The Reader

by GnollReader

Chapter 2: Ponies in trees

For three days he stayed in the forest, torn between his hunger for knowledge and his distrust of the ponies. The big white one had allowed him to stay, but he knew ponies lied. Then again if she had wanted to hurt or cage him she would have done so on their first meeting. He could stay in the forest for a long period; there were many small animals that he could eat, even some fruit and roots. Most predators avoided his path, those that were bigger he could easily avoid himself.

Still, the smell of books always found him in his dreams and so on the fourth day he decided he would risk visiting the tower with the books again.

When the sun started to set he left the safety of his cave and started to walk towards his destination. His cave was a good way from the edge of the forest, far from where he believed any pony would tread. It would be night by the time he would reach the edge but he favored safety over comfort.

He had walked for some time; The sun was almost touching the horizon when he picked up a scent. Wooden fangs. They hunted in packs and tasted like rotting wood, he remembered the splinters in his gums. They had avoided him after their first encounter and he had taken to ignoring them since they couldn't be eaten. But there was another scent, weak but familiar. He checked the position of the sun, he had some time to spare and maybe there would be carrion. Not one to turn down a free snack he started following the scent.

---

When he found the wooden fangs they were grouped under a small tree in a clearing, growling and occasionally jumping to snap at something, each snap accompanied by three small yelps from the tree. He sniffed the air once more and finally recognized the other scent. He gave a rumbling growl as he stepped into the clearing, the wooden fangs spinning around to face him with ears lying back. They were intimidated by his appearance, but they seemed unwilling to give up their hunt. He gave them a vicious snarl showing his huge teeth and seemingly remembering his bite they finally left and disappeared into the forest again. The tree had gone silent.

He walked under the tree, hearing faint whispers coming from its leaves. He turned his head up, "Forest no place for ponies, go home." silence, "Is dark soon, ponies should go home."

"We're lost."

"You walk this way." he pointed to a direction.

"What if the timberwolves come back?"

He gave a groan, "Ponies can follow it. It leads them to pony village. Wooden fangs leaves them alone if it with you."

"No way! If we come down you're going to eat us, or drag us off to your mines!"

Another the voice chirped in, "Ah don't know Scootaloo, that there diamond dog's big enough to just grab us outta the tree if he wants to."

"Is no dirty dig dog, is gnoll. Sun almost gone, we need go now." silence again.

He was growing impatient, "What's a gnoll?"

"I don't know, but you two can't seriously be considering going with him!"

"What else can we do? I don't want to spent the night in this tree!" He looked at the sun, he was late and they were still arguing up there. He needed to speed things up, "What's he doing?" he grabbed the trunk with his paws and gave it a violent shake. There were three squeaks followed by three thumps.

There before his feet lay three tiny ponies, curled up into balls and not moving. Where they playing dead? The idea amused him, he could hear their tiny hearts beating fast. He went down low to put his head in front of them, "Silly tiny ponies, you no apples. Come now, we go to pony village." they didn't budge.

He gave an loud snarl, making their eyes snap open and stare at him in rigid fear, "WE. GO. NOW!" this time he got three wide-eyed nods. "Good." he stood up and started walking, soon enough he could hear them fall in line a bit behind him, all the time whispering among themselves.

---

"HEY! WHAIT UP! YOU'RE GOING TO FAST!" he sighed in annoyance and his shoulders sagged. They were slow, so slow, and the whining, the constant whining. By the thunder they were annoying.

He stopped and waited for them to catch up, "Tiny ponies are too slow, it almost dark and we still need go far."

"No fair! Your much bigger than us!"

"Tiny ponies also complain too much!"

"We're hungry!"

"I'm tired!"

"We're not tiny!"

"My legs hurt!"

He gave a defeated moan and got to his knees, "On back..."

"What?"

"Ponies climb on back, no complain or they walk again."

"YAY!" a chorus of three voices answered. And so he continued with a pony on each shoulder and one on top of his head. Even though still slow, they were at least making progress now.

---

He was becoming annoyed again. They were constantly talking, making remarks about his teeth or fur or just asking intolerable questions. He damned his own hide, but then he got an idea. "Tiny ponies."

"Yes?"

"Hold on, we go fast now!"

"WhaAAAAA..." he sped off, foliage and trees a blur as he shot through the forest. The tiny ponies were quiet, too busy holding on for their dear lives as the wind roared in their ears. Finally. Peace.

---

With his renewed efforts they were able to reach the edge of the forest in no time. He stopped as he reached the tree line. There was a strange forest here. The ponies had made many apple trees grow in lines. Silly. The tiny ponies on him were still quiet, eyes shut in the effort of holding on. "Tiny ponies can get off, we there."

They opened their eyes, "WE'RE HOME! Look Apple Bloom, we're at the farm!" they were cheering in joy as they scampered off him. Finally. Finally he could go to the books, the night was still young. He turned around to leave, "Wait!" he stopped.

"Thank you for taking us home!"

He nodded, "Ponies should go now."

"That was crazy fast! Can you come visit us so we can do that again?"

He shuddered, "Maybe. But tiny ponies must not go in forest anymore." more cheering. They waved as he disappeared into the forest again, but he watched them from his cover until they reached the door of the big pony house. When the door opened he could hear some pony shouting at the tiny ones, scolding them for going into the forest. Good, it would help keep them away from it.

He kept to the tree line until he could see his destination. The big castle looked like a star in the light of the moon. He smiled. He would finally get to read again.

Comments

[Fanskapet]

why did this get 2 thumbs down?
i think it would be easier to read with some space between when someone talks, good chapter okay pace good work

[GnollReader]

1574434
thanks for the advice, will try to take it into account ^^

[JL-Hero]

OK. this is interesting, it's not often to see a "creature from another franchise in equestria" crossover. In fact the premise and the characterization make disregard the reason why he's in equestria.

[XxTestName69xX]

"Tiny ponies also complain to much!"

That should be too.

[Lucky424]

I wonder who the romance tag is for.......

[ManWithThePan]

2309029
He's a gnoll. He makes many mistakes while talking. Don't blame the poor guy.

[doompownr]

I am somewhat of a fiction connoisseur and have been writing a comprehensive language and writing skills narrative on the basis of short stories (not sure what i am going to call it though) and I am fascinated by the level of care and careful detailing of this story.
It is truly well made and I can appreciate the skill it took in not only seemingly giving it bad grammar but at the same time giving it meat and flesh through the perspective of the gnoll.
I am grateful of the amount of truly great writers there are in the world.( there could always be more though).
have a moustache

[Luckysweep]

This is amazing for touch and go writing.

[Hypnos]

Am I the only one imagining him talking in a Russian accent

[NecromanCREEEEEE]

6988380 No, doesn't help any that I'm listening to Coward Killing Time

[deathcombo99]

7101713
"Yeatatatatata dudoda kaboom kaboom"
Quote by heavy weapons guy

[Even Evil Has Standards]

6988380
No, and it don't help that I'm watching a walkthrough of a video game adaptation involving Ivan the Terrible.

[kitsune119]

10679760
Tell me more please

[epoqq84]

I don't think the Everfree reaches from Ponyville to Canterlot