//------------------------------//
// Chapter 87: Understanding one another 
// Story: The Reader 
// by GnollReader 
//------------------------------//

The door was opened again, and Trixie looked up to see Purple Haze enter the room. She watched her walk up to her and take a seat. Purple Haze took a deep breath, and without looking at Trixie, she started to talk.

"I am Marshall Purple Haze, and I have been traveling with Scar for the last weeks..."

"You have?" Trixie asked with a sad smile, "It is good to know he has found a new home and friends..."

"He has told me of his past... but I still fail to understand why he would simply let you go." Purple Haze cast her an angry glance, "After all that pain he went through, after losing his family... after what you and the others did to him... I would have turned into a monster, but he..."

"He didn't... because he never gave us up." Trixie replied before giving Purple Haze a questioning look, "How much did he tell you?"

"He told me of the black sleep, and of his mother's death."

"Did he tell you that he stayed at her side for a whole week even after she had passed on?" Trixie asked with a heavy voice, "Did he tell you of the countless nights he spent alone in the wild? How he almost became a beast in his sorrow?"

Purple Haze gave her an incredulous look, "He told you those things?"

Trixie shook her head, "I saw them when I entered his mind, I saw all of his memories... and they became my memories as well... and it hurt me in my heart to see what he has gone through."

For a lingering moment, Purple Haze simply stared at Trixie. Then, with a determined face she reached up and removed the seal from Trixie's horn.

"What are you doing?" Trixie asked in surprise.

"Show me."

"What?"

Purple Haze looked her straight into the eyes, "I want to see what you saw. I want to know everything, so show me."

Trixie looked unsure of herself, "I..." she studied Purple Haze's face, and saw a small tear form in one of her eyes, "You care for him..." she whispered in realization.

"I want to understand..." Purple Haze said with a bitter voice, "So... please, show me."

Trixie took a deep breath, trying hard to calm her mind as she studied Purple Haze. After a short pause she closed her eyes and gathered her magic. When her mind touched with that of Purple Haze, she showed her everything she had seen in Scar's mind.


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Scar did what he had always done when his mind was troubled, he wandered around aimlessly. He didn't even notice he had left the castle behind and was wandering the streets of Canterlot until he almost bumped into a small building.

The gnoll paused his pondering and looked up at the small house, there was a little sign above the door, 'Alchemist's Conundrum' was written in big and curved letters on it.

He frowned, wondering what the words meant. He sniffed the door, countless scents entered his nose and under all of them, there was the faint but unmistakable scent of magic.

For a moment the gnoll hesitated, but seeing as he had no other immediate plans his curiosity got the better of him, and he stepped through the door.

As he entered the small building, a small bell on the top end of the door rang, signaling his presence. Inside, Scar was surprised to see countless little bottles stacked neatly into numerous shelves.

"One moment, be right with you!" a voiced piped up from the back.

Scar waited patiently, and after another moment a pony came walking up to the counter with quick steps.

"Welcome to the Alchemist's Conundrum! Where all your wishes are only a drink away! How can I..." the pony started to stammer as he saw the gnoll, his face losing all color.

First, the pony just stared at Scar with huge eyes. Then, the gnoll watched in amusement as he went frantic.

"I knew I should have stayed in bed! My horoscope explicitly said, 'New, exciting experiences are coming your way.' and now I'm going to be eaten!" he sighed, "Might as well get on with it..." he bowed his head, "Go on, but do me a favor and make it quick."

The gnoll chuckled, "Gnoll isn't here to eat you. Is Scar."

An expression of relief passed over the pony's face, "You're not? Oh thank the stars, I almost thought that... wait. You're Scar?"

"Is Scar." the gnoll nodded.

The pony's eyes glinted with excitement, "I've heard about you! You were an honor guest at the Founder's gala, weren't you?"

"Scar was." he replied, "Celestia invited it."

A broad smile appeared on the pony's lips, "Well then, it is my pleasure to welcome you to my humble shop! I am, Sweet Bottle, alchemist extraordinaire and at your service! How can I be of assistance?"

The gnoll looked around himself unsure, "What is alchemist? Scar doesn't know word."

"Alchemy, the magical power of transmuting something of little value, into a substance of great value." Sweet Bottle's eyes glinted, "But it doesn't stop there! There are countless magical potions with endless effects! The possibilities are mind baffling!"

Sweet Bottle went up to a shelf and started to pull out various bottles, presenting each one to the gnoll.

"This one, potion of good breath, always have a minty smell no matter how rotten your teeth are!"

The gnoll raised an eyebrow, "Scar has good teeth..." he huffed into his paw, "Also, no bad breath."

"Then how about this, the potion of strength! It..." he looked Scar up and down, "Never mind..."

He pulled out another small bottle, "Potion of eyesight, lets you see in the dark!"

"Scar can already see in dark."

Sweet Bottle scratched his chin, "Mmmm... let us see, what else could be interesting?"

He started to rummage through the bottles, "Potion of size... nope, potion against bad hearing?" the gnoll only raised an eyebrow, "Guess not." he continued his search. After a while he pulled out a tiny bottle with a triumphant laugh, "Aha! Potion of transmogrification!"

Scar eyed the little bottle with curiosity, the liquid inside was giving of a soft, blue glow. "Transmogrfcatio..." he tried to repeat the word.

"Transmogrification." Sweet Bottle corrected him, "A potion that will let you take a different form altogether. Now it isn't cheap, and it only lasts for one day, but think what you could learn by watching the world from another set of eyes for just a single day!"

The gnoll picked the tiny vial from Sweet Bottle's grasp and held it up to his face with wonder. To see the world from another point of view even if only for a single day... a thought went through his head and he pulled out his bag of bits, "Scar takes it."