//------------------------------// // Chapter 4 // Story: MLP G5: Groger // by aceotaku //------------------------------// Groger walked towards the now shaking and wide eyed unicorn, his red eyes bearing down onto her. Her horn began to glow softly as she prepared a spell and Groger simply a fired a blast of pure magical force and knocked her against the wall. He turned towards the Flutterponies, horns glowing as he prepared to take them, but suddenly the floor beneath him literally sprang up and he barely managed to teleport away as the section of flooring slammed into the ceiling, Horseshoes and Lickety Split running and gliding in respectively, Horseshoes tending to her fallen friend as the Pegasus attempted to carry the Flutterponies away. Horseshoes stood on her hind legs as she carried the young Unicorn over her shoulders. Razzle blinked a few times as she tried to regain focus despite the pain she was in. "W-what's going on?" "That Groger guy is nuts and is trying to kidnap the Flutterponies, he even sent his goons to try and kill us to get at them." "B-but surely there is a rational explanation for this! I mean, the Flutterponies are criminals" "We only have Groger's word on that and I may be wrong, but I don't think he's the most reliable source of info just now." As they exited the front door of the building, Lickety Split was knocked down to the ground with a yelp, the unconscious Flutterponies rolling across the ground a few centimetres away, a now incredibly livid looking Groger standing atop the Pegasus' back, his claw at his throat, Lickety Split's wings now apparently made of lead. "Do not test my patience further!" Horseshoes growled and glared at Groger as Razzle looked on in horror. "But...why...?" "You are healing them! If I didn't come myself they would escape, and my chance at immortality would be wasted! Do you realise how many of their kind I killed to create that elixir!? Would you have me waste all those resources for nothing!?" "Elixir...?" Razzle stared, wide eyed. "They aren't...? You're...YOU'RE USING THEM TO MAKE AN IMMORTALITY POTION!?" "Correct." He glared. "But...don't you know those are always worthless, ancient hoaxes from ancient times...HOW MANY DIED BECAUSE YOU FELL FOR AN ANCIENT SCAM!?" "Hundreds, maybe thousands." Groger stated simply. "I would do whatever it took, take every chance, if it meant I will have immortal life. However, if it is indeed a hoax, which is likely, then I will simply have to collect some new resources to replenish my life until I found a more permanent solution." Razzle gasped. "The other Unicorns..." His eyes narrowed, a small sneer on his lips. "Correct. That is why I had a low level student like you introduce me: that way, if someone they knew informed them I meant them well, they would regard me with trust; even more so once I showed them my abilities...magic scholars are all alike; they only respect two things: themselves and those like them, and magical power. Thanks to you, i was entrenched in their minds as both, making it easy for me to lay my own trap. Their magical stores will help sustain me far longer than ordinary creatures." Tears fell down the Unicorn's muzzle as she began to glare at the ram-goat, her heart aching from betrayal. "I TRUSTED YOU! WE ALL DID!" "Most of us did." Horseshoes corrected. Groger's eyes narrowed even further. "You judged poorly." He tightened his grip around Lickety Split's throat, the Pegasus gagging for air. Razzle screamed in anger and terror and despair, picking up a rock with her magic and throwing it at Groger's face. It didn't hurt the sorcerer much, but it made him loosen his grip, and Horseshoes charged and knocked him off her newfound friend. Razzle helped Lickety Split up who was bruised and panting for air while Horseshoes faced Groger, who suddenly teleported, reappearing at Horseshoes' side and throwing her to the ground painfully with his magic. "CHILDREN! WHO ARE YOU TO JUDGE ME OR MY ACTIONS!? HOW DARE YOU STAND BETWEEN ME AND MY DESIRES!?" He tightened the magical grip on Horseshoes' throat, who struggled and tried to pull it off with her hooves, only for her hooves to pass through the magical energy. Her eyes rolled up as the magic tightened further. Razzle began to sweat and struggle to stand as she lifted five whole rocks off the ground and threw them Groger who simply lifted a portion of the ground itself off and threw it at her, who was just barely pulled out of the way with the help of a very injured Lickety Split. Groger continued to strangle Horseshoes. Razzle began crying at the sight. "STOP, PLEASE! You...YOU CAN TAKE THE FLUTTERPONIES! Just...JUST LEAVE HORSESHOES ALONE!" Groger glared and the magic dissipated, dropping Horseshoes to the ground. It hurt her, but at least she was alive and breathing, gasping for breath. "I am willing to allow you three to live if you agree to not to continue to hamper my efforts any longer." Groger stated coolly, on guard. "A-and release my fellow Unicorns!" Razzle added, nervously. "This is not a negotiation. I will have what I want: the Flutterponies AND the Unicorns. Can't be too careful." Razzle grunted and closed her eyes as her horn glowed, but it did so haltingly, as if having difficulty performing. Groger smirked. "Those spells i taught are too high level for one so young, and even if you could use them, they are mere parlour tricks, no use in actual practical situations, let alone combat." The Unicorn glared at him. "I-I'm not using those damn spells you taught me, you duplicitous sneak!" She collapsed to her knees as she lifted a large portion of Lickety's house and tossed her head as she threw the wall at Groger, who didn't even blink. Instead, all four of his horns glowed and the wall turned into water as it splashed onto him and the ground harmlessly, all four horns glowed again and portions of the earth surrounding him lifted from the ground and turned to metal, becoming an assortment of axes and swords that spun and flew around his body. He glared. "I am not some low calibre wizard. I am a sorcerer, I master of my art! I am done with these games." The multitude of weapons spun faster and widened their arc, the three ponies jumping away. Groger glared and then sent the sharp weapons flying outwards, Lickety Split flying upwards and doging easily, however Razzle Dazzle and Horseshoes were not so quick, and got several cuts across their front legs and flanks. Groger eyed the unconscious bodies of the Flutterponies and teleported to one, lifting her up with his magic, smirking. Lickety flew into his almost half demolished house and flew back out, carrying what looked like one of the turret traps but made to be carried by a pony. He pressed a button and fired three large metal balls at the aging hybrid. Groger teleported himself and his captive out of the, reappearing as the balls struck empty ground. "Careful, you almost hit one of the people you desperately tried to help." Groger taunted humourlessly. He dropped her to the ground, and his horns began to glow, lifting three whole houses from behind him up into the air and they started to spin. He threw one of them at Lickety's house with such speed that it tour three six whole blocks as it turn and tore itself apart. "That was a warning shot." Groger stated. "Give up and let me take the other one." "Never!" Lickety Split shouted hammily. He yelped and flew to the ground as he barely dodged one of the houses Groger threw at him, only to have a large sheet of metal appear on the ground and slam into his face. Horseshoes and Razzle got up, regrouping and Lickety dazedly walked over to them both. Groger glared menacingly. "Why do you fight me?" "DUH!" Horseshoes snapped. "You're kidnapping innocent people, hurting them for some damn...snake oil! AND you're kidnapping members of our city! Why WOULDN'T we try to stop you with all out might?" Groger chuckled darkly, though his face showed now mirth, not even a smirk. "Then you will die." His horns glowed and the debris of broken houses lifted upwards and flew towards them, melting and changing into metal, becoming thick metal chains that tied around them and restricted their movement. Razzle glared, her horn glowed pitifully, her weakened and damaged body not helping her attempt. Before Groger could make any further attempt, the Flutterponies flew into his sides and struck him with their insectoid hooves, winding him before they gave him a hard headbutt and he cried out in pain. They flew away and looked down at the three ponies, their gazes softening guiltily as they retreated. "NO!" Groger shouted, grabbing at the fleeing creatures with his magic and holding them in place, his eyes wide, snarling in rage. "YOU of ALL creatures SHALL NOT DEFY ME!" "Enough." Everyone blinked in surprise and turned to look in the direction the voice from and saw, for the three ponies at least, familiar sight. Groger's eyes narrowed. "Who are YOU?" Hocus Pocus' expression was stern and disapproving, though his eyes showed how angry he was. "I am Hocus Pocus, Master Merlin of the Wizard Community and respected protector of this city. And you, Sir Groger...I have heard MUCH of YOU." His horn glowed a bright white and he struck Groger with a blast of pure energy, the attack powerful enough to knock the ram-goat unconscious, his grip on the Flutterponies dissipating and the pair flew away. At the same time, the chains trapping the ponies fell apart and become the small mass of debris they were before. Razzle Dazzle ran to her master and hugged him tearfully while Lickety Split looked up at the retreating creatures. "They didn't even try to help us..." Lickety Split said quietly, morosely. "There was so much i wanted to ask them..." Horseshoes sighed. "You know what...normally, I'd be bothered but right now...I'm too exhausted to care." Hocus Pocus, for his part, returned the hug warmly to Razzle Dazzle, keeping a stern eye on the fallen form of Groger. ------------------------------------ Hocus Pocus had managed to root out the soldiers under Groger's employ and rescue the Unicorn hostages. The soldiers immediately swore to return to their home, the Province of Tambelon, in exchange for one thing. Hocus Pocus was willing to oblige. Heckler and Julius, however, chose to stay by Groger's side, and all three were placed within the Kingdom's prison. Now, all that remained was to deal with the ram-goat sorcerer. Hocus Pocus stood before Groger and his two right hand men, flanked by several knights with Razzle Dazzle by his right. He gazed at the ram-goat as he regained consciousness. "Groger of Tambelon." Hocus Pocus stated. "We are within a special wing of our prison. Within these walls are placed charms that restrict magical power. If you try ANYTHING against myself or the other citizens here with me, you will suffer excruciating pain unlike any other." Groger glared. "And what do you plan to do with me?" The Unicorn returned the glare balefully. "You have committed terrible crimes. Attempted kidnapping. Property damage. Assault, particularly against children and members of our law enforcement. You have even confessed to committing near genocide on an entire species, for extremely petty concerns." "IMMORTALITY IS NOT PETTY!" "Enough! I have heard as much as i can take of you! You come in here, take advantage of my people's goodwill, ATTACK my protégé and endanger the lives of my fellow wizards as a...as a BARGAINING CHIP. And I know that you are not repentant, you are not SORRY, so I am left with no choice; I will banish you and those loyal to you, to someplace where you cannot harm anyone, pony or otherwise." "You will rue this day!" Heckler and Julius stood at Groger's side, the donkey sneering and the ram snorting angrily. Hocus Pocus' horn glowed white, brighter than the attack he unleashed upon Groger. "I shall inform you of what the banishment spell does, you deserve at least that much: you will be sent to a location of my choosing, miles away from here, and the spell will drain your magic for a long period of time. You will be lost, defenceless and with no hope of survival." Groger growled. "You call this justice?" "No. But you are too dangerous to lock up in here indefinitely...besides, you hurt my student, and my fellow citizens. THAT is reason enough. BANISH!" His horn sent out a wide burst of light that covered Groger, Heckler and Julius completely and suddenly...they were gone. "I'm sorry Razzle but...you need to see what happens to those who break the law, who hurt our fellows in any way..." "No master...I wanted to come..."Razzle's gaze hardened. "I think he deserved worse..." The older Unicorn sighed, a regretful look on his face. "Please...do not say such things ever again...It..." "Forgive me master..." She looked down. "He just...he hurt me...more than physically..." He nodded, laying a gentle hoof on her shoulder. "He's gone now...we shan't see him again." "I hope so..."Razzle looked at the ground, not wanting her master to see her expression of anger, of hatred. "I hope we never see his ilk ever again." ---------------------------------------- Deep within the caverns of a mountain, surrounded by crystal, rock and darkness, Groger raged.