The Reader

by GnollReader

Chapter 26: Playtime

Scar was roused from his sleep. Something was poking him through his pile of sheets.

"Pinkie! What are you doing?"

"Hihi, look, when you poke this pile of old laundry it moves!"

The Pink Pie, he closed his eyes and tried to force himself to sleep again. He was too tired for the pink storm of activity.

"That's because Scar is underneath it. Hey Scar, you up?" something started bouncing on his head. The colorful one if his memory was correct. No reason to get up this early.

"He does have a rather strange taste, did you see those rags he wears? Simply horrid!"

"I know! We could throw him a wake-up party!" more poking from the side. He didn't know how much longer he would be able to take this.

"What are you doing?" an annoyed and sleepy sounding Purple Haze asked. Finally. She'd get him some peace.

"Seeing if Scar is up?"

He could almost hear her make a face, "You never heard the phrase 'let sleeping dogs lie' did you?" Scar didn't like being compared to a dog, but still, the phrase carried a lot of wisdom.

"Silly, he's not a dog. He's a super fluffy... what was he called again?"

"A gnoll. Stop poking him, he needs his sleep. He had a busy night. Dash, for crying out loud stop bouncing on him! If you make him angry I swear I'll let him smack some sense into you."

"Pfff... always so serious." the bouncing stopped. He gave a quiet sigh. "Sooo, Haze, you know what's going on? Why did the guards show up at our places in the middle of the night?"

"Girls, I'm sure the princess will tell us everything important once she arrives." Twilight had been waiting impatiently for the princess' arrival since sunlight.

"Uhm, excuse me Purple Haze?" he recognized the shy one's voice.

"Yes, Fluttershy?" there was something in Purple Haze's voice that carried a threat.

"I..., well,... I just wanted to check if Scar's wounds are healing correctly, if that is okay? I'm just worried... and..."

Purple Haze gave a defeated sigh, she knew the gnoll was certain to be awake with this kind of activity going on around him and as weird as Fluttershy was she knew her concern for the gnoll was genuine. "Sure, just be careful not to disturb him and..."

"Now wait just a darn minute! What's that I hear 'bout wounds? Is this about yesterday?" Purple Haze was suddenly surrounded by five of the six elements and barraged with questions.

Scar was considering to help her, but surely she would be able to handle the situation. "Hello." a voice said in front of his head. He opened his eyes. The yellow pony had stuck its head into his heap and was now face to face with him.

"Hello." he answered uncertainly.

"I just came to check if you're okay, Are your wounds still hurting?" she asked with a sweet smile.

"Scar is well, wounds only hurt little." he carefully tested his arm. The bandages slightly restrained his movement. He should have just put mud on them, it had always helped in the past.

"That's nice to know. You know, you left those terrible knives when you left. What should I do with them?"

He gave a slight groan, he had forgotten those. "Shy pony can keep for Scar, it will find use for them later."

"Alright, I'll leave you to your sleep now." she withdrew her head. As strange as she was at times, she had a better understanding of his needs than most other ponies. The other ponies were too loud and too inquisitive for his liking, he needed to get out of the tree if he was to find some peace.

Purple Haze in the mean time had somewhat been able to dissuade the other ponies, "You'll get your answers when the princess comes, you can ask all the questions you want then."

"I don't care, I want answers right now!" Applejack never was one to wait for answers, neither was Rainbow Dash.

"Yeah, what's going on that you can't tell us anything? Are there spies hiding in Ponyville?"

"You were down here yesterday. Surely you can tell us something?" Twilight's curiosity had been boiling the whole morning.

"I can't tell you anything yet! You need to wait for the princess!" There was a knock at the door, Purple Haze sighed in relief, "That's probably her right now!"

She opened the door, it wasn't the princess. It was a group of foals. "Hi, uhh, can Scar come out and play with us?"

"What? I don't..." the gnoll knew to take an opportunity when he saw it.

He quickly got out and up from his pile and hurried to the door, "Scar goes to play."

"Hey! You can't just leave! The princess hasn't come yet!" Twilight interjected.

"Pony can tell Scar what Celestia said later. Scar has important gnoll work. Is so-cia-lise." He spelled the word out carefully. He didn't know what it meant, but the purple one always talked about it so it seemed important.

"Well,... but promise me to answer some of my questions later!"

He nodded, "Scar will answer pony questions." he turned to Purple Haze, "Purple Haze should come play too."

"What? I don't play with..." she started to object.

"Or can stay and answer pony questions." she gulped.

"Alright, you heard the gnoll. Gotta do my duty and watch over Scar. Bye!" she was out the door in a flash. Scar followed.

"Hey! Gosh darn it! Now we gotta wait till the Princess shows up!" Applejack went to the door and called after the foals, "APPLE BLOOM, make sure you and your friends are home before sundown! And don't get Scar into any trouble!"

Comments

[Blaze Song]

This can only end in hilarity

[XxTestName69xX]

He could almost hear her make a face, "You never heard the phrase 'Don't wake sleeping dogs' did you?"

I think the phrase is 'let sleeping dogs lie.'

"Hello." he answered uncertain.

In that context, it would need to be uncertainly.

[Lucky424]

And don't get Scar into any trouble

Come one AJ, it's just Applebloom, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo. What kind of trouble can the.............wait, why is my house on fire?

And why does Applebloom have a box of matche.....oh, son of a bitch

[Cheesey]

"Sure thing, big sis!" said Applebloom.

ts1.mm.bing.net/th?id=H.4911678480123296&pid=15.1

[Luckysweep]

"And don't get into any trouble!"

Like that will ever work.

[everyskyborn]

AJ... you shouldn't tempt Fate like that.