The Reader

by GnollReader

Chapter 63: Story Time

The princess of the night walked through the corridors of the hospital with quiet steps. She, her sister and Cadance had taken turns visiting the hospital the last two weeks. The schedule was always the same, visit the foals and ponies injured during the attack then see how the gnoll and Purple Haze were doing. If not in the hospital they worked to repair the damage done during king Sombra's return.

The gnoll's state had been worrying to say the least. He had barely left Purple Hazes bed and had been easy to anger. He would grumble at nurses and doctors alike, not taking his eyes of them as they tended to the unconscious Purple Haze while refusing to let them tend to his own wounds any further. Trying to persuade him to leave her side for a moment had caused him to lose his patience with the ponies once, and after the discussion that followed they had not tried again.

He barely ate and drank anything, and almost never slept. And he never allowed anypony to enter the room while he was reading her his stories. It was troubling to see him in such distress, but no words of comfort from them seemed to reach him. Should Purple Haze not regain consciousness none of them knew how he would react.

At least everyone else was alright, it had relieved them greatly to find that Cadance's unborn foals were unharmed as well. Celestia and Luna had checked on this matter very thoroughly. They had sent Twilight and Spike back to Ponyville, in spite of their protests, but somepony needed to sooth the worries back home.

As Luna was letting her mind wander around the recent events she heard a familiar voice coming out of an open door, "And then little bunny jumps over log and runs through grass, little bird above. But no matter how high bunny jumps, bird is much higher!"

Luna slowly walked towards the open door. As she looked inside a smile came to her lips, the gnoll was sitting inside the room surrounded by foals as he read from a big, colorful book. He still looked thinner than usual, but every movement he made seemed much more lively than before.

The gnoll looked up with a happy face, an eye clap over his destroyed eye, "Hello, Lulu." Princess Luna almost gave a groan of frustration as she heard him say that name.

The foals turned to look at the princess, one little pegasus that sat perched on top of Scars head tilted its head questioningly, "Lulu? That's not her name Scar!"

"Is not?" the gnoll asked confused.

A filly corrected him, "She's princess Luna."

The gnoll looked at the princess with a dubious expression and scratched his chin, "Celestia always says Lulu..."

"Really? You know both princesses? Wow!" the foals started chatting wildly as they looked at Scar with big eyes. For one moment Luna was actually tempted to cast a mute spell on the gnoll, but the damage had been done. She could only hope the name wouldn't catch. At least the gnoll's mood had improved considerably, which meant...

"Princess Luna." she turned around and saw Purple Haze approach her.

Lunas smile grew as she saw her captain up and well again, "I fear we meet like this far too often." she and Purple Haze shared a small laugh as they both watched the gnoll tell its stories to the foals through one of the windows. "And it seems that Scar's name is becoming more appropriate every time I see him. It is good to see both of you are better again."

"He hasn't caused any trouble has he?" Purple Haze asked with worry in her voice. For some reason the gnoll simply refused to talk about the time she was asleep.

A memory of Scar shouting angrily at her and her sister, refusing to leave Purple Haze's side flashed before her eyes. But it passed again, Purple Haze was up and well again and the gnoll seemed just as happy and peaceful as ever. "No captain." Luna said with a small smile, "He hasn't. Everything is fine."

They watched the gnoll for a few more minutes before Luna was reminded of something, "On the occasion, we have found something that may interest Scar."

---

"Any progress, soldier?" Shining Armor asked the guard as he stood in position before the shattered remains of a wall.

"No sir, we still haven't been able to move it. Even the unicorns can't make heads and tails of it."

Shining Armor saluted the guard before stepping past him and inspecting the object. There before him stood the gnoll's maul, hilt standing straight up into the air, unmoving. The stone enclosed by the roots had turned into a cold black. The large hammer looked like a monument as it stood between the shattered remains of the wall. And try as they might, they had not been able to move it.

They had tried everything, from sheer force to cranes and magic, but nothing was able to move it. They hadn't even been able to tip it over. He turned in time to see princess Luna, Purple Haze and the gnoll approach the site. He saluted before the princess before turning to the other two, "Princess Luna. Captain Purple Haze and Scar, we have much to thank you for. Were it not for your efforts..."

He was cut off as the gnoll simply ignored him and walked towards the hammer with happy strides, grabbed the hilt, and simply lifted the huge weapon off the ground as if it were nothing. "Strange..." Scar commented as he held the previously unmovable object in one hand, "Tag feels lighter than before." He gave the hammer a slight swing, "Seems good though. Scar is happy to have Tag back."

He looked at Shining Armor, he was watching him with an open mouth. After a moment Shining Armor spoke two words as he watched the gnoll in awe, "No way."

Comments

[Time Squid]

Tag = The Gnoll's Excalibur. All the yes.

[Psycho Kid]

Yes

[kenneyaj444]

Tag = Thor's hammer

[Multiversity]

I watched Thor the other day, and that's what this makes me think of.

And the Scar's hammer was magic. I expect explanations.

[Lord Destrustor]

Hehehe...
Tag is like this story; It keeps getting better and better.

Now with 100% more attuned magic!

[Br2nd66]

now magic giant hammer

[Cadmium]

Giant Magic Hammer of dark sorcery doom!

[Morphy]

2178472

YES!

[JTheWhiteKnight]

Huh. Lose an eye, get a free personalized weapon!

[stavaros-the-arcane]

2178472

Naw, I'm getting more of a Marvel comics version of Mjolnir vibe.

"He who possess this Hammer, If he be worthy shall possess the power of Gnoll."

Tag Shadowcrusher is a mighty weapon and will only accept a mighty wielder.

[Lucky424]

I wouldn't use that Scar, only bad things can happen if Sombra was involved.

[Subatomic Seal]

2178472 Nope, Mjolnir.

[Bandana The Reaper]

2621826 Mjölner is the correct name.

[DerpedRainbow]

2178564 You just made me think of something. What if you could permanently attach that sparring spell to a weapon? And have it link to a prison...

[Scornas]

2502809 GOOD THINGS HAPPEN IF SOMBRA IS INVOLVED

[KitsuneNoYomeiri]

2670744
Both are correct.

[Silver Page]

3307572
That would cut down on transportation costs, alright. I approve of your cunning mind!

[everyskyborn]

his legend grows.

[Mr Swanky Hat]

If tag was a hammer scar would be thor, thank goodness that isn't the case, that would be the most absolute worst nerf ever

[The Crimson Reaper]

He is worthy...

[Blaze Song]

Tag is Mjolnir