//------------------------------// // Chapter 12: Party // Story: The Reader // by GnollReader //------------------------------// After Pinkie Pie had left Purple Haze had tried to explain the concept of a party to the gnoll. He seemed to understand the basic idea but was unsure of its use. When he realized that he had crashed something that came from good intentions, he became silent again. She searched what she could see of his face, she saw sadness. "Oh, come on! I'm sure the ponies will forget about it soon. They're probably going to be laughing about it tomorrow." she tried to cheer him up. "Is no laughing matter." he replied gravely. She didn't know how to answer, and they both returned to staring at the stars in silence. For the first time she actually feared she wouldn't be able to get him back again. "What are you guys looking at?" a voice asked from his shoulder. They both turned to look at Pinkie, who was currently seated on the gnolls shoulder. The gnoll sighed, it seemed useless to try and understand how she kept on sneaking up to him. He raised a paw to carefully lift her off his shoulder and set her on the ground before him, "What does Pink Pie want?" She beamed a smile at him, "Hihi, your paws tickle! I brought you cake! What else, silly?" seemingly out of nowhere she brought up a slice of what Purple Haze identified as frosted cake. "Here, try it!" she offered it to the gnoll. He sniffed it, the smell was sweet but that could just as well be the pink pony. She smelled like an open jar of honey. He turned to Purple Haze, "What does Scar do?" She shrugged, "Try it. I'm sure you could use some food." He turned back to the pink one and searched her face, there was nothing but friendliness in it. Still, maybe it was drugged. He turned to look at Purple Haze again, "Go on, I'm sure it's okay." He carefully reached out and picked up the little thing between a finger and a thumb. He inspected it carefully, it was colorful and seemed spongy to the touch. He brought it up to his maw and ever so carefully, he nibbled at it. And stopped. Frozen, unmoving. "Scar, are you ok?" Purple Haze asked worriedly, he didn't respond. He was as still as a rock. Pinkie's grin was growing. The taste. The taste! It was as if he was breathing honey clouds. It filled his whole being, and he wanted more. Let them trap him if they wanted to, as long as there was cake he would gladly meet all the annoying ponies they had to offer. He'd even do tricks for this. Without a word, he threw the rest of the cake into his maw, picked up a pony under each arm and started walking. Purple Haze was too shocked to respond at first while he trudged along. "Uhm, Scar. Could you like, put us down?" he didn't answer. "Oh cheer up and enjoy the ride!" Pinkie Pie was clearly enjoying this. She wasn't actually complaining, her hooves still hurt after the march through the forest and he seemed to carry both of them with ease. Still, she was a captain of the night guard, and if any guard ponies would see her like this she would never have a peaceful minute in her life again. "So..." she tried to catch his attention, "We're going back?" He nodded vigorously, there was a wild look in his eyes. "Gnoll goes back to big pony house. There it eats cake..." he stopped for a second to look at Pinkie Pie, "There be more cake?" She simply laughed, "Is there more? I have enough cake to feed a town!" He nodded once, and turned to Purple Haze who was still being held under one of his arms. "Scar goes eat cake! Scar says sorry to little ponies. Then Scar eats more cake! Then rest, then eat cake again!" "Oookayyy." Purple Haze wasn't sure if this was good, "Could you at least stop carrying me around like some log? It's not really... well it doesn't feel right." He tilted his head, "Shiny pony not comfy? Scar can solve." he simply flung her up onto his back, "See? Gnoll back much more comfy!" She thought about protesting, but in the forest flight wasn't an alternative and his back actually was a lot more comfortable. So she sighed and clung on as he happily trudged through the forest. She would get off once they reached the tree line. "Wow, can I travel on your back too?" Pinkie asked, but the gnoll shook his head. "No, gnoll back only for tiny ponies and shiny pony." Pinkie thought for a moment, "Well if she's special then I guess that's okay." she smiled at him. The gnoll nodded, "Special shiny pony." Maybe she'd stay on his back a bit longer. Seeing as it was reserved only for special ponies did make her feel oddly proud. Let the others make fun of it, she wouldn't care. It was then that she realized that something felt weird beneath her. She traced his back with one of her hooves. She felt fur under the cloth, and the gnoll slightly shifted his shoulders as she traced it upwards until she reached a certain part. There was no fur under this part. It felt, bumpy. She prodded it lightly, wondering what it was. To her surprise he didn't react at all. He didn't feel anything on that part. The realization hit her hard, it was burnt skin. She had never seen the scars on his back but from what she estimated from the feeling the area was huge. "Shiny pony still there? Is very quiet up there." the gnoll asked as he walked on. "...Yeah... I'm still there..." she tried to suppress a growing lump in her throat. He craned his head up slightly, "Shiny pony okay? Scar go too fast?" She shook her head, "No, no everything is fine. Just a bit tired." she tried to change the subject, "So, when are we going to reach the barn?" He broke through another bush, Pinkie Pie squealed in delight. "We there." "OOOOH, wait! Can you set me down?" he set down Pinkie Pie in front of him, "I'm going to go ahead and make sure everything is absolutely perfect when you come! Just wait like, five minutes before going on! Okay?" The gnoll thought for a moment, then nodded, "Scar goes slow from here. Pink Pie has time." "GREAT!" there was a blur of confetti, and she was gone again. He looked towards the barn in silence for a moment, then craned his neck slightly, "Shiny pony want to stay on gnoll back?" "I'll stay up here if it's okay with you." she sounded sullen, or sad? He wasn't sure what it was, but he figured she was just tired. He started walking again, "Shiny pony, smile. Is good day. There be cake, so shiny pony and Scar can smile!" he thought for a moment, "Pink Pie pony tell gnoll, 'Smile, and ponies smile with it.' Scar thinks Pink Pie right." He couldn't see it, but she was smiling.