The Anthropologist

by Weavers of Dreams

-96- Clockwork Hero

Clever tricks and tiny minions were great for parlor tricks, but, two fully-fledged and seasoned wizards were not about to be undone by such an underhanded tactic. Or they would, if only Night Light hadn't been beaned on the head by several large bottles when his wife's shield broke from the shock of the fall. Crashing through a couple shelves of barrels and bottles didn't help much either.

Now Velvet was desperately trying to wake her husband while protecting a crying filly and keeping up a shield against the horrifying onslaught of rats that descended upon them like a waterfall of fur and disease.

The Rat King, the bogey wizard, leered at them from above dancing her little dance. "I got a pony. Me. One more then the little one is the king's slave once more."

"Ooh, bad choice of words," Velvet growled as she left off shaking Night for now to stare back in the king's eye with a damning glare. "You... don't... EVER... threaten a child in the presence of a mother. Especially me. I took out a Manticore with a flyswatter when it made a move for my colt's carriage. Compared to that... you... are... nothing."

Sparks began to fly off her horn as the air around the shield began to heat up, turning to shaky waves. Then, to her increasing rage, the King smiled and taunted her.

"Bogey king not impressed," she rolled her eyes and stepped back from the hole, out of view. That did it.

Velvet let out a roar as she crouched over her mate and shielded the filly's eyes. "You were warned."

The pillar of flames that erupted from the basement was nothing short of amazing. However. It was also very short. The mare had realized the bogey's game all too late. And it was no small wound to her pride at the realization she had just been outsmarted by a bogey.

Sure, the rats, those that didn't die, ran away in a panic. But that wasn't the mare's concern. She stared wide eyed at the room full of wood and alcohol around her as she compressed her shield in preparation. "Oh, Celestia, I need to work on my temper."

KA-BOOOOM

You could smell the sickly sweet explosion. The ground shook and the flames soared ever higher than her magic could ever muster.The shield protected them from the worst of it, but they were still flung into a corner of the expansive basement. Velvet ensured that Twist was safe, as her own back slammed into the wall, compounded by her stallion slamming against her too.

"Are you okay?" she asked as she looked at the small bundle in her hooves, who had miraculously not been smooshed between her and Night. Twist, shaking like a leaf from terror, nodded bravely. "Good, Let's just try and get out of here."

She activated her shield again, but it was much weaker this time, but it would keep the smoke and flames away from them. Night still wasn't waking up. Oh, that bogey would pay dearly. Not wanting to waste magic, she slipped her head beneath him and slip him onto her back, followed by the filly.

He was heavy. She found herself regretting allowing him thirds for dessert that night. Seconds was going a little far too, but they had a guest. And she was partially to blame, they had been growing slightly sedentary.

"There'th a way through there," Twist pointing towards what had used to be a crate blocking a large hole in the wall. Velvet shook her head.

"It's too small for Night Light and I," she said as she headed towards the stairs. Also, she just knew there was an army of rats waiting if she let Twist go in there.

Twist acknowledged this. "It looked bigger before."

The mare figured that that was the way the filly had to have gotten into the house in the first place. What a night. She and Night Light were so going to seek out and seal every bogey hole in their house after this. If she never saw one again it'd be too soon.

Sooner than that, as she began to ascend, she froze at who stood at the top, looking prematurely triumphant. The king in all her ugly glory. Flanked on either side by drunken, unfrozen bogeys and rats.

"No place to go big ponies."

"Oh come on," Velvet growled, thinking quickly. But no solutions were in sight. If she used any other spell, she risked losing the shield. She could try running. But not with a full grown stallion on her back. Her shield might not last against another onslaught of rats.

She could try reasoning with an unreasonable demented wizard, drunk on power and mead.

So, lying it was.

"And whose going to stop us?" she asked, putting on her poker face. "There's nothing left to burn, another fire spell and you'd all be dead."

The other bogeys backed away in fear, but the king was unmoved.

"Horn pony would already do it. No need for words." Curses, she was a lot smarter than a bogey should be. Way too smart. Even if the mare had a terrible poker face, bogies were supposed to be stupid.

But the mare was quick with a rebuttal. "You would have attacked already too. Obviously you're scared of..."

"Attack," the king shouted pointing at her and waving the army over.

"Seriously?" Velvet refused to believe a bogey knew how to bluff. That spoke volumes for the creature's confidence.

Bogies riding rats were terrifying. as she rushed towards the wavering shield, carrying tiny splinters of wood, nails, and even a few plastic sporks. Velvet didn't dare rear up for fear of her husband and the filly falling off her back. Her last remaining defense was a power females of every race possessed. All but guaranteed to draw the attention of a hero or five.

She broke down and screamed, sobbing to the sky, such a high-pierced and loud sound that the rats skidded to a halt and the bogies dropped their weapons and covered their ears in pain, even the king was affected.

"Heeeeeeeeeeellllllp. Oh won't someone just save us already."

Then everything was quite, save for the rising roar of the flames. Then the sound of a siren could be heard. If not the guard, than the fire brigade. No fake tears fells down the mare's cheeks, she cried openly. She scowled at the vermin contemptuously as the salty drops fell to the ground unhindered. "There. See that, now you're about to have an army of ponies descending on this place. It's over."

Bogies may be stupid. But there was something to be said about stupid people, they could be really smart when scared. Even if being smart for them meant running around like chickens with their heads cut off, screaming that all was lost.

"No, bogey king king bogey, all pony will know this." Then there were the smart ones who could be so stupid. The king, ears still ringing was angry, angrier than ever before. "No. Bogey win this day."

"Give it up," Velvet said as she began again up the stairs."Do the smart thing and run away like you always do."

A poor choice of words, Velvet would admit later. In an impressive feat of strength and quick thinking, the bogey had grabbed two bottles and broken them, gripping the necks as though they were daggers. Just as deadly anyway. Velvet backpedaled as the bogey lashed out, trying to force her back down the stairs to the awaiting flames.

Twist screamed in terror at the sight of the knife wielding maniac. Making it worse, every strike to the shield caused it to ripple and shimmer. The grown mare was scared, weak and loosing power, this was a losing battle.

"King king king king king," the bogey cried with every slash of her razor sharp instruments of death. The flames were licking at the mare's tail now. Then the shield broke, shattered like ice.

The mare felt the heat, as did the filly, and one other. Night Light had awoken.

Feeling the flames and seeing his wife in trouble he quickly set up his own shield just in the nick of time, blocking what would have been the final blow.

"Oh you wonderful stud, I love you," Velvet wept, feeling the tip of the broken glass against her throat.

"Anytime, love," Night Light said as he slipped off her back and lifted the bogey held captive in a small shield. "This is going to be an excellent specimen for the guild."

"Do we have to take him in alive?" Velvet asked, skipping hurriedly away from the flames.

"She," Twist corrected her.

"As much as I love not to... yes, afraid so," Night Light said, following shortly behind her.

"I suppose it has to be," she sighed regrettably. Then she paused. "Dear... have you noticed she's not begging for mercy?"

The three ponies looked to see the king still smiling.

"Run," yelled the stallion. All too late.

The ceiling came down without mercy.

The stallion tackled his mare, shoving both her and the filly out of harm's way. while at the same time, releasing the bogey and transferring the shield around those more important.

"How?" cried Velvet, hugging the filly protectively for the umpteenth time that night. "How does she always come out ahead like this."

"This is unnatural," Nightlight said, straining his shield under the weight of the house.

"Big bogey called me natural," the king mocked from afar. She was staring at them through the flames, not seeming to be bothered by the heat and smoke.

"Who is this Big Bogey?" the Stallion demanded, trying to expand the shield for more breathing space. He could hear sirens outside. Even the sound of water turning to steam against the hot flames. But it was useless.

"Gone," the king chuckled. "Left. West to water lands."

"West? Water lands?" Velvet echoed. Her eyes went wide with a thought. "The Western Isles. Where Mercury and Baritone are heading."

"And Mommy and Daddy, Auntie Lyra and Henry," Twist cried out. "We have to warn them."

"That's right dear," Velvet said, attempting to stand back up. She set Twist between her and her lover, then crossed horns with him. "I think I might have a little magic left, Nighty. We just need an opening."

"I can make an opening."

Suddenly there was a great crash as the chimney fell, narrowly missing the three ponies. They were silent for a moment, then the stallion unlocked horns and began pushing his wife towards the brick path that had appeared.

"Take Twist and go, Velvet," he shouted urgently. "Keep low and try not to breath in the smoke."

The mare scrambled hurriedly to get up and collected the filly in question. "You'd better be right behind us, Nighty. Or I'll bury you in the doghouse."

As soon as they were out onto the bricks, Velvet looked up and saw the sky. It had felt like forever. "Night Light, can you carry us both out of here."

There was a crash as the rubble fell where the stallion had been a moment ago. Luckily he had been fast enough to jump clear. "He shook his head. Can't risk passing out from the smoke. Especially the filly. I don't have enough magic to blast out a wall. And that would be stupid, it'd cause a backdraft."

"That way," Twist pointed with a hoof.

Both adults looked to see the bricks created a path towards the staircase tot eh second floor. It wasn't on fire yet. Velvet kissed her once on the head and picked her up in her mouth before galloping towards the safe location. Night Light took a moment to look around for the bogey king before he took off after the mare.

The stairs were old and cracks under their hooves, but the eventually made it to the top, to be greeted once again be their little nemesis.

"Oh, you're dead," Velvet growled, taking a step toward her, then her hoof broke through the floor. Were it not for the stallion behind her grabbing her by the tail, she and Twist would have been lost to the sea of fire below.

The bogey just sat on an old derelict bed, smirking in amusement. "Chimney falling not bogey plan. Bogey king prepare anyway."

"So you had your rats chew the floor anyway just in case, didn't you?" Velvet demanded angrily.

Surprisingly, the bogey shook her head. "No. House old. That not King Bogey plan."

"Then what is your plan?"

"Watch ponies die," she smiled wickedly.

"No. I won't allow it."

Twist cocked her head. That was familiar.

Just then, a beam came crashing down from above and landed square between the ponies, the other end crushing the bogey king upon the bed. The ponies flinched at the squishing noise she had made. Hear pounding in her chest, Velvet took a couple tentative steps upon the beam, it creaked a bit, but held her weight. "Alright, Twist, grab my tail and stay close behind me."

She looked at Night Light. "You weigh more than us dear. Just wait until we've crossed, okay?"

He rolled his eyes in a good-natured fashion. "I still got some magic left, love. I'll be fine. Just worry about her and get to safety."

The mare began the longest trek across the beam, the floor below beginning to disintegrate. "Don't look down, Twist. "Keep watching me. You're doing great. We're almost there."

Twist just knew that would have the greatest story to tell by the time she got back to ponyville. Her jaw ached from the death grip she had upon the mare's tail, and the smoke seeping up through the floor stung her eyes something fierce. She gulped and prayed that this would all be over soon.

She began to smile a little bit when she saw they were almost at the bed, she started to pick up the pace a bit as strength seemed to come back to her. Then something grabbed her tail and she screamed.

"No," shrieked the stallion and mare in unison as the filly released the mare's tail and fell. Twist managed to grab the beam with her forelegs as she kicked with her hind legs, desperate for a foot hold.

"Something's got me," the filly cried in terror as she felt more and more tugs. She knew what it was before she heard the voice.

"No, I will win. Bogies are invincible." The king had slipped out from between the bed and beam and crawled along underneath it to grab the filly. She stuck her head out to jeer and grin at the adults.

Velvet had no magic to spare, her only alternative was to slowly backpedal and try to lower her tail for the filly. "Twist, grab hold. Please, try to catch it."

Night Light, for his part, had to use all of his will power not to rush across the beam and snatch her up. That would only endanger both her and Velvet. And he was already using his magic to keep the fire at bay from consuming the beam.

"Hold on," he cried, his heart threatening to break his ribs. "Please. Just let her go."

"No. One must die," the king laughed maniacally as she twisted and yanked at the filly's tail in an attempt to dislodge her. "You will all fear bogies. Forever."

"If one is all you need. You can have one."

Twist stopped the screaming. The voice had power, her heart beat even began to slow a bit.

Then a ball of fire fell from what remained of the ceiling. It missed the filly, but hit the bogey king straight in the face. With a shriek of pain, the king and the fireball descended into the flames below.

Twist scrambled back up atop of the beam and grabbed the mare's tail, much to the relief of the adults. But before she moved forward again, she felt compelled to look down. Into the fire. The king was riving and wriggling in a horrific fashion, but she didn't see her. What she saw something something special.

She let go of the tail for a second. "You thaved me?"

The toy soldier, wreathed in flames and flaking away lay upon his side, his rotting self turning to ashes.

"Of course I did. What kind of toy wouldn't help a child?"

Twist smiled as large tears found there way down her cheeks. "Th-thank you. Can I do anything to help?"

"That was enough. It was so good to make a child smile again. Thank you. I would have loved guarding you as I had so many others before. Go now."

Twist sniffed and looked away to grab the mare's tail and follow her onto the bed. Night Light began his own journey across.

"Thank you little one. I am proud to have been the hero you needed."

Then it quieted. The soldier's wooden body crackled and splintered, his metal bits glowed red and twisted, and the paint flaked away to nothing. Like a real soldier who had gladly paid the ultimate price for what he loved.

"..."

Then a magic aura wrapped around the toy and lifted his charred body from the flames. The unicorn stallion looked at with wide eyes. "You can talk?"

"You can hear me?"

He nodded as he hurried across the beam to joins the others. ""You heard him too right?"

Velvet nodded as she stared at the toy. Twist gasped. "I though I wath inthane."

"Well, we're standing instead of jumping out the window, so we're all insane," Velvet said as she wrapped the filly in her cloak and leapt out the window, followed shortly by her husband. Away from that nightmare to the rather surprised fire brigade down below.

And so the house burnt away to nothing, and the greatest bogey who ever lived perished.

Comments

[Ponygon]

Yay, a new chapter! Loved Twilight’s parents being awesome. I noticed a few typos all over the place, but I’m only going to point out the large ones:

There was a crash as the rubbed fell where the stallion had been a moment ago.

I think that should say rubble.

She scowled at the vermin contemptuously as the salty dead fell to the ground unhindered.

Is this supposed to say salty tears? It’s just it’s weird talking about angry dead creatures in that particular point of the paragraph.

Great job as always, though. When I first started reading this story, I had no idea it would turn in this direction.

[Weavers of Dreams]

9879127
Yeah been needing to get back to writing. Really need to get these stories up and running and finish them, at least for myself if no one else. Als, gonna find those typos you pointed out, thank you.

[Ponygon]

9880063
I’ve got the same problem with one of my stories, but it’s a combination of not having the time (or rather, what time I do have is constantly interrupted by life) and having a problem with one of the characters.

I wish you the best in writing the rest of the story.