The Reader

by GnollReader

Chapter 84: To Canterlot

"I'll go look for Scar!" Purple Haze said as she headed for the door, donning her armor and helmet while moving.

"I'll go get the girls. Spike, wait here in case Purple Haze misses him. If he shows up, make sure he waits for us!" Twilight called out.

Before Spike could respond, the two of them of them were gone, leaving him behind with the letter and a bad feeling in his stomach. After hearing Purple Haze explain who exactly had shown up in Canterlot, the little dragon wasn't sure what to think of the situation. How would the gnoll react to these news?

He tried to push the thought aside and busied himself with cleaning up the library instead, putting the letter on a table as he started to reorganize already ordered books.

After about twenty minutes though, the door of the library was opened again.

"Did you find him?" Spike asked while turning around, expecting to see Purple Haze or Twilight enter.

What did enter though, was a manticore. An annoyed looking manticore with a little bow on its head nonetheless, shortly followed by a broadly smiling Scar.

"Find who?" the gnoll asked as he stepped inside.

Spike eyed the manticore with disbelief, forgetting for a moment the matter at hand, "Dude, you actually got a manticore?!" He had never seen a real manticore before, only pictures in books. Standing in front of a live one was an experience he had never expected.

The gnoll nodded and gave the manticore a glance, "Scar got stinger... bit small though." the manticore grumbled in response, but quickly shut up when the gnoll answered with a snarl of his own, "Go sit in corner, wait for Purple Haze to return."

The manticore gave off an insulted grumble but complied, walking to one of the library's corners and sitting down next to one of the shelves, not sparing Spike even a single glance.

"How did you get it to do that?" Spike asked in wonder, "Did you teach it tricks?"

"Fluttershy told stinger to behave, and Scar told manticore it would eat stinger if it didn't." the gnoll gave the manticore a measuring look, "Gnoll isn't sure if stinger can do tricks though..." the manticore's eyes narrowed, "Maybe later..."

Scar turned to the little dragon, "Where is Purple Haze?"

Spike snapped out of his fascination for the manticore, suddenly remembering the letter, "She's out looking for you, Celestia sent an urgent letter and..." he immediately cursed himself for saying the words when he saw Scar pick up the letter.

"Is for Scar?" he asked with surprise, "It hopes Celestia liked little book..." he chuckled softly. The gnoll started to read the letter.

Spike watched as the gnoll's features became hard and unmoving, only his red eye was in motion as it followed Celestia's writing. Slowly, his hairs started to rise and a strange expression appeared on his face. The little dragon eyed him with concern, the gnoll suddenly seemed a lot more intimidating than before and even his breathing had slowed down considerably, "Scar?"

The gnoll didn't respond at first, but then he let his gaze leave the paper and turned his attention to Spike again, "When did letter come?" he asked with a quiet but stern voice.

Spike involuntarily cringed as Scar's eye rested on him, "About half an hour ago... Scar, I..."

"Scar will go right now." he said with a firm voice.

Spike felt the situation start to go out of control, "Wait! Purple Haze said you should wait for her here!"

"Is too important, can't wait. Tell Purple Haze to meet it at castle." he turned to the manticore, "Stinger waits here, Scar will be back soon. Gnoll has to meet old ghosts of his."

Spike's face grew pale at the sound of his voice, "What are you going to do?" Another troubling thought found its way into his head as he suddenly realized something, "You're going to leave me alone with the manticore?!"

The gnoll hesitated for a moment, "Spike is right. Is too dangerous..." the little dragon let out a sigh of relief, "Takes Tag." he set the huge maul down next to Spike, "If stinger doesn't behave, use Tag to put some sense into it." Spike just stared at the maul in disbelief, trying to comprehend how he was even supposed to lift the impossibly large maul.

"I'll be certain to keep an eye on it, master! None shall misbehave under my watchful gaze!" the maul piped happily.

"Good." Scar walked to the door and gave the manticore a final and warning look, "Behave!" and with that he was out the door again, leaving behind a baffled Spike, a watchful Tag and an annoyed manticore.

"Nice... manticore... heh..." Spike stepped behind the maul, "Please don't eat me!"

"Ha! Come and try to you big sack of fleas! I'll crush you before you even so much as lift a paw! Quickly, sir Spike! Grab my handle and take aim!"

The manticore only raised an eyebrow.

---

Scar breathed in deep as he moved past Ponyville and towards Canterlot with quick strides, the cool afternoon air filling his lungs as he breathed evenly. Redfield... that name lingered in his mind like an unmoving shadow, foreboding and full of painful memories. He remembered his face, and the smile on his lips when he had beaten him... the gnoll gave a grumble and picked up his pace.

For so long he had denied these memories, but now, everything was as present as it had been back then. He could smell his cage, the taste of the metal bars when he had tried to bite through them, the taste of his own blood when his gums had bled from trying, and his pain.

And now, after all these years, he was here. The nightmare that had haunted him for so long had returned... it sent chills down his spine.

And then there was the unicorn, Trixie. The memories of her were less unkind but even more associated with pain than anything else. She had been his tormenter for so many nights he had lost all sense of time during his inquisition, it still gave him headaches when he tried to remember those days and nights.

For a moment, he slowed down, unsure of himself. What would he do when he would meet them? He closed his eye and tried to collect his thoughts, chanting the mantras his mother had taught him so long ago. It served to put a bitter taste in his mouth, but his mind slowly started to clear of the countless emotions that ran through his head.

When he opened his eye again, he knew what had to be done. The gnoll continued his march towards Canterlot with grim determination. He would find closure to his past today, no matter what it would take.

Comments

[Bruce-Man]

AWWW YEAH!! Shits 'bout to go down son!

[Fiery Knight]

Fucking love Sir Tag. I wonder what Smack Door's personality would of been if it got enchanted instead of being destroyed.

[1000Fights]

Hurting from running a marathon.

Reads this.

AAAWWWWWW YYYYEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!

[BigBangPegasus97]

Shits about to hit the fan!!!

[AggroViking]

Am I the only one that puts on my (slightly heavier) British accent and reads it out loud?

[Fugly Duckling]

sir tag should have his own chapter sometime... anyone else think so?

[GnollReader]

2457428 The illustrious adventures of Sir Tag? Interesting...
Anyone feel up for the challenge?

[Rhino]

And I am taunted even more as time is drawn out until Scar and these ponies meet again, I am certain it shall be worth the wait, but the wait itself shall torment me until we see what happens.

I eagerly await the next portion of this tale.

[stavaros-the-arcane]

Does anyone else get the feeling the Manticore is just going to be left in that corner for a while, get forgotten in all the drama that follows and then freak out someone later?

Alternatively Riding a Manticore to try and catch up with Scar.

[Cades]

I will hunt you down, and force you to write more of this. Even if I have to amputate your legs and brainwash you just to write.

[Nataniel]

dude, that's a tease for what, 3 chapters already? not cool

[Lucky424]

i1.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/000/135/710/130660655896.jpg
t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcT0RwEYkXe6qTwFPmtmqtOAwzoPRcV2WvVlQY2BYeTiTkJjK8j0
i3.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/000/249/962/e39.png
i3.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/000/136/232/incoming%20shitstorm.jpg

[Subatomic Seal]

I said...
i3.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/000/402/407/e29.jpg