren alas there don't seem to be any giant version of the exploding mushrooms in here.

The scene would be beautiful if it wasn't for the dark creature at its center drooling green between its top row and bottom row of its "teeth".

Richard reaches into his inventory and grabs some of the smaller version of the exploding mushrooms to prepare himself for fighting. He proceeds to use his [Green Thumb] to speed up the growing process of the exploding mushrooms while looking towards Blake who seems to be looking on in disbelief. The look of disbelief is quickly replaced by a smile that only continues to grow the more he steps into the room. Blake chuckles to himself as he pulls from his own inventory a brown bowl filled with a brown and red liquid substance.

He tosses the bowl back before tossing it aside. Richard watches as the buffs from his soup begin to take effect. They're nothing too special as they have limited ingredients around, but they both hope for a quick fight. The mushrooms are great for increasing the attack stat, but not much of anything else which means they can't prolong this fight if they want to survive and defeat this thing. The once happy smile has grown into that of a maniac's smile meaning that this fight is going to be anything but short.

Thankfully they managed to heal up a good bit before coming in, thanks to equipment left by the dead, but it wasn't enough to put them back on top. The wounded stat is still there meaning they would need actual professional care. The wounded effect isn't that much of a hindrance for the two as they rely on more tactics than brute strength. They also have to take into account that their health can't reach its maximum value as they are right now. Therefore they would have to be careful and not do anything crazy.

As Blake proceeds to do something crazy.

"W-Wait Blake thi-" Richard says already knowing what the battled minded boy was thinking before he even moves.

Blake proceeds to laugh as some of the non-possessed trees proceed to uproot themselves at the command of their new master. He then proceeds to summon forth armor made of bark to surrounded his body as he walks menacingly towards the boss of the dungeon. Its name becomes clear as he approaches.

(Heart of the Forest)

Blake sends forth a volley of vines crashing into roots at the same time tying up the summoned dark treants. Blake laughs like he's on top of the world as he approaches the behemoth that shadows the two. The creature has to be at least 30 feet high and could probably kill them with a single strike. Yet here he is laughing in the face of danger.

Richard can only sigh as he too proceeds to move into the skirmish not too sure what he should quite be doing in all of this now. He never once though in his short life that he would be running into battle to what might be his death. He supposes the only thing left would be finding out what death is like. Or if they can actually die. Though he would rather avoid that altogether if possible. Leave that exploration to the more adventurous souls.

Blake grabs ahold of a root and climbs it with ease before running towards the trunk kicking, punching, and biting his way through the hoard of creatures being summoned by the Boss. Richard chuckles seeing that at least he's putting the attack boost to work as the friendly treants make short work of their corrupted brethren. And on top of everything, they are getting a steady stream of XP from every creature defeated. But the big gain is the boss.

Richard watches as hands reach out of the front of the boss to stop Blake's path. Blake reaches into his inventory and pulls out their secret weapon. A red glowing stick.

"Take this!" Blake yells slamming the stick into one of the hands causing it to burst into flames.

Richard smiles as the Tree roars in pain while the status effect burning appears next to its name. Richard hadn't known if this would work, but it seems only natural that Blake can wield nature as a weapon. In the loot they found earlier, they broke apart what looked to be a woodcutter's ax in order to classify it as a stick. Richard than enchanted the stick with fire meaning that the stick now has a fiery temper that matches its owner.

Richard moves out of the way as a darker treant roar before swiping at him. Richard focuses back on to his task in all of this making sure to avoid larger groups of the creatures all while dropping shrooms wherever he goes but making sure he has enough for the finisher. The tree isn't too far away from the entrance, but Richard has only half of Blake speed. Fatigue would eventually catch Richard before Blake.

Nevertheless, the plan must go off without a hitch to really chunk it. Or at least that's what the idea was.

Richard stops as he watches Blake lift the stick high above his head and shoves it into the Root of the tree below it. Fire proceeds to spread throughout it causing it to roar and send several vines after Blake. They find their mark and yank the boy from the stick before flinging him across the room in Richard's direction. Blake skips across the ground into a tree which makes Richard change course while glancing back at the beast. It desperately tries to pull out the stick but finds it embedded too deep like a splinter.

The irony isn't lost on Richard one bit as he helps Blake back up to his wobbly feet.

"You good?"

"Y-Yeah! I've got my blood pumping real good! I wanna know what its insides look like!" Blake says he eyes have a faint tint of red to them.

"Y-Yeah? W-Well we should stay focus for a second. Richard says doing his best to turn the boy's eyes away from the beast, "We're going to need to change our plan. There's no way I'll be able to get close enough to throw the shrooms in. So we're going to chip away at it as you did before. But we're going to need a lot of sticks for you to wield."

"Done!" Blake states finding his second wind quite easily.

Blake attempts to take off but Richard cuts him off quickly, "Nope nope listen. Look at me not them. When I say sticks, I mean small ones like the one before. And I need LOTS of them. I know you want to make this a huge fight, but for both of us please please try to keep in mind that I value my peaceful life more than this fight. Okay?"

Blake focuses on the conversation eagerly and nods his head growing a more serious look on his face, "Yeah. I got it. I won't take long to do what I can."

"Good. Go get em, tiger."

"I'm a buck." Blake says taking off.

Richard rubs the bridge of his nose and exhales before turning back to the tree that seems to have given up on the task of removing its ailment and proceeds to focus on attacking them in the form of more creatures and vines. Richard pulls out some shrooms and tosses them forward causing a chain reaction of explosions around the front end of the tree and in areas that the enemy crosses. Richard moves away as the vines search out for him.

As he moves about he lets Blake know where he is every so often to allow him to bring him sticks to enchant.

"This plan seemed a lot better in my head..." Richard says panting watching as a Blake treant tackles a darker treant.

"That's why we shouldn't think but just act!" Blake states stuffing another fire enchanted stick under his arm.

They quickly move out of the way of more vines that separate the two. Blake quickly tears his vines apparent while Richard drops to the ground to move out of the way of their grasp.

"Gods above why me..." Richard breathes out getting back up and moving away with Blake, "Blake just go for it! That should be enough."

Blake acknowledges the command by running past the vines towards the tree. He moves effortlessly around the darker treants while keeping his eyes on his main target. He jumps into the air as roots attempt to entangle him to the spot as he gets closer to its trunk and main roots. Hand of wood and leaves once again attempt to stop him to only find sticks slammed into them igniting them with fire causing the beast to attempt to move away from Blake and its imminent destruction.

Blake slams the sticks as hard as he can into the base of the tree causing a fire to come out of the beast's mouth. He writhes and attempts to put out the fire inside of it unsuccessfully. Soon everything goes quiet as the shadow creature bursts and forms a spiraling circle of blackness. The darker treants wilt and proceed to die off as their master is now dead.

Richard limps over to Blake as he looks into the spiraling void of darkness before them.

"What now?" Blake asks dropping the last few sticks they didn't need to kill the beast.

"I'm... not sure actually. We sho-"

Blake reaches out and touches the circle causing Richard's eyes to go wide. Instead of something horrible having, the darkness turns white and blinks out of existence before a message appears.

[Dungeon Cleared]

They both blink and find themselves back outside the cave with a timer telling them that the dungeon will safely reset after a week. The two look at one another and can only drop to their knees exhausted and ready to return home victorious.

Author's Note

Richard: level 21 1: Create Cooking Fire, 5: Green Thumb, 10: Enchant With Fire, 15: Summon cookery, 20: Locate,

Blake: level 18 1: Vines 5: Bark Armor 10: Summon Treant, 15: Grow

On the Road Again

Richard closes his journal as the last of the embers of the dying flame wink out before casting the world in lunar controlled darkness. Blake is sound asleep nearby after having had his fill of food and his energy drained by training. The woods around them are filled with the noise of crickets, toads, and soft snaps of paws against discarded branches and twigs. Nothing hostile can be seen or felt. Yet Richard is on edge.

He's been like this ever since their first dungeon and it's only gotten worse since they've left the town several days ago. Sure they received a big reward as well as honorary titles, but that unnerving feeling in Richard's head of coming so close to death has yet to fully leave him. He's been waking up the last couple of days in cold sweats thinking he'll only wake up still down in the tunnels with more of those beasts around them. Perhaps he's grown a fear now?

He sighs and brings his knees up to this chest in his seated position after placing the journal and pen down beside him. Perhaps he's overcomplicating his life? Blake seems to have it all down despite not being... the sanest of allies. He has his head on straight and knows what he wants from life. He's had his hardships and trials that eventually ended with...

Richard shakes his head. Blake needs him to be strong. He needs to be strong for himself. They just need to head south where it was reported of more Deerkin going missing as well as one of the elites Elks. The information hasn't been made to the public in hopes that the missing group is still alive despite the lack of contact. Some of the civilians are starting to get suspicions, mainly loved ones and friends, but they have assured that Richard and Blake would be on the case and bring back some sort of information on the group. So far they've seen no signs of another group.

Richard lays on his side staring off into the dark woods unsure if he'll be able to will himself to sleep tonight. He's sure in time sleep will take him, but his mind is still too active for now. Too much has happened within the last few days and too much information has been gained. His stats are getting better and better and the skills he wants to learn are starting to get smaller. He's learned how to locate meat, herbs, fruits, and vegetables due to one of his new skills. It has made hunting for food a bit easier, even if he isn't the one doing the hunting.

Growing closer to sleep, he believes his eyes are playing tricks on him as he gets a notification from the chatroom. Strange because he didn't think any of the others were close by, but thinking about it more he realizes it could be someone new. He sits up and opens the chat finding the words Hello? written into it.

Hello there! I'm Richard and it seems you might be close by. Can you tell me where and who you are?

I don't really know... I've been here for quite a while actually. There were some close encounters with these black looking creatures, but thankfully I've been able to hide out here and there."

Do you have any landmarks you can give me?

Uhhhh it smells really good over here. Like honey mixed with freshly cut apples. I think there's some sort of nest???? Here. I haven't seen it, but if you see something like that that's giving off that smell or get near an area that smells like that, I'll be around there. Oh, yea! I've also been gardening a bit to help with the lack of food here so if you see a portion of the forest gardened out you'll find me! :D

Okay okay. We'll be sure to keep a lookout. My friend, who is currently asleep, is called Blake and he'll be able to fight off those black creatures if they're still around.

Thank you so muuuuuch!!!! <3 <3 <3!!!

So for now, keep vigilant. We're going to get some sleep and start looking for you in the morning.

Okay will do! Be safe out there!

With that, the chat falls silent. Richard begins to form a plan in his mind to distract himself from his other thoughts. They have the potential of meeting someone else out there who could possibly help them with fighting and advancing through the world safer. Hopefully, they're just as much of a fighter as Blake so their offensive power goes up more. But given that they didn't attack the black creatures... well its too early to assume. Or would it be too late?

Richard shakes his head and lays down on his back to look up into the sky. He opens his menu and pulls up his stats and abilities to stare and ponder. Enchant With Fire has come in handy with increasing attack abilities, but he can't attack himself other than through ways that include his abilities. Blake has been teaching him some grapple techniques, but they're not very effective thus far. He's kept some of the shrooms on him just in case they are needed, but he would need someone to grow more of these for him on the fly since he's not able to. Sure he can help things grow, but he can't grow them without mulch, earth, and tlc. Plus it would still take quite a time for them to be harvestable along with the use of mana.

Richard sighs and closes his eyes. He has to calm down and figure out things as they come. It's already too much as it is. Eventually, sleep claims him.

"No," Richard says pushing branches out of his way as Blake hops over a log just ahead.

"But why not! Think about it! It would be great! Plus we still need a name and every other one just seems to fall flat! Now would be a perfect time to start thinking about it! Especially since there are more people out there that don't know what's going on!"

"I understand the need to easily tell everyone who we are, what we are, and what we do, but we need to think more about this and actually have a team."

Blake stops and turns around raising his arms and voice, "But we are a team!"

"Correction. We are a pair. Not a team. A team consists of more than just two guys chilling in the woods."

"I mean we're killing in the woods too..."

"Besides the point." Richard waves off the comment, "We don't necessarily need a team name. And if, IF, we get a team name it needs to be practical and pertain to us."

"But it does pertain to us!"

"Oh, yea? How so?" Richard asks crossing his arms and standing in front of Blake.

"Well... We... Uh... What does pertain mean again?" A barely visible blush proceeds to mark the deer's face in embarrassment.

The chef sighs, "Basically how does the team name relate to us."

"Oh! That's easy! I'm Wolf and you're Lamb! Wolf and Lamb! It's the perfect name!"

"In what way?"

"Well I'm a hunter and fighter and can take anything down with my pack or solo, and then you're an amazing cook that still has a bit of a bite!"

"The wolf part sure, but the Lamb? Unless lambs are different from where you're from I really don't..."

"Well of course they are! All the prey animals are pretty good at farming, cooking, and domestic stuff while predators are good for fighting, hunting, and keeping the peace."

"You know how to cook?"

Blake punches Richard in the arm before going forward again, "Don't be a butt..."

"I can't help it. It's in my natural genes. But I see now where you're coming from, but we are not going for that. Its gotta be something we both agree on and, again, with more people."

"Fine fine! I'll come up with something even better to blow you out the water!"

"Yea you do that..."

Author's Note

Richard: level 21 1: Create Cooking Fire, 5: Green Thumb, 10: Enchant With Fire, 15: Summon cookery, 20: Locate,

Blake: level 18 1: Vines 5: Bark Armor 10: Summon Treant, 15: Grow

Panda Expressions

Richard jumps back as a red bulbous flower burst from the ground below him its teeth closing around the air and dirt flung up with it. Despite the close call to death, he scrambles to keep his balance and backs further away from the chaos swarming around him. Earth shoots up into the air following another plant's emergence from the yielding field under him covering himself and anything near in dirt and clay. Richard grits his teeth and shakes his head while moving further away from the fight happening around him. He proceeds to go through his inventory to find his more helpful supplies.

"Our Lord, that art in heaven, just why!?" Richard yells tossing some exploding shrooms into the maw of one such carnivorous plant.

He chances a look back towards Blake whose currently in the thick of it all. Blake finds himself being backed by his treants who swing their arms through the mass of void creatures attempting to get at the both of them. Sadly, it seems that some of the other treants didn't get the memo of whose enemy and foe.

Each of the turned treants has flowers blooming from their bodies, unlike their unturned brothers. More importantly. they are just as vicious when not under Blake's control. Maybe even a little bit worse.

"Just stop already!" Blake yells into the face of one of the turned treants before moving out the way of a hulking fist, "What do you mean you can't!"

The day was proceeding on so well. Their spirits were high and it seemed like the clouds that were gathering ahead were no longer present. A beautiful clear day through the forest on the way to their next designation. And then Richard just had to open his chat. He had to meet someone new and head out for them.

Which leads to the three strikes against the two. Three strikes that lead to a bad day.

What should've been an easy kill and grab turned into something far worse. It was going great until they came across the area they needed to be in. The first indication that they were in the right area was the giant cultivated hedge suddenly filling their vision. What came next was an utter mess. Void creatures attacked them from seemingly nowhere all with this crazed determination. And it only seemed to get graver from there as when one died, several others would take its place.

And now, here they are wondering what they're going to do against the mobs of creatures attempting to hound them.

Richard finds a moment to breathe as he gets back behind the line of war. He thinks back through the day seeing if there was any sort of warning sign they might have missed.

"Think this is it?" Blake asks as the two travelers come up to a rather large hedge that reaches up to the bottom of the trees above their heads, "It feels pretty solid too."

"Yeah? This might be it. Though the message said that this was supposed to be a giant garden. I don't see the garden portion yet, but I guess we'll first need to find the entrance for that. I also still haven't gotten a reply yet."

"Cool. Cool. So, which way should we go? If she's not replying than she probably needs help or is busy with something."

"Maybe... But Snake says go left," Richard says chuckling to himself and closing out of his menus.

Blake wrinkles up his nose in disgust, "Why would ever listen to a Skyn? They've been known to be nothing but liars and slavers. Many consider the two to be the same."

"No no. Snake is the name of a video game character. Not a race. Different worlds remember. Besides, the only talking snake I can recall from mine was, I believe, supposed to be the devil playing a trick against God's greatest creations."

"Right! Right. Sometimes I keep forgetting you're not some sort of hairless animal." Blake admits slightly embarrassed while rubbing the back of his head.

"What would that be considered as? Some sort of leprosy? Albinism? Can you guys get that? Like, what's the human to the animal ratio for you guys?" Richard asks as they make their way around.

"What's Leprosy?"

"Right. Child. You probably haven't learned that. Or you guys don't have that. Sorry. Forget I asked." Richard says dismissing the question.

"Done! Now, how about some more snacks for my good deed?" Blake says smugly.

"You already ate on the way here. You remember what happened last time you overindulged."

"But I've been practicing!" Blake says pouting moving in front of Richard.

"Oh? So what you're saying is... You're the reason why certain ingredients have been disappearing huh?" Richard says popping his knuckles and looking the deer-morph in the eyes.

"I er... no?"

A screech of inhuman proportions knocks the two out of their talk. Their heads lock in the way they were headed to see several creatures making their way towards them. Several dark imp creatures, several void bats, and a few darkened wolves make their way towards them with destructive steps.

"Incoming!" Richard yells reaching into his bag for the shrooms, "Plan C Plan C."

"Got it!" Blake yells running up to a nearby tree and causing it to rise out of the ground, "Come on guys! Let's do some damage!"

The treants begin to rise and swat several of the dark creatures away and into wisps of black smoke. Vines erupt from the treants capturing and crushing others. Blake leaps into battle punching and slamming everything around him. Richard throws out several shrooms to scatter out the larger clusters.

"Why are there so many!?" Richard yells jumping away from the snapping jaws of a wolf, "I was expecting a fight sure, but not on this level!"

"Who cares! Let's just wipe the floor with them!" Blake laughs out heartily.

"Stick to the plan!" Richard says getting behind the defensive line of growing treants.

"Yeah hahaha!" Blake laughs out darting around the battlefield now bitting into enemies.

Richard looks around the vanguard around him and quickly picks up a rather long stick and enchanting it with fire.

"Weapon ready!" Richard yells throwing it towards Jake.

Blake quickly snatches it out of the air and brings it down through the skull of another imp.

"Thank you!" Blake yells.

"Just hurry up and get rid of all of them will you?" Richard mumbles to himself trying to keep an eye on the battle and his own set.

"Move damnit! Blake, we need to back off and rethink our entrance strategy! The foliage is too thick and if we try to burn them we might have a forest fire on our hands along with who knows what else!"

Blake says nothing as his enchanted stick, whose name is now, Burnabus, brings down another shadow imp with its fiery enchantment. He jumps away from more of the carnivorous plants and stumbles a bit from his over usage of his muscles and treant making skills. Sure the food buffs are helping, but they can only last so long against wave after wave of enemies. Blake, as per usual, seems upset at the idea of backing down but retreats away nevertheless behind Richard.

The two back away from the shadows and treants with Blake running interference for anything that tries to stop them. When they get far enough away they proceed to keel over trying to catch their breaths. No matter what anybody says, Richard is not suited for combat and the fact that the two of them can get away with this is nothing outside of a miracle.

"So... What now, huh?" Blake says after flopping to his back, "I'm pretty upset we couldn't keep fighting those things. Pretty sure a couple more would've given me a level..."

"Yeah, well. We still don't have a clear idea of what those things are, do we? I mean... we have an idea sure, but where do those void portals come from? Even more so, why are there so many in that one area? Is there a portal nearby? If there is, we need to take care of that first and deal with the plants second.

"More importantly I need to send a message to our new friend to make sure she hasn't run into any trouble on her end. And maybe see if she can help us out some.

"Also... Did you notice anything of importance from when you were fighting? Like the direction that they were coming from? Or any irregular patterns?"

"Nope!" He cheerily replies.

"Ah... yes. I should've figured.."

Blake cocks his head in confusion for a moment, "So, what are we eating tonight?"

"A nice cold soup of defeat," Richard sighs, "Served with herbs and spices of your choice."

"... Think I could warm it up with Burnabus?"

Author's Note

Richard: level 21 1: Create Cooking Fire, 5: Green Thumb, 10: Enchant With Fire, 15: Summon cookery, 20: Locate,

Blake: level 18 1: Vines 5: Bark Armor 10: Summon Treant, 15: Grow

Intermission

Several weeks have passed by since Canterlot became nothing more than a stain in Liloth's sight. She hardly ever thinks of that city of stone anymore outside of passing thoughts. She never felt... right there underneath those ever-watchful prying eyes of Celestia.

Of course, those eyes haven't omitted her just yet. Because of what happened between her and one belligerent Richard, Celestia's eyes seemed to get more... intense. They seemed to have multiplied as well in the form of spies disguised as guards and civilians. They probably assume that she's too occupied keeping up with the portals to discern, but she sees many things.

She does not fear what they may or may not see, but fears something that has gotten in her way too many times now. It is simply referred to as the System. It has prevented her from becoming a genuine beauty of death and halted her attempt at that bastard Richard's life. A few days after, she tested it out on herself and found the System will stop a Champion from killing themselves.

Even further after that, she attempted to resume her practices in other arcanal magic and alchemy only to find that System prevents her from doing things outside of her class. She previously strived to study archery and swordplay only to undergo punishment for her effort. Thus her question for why Richard would never wield a weapon was answered with those painful results.

In her attempts to over the System, she has found that anything rotating death becomes easier to deal with. When passing by a grave, she found she could count each body underneath her and know what sort of state they were in. She also discovered that despite not being able to wield a sword or dagger properly, she can fight with a shovel or scythe without System butting in. She loathes the idea of it, so she opts not to use either.

She's had no real reason to resort to melee in her somewhat short career as a "hero" and hopes it will never come to it. More so in her current state than in the past. She has obtained an essential asset that will, willingly or not, empower her to maintain her long and mid-range of death simply known as, Borrus.

Borrus is quite the catch for someone like her. He manages to keep a steady pace of death and defense. He won't disclose his class to her, but she feels as if he might be some sort of monk or fighter based on the way he moves. His clothing also gives it away as well, but there are too many secrets around him to know for sure.

Borrus is a lion morph who walks upon his hind paws and seems more animalistic than human in comparison to herself and Armon. Despite being a lion morph, he doesn't resemble a lion as one might imagine. For starters, half of his mane, which is a deep shade of blue, seems to be missing from his scruff while his body, which is a deep shade of gray almost, is covered in numerous runic markings. Most of those markings are covered up by the Gi he wears at a near always state. She only knows of them by catching Borrus off guard by a river one morning.

Aside from his odd coloration and style, he seems as bloodthirsty as any other lion she knows. Maybe even more so as he simply barrels and tears his way through mountains of void creatures. She makes sure to put in her fair share as well to protect her investment. After all, good minions are hard to come across.

Liloth stops as she reaches her goal. The cave before her overlooks a small xenophobic pony village. It has been reported that void monsters have been exiting from it to attack them and their cow slaves. So she headed out right away to grow stronger, examine, and eventually close the portal that's letting the creatures into their world.

She dumps the pack from her back and reaches inside with a particular item in mind. From the bag, she takes a small ornate, silver bell with the images of lions, the animal, roaring into the sky. This item was given to her upon the first-ever meeting of her and Borrus.

She rings the bells, which produces no noise, and waits a moment as Borrus reveals himself from behind one of the boulders nearby. He seems to be climbing up out of the space behind it and knows if she were to check, nothing would be there. It pisses her off to no end that he won't reveal how he does it.

He grunts as a way of greeting as he approaches the cat morph.

"Wrong way. Turn around and head into the cave first. Apparently, they're coming from within and need to be taken care of."

Borrus gives a slight inclination of his head before turning and making his way towards the cave mouth with Liloth close behind. As they get to the cave mouth, System provides them with a system message asking if they are ready for the dungeon. Liloth laughs at the audacity of System caring about them and slams her yes button. Borrus presses his own before they continue on and disappear into the darkness of the cave.

The popping of fire fills the night air. Colorless smoke rises from the burning pit of warmth. The lumber below the flame previously belonged to specific residents of the forest acknowledged as Timberwolves. Now, they bring warmth to those they deemed weak.

Several figures find themselves within the amber glow's power of comfort this night. Each figure range from exhausted to somber, yet all wear wounds of war. One more so than others.

At what is assumed the head of the fire, Armon is leaning against his tower shield to rest. His eyes seem unfocused and distant as he stares into the center of the flame. He's grown over the past several weeks since putter Canterlot behind.

He has faced several interesting individuals and events that still play through his mind over and over again. He has yet to lose sleep over some of the actions against him and others, but he worries sometimes. He has seen things he would not have liked to.

Across from him a peculiar creature unlike any other the world has ever seen. A miniature human with four wings extended from its rather robust form lays upon the back of one of the pony guards with them. The human calls himself a Hoplix and is quite capable of hunting, enchanting, and performing with the best of them. This one, in particular, seems to be apter at the hunting part of his description as he's been able to their very life force while inside the forest. Or at least that was what was explained to the party.

When further examined, they found that Hoplixes aren't supposed to be as adept in hunting as he is. His account of arriving into this world varies differently than the others. While Armon and Liloth have death reasons for appearing and Richard has his... mysterious transcendence, it seems this specific Hoplix was chosen by a god.

He regaled the party with the story of how he managed to gain the attention of one of his gods. He had become a big shot hunter and wound up hunting one of the many monstrous beasts that hunted his race. He managed to corner and slay the beast.

He planned to return to his village, but just as he exited the cave of the last fight, he was approached by a creature of pure light. It offered him a chance to hunt even bigger game. The thought was enticing, so he took it without a second thought. And here he was.

He has yet to reveal his name to the party and simply asks everyone to call him the race of his people. There might be another story to tell there, but he doesn't seem keen on talking about it. Everyone seems to respect that, but there only seems to be more mysteries around him.

The only other oddball to the party seems to be a wolf made of wood. The story of how it became part of the party goes with how they obtained the firewood. It doesn't seem affected by it's burning brothers and sister. It reclines upon one of the many nameless ponies around the flame and gives the appearance of resting.

And as the flames continue to burn and the night sky continues to shine, the world remained to turn.

Author's Note

Armon: Level 30 1: Shield Bash, 5: Spike Shield, 10: Protect, 15: Shield toss 20: Sanctuary 25: Protector's Aura 30: Reflect

Borrus: Level 28 1:Ki Regen 5:Ki Blast 10:Evolving Fists 15:Emperor's Roar 20:Steel fist 25: Ki Overclock

Hoplix: Level 23 1: Fire Enchants 5: Flame Enchants 10:Lightning Enchants 15:Body Enchants 20: Health enchant.

Liloth: level 36 1: Life Drain 5: Detect Life 10: Dark Pull 15: Death’s Aura 20: Dark Beam, 25: Chocking Aura 30: Mark For Death 35: Life's Aura

Surprise!

"Okay," Richard starts while putting his now empty wooden bowl to the side, "Let's review the info we have. We know that whatever we're fighting or whoever we're fighting has some sort of control over nature. That control somehow overrides yours. Which brings up what you've noticed about our enemies.

As you have recently brought to my attention, each one of our enemies has some sort of flower on their head. I would like to assume that whatever is controlling them is linked to the flowers. The second bit of info is that we haven't heard from our "friend" in a while, yes?"

"Yup! No contact with target Alpha!"

"Thought not... So, they could be captured by whatever is infecting the forest, or worse... We have to plan for the worst-case scenario and abandon this part of the mission is necessary for survival. If the missing bucks and or does are here, we'll most like have to fight them till we can get rid of the control."

"But not kill them, right?"

"Correct. I'm glad you listen to some of the things I say." Richard motions for Blake to follow which Blake does so happily, "Third... is the hedge."

"But, errr, we don't know anything about it except we can't go through it."

"Yes, but we might be able to go over it. We'll quickly use one of your treants to lift us to see what's on the other side of the fortress wall."

"Question..."

A heavy sigh, "I might have an answer if you go ahead and ask."

"What if its another hedge that's taller than that one? Or what if the hedge moves to prevent us from seeing over it?"

"Then, and only then, will we at least know something is actively watching us or that the hedge is autonomous. If it's the second or the latter, that means the hedge can be destroyed with, hopefully, no repercussions."

"Another question."

"Just ask them. You don't need to make it known you have one." Richard says rubbing the bridge of his nose, "It's like I'm talking to a..."

Blakes gives Richard an unamused look. Richard sighs and only pinches his nose harder, "Just ask the question..."

"Well, I don't know if I want to now..."

"Blake, please. We're already in a stressful situation here."

"But you promised!"

"Can I double promise you?"

"Nu-uh. Now you gotta pay the price for breaking the promise! You'll have to do something for me no questions asked later down the road! We have to build our trust in this! You said that every team needs a founding!"

"Foundation..."

"That too! So, now we can only make new promises since you broke that one! Meanie..." Blake finishes turning his back to Richard.

"Fine! Alright! I'll do something for you down the road no questions asked if it'll help us continue to move forward."

Blake turns back a wide smile plastered on his face and a giant gleam in his eyes. Richard was fairly sure he just signed his happiness and life away to the devil's child.

"Promise?"

A sigh and closing of the eyes from Richard, "I promise." and the deal was struck.

"Good. Now, what were we doing?" Blake asks cocking his head cutely.

"I... You know what. It's fine. Listen, summon a treant to lift us over the hedge. It doesn't matter what's over it as long as we can see over it."

"Okay!"

Blake brings forth one of the nearby trees to serve as their leverage. With treant in tow, they make their way quickly towards the hedge before climbing into the palm of the treant. It quickly lifts them near its foliage so they can peer into the hidden grotto behind the hedge. The hedge doesn't move and with their vision unblocked, they can take in the sights before them.

"What!"

"Cool!"

A shout of rage and a cry of excitement contrast each other. Beyond the overgrown hedge lies what could only be described as a well-maintained grotto of peace and ingenuity. Various amounts of creatures move around the enclosed habitat clearing away debris and taking care of the various amounts of plants around. Each creature doing some sort of labor has a distinct flower above their heads.

In the midst of all of this, a giant tree blooms where a black and white creature finds itself tied. Every so often a shadowed beast falls from the tree and is immediately thralled as the black and white creature thrashes against their bondage. Even closer still lounges another creature.

This creature is unlike any of the ones they've seen up till now. To start with, it looks like a pony, but only if the pony had green everything with leaves, ivy, and branches growing from various parts of their body. Flowers seem to make up for a lack of fur for where there should be a tail and mane. The most interesting part of this all is that the creature does not have a single flower-like many of the enthralled creatures around it.

"Who knew you could control so many creatures at once! I never thought I could make so many treants because of how sick and weak I feel after a few. But if they can just keep enthralling creatures, they must be pretty powerful. Though I don't understand the bit about being tied to a tree..."

"That's because the person we're here for is being taken advantage of. Not only that, but I can also see the bucks we came looking for. Looks like it might be the green ponies doing. Or whatever that green creature is."

"Might be a dryad." Blake nods sagely.

"A what?"

"You know.. nature spirit? I'm sure you guys have heard of mother nature before."

"I doubt the same concept applies here. Where I'm from, they're usually really sweet and helpful on top of make-believe."

"Different worlds, different lives," Blake says with a shrug.

"I feel like you're way too calm for this." Richard says giving Blake a look over, "You sure you don't have any of those flowers on you?"

"Nah. I just feel like we've been through so much already is all. I mean, we fought, like, nature itself, right? What's that compared to this? We almost died underground. I doubt we'll have any problem busting on in there and taking care of a few baddies. We'll be like Superbuck!"

"Are you faster than a speeding bullet?"

"Is that the same thing as an arcane arrow?"

"Man. We need to have another sit down about these different worlds again..." Richard says scratching the back of his head.

"Yeah yeah yeah. Enough about that let's go kick some butt! I'll handle the small fries, you go for the kill!"

"Blake we don't even haaaaaaaahhhhh!"

"Bombs awaaaaaay!"

The two find themselves tossed towards the hedge in order to drop down on the other side. Blake laughs the entire time Richard screams for dear life. If anyone asked, he would've said his heart fell into his stomach that day.

Blake lands on his hooves and takes off tackling and biting into the neck of the closest shadow creature. He proceeds to rip its throat open before hoping to the next of stunned beasts. Richard rolls on the ground for a few minutes before scrambling to his feet.

Richard reaches into his void to take out what few mushrooms he's managed to cultivate in what little time they've had.

"Smokescreen!" is followed by the roar of an explosion and the flinging of dirt and whatever debris was around him.

A glance around shows the dryad? quickly growing very angry at their unexpected drop in. Gracefully, the creature rises. Into the air where the trees and foliage begin to shake in anger.

"I should've explained this more to Blake... Well, time to see if it works." Richard says trying to ignore the sense of danger welling up more and more in his chest.

Richard moves over to one of the bucks who has yet to do anything and grabs a hold of the faintly glowing flower upon his head. A strong yank forces the flower off and the spell to break. The buck stumbles for a moment before looking around in a panicked and angry frenzy.

"What's going on here!" He yells out.

"Talk later, right now. Kill shadows destroy flowers for others, go!" Richard yells before moving to the next target.

Chapter 19

"It seems as if we have some very problem some guests... Minions, kill them."

And thus the plan without a plan began a new plan for a plan that was never supposed to take place. In other words, chaos. Or at least in Richard's eyes, death. Richard reaches out and manages to grab hold of another flower before he quickly finds himself flung away from the buck. The controlled bucks' antlers begin to radiate magic energies and the nature around them begins to grow even more agitated with a lime green light.

Richard grabs at his throat as he starts to feel his windpipe getting crushed from some roots and vines attempting to choke the life out of him. It doesn't last long as Blake quickly frees him from the all too soon attempt at his life. The only downside seems to be the new burns along his neck from Burnabus.

"Fuck!" Richard yells rubbing at his neck and gasping for air as he backs away from the creatures and Dryad.

"You're welcome!" Blake says before lashing out at a descending bat shadow skewering it in one flawless movement.

The one free buck is quick to get to work at the plan without a plan as he manages to disrupt the others and their magic by tackling and bucking. Whoever this mysterious Deer is, he certainly makes up for the quantity with quality. Of course, that doesn't mean anything if he gets overpowered.

Richard's mind, despite being lower on oxygen for a short moment, seems to be lagging as he attempts to come up with some sort of rational plan to get through this. They've avoided death up to this point by sheer luck and motivation so this time shouldn't be any different. Or at least he hopes so. Last time they were in a situation like this...

Richard looks to Blake with concern in his eyes, but they never meet Blake. Blake is too busy coming up with his combat plan. He's quick to activate his powers to jump right into the bloodbath of it all.

Blake growls as nearby bark covers his body from nubs to hooves. Burnabus grows into a full-body length stick-staff before Blake charges into a dense section of the shadow creatures. In doing this, Richard finds himself alone with enemies on all sides and no plan in mind what so over. Not only that, but there's a mini-boss that is quickly becoming angrier the longer they're alive.

The plus side of this all is that despite the quantities of enemies, almost all of them are lower level than the two of them. With this in mind, death can take a small back burner for now. Though once the little damage starts building up...

Richard grits his teeth shakes his head and comes up with a plan on his own. First and for most, there's the controller of all of this. All of this seems to be the power of the Panda. He's not sure how the Dryad is forcing the Panda to continue this, but it is problematic.

The second issue would have the be the Dryad itself. its level is higher than his own, but not by much. Still, this little difference could mean everything when it comes to fighting in their realm. Especially when his only attacks come from Blake, seeds, and mushrooms.

But if he was going to fight anyone, he would first fight the creatures around the Dryad before ever going after the Dryad itself. The problem with that is that the Dryad seems intent on engaging in combat as the treant underneath her begins to pull itself out of the ground.

Richard curses his luck and runs towards the tree where the Panda is in lockdown. The mad dash is quickly stopped as bushes filled with thorns grow in front of him. A movement to his right causes him to duck under the trunk of a tree.

"Aim lower next time." The dryad says from atop of her new perch.

Richard's eyes widen as he falls backward and looks up in awe at the sight before him. A treant, unlike the many he's seen before, with the dryad atop its head. This treant seems to be much larger than all the other around it. It seems to bleed dark energy and is even using a deadened tree to swing. Richard can't recall Blake every summoning something like this and can only think of one thing in this situation.

"Smokescreen!"

Richard slams a few shrooms into the ground before scrambling backward. To his right, the buck gores another shadowed creature with Blake bitting into the arm of another. Richard makes his way towards the two to find his way blocked off my vines and bushes sharp with thorns.

He glances to his right to see the Dryad glaring down at him as she makes her way through the quickly dispersing dust cloud. To say she's furious would be an understatement.

"And where do you think you're going!" She yells.

Richard doesn't bother with words as his legs answer for him. He quickly moves away from his spot as the treant makes another step to only have its leg blown away from the few shrooms that he planted before scrambling away. He could feel her rage through her shout.

"Blake! I need some help buddy!"

"I can't get to you! They're pouring out of that tree where the Panda is tied up at! The other deers are free, but we're still getting overwhelmed! Isn't it awesome!"

Richard stops and looks back to see the treant pulling itself back together as the Panda begins to shake violently along with the tree it is tied to. And true to Blake's words, creatures of shadows are pouring out just as fast as the creature can control them. Blood is starting to pool out of the Panda's mouth and eyes as the now determined she begins screaming out in pain and fear.

"Fuck me!" Richard yells running towards the Dryad hoping for the best resolution to this confrontation, "Fine! I'll show you what I can really do!"

The dark treant reaches out with a hand to grab hold of the chef to find his hand crushed beneath metal and wires. Richard stumbles slightly from the sudden drain on his mana, but this was for the best in his mind. He moves around the staggered arm of the creature to find vines heading his way.

As the vines begin to grab hold of him, his clothes burst into flames as both they and himself are burnt. Richard bites through the pain, and into a seed, and keep running despite the burning sensation all over his body and the ticking of his health bar. Multiple alarms are going off in his head letting him know that this most certainly is a bad idea. No matter what his past thought thought it was.

The Dryad screeches at him as he runs past telling him to stop before he ruins everything she worked for. Whatever she was working for is certainly not worth the health and safety of a fellow champion. Every plant-based creature seems to give him birth as puts his body against the Panda and vines holding her to the tree. This has the effect of freeing her, burning her, and setting the tree on fire as well.

The tree screams in pain as the Panda is ripped away and falls unconscious with several vines burning away out of her back and into the base of the tree. Truly the thing of nightmares. And the start of an explanation into all of this.

The foliage of the tree begins to fall away at a rapid pace to reveal a swirling mass of black.

"Well, shit," Richard says feeling himself becoming drained from everything happening as she puts the Panda to the ground, "If only things could be easier huh?"

"I'll remember this!" Dryad yells as she dives into the ground.

With the control broken, the darkened creatures begin to stumble and lose their initial goals which give Blake, his army of freed treants, and the deers enough time to overwhelm what's left of the army that's been freed.

Richard begins to focus on the orb. Things are still pouring out of it, mainly the blacked bat creature, which could prove to be an obstacle for him. Before that, Richard tosses the burning shirt and pants off of him to finally free himself from the ticking damage of his clothes.

"Never. Again." He says glaring at his own hands.

"Hey!" Blake yells next to Richard causing him to jump.

"Jesus... Look, there's the portal but the creatures are going to be a problem. So I'm going to need you to get up there to close it while I support you."

"Or the Deer can capture all the creatures within the branches of the tree because of their magic."

Richard follows Blake's outstretched finger to see that they had done just that. At the apex of the tree, a birdcage had been made to prevent the escape of the others.

"I... I mean sure. I... I don't know how that's even possible tho. I was sure this tree was alive."

"Because it is. Everything is alive. I thought we had this conversation when you talked about turning the treants into firebombs."

"No. And we still need to talk more about it. I kind of did it without the explosion part. It hurt like hell, but I think we could make it work. But before that, I mean as in like shadow creature alive. Not like plant and cosmic yada yada alive."

"Wouldn't it be darker than? Like... a shadow?"

"I don't know how these rules work man. All I know is that this tree was controlling her and screamed when I burnt the vines away."

"Maybe the Dryad did something to it and it stopped upon her leaving. Speaking of which, we should probably tell somebody about her."

"I... You know what. Go for it. You got this Blake. I'm a go sit down and... I don't know. Read my menus?" Richard makes his way away from insanity as Blake proceeds to scale up the tree, goal in sight.

Blake jumps down from his perch and gives a mock roar causing the deer gathered around the story stump to chuckle. After clearing out the area of the shadowed creatures and making sure the Dryad wasn't going to return anytime soon, the Deer and Blake began to share stories and talk animatedly. Richard chimes in every so often from his position of nearby chef to correct some fantastical magination of Blake.

Further away from the noise, yet not out of sight, lies the Panda breathing steadily. A better sign than the earlier irregular breaths. It took a bit of work, but Richard was finally able to stabilize her before she hit zero.

Richard glances to his menu with bright red words above the tool bar reading update is ready. It appeared after Blake closed the portal. He hadn't gotten around to updating... himself? He's not really sure what he's updating, but if it means something will be better he'll happily take it.

Perhaps a power boost lies beyond it. But Blake hasn't brought up anything about receiving an update. Perhaps he hasn't checked his menu? He couldn't really say. Richard continues to stare at the update button a moment longer before deciding to hold it off for a moment longer. At least long enough to get Blake by himself to question the young buck on what he knows.