//------------------------------// // Chapter 71: Manehatten // Story: The Reader // by GnollReader //------------------------------// Lieutenant Berryshakes waited at the cargo depot of Manehatten with anticipation, they were late... again. She gave a small sigh, it wasn't that important. She'd get a chance to work with the gnoll again, that's all that mattered. It would be hard to confess her own incapability towards him, but she was determined to learn. And if someone could teach her, it was him. After witnessing him track down the lost ponies with such ease she had taken his advice and had tried to, as he had put it, 'Learn some wisdom'. She had studied all books she could find on tracking with fascination and had even tried her new skills on some animal prints in the woods. With devastating results. No matter how patiently she tried to observe her surroundings the marks and signs of the wildlife had remained a secret for her. The subject of tracking had become an obsession to her, and even more so the gnoll. Upon realizing she wasn't making any progress she had sent a personal request back to Canterlot stating that she wished to aid Scar and Purple Haze on future missions. Her request carried the hope that given the chance he might teach her some of his knowledge. Realizing she had been pacing up and down the station while lost in her thoughts she tried to calm herself again, guard ponies should be patient. She chuckled to herself as she remembered his words. Patience, that had been a hard first lesson to learn. She mentally calmed herself and looked over the assembled guards. Princess Celestia had commissioned a dozen guards to aid them, clearly stating that she did not wish the gnoll to come to any harm. After seeing him handle the diamond dogs though, she highly doubted that the gnoll actually needed protection. The fact that most of the guards had just only finished basic training made her wonder who would be doing the protecting. "Lieutenant?" one of the guards spoke up uneasily. They had seemed strangely tense to her ever since they had been commissioned to this mission. "Yes, private?" Berryshakes asked with a calm voice, whatever this was about it would probably be interesting. "It's about the mission..." the guard said with uncertainty, "We heard rumors... are we really going to work together with a beast?" Berryshakes suppressed a laugh, "Well I did see him take off a diamond dog's head with one swipe of his paws but I wouldn't go so far as to call him a beast. He's a bit wild though so I suggest you do your best not to annoy him." she saw the color drain from the faces of several guards. "Pull yourselves together! He doesn't eat ponies." A smile grew over her face as she heard a train whistle, "Well, I'll be... Speak of the gnoll and he won't be far..." --- As Purple Haze drew open the cabin door and stepped outside she was met with a familiar face, "Lieutenant Berryshakes? I thought you were stationed at Shoretrot?" "Marshall Purple Haze." Berryshakes saluted before continuing, "I personally requested to be reassigned." Purple Haze raised an eyebrow, "You did? Well enough, I had hoped to have somepony assist us that isn't going to faint when meeting him." she chuckled as she greeted Berryshakes with a hoofshake. Purple Haze checked on the guards behind Berryshakes, "What's up with them?" "Princess Celestia sent them to assist our hunt." "They look a bit pale... pretty young too..." Purple Haze replied with a dry voice, "Please don't tell me they're fresh from training." Berryshakes gave her a meek smile, "You can't always get what you want. At least you'll have us there to cover your backs." She checked the cabin door, "So, where is he?" Purple Haze turned around and looked at the open door with a sigh, "Sleeping since we got on board. Didn't stop Tag from talking nonsense the whole way... I seriously wonder where he picked up all that stuff from. It's not like he reads a lot." "Tag?" Berryshakes asked with confusion. "He likes to be called Sir Tag..." she saw Berryshakes' look, "You'll understand in a minute, let me wake him up." The guards and the lieutenant watched in silence as Purple Haze got back on the cart and disappeared from their view. "Scar, we're there..." they could hear her talk from outside, "Come on, wake up." "Are we there yet?" a male voice could be heard. "Yes, we're there..." Purple Haze's voice sounded annoyed. "Excellent! Come on old fellow, we have work to do!" the voice piped excitedly. A long and deep yawn could be heard, "Scar is awake, just a bit sleepy... where did Scar put its book?" "Was it the little one with the red flower on it? "Was it." the deep voice replied. "I'm afraid I haven't seen it... did you check your pockets? Or under the seats?" There was a pause, "Was in pocket." "Alright, now can we please go? They're waiting for us out there." Purple Haze could be heard before she stepped out of the cabin door and onto the rail yard again. The guards had been watching with mild amusement until now, but the moment Purple Haze stepped onto the ground something started to move inside the cart. Heavy steps could be heard, the cart shaking slightly with each step. The guards held their breath, a grin was growing on Berryshakes' face. The gnoll stepped out of the cart, and the guards' mouths dropped in unison. He stood before them and cracked his neck with a small motion before raising an impossibly large maul with one arm and letting it rest on one of his shoulders with a fluid motion that betrayed the weapon's size. He eyed them with a single red eye before giving a short nod, "Ponies." At that moment a voice started to hum from the maul, "Greetings, ponies of Manehatten! Sir Tag and Scar have come to free you of the restraints of confining structures. We shall grind our foes' bones to dust and tear out their evil little throats so they may never again say a word which could bring dishonor to honor! Let us tear down wall upon wall and bury our differences as we walk over the shattered remains of our enemies and onwards to illustrious glory! " "Tear out rat throats, Scar likes that." the gnoll commented as he watched the ponies before him. "Thank you very much. It seemed appropriate that a fitting statement should be made at our arrival, so I..." there was a loud thump, "It seems one of the guards has opted to faint..." "Was good speech though..." Scar replied with a shrug. Berryshakes turned to Purple Haze, "He got himself a talking hammer?" "Try annoying, sexist and compulsively destructive talking hammer..." Purple Haze replied with a small smile, "You'll get used to it." "I think I liked the smack door better." Berryshakes replied with a small smile of her own.