• Published 6th Nov 2012
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The Reader - GnollReader



A gnoll appears in the Canterlot library and is forced to cope with an endless amount of problems as it gets to know the ponies a bit better.

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Chapter 58: Panic

Spike watched in wonder as the crowd beneath them started to panic. Screaming and shouting ponies were running in all directions. Mares grabbed their foals and hoisted them to safety, grown stallions screamed like fillies and dove for bushes and trash cans as bags of candy and cups with drinks went flying in all directions.

"That..." the little dragon sighed, "Probably wasn't a very good idea." For a moment he thought he could see Purple Haze and Twilight trying to push their way through the panicking crowd.

The gnoll didn't care much, he had found what he had been looking for. With a push of his legs he took to the air and jumped to ground below, the little foal laughing in delight while Spike clung on for his dear life. As the gnoll landed he never took his eyes of the pony that had called out. All around him ponies scrambled to get out of his path... Unimportant, he decided as he ignored them. He walked up to her with certain steps, the mare seemingly frozen in fear.

By the time he had reached her the fair seemed deserted, all of the ponies were hiding behind stalls or trash cans. They did their best to remain hidden, but Scar could smell them easily. The fact that there were colorful tails, flanks, legs and heads sticking out from the stalls and a few trash cans only made it easier to spot them. The gnoll couldn't help but chuckle, ponies were really bad at hiding.

"Mommy!" the little foal called out in joy as the gnoll bent down to let her descend. She embraced her mother in a hug.

"Honey,..." the mare said without taking her eyes off the gnoll, "Are you alright?"

The little foal nodded happily, "I got lost but Scar and Spike found me and helped me find you!" she turned back to the pair, "Thank you so much!" she embraced one of the gnolls legs.

"Scar is happy to help." he nodded as he patted the foal on the head.

---

Off to the side, the ponies watched the scene from their hiding places. What had started as a panic was slowly turning into wonder as the ponies started to whisper vehemently among one another.

"Wait, he isn't trying to eat us?"

"Maybe it's a trick! He's just waiting for us to come out and eat us!"

"Is that a tree on his back?"

"Is he talking with that mare? What's he saying?"

"Be quiet or he'll hear us!"

"You be quiet! Why are we even hiding?"

"Has he eaten them yet?"

The gnoll gave a sigh, "Scar can already hear ponies, has very good ears." He was greeted by an eerie silence. "Ponies don't need to hide, Scar won't bite." No reply. The gnoll shrugged as he went back to talking with the two ponies

"I don't think he's going to eat them... Maybe we should go see what he wants?"

"And get eaten too? He probably can't decide which one he should eat first!"

"Don't know, it looks like he really is talking to them.... wonder what they're talking about..."

"What's the purple thing on his shoulder? Move a bit, I can't see!"

"Mommy, can I go play with the big doggy too?"

"Look! Somepony is coming!"

"Hey you two, hide! There's a foal eating monster back there!"

"The things I do for a living..." the mare replied as she rolled her eyes and continued to head towards the gnoll with a unicorn by her side.

"Spike! What were you thinking!"

"Oh... Uhhmm... Hi Twilight, are you two here for the fair too?"

---

The pony breathed heavily as he leaned against a stone pillar. Sneaking into the castle hadn't been easy, but the voice demanded it. Even now it was relentlessly whispering in his mind. It had started when he had found a strange piece of black crystal on his farm. Thinking it could be valuable he had taken it home, but with the first night the voice had come.

It talked to him endlessly, even in his dreams it was present. It showed him things, terrible things. It forced him to watch, not allowing him to wake up no matter how hard he fought against it. Fearing for his mind he had tried to dispose of the black crystal several times, but every time he tried to throw it away if felt like his mind was being torn apart.

Now, after many sleepless nights everything felt like a dream. He was unable to find a straight line of thought at this point, how long had it been since he had last slept or eaten? He didn't remember. There was only the voice now, whispering commands with a fierceness unlike anything he had ever known before.

He walked without thinking, the voice guiding him through the halls and past unsuspecting guards. Why was he here? For a moment he thought he could actually hear the whispers come from the crystal inside his saddle bag but his thoughts were cut off again as the whispers grew louder. Had they always been this loud? He felt so tired... he wanted to sleep so badly but the voice wouldn't allow it.

He reached a chamber with a huge crystal heart in its center. It shined like a bright star. Even with his mind shrouded in an inconceivable darkness the pony could see it was beautiful. The whispers became louder, stronger. He wasn't moving on his own anymore, he was being moved. He watched in horror as his hoof brought up the black crystal and held it like a dagger. "No..." he whispered as he tried to fight against it, "Please, no..." It was no use. He could only watch as his own hoof held up the crystal and thrust it towards the heart.

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