//------------------------------//
// Chapter 19: Tobie 
// Story: Souls Apart 
// by GnollReader 
//------------------------------//

"This is taking too long!" Calindria cursed through clenched teeth, "We have to do something!"

They had been waiting for half an hour already, and every minute that passed felt like an eternity. Needless to say, many of them were anxious to find out what was happening inside the tower.

"I appreciate your concern, paladin." Celestia tried to calm her, "But remember that no harm has been done yet, and I wish to keep it that way for as long as possible." untold to the others, she too felt a slight feeling of concern pass through her. What was the necromancer doing?

The paladin protested, "Only the light knows what he's doing with..."

At that moment the doors to the tower were opened, and Pipsqueak stepped outside with a smile on his face.

"He says you can come in now, princess." he bowed before Celestia.

"Thank you." Celestia returned the foal's smile.

"What took you so long?" the paladin asked with a frown.

Pipsqueak blushed, "Well, there was cotton candy on the way, and I was hungry... Oh! I almost forgot!" Pipsqueak jumped around and ran back to the doors, the ponies and the paladin watching in wonder.

Pipsqueak stopped inside the doors, took a deep breath and shouted into the tower.

"TOBIE!" The paladin's face became white as snow, "The paladin is waiting for you outside!"

For a moment, there was nothing but silence as the ponies' eyes alternated between the open doors and the shocked face of the paladin. Then... a heavy footstep could be heard echoing through the tower.

"No..." the paladin took a shaking step backwards, "He couldn't have!"

A strange and melodic voice could be heard singing, "Little children hide or stay, Tobie comes today to play..."

Calindria started to reach for her sword with a trembling hand, "Oh god... anything... anything but him!" she started to sweat.

"What is that?" Celestia asked with a raised eyebrow, the footsteps started to draw nearer, the singing becoming more clear.

"Hugs and kisses for twenty days, Tobie does as father says..."

With the last line something huge shot out of the doors, jumping over the imps and towards the screaming paladin. For a moment, all Celestia could see were arms. Dozens of arms attached to a hulking, sweating tower of meat and fat, hairs running down the back and a little, disturbingly deformed head on top. Two little eyes with too much space between them stared at the world while constantly looking in different directions without contemplation until they fixed on the paladin.

The sword was snatched out of Calindria's hand and at least a good dozen stumpy, fat arms with short and gnarly fingers took hold of her body, pulling her upwards and into the bear hug of Tobie.

"PALADIN! Tobie so happy to see you!" a sweaty hand patted the paladin's head, "Pretty little paladin! Tobie will hug and brush pretty hair!" from a shaggy and heavily torn set of pants, a small brush was pulled out.

"Oh god! He stinks even more than before!" the paladin cried out in terror, "Get him off of me!"

The ponies were at a complete loss of words as Tobie started to brush the paladin's hair, humming to himself with each brush while using one of his many arms to scratch himself in an undignified spot now and then.

"Tobie miss paladin!"

"Get your filthy hands off of me!"

"Has little bow for paladin!" he attached a pink bow to the paladin's head, "So pretty! Tobie just wants to brush all day!"

"AAAARGH!" the paladin struggled furiously, but the dozens of arms held her in place with a grip like steel.

Next to Celestia, someone coughed.

Celestia looked down and at the imp from before, "You shouldn't keep him waiting for too long, or he'll probably change his mind."

She gave Tobie another concerned look, "Don't worry..." the imp followed her gaze, "He won't hurt anyone..." the imp chuckled, "And he's even suitable for kids, now that he has arms instead of dicks."

Celestia shook her head with a frown, but headed for the open doors nonetheless, "Luna." she called out to her sister, "Please keep an eye on..."

"Tobie!" the hulking form waved three stubby little hands at her with joy as the paladin continued to scream.

"Please keep an eye on Tobie." Celestia repeated before she stepped through the doors, the heavy wood closing as she entered the tower.


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"Such a pretty little paladin." Tobie cooed.

"Somebody do something!" the paladin screamed furiously, "For fucks sake! Get him off of me!"

"Little pretty paladin, caught in a whim, watch as Tobie makes hairbrush spin!" the mountain of flesh continued to chant happily.

"Uhmm, excuse me?" a little voice spoke up. Tobie turned his head to look down at a little, yellow pegasus, "Could you... put her down? If you don't mind, that is..." Fluttershy almost whispered.

Tobie just stared at her, unmoving and unblinking. "Pony..." slowly, his massive form started to tremble, "Sooo... pretty!" a small squee escaped his mouth.

"Fluttershy! RUN!" Calindria called out, but Tobie was already on the move, dumping the paladin on the ground as he rushed off towards Fluttershy.

"Is sooo pretty!" the huge form loomed over Fluttershy, "Tobie is going to brush, cuddle and hug! Then brush more, hug and cuddle again!"

"EEP!"

"So cute! And yellow too! Tobie loves yellow! Is best..." Tobie's words were interrupted as a blade emerged from his brow, a puzzled expression spreading on his features. Having turned his attention away from the paladin, he had failed to notice her pick up her sword and sneak up on him. Fluttershy looked like she was on the verge of tears.

"AHA! Got you, you fat fu..."

"Hihi! Tickles!" Tobie started to chuckle before reaching behind him, plucking the paladin from his back and pulling out the sword from his skull, "Father made Tobie without brain this time, so sword won't work any more."

"He what?!" the paladin started to struggle in his grasp.

"Now..." Tobie turned his attention back to Fluttershy, "Tobie will cuddle all the pretty ponies!"

"Stop right there." Tobie turned his head to see Luna approach, "I have had enough of this, put down the paladin. There will be no cuddling today."

Tobie tilted his little head, a toothy smile appearing on his face, "Oohhhh... big, blue pony! Father gave Tobie present for big, blue pony!"

Luna watched, first in surprise but then with horror, as Tobie reached into one of his pockets, and pulled out a hand. Unlike the others she had seen before, this one was clad in a black glove with metal studs. The moment it felt Luna's gaze, the hand started to twitch violently.