Xenophilia: What Came Before.
Bellerophon Michaelides was nobody really special. His name was odd, but then so were his parents and he had had been going by the diminutive form of 'Lero' for as long as he could remember so it didn't really matter. No, he was simply the type to blend into the background and not try to attract attention to himself. This of course is part of the reason why he was chosen and why it was he eventually found himself very far from home.
The day had started off like just about any other, he woke up and put on his jogging suit to jog for a while in the woods behind his home. He was just starting out, the sun shining on the morning mist as it clung lazily to the path in front of him when he became aware of something coming over the music in his headphones? Taking the earbuds out, the sound wasn't any louder but he definitely could hear singing. It was far away and in a language he had never heard, but there was a definite melody there and without really thinking he altered his path towards it. Absent mindedly, he turned off his iPod and stuffed it into his pocket.
As he jogged, the woods became deeper and darker and the path he took became more treacherous yet the song drew him in like a moth to a flame. Thorns caught and ripped at his clothes. Branches whipped at his face. Several times an errant tree root would seemingly appear out of nowhere and send him crashing to the ground, yet he still ran towards the source of the singing.
Eventually, bloodied, battered, begrimed and more than a little out of breath he came to a clearing to see something that few had seen and lived to tell the tale. There, before him, was a perfect ring of twelve mushrooms and moving in and out of them was something straight out of a bad fantasy novel or horny teenage daydream. It was a woman, perhaps five foot two, covered in what could only be described as a diaphanous gown that clung deliciously to her body yet seemed to flow and twist about her. Her multi-coloured hair, which also seemed to move on its own, sparkled in the morning light as it trailed behind her.
He stood, struck dumb by the vision of beauty and grace that danced effortlessly around the circle, all the while singing a song what clouded his mind and robbed him of his will to resist.
She turned to face him, her large green eyes shimmering with love and desire and held out her hand for him to take. On wooden legs he made his way over, his only thought to sit at her feet and worship her like the goddess he knew her to be. Had his wits been about him, he would have noticed that the woods had grown dangerously silent and the only sound to be heard was the siren and her song.
He reached out towards her, took her hand and crossed the border of the circle and the world around him suddenly changed. For a fraction of an moment, he saw her as she truly was; fair yet cold and cruel before she whispered a word that bludgeoned him unconscious.
When he awoke, he found himself in a different realm altogether. The sky looked murky and dark, the grass was black and cold and the beautiful creature before him smiled at him in a way that reminded him of a predator. Her elegant features and flowing varicoloured hair at odds with the sharp teeth and malevolent stare.
"What be thou called?" she asked in a voice like honey covered razor blades. It was soft, sultry, throaty and had an edge that cut to the bone.
Lero opened his mouth to speak and instead screamed as pain lashed his every nerve. He lay there, clawing at the grass that cut and bloodied his fingers as the pain rose to a crescendo and then with a suddenness that left him dizzy it vanished.
Gasping for air he heard the lady laughing at his pain as if it was the most amusing thing she had heard in a long time. "Forgiveness, " she said with a cruel smile. "Mine spell prevented thee from speaking lest thou feel terrible pain." She motioned with her hand and spoke a word in some other language before looking at him again and asking, "prithee, thine name?"
Lero hesitated, not wanting to be hurt again but he was also afraid of her wrath should he stay silent. Clearing his throat he said, "my name is Lero." Immediately after saying those words he was again filled with pain, this time feeling as if his bones were filled with molten lead. He once again fell to the ground, but unable to thrash about due to the heaviness of his limbs. In what was only a few moments but felt like an eternity, the pain once again vanished and he could move again.
"Lady. Thou didst not call me Lady. Thou art my pet, to do with as I please and it pleaseth me that thou callest me Lady. Dost thou understand?"
"Yes, Lady, " Lero said while flinching involuntarily. When the pain did not come he relaxed and was rewarded with the feeling of his flesh being flayed from his bones. He fell to his knees and unable to hold the screams back cried until his throat was sore.
The Lady kneeled before him, her multi-coloured hair swirling and twisting around in the breeze that wasn't there. She placed a cool hand against his cheek and said to him, "Lero, thou must not act like mine actions are harsh or unwelcome. They serve a purpose, to teach thee the proper respect. Thou mustn’t flinch nor shy away from them. If thou breakest a rule, thou wilt be punished. If thou dost follow mine directions then thou wilt be spared. Dost thou understand?"
"Yes Lady, " he said in an even a tone as he could muster, supressing as much of his fear as he could. When the pain didn't come he remained slightly on edge but compliant.
The Lady smiled a cold and heartless smile, "humans, " she said the word like it was beneath her. "Thou art so easily controlled but let us not tarry. It be time to leave this place. Come my pet." She walked away through the woods, Lero feeling like a collar had been placed around his neck had no choice but the follow the Lady to wherever she would take him.
It didn't take long, but they arrived at a fortress complete with patrolling guards, torches and other such things that accompany fortresses. There was something familiar about it that drew his eye, but for the life of him he couldn't place it. Maybe it was just in his head after all being transported to an alien world through a mushroom ring has a tendency to mess with your mind a bit.
The Lady led him through the halls of the fortress and when he got to the throne room everything fell into place, it was an exact duplicate of a castle from some 80's sword and sorcery movie. Everything down to the placement and type of the braziers and torches was exactly the same.
Lero was brought to a spot, next to the throne and a silver collar was placed around his neck. There was no chain to hold him down but deep down he knew or at least suspected that it wouldn't matter. There were most likely some enchantments placed around it that would equal the pain she inflicted on him in the mushroom ring.
"Wilt thou not attempt to run? Thou canst see yon collar hath no chain to hold thee down, " the Lady said as if expecting him to dash away at the first opportunity.
"No Lady. You've shown me that such a thing is impossible so I will stay by your side, Lady, " Lero answered with as much control as he could. Inwardly he was shaking in fear of what she might do to him but he didn't dare show any of this.
"Such a clever boy thou art. But thou be a robber of mine amusement, " and with those words she pulled out a beautifully crafted clear dagger and casually stabbed it into his shoulder. Lero cried out as the blade slid into his flesh with a feeling of cryogenic cold that burned in a way he never thought possible. She quickly pulled the dagger out and the freezing pain lingered for a few moments before turning into a dull ache. Looking down at his shoulder he saw the fabric was unmarked and there was no blood seeping from around the wound.
"Magic, " he muttered.
"Aye. Yon glass dagger be enchanted to cut without cutting. It be a most effective tool for both punishment and amusement."
The rest of the day was spent by her side as she went about whatever it was she had to do. When it was time for her to eat, she ate while throwing the occasional scrap to Lero much in the same way one throws table scraps to a dog. Most of what she threw wasn't fit for human consumption, but it helped to fill the gnawing hunger in his belly. It was only through strength of will and hunger that he was able to keep it down without retching.
That night she had some guests over to show off her newest acquisition. Lero was humiliated in having to do tricks for the amusement of the Lady and her guests. And more often than not he received blows and kicks from the assembled nobles for no other reason than they felt like it.
When it was time for bed, a chain was attached to his collar with just enough give that he was able to sleep sitting up with his back against the wall. However the moment he slumped or fell to the side, he'd choke and awaken immediately as such he barely slept a wink.
The next morning he awoke to the feeling of somebody slapping him across the face. It was the Lady, her face all smiles but a smile that had no warmth. Her eyes were cold but Lero's eyes were drawn to her hair. In his sleep deprived state, it was almost hypnotic how it moved and flowed seemingly with a will of its own.
Once again she slapped him across the face which woke him up temporarily and allowed him to focus on what she was saying.
"I asked you how how you slept dog?"
"Not very well Lady, the collar kept waking me up, " Lero said without thinking. For his insolence, she left a trail of cold fire across his chest by cutting him with the glass dagger. He screamed in pain which only earned him more torture. Luckily, the Lady grew tired of this game very quickly and unhooking the chain from the wall, pulled him towards the dining hall where breakfast was being served.
Lero's stomach growled hungrily on smelling the freshly baked goods, the melted butter, fresh fruits and the unmistakeable smell of bacon. His mouth watered at the thought of having just a bite but he knew that the Lady would not be so generous. No, there was a bowl next to her chair filled with table scraps from last night. With deliberate care, he brought his mouth to the bowl and started to eat. There was assorted laughter from the servants, assorted members of the house and the tittering, silvery laughter of the Lady as they watched her pet debase himself.
Inwardly, Lero was crying and didn't know how much more of this he could take. Occasionally a bit of bread or pastry would be thrown at him which he eagerly snapped up but more often than not they landed just out of reach and no matter how much he strained, he couldn't quite reach them.
The rest of the day was spent much like the first day here. He sat by her chair as she held court. If he started to doze, he'd receive a kick or a blow and whenever somebody was bored, they might try to torture him for their own amusement. The days became weeks and the longer he stayed, the less will he had to live. But throughout it all there was one thing that kept him sane and he held onto that like a life preserver and every night as he was chained up, he allowed himself one moment to feel and listened to a song on his iPod.
The Fair Folk knew not of technology except what they might find on a person or what they might steal. So it was simple luck and pragmatism that prevented his MP3 player from being found when he was captured. He had stuffed it into his pocket and turned it off when the singing of the Lady ensnared him. The Fair Folk had no interest in his clothes and were more interested in his watch than what his pockets contained. And this meant that every night, when he was alone and he was sure that everybody was asleep he would turn it on, listen to one song and then to ensure the battery wouldn't be drained he turned it off to wait until the next time he could listen.
Unfortunately, he wasn't able to keep it a secret for long. The next day, one kick by his Lady sent him sprawling to the floor much to the amusement of the gathered throng but his iPod fell from his pocket and went skidding across the polished marble. Lero leapt for it, the Lady demanded it be delivered to her and then demanded from her pet to show her what this technology did.
Eventually, after much abuse, he gave in, turned it on and it was as if the whole world stopped. The Lady, listening on the headphones had an awestruck and almost rapturous look on her face. A simple spell amplified the sound so that the strains of "The Flower Duet" flowed across the room, The assembled nobles stopped whatever they were doing and simply listened to the as if hearing music for the first time.
When the song was over, Lero quickly turned it off as he had it set to random play and for all he knew the next song to play would be something from Pantera or Megadeth and who knows what the reaction to that would be.
Silence reigned for a moment before the Lady demanded that everybody leave. Lero quailed, fearing that he would be punished for holding out on her but the hand that touched his cheek was gentle. "Oh my Lero, I shouldst be severely fashed for thine withholding of this wondrous item but thou hast given me a gift beyond measure. Never let it be said that I am not without mercy. For this, thou hast earned a reprieve and tonight thou shalt see mine glory raised above all. But, I fear I must punish you, to do otherwise would be unseemly."
The Lady took out her glass dagger and carved lines and symbols into Lero's flesh. He screamed his throat raw as the cold burned and danced its way across his nerves. Eventually it was too much, she drove the dagger into his brain, his body spasmed on the floor as his entire system went haywire and he fell into unconsciousness.
Hours later, and feeling the mother of all hangovers, he woke up in a bed sleeping on cool sheets and his head laying on a soft pillow. This had to be a dream, there was no way this was real. But the pain in his head and the general tingling and numbness in his body told him that it was anything but. He tried to sit up, but was barely able to move and so he lay there, in the silence and just waited.
It wasn't long before the door opened and he heard a voice say, "I see you're awake." He heard a shuffling as somebody approached. A cork was pulled and he felt himself lifted to a sitting position and supported by a set of strong arms. "Drink this, it will help, " said the voice and a small vial was placed at his lips. Involuntarily he drank whatever it was. It was sweet at first but as it poured down his throat seemed to catch fire and practically burned its way down to his stomach where it exploded sending strength and vigor back to his muscles.
"Thank you, " he said to the old man that had given him the potion. The old man just looked in his eyes, grunted and made to leave the room. "Wait!" Lero called after him. "Can't you stay a while?"
The old man simply shook his head no and reached for the door. Lero tried one more time, "can I at least know your name?"
He stood by the door, his hand on the knob and thought for a moment before saying simply, "Merlin" then walking out and leaving Lero alone.
A short time later the Lady showed up in the room and threw a set of clothes at him which resembled his workout gear in every single detail except for the fact that they were completely new.
"Put on thine raiment. A banquet hath been set for tonight and thou art going to be there as my human pet. A word of warning, Oberon himself will be there so thou hast best be on thine best behaviour." With an imperious turn, she walked out of the room leaving Lero alone with his clothes. As he didn't have any other choice, he put them on and for the first time since coming here felt a lot better.
Lero got up to leave and the moment he opened the door a guard pushed him back into the room saying, " the Lady shall be here to fetch thee later. Until then, thou stayest in the room, " and shut the door.
It took a while and it was boring as hell, but at least he wasn't being tortured. Eventually the door was opened, a chain attached to his collar and the Lady led him out to the courtyard where a long feasting table had been set up and servants were putting the finishing touches before the guests arrived.
Slowly, members of the great and minor houses showed up and were seated. Some had human pets like Lero and some had pets that were more exotic so much so that Lero didn't know how to describe them. But the seat to the right of the Lady was still unfilled as well as several other tables. There were murmurs going through the crowd as if to say that the last guest, being the most important one wouldn't show up. Some of the assembled nobles giggled at this and more than one threatened to leave soon if the guest of honour didn't come soon.
With a fanfare of trumpets to announce him, Oberon, the King of the Fair Folk arrived with his retinue, guards and hangers on. He greeted the Lady warmly but anybody could see that these two had no love for each other and it was all for show. He seated himself at the table and the Lady called for the feast to start.
Wine was brought out and a toast was made to the king but he looked bored at it all and after drinking looked at the Lady and asked, "what is thine reason to call us here today? Thou promised something of such monumental importance that it would change the lives of all. Now what might that be?"
"Behold!" the Lady held Lero's iPod in her hand. "This be a device from the mortal realm that plays music the likes of which have never been heard before."
Her guests were amazed and more than just a little envious. The Fair Folk as a whole lacked imagination and while they could copy things to perfection, they lacked the capacity to create. So when one had something new, they gained social power over the others and their station improved. Such was the case for the Lady. With over 2500 songs on Lero's iPod, the literally had the most new stuff that any of her kind ever had.
But such fame and such power comes at a price. It would be a lie to say that Oberon himself did not feel threatened by this and wanted to do whatever in his power to gain the magical music box. He wanted it if for no other reason than to be its possessor but also to keep his position as the leader of the Fair Folk. And it was with this idea in mind that he struck.
With but a word, dozens of archers and marksmen burst from the trees and surrounded the gathered nobles. There was a moment of tension as the Lady appeared unwilling to let go of her prize, only to surrender it a moment later.
There came a sudden cry of "treason" as a group of armed guards appeared dressed in the Lady's livery appeared on scene and chaos erupted. Magical lightning sizzled through the air as spells were cast and people took sides. Oberon's archers and marksmen, armed with deadly elf-shot, fired into the crowd scattering friend and foe alike.
A stray bolt hit Lero's collar a glancing blow and the force spun him around and knocked the collar off. Lero lay on the ground, staring dumbly at his slave collar before the realisation of what this meant galvanised him into action.
Seizing the opportunity, Lero made a break for it. The worst they could do was kill him and at this point death was preferable to the daily whims of his Lady. Wild brambles caught on what remained of his jogging suit, tearing at the fabric and scratching at his flesh. Branches whipped at his face and as he ran he heard the far off sound of the hounds being let loose. Maybe they were after him or maybe somebody else. It didn't matter. All that mattered was his need to get away and get back to his own world.
Calling on reserves he didn't know he had he pressed onwards, pushing himself to go beyond his limits as he heard the baying of the hounds coming closer and closer to him.
Finally, there in the clearing before him, was the fairy circle and he ran straight for it. There was a moment of discontinuity, like he was falling before he came out the other side in the deep woods but ones that looked different than where he had just been. Skidding to a stop he proceeded to kick at the mushrooms and destroy the fairy ring, hopefully preventing the fair folk from following him through.
Out of breath and exhausted beyond measure he sat down by a large tree, lay his head back and fell asleep.
Several hours later, he woke up totally disoriented. He looked about, not recognising where he was but realised that he had to get back home and shower before getting to work. It was then he noticed his jogging suit and its tattered condition as well as the scratches and dirt that seemed to cover his body.
"What the hell happened?" Lero muttered to himself. But he had no time to think about that. He needed to get moving. His legs felt like rubber, but Lero felt driven by the simple desire of a hot shower and a change of clothes.
The woods seemed different and he couldn't recognise where he was but when he found a path he followed it. After all it made walking easier and made him feel like he was getting somewhere. And he did get somewhere as it led to the edge of the woods and he walked out onto a green field unlike any he had ever seen before.
It looked completely natural and untouched by the hand of man. He stood on the edge of the field wondering which way to go but looking behind him he didn't feel like trekking back through the dark forest again. Taking a deep breath of the cleanest and sweetest air he had ever imagined, he walked forward towards what sounded like a small river or creek.
It wasn't long before he heard somebody singing. He paused for a moment as this made him uncomfortable for some reason but it was either see who the singer was or try to hide and he was in no mood to hide. Walking a little further up to the creek, he noticed it was a small butter coloured winged pegasus. And she was singing. Lero's world started to spin at this point but it wasn't until he heard her talk to the rabbit sitting next to her that he blissfully fell unconscious.
Lero woke up in what looked like a hospital as there was the smell of antiseptic in the air and he was all bandaged up from... something that obviously happened to him. But for the life of him, he couldn't remember what happened since he went jogging this morning. That was assuming it still was the same morning. Looking about, he didn't notice a way to call the nurse or a phone he could use to call work and tell them what had happened. In fact, now that he looked around he noticed the room itself was odd. It was a lot smaller than any hospital room he had ever been in, there were no beeping machines, no lights on the ceiling and he was lying across three beds set edge to edge.
Raising himself up to a sitting position he managed to get his feet on the ground before the door opened and he got the second surprise of his life. A pony walked in, this one dressed like a nurse but that wasn't the part that really got him. That part was when she decided to speak.
"What are you doing out of bed? Get back in there!"
Lero meekly got back in bed, his brain too traumatised right now to argue with the talking pony.
"Good. My name is nurse Redheart and as you're awake, I'll summon the doctor."
A few moments later another pony entered the room, this one wearing a white lab coat. "Good afternoon, I'm Doctor Healing Touch. Would you be able to tell me your name please?"
"Bellerophon Michaelides, but you can just call me Lero. Where am I?"
"You're in the hospital in Ponyville. Somepony brought you in, we patched you up and you've been asleep for the past three days. You were terribly undernourished, dehydrated and covered in scratches which we can only assume came from the brambles you decided to run through. Would you be able to tell me more about yourself and where you're from?"
Lero proceeded to tell the doctor as much as he knew but everything between going for a run and showing up in the Everfree forest was a blank. The doctor decided to keep him under observation for the night if for no other reason than they didn't know what to do with a large hairless ape and didn't know how everypony's reaction would be to him.
Lero lay back in his bed, unsure of how he was going to cope with living in magical pony land. He was due to be released tomorrow and for the first time in his life felt truly alone. The mayor had offered him a room in a boarding house until he got his feet under him and he had been given a new set of clothes by an honest to goodness unicorn so he wouldn't be walking around town naked.
This was simply something he'd have to get used to. For better or worse, he was here to stay. He just hoped that the ponies here would accept him and he'd make friends. This of course eventually led to thoughts of romance but he laughed that one away. "How strange would that be?" he thought to himself before laying his head down on the pillow and going to sleep.