The Reader

by GnollReader

Chapter 23: Gnoll work 2

The cleaning of the library was a pain. Several guards almost fainted when they tried to pick up the bisected rat only to witness the contents fall out. Some of them barfed. Basic training didn't prepare for things like this. Luckily there were mops in the library.

Celestia had been able to calm down Twilight and more guards had arrived. They had also received the message that the other elements were safe and guarded though all of them were demanding to know what was going on. Purple Haze had finished cleaning up the floor when princess Celestia walked down the stairs.

"Princess, how is Twilight?" Purple Haze asked as she propped up one of the shelves that had remained in tact.

"Shocked, but she will be alright. Spike is taking care of her. The situation stressed her immensely. There will be a lot of explaining to do when the other elements arrive tomorrow."

"What will you tell them?"

Celestia sighed, "The truth, even though we know only little yet. They need to understand what is happening, we all do." She paused for moment, "Has Scar returned yet?"

Purple Haze shook her head, "No, I'm starting to worry that..."

There was a sudden shuffle outside as guards could be heard snapping to attention "HALT! WHO GOES THERE IN THE DARK? IDENTIFY YOURSELF!"

A deep voice answered, "Is Scar,..." a short pause, "... also, rat."

"Guards, let him pass!" Celestia called out from inside. If he had captured the rat she would be able to gather the information they so desperately needed.

The gnoll entered, he nodded to Celestia, "Scar has caught rat." He held the rat up by its tail.

Celestia raised an eyebrow, the rat looked rather flat. "Why isn't it moving?"

Scar looked at the rat for a moment, "Rat fidgets around too much..." He shook it a bit to emphasize, it dangled around like a rag doll. The rat had bitten his fingers, "... and gnoll drops rat." and he had grabbed it by its tail and slammed it into a wall a couple of times. "Still alive though." he tossed the rat before Celestia's feet. It was barely breathing.

Celestia shook her head, as long as it was alive it would do. "How are your wounds?"

The gnoll shrugged, the gash on his muzzle had stopped bleeding but the knives were still stuck in him. "Wounds will heal... big white pony should take care of rat first."

She nodded, "Very well, but we will not do this here." Her magic flared up and both Scar and Purple Haze were surrounded by a white aura. The world shifted around them and they found themselves in Celestia's chamber.

"Uhhm, Scar. You can put me down anytime you want to." commented Purple Haze. The gnoll had not been teleported before and had simply grabbed onto her when the world around them started to shift. He looked around curiously before he finally set her down.

"This big white pony's room..."

"It's called teleportation, you'll get used to it."

"Scar would rather not." he felt like his insides had turned upside down.

"Now then, let us begin." they turned around, Celestia was standing over the unmoving rat. "Let us see what this one knows." She tore into its mind, laying the rats memories open before her. She saw their home, far away in the sands, how they received their orders, their journey across the sea, hidden between the cargo.

The gnoll was watching with mixed feelings. He knew what the rat was feeling, he had experienced it himself. He knew what it meant to have another being tear through one's memories. The rat was evil, no question. But this. He averted his eyes. He should have killed the rat, it would've been better.

Purple Haze saw his face, "Are you going to be okay? You don't look so good."

"Scar is alright, only ghosts haunting it..." he mumbled softly.

She cast him a quizzical gaze, then saw him look at Celestia for a moment as the princess continued her search. She understood.

"Only ghosts..."

---

Celestia meanwhile had shifted further through the rat's memories. She saw their arrival at the Bridle Shores, their travel by train. How they hid in the old depots, and...

"MONSTER!!!" she exploded into light, her form casting blinding light around her, her power shaking the room. Purple Haze shielded her eyes as she was pushed backwards by the sheer force of Celestia's outburst. "THEY WERE FOALS! YOU WEREN'T EVEN SURE IF THEY SAW YOU! HOW COULD YOU! BEASTS! SAVAGES! I'LL..."

"Celestia..." she stopped, all her momentum taken by a single word. She saw Purple Haze, she looked scared. It struck her heart, never before had she seen her subjects terrified by herself. "Celestia." she turned around.

There beside her stood the gnoll, there was a sad expression in his eyes. "Killing no pony work..." he turned to the rat, his expression turned into stone. "Is gnoll work." He grabbed the rat by its head. There was a sharp snap as he broke the rat's head with a twist of his claws. He let it fall to the ground.

Celestia looked at the body of the rat. She had almost lost herself. She felt weak for the first time in centuries.

"Scar needs to walk." he said quietly as he headed for the window.

"Let me heal your wounds first." Celestia offered.

He shook his head, "Scar will heal, but not with pony magic. Scar has seen enough magic for today." he left through the window.

She turned to Purple Haze, "Please, go after him. I need time to... take care of this situation."

---

He felt tired, even as he descended the mountain with ease. It wasn't his body, it was his mind. Watching Celestia look through the rat's memories... it had been a long time. He had almost forgotten how it had felt.

When he reached the bottom he could hear the flapping of wings and shortly after Purple Haze descended next to him. She was carrying a little box in her mouth, "Ou awight?" He raised an eyebrow, she put down the little box, "Hey, everything okay? You left a bit sudden back there."

He nodded, "Scar is alright, just tired. It saw many ghosts tonight."

"You mean memories?"

"Yes... Far gone, long time ago. Now back in gnoll's head..." he shook his head and pushed the memories away. He eyed the little box, "What did Purple Haze bring?"

"It's a first aid box." he tilted his head, "We still need to patch you up."

"Heal is simple, gnoll pulls out knives and rubs on mud. Wait for mud to dry and..."

He was cut short by Purple Haze, "YOU WILL MOST CERTAINLY NOT!"

Comments

[Lux Aeterna]

why... no HOW is Scar's speech always amusing?

[Bealoreas]

Looks rather interesting. I will track and read when I can.

[Fanskapet]

hmm scars healthcare sounds like regular peoples in america if you dont have insurance and shit

[Lucky424]

Now it's time to call an exterminator.

[Bandana The Reaper]

1787520 as old as your comment is I still agree, good thing I live somewhere where healthcare is covered by paying your taxes... at least I think thats how it works...

[Savant Sentral]

1787520 im canadian.

[alexmercer7853]

FUCKING DAM IT SCAR!!!!! YOU ENDED THAT CHILD (foal) MURDERING PAICE OF SHIT FAR TO QUICKLY!!!!!!! IT NEEDED TO SUFFER FOR WHAT IT DID!!!!!! *realizes I yelled that out load* ... Well shit

[Panicing_in_pain]

Silly Scar, use fire. The screams are much better to listen, even when it turns into a gurgling sound.

[Panicing_in_pain]

2666200
Old? Look how old this one is! Why the hell am I adding myself to the conversation that has already ended, I don't know.

[TipTopEquestrians]

8766106
What the fuck.

[The Crimson Reaper]

8774196
...Run. Run very far.

[ChronoMitsurugi]

5348945
...causing pain and suffering is never the answer. The moment you take satisfaction in causing pain, is the moment you have fallen to their level.
Scar was right to end it quickly.

[Animatorsnake]

9138566
I'm going to focus my anger on the one's who gave the orders than doing it, there's the satisfaction of doing something horrible, and then there's the decisions made by someone to do something horrible, out of the two, the decision is much worse, especially if it was made for one's own personal goals

[orp]

8766109
Speaking of healthcare, injecting yourself into a years old conversation is far from the worst type of injection one can make.