"You are putting poor Mister Manticore down, right now! You hear me?" Fluttershy stomped her hoof.
The gnoll gave a groan of frustration. Of all the ponies to run into on his way back, it just had to be Fluttershy. She had freaked out the moment she had seen him walk out of the forest with the hogtied Manticore slung over his back.
"Scar can't." he replied with a stern voice.
"You promised me you wouldn't eat my friends!" she said defiantly.
The gnoll blinked. "Stinger is Fluttershy's friend?" He gave the manticor an incredulous look. The wrangled beast looked from Fluttershy to its captor and began to nod, vigorously. He turned to Fluttershy again, "Scar wasn't going to eat. Is present for Purple Haze."
"A present?" She asked with a skeptical look.
He nodded, "Is for heart and hoof day. Scar brings back stinger so Purple Haze can see gnoll is good hunter. Is romantic. Purple Haze can pet, maybe ride too if stinger behaves..." He cast the manticore a threatening look, "Then gnoll brings it back to forest."
Fluttershy tilted her head. "Well... I mean... if it's for Purple Haze... it's really sweet of you but..." She scrunched her face, trying to think. "You're really going to let it go after you showed it to Purple Haze?"
"Scar promises." He replied in prideful tone and thumped the maul on the ground to emphazise his point. Tag chuckled in response.
“I would be doing a disservice to my dear master if I didn’t make a promise as well. After all, we are both gentlemen and gentlemen never back out on a promise, especially to such a darling little damsel such as yourself!”
Fluttershy gave a squeak of surprise as Tag spoke up and cringed. “Did-Did that…Did it-”
“Yes. Is Tag. Long story. Scar explains later. What about promise? Is good?”
Keeping a wary eye on the maul, she turned her attention back to the matter at hand. “I...I suppose it’s alright, but do you have to tie it up? It looks so sad." Her tone once again motherly and caring.
He gave his shoulder a shift to reposition the manticore, making it whimper and Fluttershy give him an angry look. "Scar has to... if it doesn't, stinger will try and run."
After a moment of thoughtful silence, Fluttershy approached the Manticore. "Let me talk with it." She said, not a hint of fear in her voice.
Scar raised an eyebrow but compelled nonetheless. Carefully, he hefted the bundled Manticore off his back and set it down before her. As she approached it, he kept a watchful eye on it and a tight grip on his maul. If it would try to hurt Fluttershy he would reduce the Manticore to a pulpy mess.
Fluttershy approached the Manticore, "Now, if you promise to behave, Scar will untie you-"
"It will?" The gnoll chimed, flabbergasted. Had the book he had given her made her lose her sense of reason? The Manticore on, the other hand, simply looked confused and nervous.
"He will." She replied with a stern voice and a meaningful glare towards him. She then rounded on the Manticore, giving it her infamous Stare. "Now, after he unties you, you go along with him and make no fuss. If you can play nicely with the other ponies in town and behave yourself, Scar here will let you go back to the forest. Understand?"
As she spoke, the Manticore seemed to continually wilt under her gaze. Maybe dealing with the gnoll would have been easier. One look back at said gnoll and his demented weapon was enough; The Manticore frantically, silently nodded.
Fluttershy gave a satisfied, triumphant, little smile and rounded on Scar. "See? Now Scar, please untie it."
Scar gave her an unbelieving look, "Fluttershy is serious?"
"I am." she replied, "Either that, or you let it go straight back to the forest."
The gnoll gave a huff and bent down to the Manticore. "If stinger hurts ponies..." he whispered into the manticore's ears, "Scar will eat it." The Manticore's eyes widened considerably at this and it gave an audible swallow, "Stinger understands?" The Manticore nodded as quickly as its binds would allow it.
He gave the manticore one last, measuring look. Then, with a sigh, he reached out and started to undo the rope. For his and her sake, he hoped that Fluttershy knew what she was doing.
---
Princess Celestia eyed the small collection of ponies in her throne room with curiosity. They had issued an urgent request for a hearing, stating it concerned the safety of all Equestria. At her arrival in the throne room she was surprised that the three of them had brought along a unicorn, gagged and bound in chains.
"What is the meaning of this?" She demanded, her tone regal and stern. The state of the prisoner’s condition was utterly deplorable; Dirty, dishevelled, bruised and malnourished, the unicorn looked as if she had not slept, eaten of been allowed to wash for days.
"Princess Celestia," One of the ponies stepped forward and bowed, "I am Redfield. My companions and I come from the village of Little Bridle to bring you this traitor." Redfield spat the final word with such venom that the prisoner cringed.
Celestia’s expression did not change. She merely sat on her throne and gave the trio a stony, icy reception. "What are the accusations?"
"Many years ago, a wild creature was spotted near our village. We wear able to capture it, but not before it dragged off a foal. We feared the worst and given the nature of the beast, believed the foal to have been killed. However, to be sure, we hired this traveling magician to search its mind for information." he pointed an angry hoof at the unicorn. "She betrayed not only us, but all of Equestria and set if free! We hunted the beast for days, even managed to wound it, but the beast managed to slip away."
"And?" Celestia’s voice had not changed, but, unnoticed by the ponies, her eyes had narrowed considerably.
"We gave up the hunt for the beast as it simply became too dangerous. However, a few weeks ago we were able to finally apprehend the traitor by chance,” He wheeled around and stabbed a hoof towards the prisoner in an almost theatrical fashion. "We demand that justice be done and that she be sentenced for her crimes against our people and all ponykind!" The other two nodded and voiced their own agreement, offering quiet praise to Redfield for his performance.
Celestia had not moved a muscle through the entire tirade. She might as well been a statue, for all she did was simply sit and stare at the trio. That emotionless, regal, intimidating stare suffocated the trio’s bravado and backslapping as quickly as it started. Now they simply squirmed under her gaze, the only sound breaking the silence was the occasional rattle of iron on marble from the chains binding the prisoner as well as the occasional, feeble sob.
Celestia gaze became withering and disgusted. "You come here, with nothing but your word and one of your own kind bound in chains?" Her voice, as well as her posture had gone stony and intimidating.
The effect was immediate; the trio flinched and instinctively took a few steps back from the Princess. Redfield seemed to muster enough courage and stepped forward. "Princess... s-s-surely you understand that-"
"What I understand, is that there are always two sides to a story..." she interrupted him, "Tell me, Redfield. What did this creature look like?"
Redfield blinked in surprised, looked to the floor, razed a hoof to his chin in thought and mulled her question over as quickly as he could. "I-It looked like some kind of diamond dog, but-but bigger! It had fur as-as black as night and eyes as red as blood. It was truly a terrifying monster, a threat to all of us, Princess!"
Princess Celestia stood up, "I share your concern for my subjects, Redfield," Her voice low and gentle. Redfield and the other two perked up. She approached them all, stopping before Redfield and locking eyes with him. “But that is all I share with you.” She finished, her voice once again icy and sharp. Redfield squirmed and hung his head.
“Before I reach a decision on such an important subject, I would like to gather some information myself." she stepped up to Redfield, "I would like to look into your minds, and see for myself what happened all those years ago."
All three of them blanched and looked up to Celestia with expressions of horror, "Princess, you can't seriously think we would-" Redfield began, but once again Celestia cut him off.
"Allow me to think for myself." Celestia replied with a stern voice, "Now, hold still. All of you." If this pony was who she thought he was, it would be an interesting day indeed.
Dem guys is screwed, ain't they?
awe snap! feed them to the gnoll!
oh dis is gonna be good
The idiocy in those ponies. It burns
What did they think would happen if they just came into her throne room with a tied pony and saying she should be punished?
Well, I hope Scar hears about this and helps judging them.
Bunch of paranoid xenophobic hicks meet Scar SAVIOR OF EQUESTRIA!
Scar... sit back and watch Celestia serve up payback.
Seems like Scar is going to have a test of his humanity pretty soon.
... or gnollility? Ponynity?
Morals. Let's call that morals. Yep. A test of his morality.
I demand painful retribution but hope that the good in his heart will prevail.
WOOOOOO!
MOAAR!
Celestia is going to be pissed when she searches their minds, and I'm pretty sure that the magician is Trixie. I hope she doesn't get punished too bad.
Oh.
Dis gon' be gud.
I wonder if Haze will like Scar's present?
2401826 Oh, like you wouldn't believe.
I just thought I'd ask before I read this: Is this gnoll like the ones from Mabinogi Heroes/Vindictus?(Vindictus is the name for the English release of the game. ) The cover art appears to say yes, however I'd like to be sure.
The phrase "dead meat walking" comes to mind to describe these idiots...
2402030 When it comes to appearance... I'd say yes
Arrest this foal!!
2402024 Why do I have the feeling it would be something along the lines of, "There shall be a pounding for all fit for one"?
LET THERE BE JUSTICE!
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Getting close to that magical 100k words, wonder when I'll reach chapter 100 :D
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"Scar raised an eyebrow but compelled nonetheless" -did you mean complied?
Aw shit! Aw shit! Aw shit! This is going to end up with somepony getting kicked in the dick!
2402042
But aside from that, no?
2402249 So... Absolutely fucked.
Sounds good to me! Oh man, I can't wait to see their punishment
I think that they are about to enter that magical place known as TARFUN.
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2402100
18 chapters from now.
"compelled" should be "complied"
Ah... The much dreaded romance tag rears its head. Don't get me wrong I love this fic, the characters are great fun. but Haze falling for Scar totally throw me out because it feels really off. I get to the author it doesn't and I'm happy to agree to disagree. I can also hope it'll stay minor til say the end of the fic.
2402375 Read the story, find out yourself ^^
2402821>>2402227 thanks ^^
So, Celestia gonna use mind read on those fools, then teleport one-eyed battle-damaged Scar to the castle, with manticore on his side and Sir Tag on his shoulder and give him those f*ckers on a silver platter? Me gusta!
2406334 Look in chapter 52, first line. She has bat wings, but the pegasi set aside feathers for special cases before the transformation.
Why is everyone crying for blood? This is Celestia after all. She's not going to crucify anypony.
2401906
I really agree with you, but I think Celestia can handle this bunch of foals. If anything, I doubt Scar or Purple Haze will even hear about them (locked up in a dark hole somewhere) until much later. What I suspect will happen is Trixe's status be relayed and both of them come to support a recovering unicorn... who, having been all but tortured to save Scar, will spend quality time at the Royal Hospital under the best care and receive some reward/boon from the Princesses.
Who knows, maybe this can help turn the stigma of being a "great big fake" that follows Trixie like a dark cloud everywhere she goes.
blood for the Blood God!!!
Celestia: "Redfield, I will simply state.... You have a 5 second head start", *loads a Barrett 50.Cal* "make that 4 seconds"
2435834 Not enough.
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2419778 That's mah line
Poor Trixie, She needs to be saved!
Trixie may have been cruel to the gnoll, but she learned her lesson! She didn't deserve that! What is wrong with that pony?
It is so nice to see celey mind rape ponies with out so much as a warrant or trial lol.
2402821 they both mean the same thing... if internet dictionary is right
6095053
Three dudes dragged a chick bound in chains obviously beaten and starved, into the throne room of a Princess who prides herself, her people and her nation on friendship. They speak of imprisonment of a creature based on looks and suspicion of a kidnapped foal, and admit to tearing into it's mind. Not to mention the unicorn they hired to tear into it's mind let it go.
Lot of confusion going on, and the story suspiciously matches up to one told to her by a close friend.
I'd say Celestia is keeping pretty calm all things considered. Now she is searching for the truth of the incident before passing judment on anyone.
The word “of” between eaten and been should be “or”