The Deck Master.by ArkKaneChaptersPrologue: Moved Across Wonderful Planes! (of existence.)Chapter 1: Circumstances Of The Present And Mistakes Of The Past.Chapter 2: Diplomacy And Natural Therapy Prologue.Chapter 2.5: Natural Therapy.Prologue: Moved Across Wonderful Planes! (of existence.)I tossed and turned in my sleep, my stone fists slamming into my grassy mattress as I tried to pull up my leafy blanket-wait. I don’t know what’s going on… but I’m pretty sure those pieces don’t add up. I open my eyes to the blue sky above, then work on getting myself upright. Upon getting up I could discern pretty quickly that I was in a forest of some kind, I couldn’t put my finger on it but the place looked familiar-okay, I’m not bullshitting anyone here, I’m in the Everfree and I’m a fucking Displaced, and after I had just gone to bed with no warning whatsoever. Well fuck me sideways with Khorne’s Chain-Axe. I thought before deciding to take my lumps and investigate my body to see if stone fists was the only change. Given my situation, it was actually a lot better than it could’ve been, as despite my arms from the elbow down being pure rock, and my head replaced by some sort of square stone statue head, with zip-like jaws, the bottom jaw being separate allowing me to move it up and down, I was still human everywhere else. In fact, when I looked at my human parts, I was even better, god-like even… especially in one area. Hehe, hey there big guy! I chuckled from my weird stone head before focusing back on myself, I looked to my apparel, a kind of white robe with a gold trim that, if I didn’t move it out of the way to check places, completely covered my human flesh. My feet were covered in nice belted boots that matched the aesthetic of the robe, and my head had a tiny little top-hat that seemed to be very cute, and I liked it so I kept it on. With a slight smile-don’t ask how even I don’t know-I took note of the two slots on each of my forearms and the strange white crystal pendant, strangely enough, focusing on them caused more questions as a second later I noticed a small box had appeared in my right hand, deciding to deal with this later, I went about walking out of the Everfree before I got hurt. You know, for being a displaced, I haven’t been screwed over like I was worried I’d be. I felt a bit lighter on my feet as I walked through the trees, though my little Elation was gone immediately as I bumped into something. That something being a pack of ferocious wooden constructs, that drooled sap from their snarling maws, staring down the intruding unknown with their glowing emerald eyes and clawing at the ground with thorn-like claws. Of course… Timberwolves, right when I thought this’d be a peaceful first day. I of course wasn’t going to let myself become plant-food as I balled up my fists and went into a boxing stance. The wolves, the size of actual wolves with an equally accurate mentality, began to circle me, attempting to find an opening in my defenses. I made sure to keep my eyes on them as best I could, finding the connection between my head and my neck was just like my lower jaw, in which they weren’t really connected but I could still move them, so imagine my surprise when while I was tracking one trying to get to my back I was imitating an owl. Unfortunately the surprise was enough for the one in front to charge in and pounced, panicked and unable to see the Timberwolf in my current state, I simply threw out a punch with my right arm and tried to get my head back forward. I heard a loud crunch as my face whipped back around, just in time to see my fist finish its journey through the monster’s bark-covered skull, leaving me in a short state of surprised mirrored by my victim’s packmates. Slowly, I pulled my hand out of the collapsing elemental and looked at it, seeing sap, thick splatters of chlorophyll, and something close to a seed, yet glowing with an energy that began to flow across my knuckles to my forearm, coalescing at one of the slots. After a brief flash I looked back to fill the slot filled in with a glowing green, perfectly round gemstone. Eventually I was brought back by my stupor from a concert of growls, then a snarl as one of the Timberwolves leapt to avenge his brother. In shock I simply shot my right hand out on instinct and seconds later my attacker was subdued, tied up in a mess of thick, thorny vines emerging from my palm. Of course I used this to my advantage and with a flick of my wrist, I sent the poor fucker off into the distance and somehow dispelled the entangling roots. Thankfully, seeing two of their number so easily decimated by some unknown creature, added on by the fact that the first one had not regenerated, the pack saw me as too much effort for a meal and fled to get something that would make an easier kill. Now alone again, I decided to look at the green orb inside my arm. You’re the one that did that, didn’t you? As if it reacted to my thoughts, the orb glowed and sent a pulse across my body, now suddenly feeling refreshed. Hm… neat! I’ll figure you out later, right now I need to go find some civilisation. With that decision, I continued my walk through the Everfree, finally finding a dirt-path that was happily familiar, letting me know I had found a direct route out of the forest. I could feel a smile (metaphorically) creep onto my face as I made it out to a field with open air and the town of Ponyville directly in sight, and already there was some ponies nearby to greet! Okay man, you can do this! Just walk up! Say ‘Hi’ and we’ll be in for a nice, pleasant conversation! “Huh? Oh! Um… hello?” the Unicorn Stallion of the group said cautiously, obviously nervous about some strange creature that just walked out of the Everfree, but with a simple wave I joyfully exclaimed- “Mawp Mawp!” … … … OH MOTHERFUCKER!! Author's Note Behold, a brand new Displaced Fic to show my love for a returning game! P.S. whoever gets the joke in the chapter title, please leave an 'ugh' or 'lel' in the comments! Chapter 1: Circumstances Of The Present And Mistakes Of The Past.“Uh, I’m sorry, what was that?” “Ma-” *smack* NO! Stop talking! You. idiot! Of all the quirks for a Displaced to get, why do I get the one where I can only say ‘Mawp Mawp!’? WHAT THE FUCK?! With my massive upwelling of embarrassment, I blinked, and did the only thing that makes sense in that situation. I fucking bolted back into the forest. It felt like I ran for hours until I finally began to slow, then stopped, finding myself back in the deepest parts of the forest… with no path in sight. “Mawp Mawp!! (God Dammit!!)” I yelled in anger before punching one of the nearby trees over. Woah… keep forgetting I have big rocks for arms. I shake my head and push the tree back up before sitting on a nearby log, looking at the green orb on my right arm. And I still need to figure out what you’re meant for. As I contemplated the purpose of this nature orb, the box I had set about for investigating later appeared in my hand again, a glow coming from the orb and the pendant in response to it. With a shrug I opened the box to take a look at what could be inside… and found something I didn’t expect, it was a card, but one I was all too familiar with and didn’t expect to have. Windweavers…? Why would I have Battleforge cards when- I stop as a moment of epiphany dawned on me; The slots for orbs, the white crystal pendant reminiscent of a Power Well crystal, I wasn’t just some stone/human hybrid, I was a Skylord turned walking Monument! Putting those pieces together, this meant this box most likely contained every card in the game. Grabbing the five-charge card, I noted my theory proven when I saw the Werebeasts Card (a card not in the starter collection) underneath it. I questioned if this was just a luck of the draw or if I could call on a card I wanted say like a Swiftclaw, no sooner had that thought passed, a quick flash swapped the Werebeasts for the card in question. Well… that answers that… but let’s stick with the archers right now. I mused mentally before focusing on the card in my hand. Using reasonable deduction, I touched the card to my pendant, seeing if that would work. Suddenly the card was engulfed in white from the point it touched the crystal then flew out of my hand into the sky a few feet in front of me, not a second later the card exploded, leaving behind six small green rifts that brought each a wood-elf archer that landed gracefully onto the forest floor. “Windweavers on the hunt.” The leader of the squad spoke to me with a respectful bow as I regained the card in my hand, now down one charge. Alright, so I got Windweavers… now what? I think, many factors impeded my future actions, I was in the middle of the forest, I can’t speak any other languages except for ‘Mawp-ese’ so I can’t communica- “A good start would be to begin work on lodgings, Skylord.” The elf from before spoke. “If you will allow it, me and three of this squad will work to create a treehome, while the remaining take off to gather food and water.” … what the? How did he know I was needing options?! Wait… am I communicating with my mind?! YES! ACTUAL CONVERSATION! I blink. Oh right, um… yes! Do that! And if you can, try and get some apples from the nearby farm, but either find gold to pay for it or make sure no-one sees you. “Yes, Skylord.” the two ‘gatherers’ spoke before heading into the forest. “... never seen a Skylord consider the opinions of mortals before.” one from the remaining group said as they climbed into the trees and began working their magic. Finding myself more confident in my ‘speech’, I decided to spend the time explaining it, funnily enough I had the urge to have my deck-box open at this point, so I left it open next to me. This world is not the realm of Nyn, we are in a new world with new beings and new gods. These ‘ponies’ have never known war, nor slavery, nor even the Twilight Curse, the biggest trials they have suffered that would even be close to our own would be when one of their gods was overwhelmed by jealousy and attempted to bring eternal night, or how the bickering and hatred between the three tribes brought about a cruel winter formed of spirits. They overcame these trials not through war and conflict, but with friendship and understanding, yet unfortunately their experiences and backwards teachings for a long while have made them fear that which isn’t a pony. I took a breath and looked to the deck. Brannoc didn’t realize how much Skylords and gods are alike when he faced Jorne and it cost him, here I have no followers, no worship or love to empower me because this world has never known the Skylords or even the forge of creation, so… “You wish to be greater than the Master Of The Forge, give these new mortals a reason to worship you as a kind and caring deity instead of something to fear.” Former master of the forge, I think cursing the gods he once served and then causing several disasters in his rage and attempts to strongarm said gods into giving him more power would possibly get him fired. “That is true, looking back I doubt even I would’ve allowed myself to keep the title of Skylord, let alone any sort of leader role.” I blink as I finally caught why the hell that voice was familiar, turning to my side- “MAWP!? (DAFUQ!?)” I was shocked to see my deck being a bit of a holo-projector as I saw the man I was talking about sta-well-floating as a transparent image, yet looked more like when he was human and not the rage-filled fire monster. He seemed to wait for me to calm before continuing. “When I think to my life now, I feel like the gods making me one of their Skylords to begin with was a mistake, I had lost my beloved, my daughter hated me for creating weapons to fight the giants, and only shortly before all this I was a simple Art creator. Then I was given all that power and-” It messed with your head, immediately you had lost so much and in moments they made you feel like you could do anything, who wouldn’t want to try and bring back what they cared for? The image of Brannoc smiled for a time. “It seems that someone could understand my state of mind… although far too late I’m afraid.” I looked at him in thought, this kind of therapy session seeming… natural… I blinked and looked at my arm, scrutinizing my green accessory. You got anything to do with this?? Despite getting a laugh out of the old forgesmith, there was no response to that question, though I was in this now so I wasn’t going to stop half-way. Brannoc, despite your acts as Skylord, you were not entirely in the wrong back as a human, unfortunately Viridya’s own anger to you was blinding her to a way where you could’ve both been saved from your grief. When you sought the fires to bring freedom to humanity, Viridya had become lost in the voice of nature, she was not angry at your choice to fight the giants, but rather because you burned countless trees to do so, Nature and Fire do not get along well… your daughter followed anger that was not originally her own while you became cold and distant as your rage to those around you grew hotter. “Funny how much that mirrors our ends as Skylords as well as our Beginnings.” And if I ever speak of you to others, I want to tell of Brannoc the man, not of Brannoc the monster that grief and distance made you out to be… and I’ll be sure to give Viridya a talk too, she has just as many issues as her father. “... I do not deserve this much kindness, thank you Skylord… what’s your name?” I am… you know what? Fuck it! Call me Skylord Mawp Mawp! “Praise be to Skylord Mawp Mawp!” the Windweavers said from the finished treehouse, leaving a laughing Brannoc to disappear back into the Deck-Box. When I picked it up, a new card was inside, one I knew was not in the game. [ <oooo>] 1 Skylord Destroyer <> Skylords United: Brannoc The Man is a Skylord and will bring his own armies to bear. <> Forgesmith: Brannoc The Man has skills unparalleled in any forge, as well, while he’s active fire cards require 1 less orb. <> New Chances: Brannoc The Man wishes to learn from his past and will not use a forge to create weapons, though he is not afraid to summon minions and fight himself. <> Free Thinker: Brannoc The Man is an Individual, while you can communicate with him like a normal unit, he will not follow commands unless given sufficient reason. [<✷> 5000 5000] Huh… recap, I just made pals with Brannoc, helped him through his issues, then got him as a card… cool! *crunch* ...wait, where did I get the apple from? I look around to see the full squad of Windweavers, one holding a sack of gold coins. Oh… they’re good. Author's Note here in comes the Battleforge elements, and the neat little idea I thought would work in this setup. and two things to say to any BF fans here: 1) I know what monuments are, gravesites of Amii, well even the game doesn't follow the lore or else each monument would only be able to use one elemental orb. 2) yes, I redeemed Brannoc! anyone got a problem with that?! Chapter 2: Diplomacy And Natural Therapy Prologue.It’s been a few days since me and Brannoc had our talk and he got his new lease on life, and over that time I’ve gotten used to my powers. For one I learned that instead of in the games, each charge of a card is one squad, so if one squad kicks the bucket I get that charge back and they don’t actually die, I learned that when my Windweavers had an unfortunate encounter with a Hydra, they weren’t exactly too happy about getting munched on. That’s another thing, apparently I can still communicate with the creatures in the cards even if I haven’t summoned them, so Brannoc’s acted as an advisor while I work to set up some lodgings and enough orbs for him, one of the thing’s he’s mentioned is that with this new system while I will be able to get more ‘smart-charges’ for my cards, I can’t do that for Legendaries… fair enough considering I can’t make more than one of each at a time to begin with. I call them ‘Smart-Charges’ because Brannoc explained that while I don’t have a unit limit anymore, any further summons exceeding a card’s charges will just be mindless puppets, but in my current state I was sticking with the one squad I have. ...okay and maybe some Werebeasts and a Shaman or two, plus recharge times are still a thing so... Either way, I actually had a rather comfortable situation. Now if only I could figure out how to actually speak normally! I sighed… come on man, you know damn well that isn’t why we’re not heading back into town, we’re scared of how the ponies will react to us, regardless of translator. I can’t hide here forever, though, I’ve got to get over this and just walk in, the ponies may be a little panicky, but Twilight and her friends have got to be understanding if I make a good enough entrance, right? I stood up straight and called my soldiers back. Yeah! It’ll be easy! I can do this! I CAN DO THIS! I CANNOT do this! Someone take me back into the forest. “Mawp Mawp, you can’t chicken out so close to town!” Brannoc groaned as the Werebeasts continued to push me towards the buildings. No! Fuck you! I’ll just be a dirty tree hobo for the rest of my days and never be noticed! I’ll never have to risk being turned to stone! “You are 25% stone!! Now stop being a baby.” I am not a baby! I am a logically thinking adult! And logic dictates that this is a TERRIBLE idea! “Well you can’t stop this anyway, you told your creatures ‘no matter how I try and get out of it, don’t let me, force me towards the town if you have to.’” “RAAAGH, MAWP MAWP!! (*!@%$!£#&)” “Hey! Language!” “Oh hey! It’s that weird rock thing I was talking about!” I froze up as I turned towards the voice to find the stallion I had met before. And those behind him, being the Mane Six, seeing me with a pack of wolf monsters, some archers, and a couple ogres. “Mawp! Mawp! Mawp!” I cried out in a panic, hands outstretched as I tried to get across that I meant no harm, unfortunately my limited vocabulary wasn’t enough to stop the most hot-headed of the group as my earthen skull felt a double-hoof impact. My neck was in pain for a moment as I saw my body standing there now headless, then like a rubber band, I was launched back onto my shoulders, Rainbow now on the ground in surprise and my creatures taking an exception to her assault. “MAWP! Mawp Mawp! (NO! We’re trying to make friends!)” Thankfully they could understand me as they lowered their weapons. “Mawp, Mawp Mawp! (Better, Windweavers, here!)” As the ponies retrieved their friend and the Windweavers headed to the front, I composed myself… and maybe casted a surge of light on the area to heal anyone hurt. Okay, the leader of the squad is going to translate everything I say in my ‘Mawp-ese’ as accurately as possible, the rest of you are on relaying interpretations if miscommunication seems to be happening. They nodded in response, then I turned to my melee fighters. Werebeasts, you’re on guard detail, only block attacks that come my way and only disabling attacks if you have to. Shamans, you’ll heal everyone here who gets hurt, even them, we’re diplomats right now, not enemies. As they all took their positions, I nodded to the Wood-elf leader, who spoke. “Ponies of Equestria, we have come from the Everfree for diplomatic talks, as such I will be working to translate my Skylord’s words to the best of my ability, but do not worry about him not understanding you.” “Well how about I start? I am Princess Twilight Sparkle, Princess of Friendship.” “Mawp Mawp.” I said, pointing at myself, clearly frustrating my translator as I created an awkward silence as the ponies awaited the translation, however one of the interpreters stepped in. “That one does not require a translation, his full title is Skylord Mawp Mawp, The Walking Monument.” I glanced around, seeing the various reactions, then sent a message back to the Windweaver. “Yes, Rainbow Dash, you may laugh, he realizes its a silly name as well.” The laughter died as soon as it began as she caught what he said. “Wait, how do you know my name?” “Mawp Mawp.” “‘I have my ways, as a Skylord, I have the inherent ability to see the names and surface information of an individual I focus on.’” “Surface information?” Applejack asked, a raised eyebrow on her face. “Mawp Mawp!” “‘Nothing personal I assure you! It simply means information one could learn in public, such as word-of-mouth or newspapers, as such I know how you are the Elements of Harmony, heroes of Equestria several times over, and friends to the two ruling gods of this kingdom, but nothing deeper than that.’” Twilight blinked, but after figuring out who I meant, she gave a nod. “Do you need anywhere to stay?” I shake my head. “Mawp Mawp.” “‘that will not be necessary, my followers have already used their skills to make a home for me, though perhaps on my next visit you can help me find a source of income, and possibly have your gods here for me to speak to directly.’” “I can do that, thank you Skylord Mawp Mawp.” she said with a bow which I returned. The walk back to our home was uneventful as we had managed to make an unspoken reputation for ourselves amongst the wildlife. I found the darkness of night beginning to creep in as I climbed back into my bedroom and rested upon the vine hammock making up my bed, until a soft glow beckoned me back into the land of the waking. Groaning, I sit up and turn to my left. Seeing the unamused face of a nature-wielding Skylord known as Viridya. “Father said you wanted to ‘talk’?” Author's Note yes, next up we tackle Viridya and her 'problems' hopefully reuniting father and child! Chapter 2.5: Natural Therapy.The room was almost silent, the only noise being the rustle of leaves, and the soft hum of energy that came from Viridya’s apparition. A quick glance to my right revealed to me that in fact two of my Windweavers had come to investigate the commotion. I had considered having them come in to assist me and put this off... … no, I need to do this alone… I message to them before I turn to the Skylord in question. So, let’s talk, how about we start with how you let the rage of others become your own? As she heard that she scoffed and rolled her eyes. “Of course, he just had me come here to try and have someone convince me he was in the right-” Just because I said you fucked up, doesn’t mean he hasn’t made mistakes either, I’m not picking sides, I’m trying to show you both that you have issues, and it was your miscommunication and personal vices that stopped them from being resolved. “I am not manipulated by nature, we share a bond, it is my father who was too petty to see the lives he took.” Kind of like how the giants were ‘petty’ when they killed your mother? I added with a venomous tone, causing her to flinch. I know it was nature’s influence that caused you to hate Brannoc, not your own morality. You had only recently made contact with the forces of nature, but your father was always a man of the forge, yet before the giants destroyed your home and killed Meanen, you were a happy family. Despite what Brannoc believed and what the books say, you did not hate your father because of the weapons he made, it was too easy to see he was a man in grief, Meanen may have been your mother, but she was Brannoc’s Wife. No, what made you angry was how your perception was twisted by your link to nature, seeing him burn countless trees and logs to forge weapons drove the forests into a rage that fed into you. “That is not true! My anger was my own! They were there for me when no-one else was, and when I saw what he was doing to them-” If it was only your fury, you could’ve controlled it. “Then let’s say your theory is true, what would I have done?” You would’ve spoke to your father, you would’ve gone up and seen the heartbreak and emptiness in his eyes that would set the road to healing from the loss of someone dear to you both. I saw her about to speak up, but a simple clap of my stone palms silenced her. I wasn’t finished, as you both confided in each other about the pain you felt, you could’ve possibly drawn him away from the forge, show him the friends you had met that had helped you in your darkest moment, he may not have gained a connection like you had but he would have been sympathetic to what they had done for you. Again, the forge may have not been quiet, but a new routine would be made, no cut trees but the logs of the trees that have passed on through age or lost branches, the ashes would be collected and used to fertilize the next generations of plants, the remains of these dead trees used to fight the giants and then feed the trees that live on. Viridya was silent, some part of her tried to believe what I was saying was false but she knew that could have been a real possible future, especially now that old memories of her childhood returned to her, memories of times when she smiled along with both her parents, how in her curious youth she found herself fascinated with her father’s forge and how he used it. Fascinated, not sickened… “But… but even so, my father’s actions as a Skylord showed me I can’t care for him again, uncaring for the Mortals, only caring to find his Masters, the Gods.” You mean the same Gods he had infected with the Twilight Curse? She immediately turned to me in shock. Yeah, that threw you for a fucking loop, didn’t it? You never learned because you were busy losing your battle with the Soultree, and was banished from the forge. Turns out, your dad didn’t care about the position of Skylord nor his title as Master of The Forge, all he cared about was the power of the forge itself, he wanted to know the secrets the gods kept so that he could resurrect Meanen, which was his first and only goal. “You mean… he just-” My best guess was that when he revived your mother, he would make her a Skylord as well so that your family could be reunited, Moon was never his lover in any way and was not meant to replace your mother. Unfortunately for Brannoc and the gods, their only secret was they were just as strong as Skylords themselves, their only powers coming from the forge and the faith of their followers, and Meanen had already faced her demons and passed through the gates in the Wailing Lands a long time ago. “I… I could’ve.” Could, should and would but now you can’t, stop whining about it! She flinched again. We can never alter the past, to do so would be to invite death and ruin, all we can do is work on the present, no-one really knows where the souls of the dead go when they pass the gates, so possibly in this multiverse we may see her again, but for now… Brannoc wants to make things right, to fix the damage he’s done, to be your father again in more than just name… can you meet him halfway? “I… I don’t-” Bear in mind, neither you nor Brannoc are perfect, you let nature cloud your judgement while pain and vengeance clouded his, the soultree possessing you and him pushing everyone away with his fiery rage perfectly mirrored the influences that began your fall… don’t let that happen again. “I… I think I can try… thank you, Skylord Mawp Mawp.” she said with a smile… and a suppressed giggle, before slipping back into the deck-box. Now I could have gone to the deck to check the new card I got… but despite everything it was still the middle of the night, and so I just went to bed, one thought passing through my mind. My memory’s hazy… why did they not question my bipedal appearance… wait, were they bipedal? Can’t seem to… remember… zzzzzzzzzzzz... Author's Note behold, more Mawp Mawp! and now a question, since my previous chapter was vague enough to allow it... should this be an anthro-verse?
Prologue: Moved Across Wonderful Planes! (of existence.)I tossed and turned in my sleep, my stone fists slamming into my grassy mattress as I tried to pull up my leafy blanket-wait. I don’t know what’s going on… but I’m pretty sure those pieces don’t add up. I open my eyes to the blue sky above, then work on getting myself upright. Upon getting up I could discern pretty quickly that I was in a forest of some kind, I couldn’t put my finger on it but the place looked familiar-okay, I’m not bullshitting anyone here, I’m in the Everfree and I’m a fucking Displaced, and after I had just gone to bed with no warning whatsoever. Well fuck me sideways with Khorne’s Chain-Axe. I thought before deciding to take my lumps and investigate my body to see if stone fists was the only change. Given my situation, it was actually a lot better than it could’ve been, as despite my arms from the elbow down being pure rock, and my head replaced by some sort of square stone statue head, with zip-like jaws, the bottom jaw being separate allowing me to move it up and down, I was still human everywhere else. In fact, when I looked at my human parts, I was even better, god-like even… especially in one area. Hehe, hey there big guy! I chuckled from my weird stone head before focusing back on myself, I looked to my apparel, a kind of white robe with a gold trim that, if I didn’t move it out of the way to check places, completely covered my human flesh. My feet were covered in nice belted boots that matched the aesthetic of the robe, and my head had a tiny little top-hat that seemed to be very cute, and I liked it so I kept it on. With a slight smile-don’t ask how even I don’t know-I took note of the two slots on each of my forearms and the strange white crystal pendant, strangely enough, focusing on them caused more questions as a second later I noticed a small box had appeared in my right hand, deciding to deal with this later, I went about walking out of the Everfree before I got hurt. You know, for being a displaced, I haven’t been screwed over like I was worried I’d be. I felt a bit lighter on my feet as I walked through the trees, though my little Elation was gone immediately as I bumped into something. That something being a pack of ferocious wooden constructs, that drooled sap from their snarling maws, staring down the intruding unknown with their glowing emerald eyes and clawing at the ground with thorn-like claws. Of course… Timberwolves, right when I thought this’d be a peaceful first day. I of course wasn’t going to let myself become plant-food as I balled up my fists and went into a boxing stance. The wolves, the size of actual wolves with an equally accurate mentality, began to circle me, attempting to find an opening in my defenses. I made sure to keep my eyes on them as best I could, finding the connection between my head and my neck was just like my lower jaw, in which they weren’t really connected but I could still move them, so imagine my surprise when while I was tracking one trying to get to my back I was imitating an owl. Unfortunately the surprise was enough for the one in front to charge in and pounced, panicked and unable to see the Timberwolf in my current state, I simply threw out a punch with my right arm and tried to get my head back forward. I heard a loud crunch as my face whipped back around, just in time to see my fist finish its journey through the monster’s bark-covered skull, leaving me in a short state of surprised mirrored by my victim’s packmates. Slowly, I pulled my hand out of the collapsing elemental and looked at it, seeing sap, thick splatters of chlorophyll, and something close to a seed, yet glowing with an energy that began to flow across my knuckles to my forearm, coalescing at one of the slots. After a brief flash I looked back to fill the slot filled in with a glowing green, perfectly round gemstone. Eventually I was brought back by my stupor from a concert of growls, then a snarl as one of the Timberwolves leapt to avenge his brother. In shock I simply shot my right hand out on instinct and seconds later my attacker was subdued, tied up in a mess of thick, thorny vines emerging from my palm. Of course I used this to my advantage and with a flick of my wrist, I sent the poor fucker off into the distance and somehow dispelled the entangling roots. Thankfully, seeing two of their number so easily decimated by some unknown creature, added on by the fact that the first one had not regenerated, the pack saw me as too much effort for a meal and fled to get something that would make an easier kill. Now alone again, I decided to look at the green orb inside my arm. You’re the one that did that, didn’t you? As if it reacted to my thoughts, the orb glowed and sent a pulse across my body, now suddenly feeling refreshed. Hm… neat! I’ll figure you out later, right now I need to go find some civilisation. With that decision, I continued my walk through the Everfree, finally finding a dirt-path that was happily familiar, letting me know I had found a direct route out of the forest. I could feel a smile (metaphorically) creep onto my face as I made it out to a field with open air and the town of Ponyville directly in sight, and already there was some ponies nearby to greet! Okay man, you can do this! Just walk up! Say ‘Hi’ and we’ll be in for a nice, pleasant conversation! “Huh? Oh! Um… hello?” the Unicorn Stallion of the group said cautiously, obviously nervous about some strange creature that just walked out of the Everfree, but with a simple wave I joyfully exclaimed- “Mawp Mawp!” … … … OH MOTHERFUCKER!! Author's Note Behold, a brand new Displaced Fic to show my love for a returning game! P.S. whoever gets the joke in the chapter title, please leave an 'ugh' or 'lel' in the comments!
Chapter 1: Circumstances Of The Present And Mistakes Of The Past.“Uh, I’m sorry, what was that?” “Ma-” *smack* NO! Stop talking! You. idiot! Of all the quirks for a Displaced to get, why do I get the one where I can only say ‘Mawp Mawp!’? WHAT THE FUCK?! With my massive upwelling of embarrassment, I blinked, and did the only thing that makes sense in that situation. I fucking bolted back into the forest. It felt like I ran for hours until I finally began to slow, then stopped, finding myself back in the deepest parts of the forest… with no path in sight. “Mawp Mawp!! (God Dammit!!)” I yelled in anger before punching one of the nearby trees over. Woah… keep forgetting I have big rocks for arms. I shake my head and push the tree back up before sitting on a nearby log, looking at the green orb on my right arm. And I still need to figure out what you’re meant for. As I contemplated the purpose of this nature orb, the box I had set about for investigating later appeared in my hand again, a glow coming from the orb and the pendant in response to it. With a shrug I opened the box to take a look at what could be inside… and found something I didn’t expect, it was a card, but one I was all too familiar with and didn’t expect to have. Windweavers…? Why would I have Battleforge cards when- I stop as a moment of epiphany dawned on me; The slots for orbs, the white crystal pendant reminiscent of a Power Well crystal, I wasn’t just some stone/human hybrid, I was a Skylord turned walking Monument! Putting those pieces together, this meant this box most likely contained every card in the game. Grabbing the five-charge card, I noted my theory proven when I saw the Werebeasts Card (a card not in the starter collection) underneath it. I questioned if this was just a luck of the draw or if I could call on a card I wanted say like a Swiftclaw, no sooner had that thought passed, a quick flash swapped the Werebeasts for the card in question. Well… that answers that… but let’s stick with the archers right now. I mused mentally before focusing on the card in my hand. Using reasonable deduction, I touched the card to my pendant, seeing if that would work. Suddenly the card was engulfed in white from the point it touched the crystal then flew out of my hand into the sky a few feet in front of me, not a second later the card exploded, leaving behind six small green rifts that brought each a wood-elf archer that landed gracefully onto the forest floor. “Windweavers on the hunt.” The leader of the squad spoke to me with a respectful bow as I regained the card in my hand, now down one charge. Alright, so I got Windweavers… now what? I think, many factors impeded my future actions, I was in the middle of the forest, I can’t speak any other languages except for ‘Mawp-ese’ so I can’t communica- “A good start would be to begin work on lodgings, Skylord.” The elf from before spoke. “If you will allow it, me and three of this squad will work to create a treehome, while the remaining take off to gather food and water.” … what the? How did he know I was needing options?! Wait… am I communicating with my mind?! YES! ACTUAL CONVERSATION! I blink. Oh right, um… yes! Do that! And if you can, try and get some apples from the nearby farm, but either find gold to pay for it or make sure no-one sees you. “Yes, Skylord.” the two ‘gatherers’ spoke before heading into the forest. “... never seen a Skylord consider the opinions of mortals before.” one from the remaining group said as they climbed into the trees and began working their magic. Finding myself more confident in my ‘speech’, I decided to spend the time explaining it, funnily enough I had the urge to have my deck-box open at this point, so I left it open next to me. This world is not the realm of Nyn, we are in a new world with new beings and new gods. These ‘ponies’ have never known war, nor slavery, nor even the Twilight Curse, the biggest trials they have suffered that would even be close to our own would be when one of their gods was overwhelmed by jealousy and attempted to bring eternal night, or how the bickering and hatred between the three tribes brought about a cruel winter formed of spirits. They overcame these trials not through war and conflict, but with friendship and understanding, yet unfortunately their experiences and backwards teachings for a long while have made them fear that which isn’t a pony. I took a breath and looked to the deck. Brannoc didn’t realize how much Skylords and gods are alike when he faced Jorne and it cost him, here I have no followers, no worship or love to empower me because this world has never known the Skylords or even the forge of creation, so… “You wish to be greater than the Master Of The Forge, give these new mortals a reason to worship you as a kind and caring deity instead of something to fear.” Former master of the forge, I think cursing the gods he once served and then causing several disasters in his rage and attempts to strongarm said gods into giving him more power would possibly get him fired. “That is true, looking back I doubt even I would’ve allowed myself to keep the title of Skylord, let alone any sort of leader role.” I blink as I finally caught why the hell that voice was familiar, turning to my side- “MAWP!? (DAFUQ!?)” I was shocked to see my deck being a bit of a holo-projector as I saw the man I was talking about sta-well-floating as a transparent image, yet looked more like when he was human and not the rage-filled fire monster. He seemed to wait for me to calm before continuing. “When I think to my life now, I feel like the gods making me one of their Skylords to begin with was a mistake, I had lost my beloved, my daughter hated me for creating weapons to fight the giants, and only shortly before all this I was a simple Art creator. Then I was given all that power and-” It messed with your head, immediately you had lost so much and in moments they made you feel like you could do anything, who wouldn’t want to try and bring back what they cared for? The image of Brannoc smiled for a time. “It seems that someone could understand my state of mind… although far too late I’m afraid.” I looked at him in thought, this kind of therapy session seeming… natural… I blinked and looked at my arm, scrutinizing my green accessory. You got anything to do with this?? Despite getting a laugh out of the old forgesmith, there was no response to that question, though I was in this now so I wasn’t going to stop half-way. Brannoc, despite your acts as Skylord, you were not entirely in the wrong back as a human, unfortunately Viridya’s own anger to you was blinding her to a way where you could’ve both been saved from your grief. When you sought the fires to bring freedom to humanity, Viridya had become lost in the voice of nature, she was not angry at your choice to fight the giants, but rather because you burned countless trees to do so, Nature and Fire do not get along well… your daughter followed anger that was not originally her own while you became cold and distant as your rage to those around you grew hotter. “Funny how much that mirrors our ends as Skylords as well as our Beginnings.” And if I ever speak of you to others, I want to tell of Brannoc the man, not of Brannoc the monster that grief and distance made you out to be… and I’ll be sure to give Viridya a talk too, she has just as many issues as her father. “... I do not deserve this much kindness, thank you Skylord… what’s your name?” I am… you know what? Fuck it! Call me Skylord Mawp Mawp! “Praise be to Skylord Mawp Mawp!” the Windweavers said from the finished treehouse, leaving a laughing Brannoc to disappear back into the Deck-Box. When I picked it up, a new card was inside, one I knew was not in the game. [ <oooo>] 1 Skylord Destroyer <> Skylords United: Brannoc The Man is a Skylord and will bring his own armies to bear. <> Forgesmith: Brannoc The Man has skills unparalleled in any forge, as well, while he’s active fire cards require 1 less orb. <> New Chances: Brannoc The Man wishes to learn from his past and will not use a forge to create weapons, though he is not afraid to summon minions and fight himself. <> Free Thinker: Brannoc The Man is an Individual, while you can communicate with him like a normal unit, he will not follow commands unless given sufficient reason. [<✷> 5000 5000] Huh… recap, I just made pals with Brannoc, helped him through his issues, then got him as a card… cool! *crunch* ...wait, where did I get the apple from? I look around to see the full squad of Windweavers, one holding a sack of gold coins. Oh… they’re good. Author's Note here in comes the Battleforge elements, and the neat little idea I thought would work in this setup. and two things to say to any BF fans here: 1) I know what monuments are, gravesites of Amii, well even the game doesn't follow the lore or else each monument would only be able to use one elemental orb. 2) yes, I redeemed Brannoc! anyone got a problem with that?!
Chapter 2: Diplomacy And Natural Therapy Prologue.It’s been a few days since me and Brannoc had our talk and he got his new lease on life, and over that time I’ve gotten used to my powers. For one I learned that instead of in the games, each charge of a card is one squad, so if one squad kicks the bucket I get that charge back and they don’t actually die, I learned that when my Windweavers had an unfortunate encounter with a Hydra, they weren’t exactly too happy about getting munched on. That’s another thing, apparently I can still communicate with the creatures in the cards even if I haven’t summoned them, so Brannoc’s acted as an advisor while I work to set up some lodgings and enough orbs for him, one of the thing’s he’s mentioned is that with this new system while I will be able to get more ‘smart-charges’ for my cards, I can’t do that for Legendaries… fair enough considering I can’t make more than one of each at a time to begin with. I call them ‘Smart-Charges’ because Brannoc explained that while I don’t have a unit limit anymore, any further summons exceeding a card’s charges will just be mindless puppets, but in my current state I was sticking with the one squad I have. ...okay and maybe some Werebeasts and a Shaman or two, plus recharge times are still a thing so... Either way, I actually had a rather comfortable situation. Now if only I could figure out how to actually speak normally! I sighed… come on man, you know damn well that isn’t why we’re not heading back into town, we’re scared of how the ponies will react to us, regardless of translator. I can’t hide here forever, though, I’ve got to get over this and just walk in, the ponies may be a little panicky, but Twilight and her friends have got to be understanding if I make a good enough entrance, right? I stood up straight and called my soldiers back. Yeah! It’ll be easy! I can do this! I CAN DO THIS! I CANNOT do this! Someone take me back into the forest. “Mawp Mawp, you can’t chicken out so close to town!” Brannoc groaned as the Werebeasts continued to push me towards the buildings. No! Fuck you! I’ll just be a dirty tree hobo for the rest of my days and never be noticed! I’ll never have to risk being turned to stone! “You are 25% stone!! Now stop being a baby.” I am not a baby! I am a logically thinking adult! And logic dictates that this is a TERRIBLE idea! “Well you can’t stop this anyway, you told your creatures ‘no matter how I try and get out of it, don’t let me, force me towards the town if you have to.’” “RAAAGH, MAWP MAWP!! (*!@%$!£#&)” “Hey! Language!” “Oh hey! It’s that weird rock thing I was talking about!” I froze up as I turned towards the voice to find the stallion I had met before. And those behind him, being the Mane Six, seeing me with a pack of wolf monsters, some archers, and a couple ogres. “Mawp! Mawp! Mawp!” I cried out in a panic, hands outstretched as I tried to get across that I meant no harm, unfortunately my limited vocabulary wasn’t enough to stop the most hot-headed of the group as my earthen skull felt a double-hoof impact. My neck was in pain for a moment as I saw my body standing there now headless, then like a rubber band, I was launched back onto my shoulders, Rainbow now on the ground in surprise and my creatures taking an exception to her assault. “MAWP! Mawp Mawp! (NO! We’re trying to make friends!)” Thankfully they could understand me as they lowered their weapons. “Mawp, Mawp Mawp! (Better, Windweavers, here!)” As the ponies retrieved their friend and the Windweavers headed to the front, I composed myself… and maybe casted a surge of light on the area to heal anyone hurt. Okay, the leader of the squad is going to translate everything I say in my ‘Mawp-ese’ as accurately as possible, the rest of you are on relaying interpretations if miscommunication seems to be happening. They nodded in response, then I turned to my melee fighters. Werebeasts, you’re on guard detail, only block attacks that come my way and only disabling attacks if you have to. Shamans, you’ll heal everyone here who gets hurt, even them, we’re diplomats right now, not enemies. As they all took their positions, I nodded to the Wood-elf leader, who spoke. “Ponies of Equestria, we have come from the Everfree for diplomatic talks, as such I will be working to translate my Skylord’s words to the best of my ability, but do not worry about him not understanding you.” “Well how about I start? I am Princess Twilight Sparkle, Princess of Friendship.” “Mawp Mawp.” I said, pointing at myself, clearly frustrating my translator as I created an awkward silence as the ponies awaited the translation, however one of the interpreters stepped in. “That one does not require a translation, his full title is Skylord Mawp Mawp, The Walking Monument.” I glanced around, seeing the various reactions, then sent a message back to the Windweaver. “Yes, Rainbow Dash, you may laugh, he realizes its a silly name as well.” The laughter died as soon as it began as she caught what he said. “Wait, how do you know my name?” “Mawp Mawp.” “‘I have my ways, as a Skylord, I have the inherent ability to see the names and surface information of an individual I focus on.’” “Surface information?” Applejack asked, a raised eyebrow on her face. “Mawp Mawp!” “‘Nothing personal I assure you! It simply means information one could learn in public, such as word-of-mouth or newspapers, as such I know how you are the Elements of Harmony, heroes of Equestria several times over, and friends to the two ruling gods of this kingdom, but nothing deeper than that.’” Twilight blinked, but after figuring out who I meant, she gave a nod. “Do you need anywhere to stay?” I shake my head. “Mawp Mawp.” “‘that will not be necessary, my followers have already used their skills to make a home for me, though perhaps on my next visit you can help me find a source of income, and possibly have your gods here for me to speak to directly.’” “I can do that, thank you Skylord Mawp Mawp.” she said with a bow which I returned. The walk back to our home was uneventful as we had managed to make an unspoken reputation for ourselves amongst the wildlife. I found the darkness of night beginning to creep in as I climbed back into my bedroom and rested upon the vine hammock making up my bed, until a soft glow beckoned me back into the land of the waking. Groaning, I sit up and turn to my left. Seeing the unamused face of a nature-wielding Skylord known as Viridya. “Father said you wanted to ‘talk’?” Author's Note yes, next up we tackle Viridya and her 'problems' hopefully reuniting father and child!
Chapter 2.5: Natural Therapy.The room was almost silent, the only noise being the rustle of leaves, and the soft hum of energy that came from Viridya’s apparition. A quick glance to my right revealed to me that in fact two of my Windweavers had come to investigate the commotion. I had considered having them come in to assist me and put this off... … no, I need to do this alone… I message to them before I turn to the Skylord in question. So, let’s talk, how about we start with how you let the rage of others become your own? As she heard that she scoffed and rolled her eyes. “Of course, he just had me come here to try and have someone convince me he was in the right-” Just because I said you fucked up, doesn’t mean he hasn’t made mistakes either, I’m not picking sides, I’m trying to show you both that you have issues, and it was your miscommunication and personal vices that stopped them from being resolved. “I am not manipulated by nature, we share a bond, it is my father who was too petty to see the lives he took.” Kind of like how the giants were ‘petty’ when they killed your mother? I added with a venomous tone, causing her to flinch. I know it was nature’s influence that caused you to hate Brannoc, not your own morality. You had only recently made contact with the forces of nature, but your father was always a man of the forge, yet before the giants destroyed your home and killed Meanen, you were a happy family. Despite what Brannoc believed and what the books say, you did not hate your father because of the weapons he made, it was too easy to see he was a man in grief, Meanen may have been your mother, but she was Brannoc’s Wife. No, what made you angry was how your perception was twisted by your link to nature, seeing him burn countless trees and logs to forge weapons drove the forests into a rage that fed into you. “That is not true! My anger was my own! They were there for me when no-one else was, and when I saw what he was doing to them-” If it was only your fury, you could’ve controlled it. “Then let’s say your theory is true, what would I have done?” You would’ve spoke to your father, you would’ve gone up and seen the heartbreak and emptiness in his eyes that would set the road to healing from the loss of someone dear to you both. I saw her about to speak up, but a simple clap of my stone palms silenced her. I wasn’t finished, as you both confided in each other about the pain you felt, you could’ve possibly drawn him away from the forge, show him the friends you had met that had helped you in your darkest moment, he may not have gained a connection like you had but he would have been sympathetic to what they had done for you. Again, the forge may have not been quiet, but a new routine would be made, no cut trees but the logs of the trees that have passed on through age or lost branches, the ashes would be collected and used to fertilize the next generations of plants, the remains of these dead trees used to fight the giants and then feed the trees that live on. Viridya was silent, some part of her tried to believe what I was saying was false but she knew that could have been a real possible future, especially now that old memories of her childhood returned to her, memories of times when she smiled along with both her parents, how in her curious youth she found herself fascinated with her father’s forge and how he used it. Fascinated, not sickened… “But… but even so, my father’s actions as a Skylord showed me I can’t care for him again, uncaring for the Mortals, only caring to find his Masters, the Gods.” You mean the same Gods he had infected with the Twilight Curse? She immediately turned to me in shock. Yeah, that threw you for a fucking loop, didn’t it? You never learned because you were busy losing your battle with the Soultree, and was banished from the forge. Turns out, your dad didn’t care about the position of Skylord nor his title as Master of The Forge, all he cared about was the power of the forge itself, he wanted to know the secrets the gods kept so that he could resurrect Meanen, which was his first and only goal. “You mean… he just-” My best guess was that when he revived your mother, he would make her a Skylord as well so that your family could be reunited, Moon was never his lover in any way and was not meant to replace your mother. Unfortunately for Brannoc and the gods, their only secret was they were just as strong as Skylords themselves, their only powers coming from the forge and the faith of their followers, and Meanen had already faced her demons and passed through the gates in the Wailing Lands a long time ago. “I… I could’ve.” Could, should and would but now you can’t, stop whining about it! She flinched again. We can never alter the past, to do so would be to invite death and ruin, all we can do is work on the present, no-one really knows where the souls of the dead go when they pass the gates, so possibly in this multiverse we may see her again, but for now… Brannoc wants to make things right, to fix the damage he’s done, to be your father again in more than just name… can you meet him halfway? “I… I don’t-” Bear in mind, neither you nor Brannoc are perfect, you let nature cloud your judgement while pain and vengeance clouded his, the soultree possessing you and him pushing everyone away with his fiery rage perfectly mirrored the influences that began your fall… don’t let that happen again. “I… I think I can try… thank you, Skylord Mawp Mawp.” she said with a smile… and a suppressed giggle, before slipping back into the deck-box. Now I could have gone to the deck to check the new card I got… but despite everything it was still the middle of the night, and so I just went to bed, one thought passing through my mind. My memory’s hazy… why did they not question my bipedal appearance… wait, were they bipedal? Can’t seem to… remember… zzzzzzzzzzzz... Author's Note behold, more Mawp Mawp! and now a question, since my previous chapter was vague enough to allow it... should this be an anthro-verse?
