Rats In The Belfry

by Beegirl Scribbler

Chapter Twenty-Three

You know, Echechak hissed in the minds of the three other immortals, knocking him off the cliff, teleporting him back up, and knocking him off again would be regarded by most as a bit vindictive.

“Justified,” Grogar growled. “And since I doubt even that snake could still have the energy to teleport all the way up here again...” He turned back to Celestia and raised an eyebrow. “I believe you were speaking, little alicorn.”

Celestia blinked. “I...”

He snorted. “Or was that all you could think of to say?”

“No.” She glared. “I have something more to say.”

Grogar nodded, stepping back.“This should be entertaining.”

“You can kill me. You can cover the whole land with your city.”

“Are you giving me permission? How kind of—”

“You can even enslave the ponies, but nothing will be as bad as what happens to you when you die.” Celestia stomped her numb hoof in the snow. “We all die. And maybe—” She tried to hold back a sob. “—maybe you think building a city will make ponies remember you. Maybe you think it will make up for what you did. But I'll die knowing I tried to stop you, and you'll just die alone, in your dark little bedroom, on your hard, stone bed.”

For a moment, nobody spoke.

For a moment, Celestia allowed herself to think she had somehow convinced Grogar of the error of his ways.

But he only snarled. “Then I shall die. And you shall die. And we shall both die knowing we did what we had to do. Duty, Princess, to whoever is around to receive it.” His bell started ringing. “We will always have a dut—”

And then, from the distance, came the most beautiful sound Celestia had ever heard. Grogar heard it, too, but to him she could tell it was the most loathsome, painful sound in existence.

It was the ringing of an old church bell.

“So.” Grogar chuckled. “The Witch of All Ages could not hold you.”

“I've got friends in...odd places.” Celestia tried to maintain her proud stance despite how drained she felt.

“And you've come to fight me.” Grogar grimaced. “Always fighting your sister's battles. Will you ever learn?”

“You mean to destroy my nation. That is my battle.”

“Believe me, what I have planned would be an improvement. But...” Grogar smirked. “You have your duty. So I suppose it is time for the final little strug—”

“ATTENTION, GROGAR!” boomed a voice from above. “CEASE ALL HOSTILE ACTIVITIES AND LAY DOWN ARMS AT ONCE!”

Celestia and Grogar eyed each other.

“I'm not looking up this time,” Grogar said.

Zecora looked up. “It seems the heroes are done laggin'...”

Grogar's eyes shut. “Unless the demon prince Dagon has arrived to add insult to injury, do not finish that sentence.”

Zecora paused. “...well, then I'd never speak a-gain.”

“You see? There are plenty of rhymes that don't involve—”

“THE ROYAL AMBASSADOR FROM THE DRAGON LANDS HAS ARRIVED, AND I AM NOT AMUSED BY WHAT I SEE!”

Now Celestia did look up. High above were three dragons. Four, if one were to count the small purple-and-green dragon clinging to the leg of a familiar purple alicorn. Besides her, each of the dragons bore a pony on its back, and two pegasi—one yellow, one cyan—flew next to the alicorn.

She looked back at Grogar, whose lip had curled in a ferocious snarl. “It seems my friends have once again trumped your city, Grogar.” She raised an eyebrow. “Surrender.”

Grogar looked at her long. Celestia held her breath—would they be forced to slay the Chief Warden of Tartarus?

“You know,” he muttered, “you could have stood aside.”

“Excuse me?”

“When the Night Princess first betrayed you.” He frowned at Celestia. “You could have asked for our help. We could have spared you the difficulty of...dispatching her.”

Of all the reactions Celestia had anticipated, this most certainly had not been among them. “What are you saying?”

“Hmph!” Grogar looked up at the sky, tone getting a bit wilder. “You ruled your city—or nation, regardless—alone for a thousand years. You should have asked for our help.”

“What, from you?” Celestia rolled her eyes. “Even if I'd known you were free, why would I ever trust you?”

“I was a Warden!” Grogar kicked a nearby shelf away, destroying the last of Zecora's possessions. “Tartarus was once close to allies with Equestria, and we were the only ones who lived long enough to remember how unpleasant things were before Discord's defeat!”

“Again...” Celestia tried to parse what Grogar was saying. “Where are you going with this, Grogar?”

“Hmph.” Grogar eyed the ground. “Only that perhaps we could have helped. Could have built something together. If not Tambelon, perhaps we could have allowed our respective nations to grow.”

“Grogar...” Luna took a step forward. “Are you saying you wanted to help us?”

“Certainly not you!” Grogar said, voice suddenly rising with fury. “What do duty and loyalty mean to a self-absorbed traitor?” He let out a hateful laugh. “I...I simply thought I could...”

His eyes narrowed to slits as he pawed the ground. “I only wished to build. When imprisoned in Tartarus, most are given much time alone with their thoughts. It occurred to me that if I got out...I might be able to build something new. Something that would not be sealed away.” He looked up. “Something that could be respected.”

Luna stared blankly. Celestia was about as confused. She felt something small land on her back. The only things Grogar knows are rage and duty, Echechak rasped. Think, Princesses, if you can.

Celestia blinked. “Grogar...did you want my approval?”

“Do not flatter yourself.” Grogar gave a derisive snort. “You were the first foe I met who was not afraid to die. I respected you for it. Perhaps I simply wanted you to return the favor and treat me—the whole of Tartarus—as an equal power for a change, rather than a beast to be appeased.”

Coughing, the ram crouched down. “But it is far too late for that. Revenge is my path, it seems. My duty here is to die. I will accept it knowing that, for all my pains, I at least made some ponies miserable for a few days first.”

Celestia noticed Luna's eye twitch.

She considered it a moment, then found herself walking forward. “If you die, Tambelon goes without an owner. Tartarus dissolves into anarchy. And our Equestria is left without...the only others who remember how it once was.”

Haltingly, wondering if she was making a horrible mistake, she placed a hoof on Grogar's shoulder.

Grogar looked up at her. For a moment, it seemed like he was about to shout at her.

“I don't believe either of our duties involve dying today, Grogar,” she said quietly. “Wouldn't you rather at least try for a more...productive solution?”

Grogar took a deep breath, staring at her intently.

Celestia held her breath. On her back, she felt Echechak tense. Beside her, she saw Luna's eyes were wide.

Behind her, she heard Zecora cursing under her breath.

Grogar cleared his throat. “As long as I may build...well, perhaps I can stand to build for Tartarus a short while longer.”

Celestia risked a smile. Grogar responded with a polite grimace.

“ATTENTION, GROGAR! THIS IS THE ROYAL DIPLOMAT OF THE DRAGON LANDS! CEASE STANDING AROUND AMBIGUOUSLY AT ONCE OR FEEL OUR WRA—ACK!”

They looked up. The smallest dragon, a gold-and-silver-scaled snakelike creature, had been grabbed by what appeared to be a giant pair of snake tongs. Clutching the handle of the tongs was Discord in a khaki shirt. “Oh, 'crikey'!” he called. “This is a truly, er, 'stroppy' one!”

“Discord!” Celestia heard Fluttershy shout. “Don't strangle the dragon!”

“Not even a little?”

“No!”

“Fi-i-ine.” The snake tongs vanished. Discord turned and reappeared in what had once been Zecora's hut, wearing camouflage clothes and brandishing what looked like some sort of oddly-shaped wand. “Arright, Sarge,” he muttered to Celestia, “who must I, um, 'fill with lead'?”

Celestia looked up at Fluttershy, who shrugged. Perhaps Discord is trying to be endearing. Or perhaps he's found a new way to drive us all insane.

“Um...” She lowered her hoof from Grogar's shoulder and gave her head an apologetic tilt. “We actually wrapped this up without you, Discord.”

His jaw dropped. “You're not serious.”

“Sorry to disappoint you,” Luna said.

“But—but I sent all the monsters back to Tartarus!” Discord's voice became a whine. “It took forever!”

“About ten minutes, actually,” Fluttershy said, landing beside Luna.

“What am I supposed to do now? Are you sure there's nobody left to eviscerate?”

Zecora raised a hoof. “I believe I have a task for you. Rebuilding is something you can do.”

Discord groaned. “Construction work?”

“Replace the walls, shelves, vials and roof. Oh, and...” The zebra shot a glare at Celestia. “Make sure to make it alicorn-proof.”

---

“Not a step closer!” The octopus screeched, its tentacles clutching the tip of Canterlot's tallest tower as it eyed the approaching dragons and their riders. “Or I rip her in two!”

Cadance sighed, grasped firmly between two of Squirk's tentacles. At least Grogar appeared to have been stopped—at least, she assumed so, since her aunts had returned. She, Crang and Squirk had been waiting on this tower for about an hour now.

“Squirk!” Grogar called. “Enough of that idiocy! The war is lost!”

“Hah! It's not over until the fat lady sings, Grogar!”

“Well, you're the closest thing we've got,” Cadance muttered. “You know any chords?”

“Shaddup!”

“What did you just say to me, you miserable mollusk?”

“Not you, Grogar! The alicorn!”

“Squirk!” Celestia shouted. “Put that pink alicorn down!”

“Not until the Amulet is mine!”

Cadance had to admit that this was quite a pickle. The journey underwater had soaked her wings so thoroughly she wouldn't be able to fly if Squirk just dropped her. And it would be especially hard to fly if she'd been ripped in half, of course. It would take a miracle to resolve this quickly.

BOOM

Cadance cocked her head. What was that noise?

BOOM

Whatever it was, it was coming from higher up on the mountain.

BOOM

Cadance tried to twist around to see, but Squirk would have none of it. He gave a cruel laugh. “You'd better remember where you put my amulet, Grogar, or the alicorn...will di-i-ie!”

“Why should I care for her fate? This effort is pointless. The actual alicorns will make calamari of you if you do kill her.”

Actual alicorns? Cadance's eyes narrowed. She made a note to make Grogar fall in love with a patch of nettles if she ever got her baseball head thing fixed.

“Uh, Squirk,” Crang said, voice getting nervous.

“Shaddup, Crang! An' Grogar, they'll make mutton out of you—”

“Again, I am not a sheep.”

“—if you let their little niece die! The amulet!

THE STARS ARE WRONG.

“Uh, Squirk, didja hear—”

“Shaddup, Crang!”

“But that—”

“I said—”

THE STARS ARE WRONG.

A shadow passed over them, blocking the moon's dull glow.

After a moment, Squirk spoke again. “Oh, uh, right. My mistake, ponies.” Cadance found herself clumsily placed on the nearest balcony. “My mistake. Didn't know it was you. Heat of the sun. Not used to being out of water this long.”

She heard the octopus slither away, leaping over the castle walls and plummeting down off the mountainside—doubtless aiming for some little duck pond. Cadance hoped he'd miss the target.

“My heartfelt thanks, Lord Cthulhu,” she heard Luna say.

THE STARS ARE WRONG.

“Yes. I...” Luna was interrupted by what sounded like a yawn. “...I must sleep. Once that is done, the stars will be immediately repaired. My apologies.”

UNDERSTOOD. SLEEP WELL, PRINCESS.

Cadance heard Cthulhu stomp back up the mountain.

The Princess of Heart lay on the balcony and let out a groan.

This had been a very long week.

Comments

[Beegirl Scribbler]

And behold, the penultimate chapter! I've never managed to complete a serialized work before, and I kinda half-expected to fail with this one. Rats in the Belfry wasn't perfect. I'd just recently learned I needed to work on my comma usage at the start, and I think it was only around the end that I began to really make any changes. But I still like how it's turned out. And it certainly got more fun around the tenth chapter onwards.

The epilogue will be posted tomorrow. Thanks to everyone who's posted--even those who posted to say I mucked up a character or spent too long on a scene. Knowing people were reading (and silently judging me ) was what kept me from just giving up around the sixth chapter. Cheers!

[Prince_Staghorn]

Ia, Ia, Cthulhu ftaghn
Ia, Ia, Cthulhu ftaghn
Ia, Ia, Cthulhu ftaghn
Ia, Ia, Cthulhu ftaghn
Ia, Ia, Cthulhu ftaghn
Ia, Ia, Cthulhu ftaghn
Ia, Ia, Cthulhu ftaghn
Ia, Ia, Cthulhu ftaghn
Ia, Ia, Cthulhu ftaghn
Ia, Ia, Cthulhu ftaghn
Ia! Ia! Cthulhu ftaghn!
Ia! Ia! Cthulhu ftaghn!
Ia! Ia! Cthulhu ftaghn!
Ia! Ia! Cthulhu ftaghn!
Ia! Ia! Cthulhu ftaghn!
Ia! Ia! Cthulhu ftaghn!
Ia! Ia! Cthulhu ftaghn!
Ia! Ia! Cthulhu ftaghn!
Ia! Ia! Cthulhu ftaghn!
Ia! Ia! Cthulhu ftaghn!
Ia! Ia! Cthulhu ftaghn!
Ia! Ia! Cthulhu ftaghn!
Ia! Ia! Cthulhu ftaghn!
Ia! Ia! Cthulhu ftaghn!
Ia! Ia! Cthulhu ftaghn!
Ia! Ia! Cthulhu ftaghn!
Ia! Ia! Cthulhu ftaghn!
Ia! Ia! Cthulhu ftaghn!
Ia! Ia! Cthulhu ftaghn!
Ia! Ia! Cthulhu ftaghn!

[Arzoo]

Grogar's part didn't feel like it resolved neatly. I think it needed more implications that peace was ever possible for him, though maybe I just missed them or forgot over the course of the story.

The climax could have been more climactic, but overall I liked the story. There's not enough good fanfics working an original idea like this. I hope you write further stories.

[Mr. Grimm]

Was not expecting Grogar to 'reform'... (Though I suspect he isn't really, totally, completely, Anywhere-near-reformed.)

And it didn't really feel that out of place. I was thinking that Grogar wanted Tambelon back because he missed his home. After all, the fiery, brightly burning brimstone of Tartarus is so different from the dark, sunless, shadowy stone of Tambelon.

And also, Cthulhu was pretty kick-ass. An Eldritch Abomination with OCD. And for some reason I'm getting a vibe that he might be Squirk's father or something.

[Beegirl Scribbler]

2754320 Honestly, I only decided Grogar would get 'redeemed' shortly after Chapter Sixteen. This story wasn't exactly perfectly planned. To give my perspective, I see Grogar's agreement as more a willing surrender than a true redemption (it was agree to work with the alicorns or get killed), but that still isn't an excuse for his respect for Celestia coming out of nowhere. Your critique is fair, and I hope to write more, better stories in the future.

[vazak]

I did not see that coming; I am a little confused why a few dragons worried Grogar, but the exact power scale of these characters does leave me a bit confused; regardless this was an extremely interesting and well written series and definitely worth a read, the ending with Squark was fun with Grogar playing hostage negotiator and Cadence being herself. Cthulu seemed a bit random, bt amusing regardless and the star line was extremely clever.

[Puzzle Reader]

CTHULHU. Completely unexpected, yet AWESOME.