Rats In The Belfry

by Beegirl Scribbler

Chapter Eleven

“But—please, if I could only speak to the Princess—”

“The Princess is busy.” Grogar loomed over the desperate petitioner, eyes flashing. “Leave.”

The pony hesitated, then turned and scurried away.

Grogar cleared his throat, looking over the premises. He had held the gates thus far, but there were always more. Indeed, another was already approaching—a white unicorn mare with a pink mane who stood nearly as tall as Celestia.

Grogar glared. “And you? I suppose you wish to inform the Princess of the recent darkening.”

The unicorn frowned. “Actually, I had hoped to ask for help finding my husband, Fancypa—”

“The brief darkness is insignificant,” Grogar growled. “And the Princess is busy. Perhaps she meant to bring about the brief moment of darkness everypony is so bothered with. Did this occur to you?

She tilted her head. “I don't really care about that. My husband is a close personal friend of—”

“Darkness, darkness, darkness!” Grogar looked up at the sky, snarling. “That is all you ponies ever wish to talk about. Eternal nights are notable. Two-second blackouts are nothing. What is with your obsession with—” The unicorn tried to step past him, but he moved to block her. “See yourself elsewhere, pony!”

The unicorn's eyes narrowed. “If you'd just listen—”

Grogar gritted his teeth. “If I hear one more word about your precious sun, I am going to kill something. Something young, and with a life full of promise.”

“Where did the normal guards go, anyway?”

“I ate them. I don't care! Go away!”

“Fine.” The unicorn turned and stomped off. She glanced over her shoulder at Grogar. “But if I have to go all the way to Ponyville to find somepony who'll herd a sheep as twisted as you—”

She leaped to the side and ran off, and a bolt of lightning blasted through where she'd been standing to hit a mailbox post. The post snapped.

The mailbox fell over the head of an unwary gray pegasus. “Hey!” the pegasus cried. She began flying about, struggling to regain orientation—and crashing into essentially everything within range in the process.

Grogar watched the pegasus finally fly through a house's open window. He listened to the shouts and explosions that followed.

The ram tilted his head.

He turned and headed back into the castle. Perhaps an alternative technique is required.

---

“This is a very nice breakfast,” Fluttershy said, trying and failing to pick up a glass of orange juice with both hooves.

Luna watched, struggling to ignore how adorable her dining companion looked. “I should think so,” she said, levitating her own glass up and taking a sip. “The palace cooks are a most talented lot.” She gave a little smile, imagining how the meeting between the head chef and Grogar might go. For some reason, Grogar hated the very existence of sheep (his own species, technically), and...

She quickly dispelled the notion. The last thing she needed was for Grogar's ire to be aroused. Not that it was easy to keep him calm, of course.

“Um, are you okay?” Fluttershy asked.

Luna realized she'd zoned out. She coughed. “Um, yes. Pardon me, Ms. Fluttershy.” She took a careful bite out of her buttered toast.

“Oh, you don't have to call me Ms., by the way.” Fluttershy smiled, running a hoof through her mane. “It's my first name.”

“Hm.” Luna frowned. “It is a term of respect.”

“Oh.” Fluttershy cleared her throat. “Um, well, it just seems like it takes longer to say, and, um, you don't need to respect me. I mean, I don't care what you call me.”

“Oh.” Luna blinked.

Fluttershy took a bite out of her toast, sinking lower in her chair and avoiding eye contact.

Luna scratched her head. “Well, in that case, I insist you simply refer to me as Luna henceforth.”

“Oh, no, I couldn't.” Fluttershy somehow managed to sink even lower. “That would be, um, disrespectful, and—”

Luna fidgeted with her plate. “Well, I would rather not be placed on such a pedestal. Regardless of what Grogar says—”

“My, my. How hurtful. I am hurt.”

Luna and Fluttershy both turned. Grogar stood at the entrance to Fluttershy's bedroom, wearing a grim smile. “Come, ponies. We have a play to catch.”

Luna got out of her chair, eyes narrowed. “What do you mean, Lord Grogar?”

“Hm.” Grogar looked up at the ceiling, scratching his beard. “There is a theater. I propose we go and watch it. The play at the theater, that is. Princess Lear. I am told it is, by your pony standards, a classic.”

Behind her, Luna heard a clang. Turning, she saw that Fluttershy had spilled the orange juice on the table. “Um, I don't like that play,” Fluttershy said, trying and failing to mop up the mess with her napkins. “It's a little—”

“Princess Lear it is.” Grogar raised an eyebrow. “Though you need not attend.”

“Um, no, that's okay.” Fluttershy cleared her throat. “Let's go.”

“Really.” Grogar let out a chuckle. “You appear to be uncomfortable, pony.”

“No, I'm okay.”

Luna looked between the two. “You need not go if you do not wish, Fluttershy. I have never seen the play, myself.”

“No, I'm coming.” Fluttershy got off her chair and made her way over to Luna. “Let's go. It's a very nice play. Just a little—”

“Excellent!” Grogar turned and pranced out of the room. “Let us make haste. We do not want the place to get too crowded.”

Luna and Fluttershy exchanged confused looks, then hurried after the chuckling ram.

---

“Make way!” Grogar roared. “The Goddess of the Night approaches!”

The ponies in the street looked up at him, appearing confused. Grogar was currently traveling alone—Luna and Fluttershy had fallen behind helping to right a carriage that had been mysteriously flung down an alleyway.

A very young filly trotted over and looked up at him. “Luna's coming?” she asked, eyes wide.

“That is correct,” Grogar said, leaning over the filly. “And lallygaggers will suffer her wrath.”

She stared at him, then giggled. “You're a funny-looking sheep!”

His eyes flashed. “What did you just—”

The apparent mother of the filly hurried over and levitated her charge up. She glared at Grogar. “Just who do you think you are? And what do you mean, 'wrath'? It's not as if Luna's bad-tempered. She's—”

“Bad-tempered?” Grogar made his eyes as wide as possible. “The mare is a raging volcano! Get out while you can! See yourself elsewhere at once!”

The mare rolled her eyes and trotted away.

Grogar considered the busy street. A different tactic was in order, clearly.

His bell began to ring.

---

“Thank you, Princess!” the blue-maned shopkeeper said, as the last of the carriage's curios was put back. He gave a nervous chuckle, strapped himself into the carriage harness, and hurried off.

“Um, that was very nice of you,” Fluttershy said.

Luna smirked. “Well, it was not so nice. Uncle Curio is a known dealer in illegal devices. He was given orders last week to see himself out of Canterlot, so I was just helping him to do so.”

“Oh.” Fluttershy blinked. So he's the one who sold Trixie that amulet? He seemed so normal. I expected him to be really old, or to speak in a raspier voice or something.

Luna pointed down the road to the theater. “Come, now. Let us see what is so spectacular about Grogar's little play.”

Fluttershy nodded, though her heart was filled with dread. The last time she'd seen this play had been at Twilight's insistence, and it had not been fun. Twilight had been forced to agree to watch five romantic comedies with Fluttershy just to get her to come out from under her bed afterward.

They continued walking. After a moment, though, Fluttershy realized something. “Aren't these streets a little...um...empty?” she whispered.

Luna looked around, frowning. Indeed, the roads of Canterlot were completely barren of travelers—an exceptionally rare occurrence this close to the upcoming pageant.

From far off, Fluttershy heard a shout.

“It's got the Hearth's Warming Eve lights! Get that sheep!” A moment later, she heard an explosion.

Suddenly, Fluttershy wasn't on the ground. She was in the air, and the world had turned faintly blue. “Um—” She saw Luna running alongside her, and realized she was being levitated. So this is what it feels like, she thought. “What's going on?”

“Grogar,” Luna muttered.

Comments

[Beegirl Scribbler]

Terribly sorry about the new chapter's delay. This day was a lot busier than I expected.
Anyways, we're returning to the old update schedule! It's good to be back!

[Arzoo]

Ha, I find this just as some hiatus ends. Perfect. This deserves more attention, I am not familiar with much of the old mlp stuff, but you've made them all fit into FiM nicely. Only real complaint is that it seems sort of weird that Equestria didn't enter panic mode over this witch who can apparently kidnap Celestia and did anyone ever tell Cadance her husband got stuck in the scary door again?

[Beegirl Scribbler]

2515714 Heh, good point. Equestria has been pretty mellow about Celestia missing--I guess Luna and Grogar have probably been keeping it under wraps.
As for Shining Armor, we went two seasons without knowing he existed--I betcha we can go a few days without noting his absence.
Thanks for the Favorite, and the kind words!

[Mr. Grimm]

Sorry I didn't get back to reading this sooner, I've been busy...

And I must say, things are starting to get very intense. It looks like Grogar's old rage is returning with increasing swiftness.

And did I spot a reference to a certain pirate movie in there?

[Beegirl Scribbler]

2520849 I was hoping someone would get the reference. I grew up with that movie.

[vazak]

Sorry I didn't read this sooner, great chapter! Grogar was a bubbling pile of rage, his guard lines were fantastic Luna and Shy dining was great and interesting idea using the shopkeeper.