My Little Skaven

Chapters

Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Seven

Chapter One

This is just something I mostly wrote when I had a spare hour and no work to do this week at Uni, since it was just first week intro stuff. I had a laptop, a new Gotrek & Felix anthology book and a spare hour.

I’ll occasionally write a short 1000 – 2000 word update for this, when I want to write something fun and silly. I’m going to capitalise on the hilarity that is the skaven. Oh, in context they’re both hilarious and horrifying (Clan Moulder and Clan Pestilens? Eck.) but they’re just so much fun. I’ve got a few Skaven models and hope to build a Clan Skrye army at some point since they’re my favourite clan.

As of writing this I’m just waiting for Chapter 9 to get back from my pre-reader so I can post it, another reason I decided to just finish the first part of this off.

Anyway, here’s the fun little first chapter. Enjoy the bite-sized portions that will make up this story. I hope I captured the insanity that is the skaven properly.

***

Intelligence comes in many forms, and Grey Seer Thanquol knew he possessed them all. It was frustrating, he reflected, how none of his enemies were smart enough to appreciate their destroyer’s genius. Even worse was when they were so stupid they acted contrary to his usually perfect predictions. Still, a skilled tactician must adjust to changing situations and never had there been a finer tactician than Thanquol!

Yet somehow, impossibly, things were...

“Kill-slay stupid dwarf-thing and many-many warptokens will be yours!”

...not going as planned.

Not waiting to see if the Stormvermin acted on his kind and generous offer Thanquol leapt through the door and hurriedly bolted it shut. The cowards were already beating at the door like the filth they were. Doubtless, he mused, his ever jealous enemies in Skavenblight had wasted warptokens they could have spent on furthering the Horned Rat’s goals to bribe someone into sending the worst and meekest of the Stormvermin to him. Such treachery! When Thanquol returned victorious he would seek them out and punish them for putting their own selfish desires for revenge above their dedication to their god, undermining His most faithful servant’s good work.

Scrambling down the ancient corridor of the submerged temple with the sound of violence echoing frighteningly, the ever-valiant Grey Seer growled curses to the Horned Rat. All the effort he put to having the original leader of the warband assassinated so the more trustworthy Thanquol could take command risked being wasted. The death of Warlord Skrib had cost him many warptokens and the only chance had been at the height of the siege on the human fort barely two miles away. It still grated on Thanquol, how the foolish and weak under-skaven had been broken by their leader’s sudden, inexplicable death and prevented their new master from gaining the credit for the victory.

The thought that had he not killed the Warlord their forces would have overrun the fort with Skrib’s noted tactical skill and no messengers would have reached the nearby port failed to register in Thanquol's mind. All that he could think of was of completing the ritual and, after a whiff of warpstone-dust, crushing his enemies into a bloody smear.

A field of red descended on the rat priest’s vision each time he thought of the group of filthy lesser creatures invading his current lair. At their head were those two he hated so very, very much. The insane Dwarf Slayer and his henchman, the vile man-thing who had dogged his heels with vicious determination and, if you asked Thanquol, unprovoked spite.

If anything the man-thing, Felix Jaeger, seemed to have been infected with the Dwarf’s madness. The moment Grey Seer Thanquol had revealed himself with a blast of sorcerous green lightning the foolish human had gone crazy and started killing his way through the Stormvermin. The only comfort Thanquol could take was that the Slayer had seemed as surprised as he, and this was not something that he suspected happened often. Of course, the Dwarf had just started laughing and encouraging the man-thing Jaeger’s berserk actions which hardly helped. Hadn’t the man-thing learnt anything from Thanquol’s torture of his blood-parent?

He tried to remember where things had gone wrong, running through what had been going on before the attack

***

The ranked mass of Stormvermin, elite warriors of the Skaven warmachine, bristled with weapons and armour. When they had arrived from Skavenblight Thanquol had admired their strength and discipline as benefitted a master tactician observing his brave troops.

Thanquol rubbed his hands together, grinning madly as the last inhaled puff of powdered warpstone set his nerves on fire. So close! Soon he would return to Skavenblight with the greatest victory achieved in thousands of years buoying him to greatness beyond what he had already achieved.

He could see it, a statue of himself posing with his relic staff held high. It would be placed where all who entered Skavenblight could see it, and imbued with magic so that it could perceive those intending to scheme against him too. Warpstone eyes, Thanquol considered, with Clan Skyre engineering to allow them to unleash warp-lightning. They would not refuse him. After all, who could deny the commands of the future Seerlord?

Thanquol sniffed in another pinch of warpstone dust and cackled madly. Standing behind him was the lumbering mass that was Boneripper, a skeletal rat-orge rebuilt by the mad genius of Clan Skyre. It shifted slightly as if waiting an order from its master. The Stormvermin closest to the Grey Seer fidgeted, unnerved by their leader’s actions.

Seeing this he licked his lips. So much power, welling up inside him, waiting to be used and here in front of him were elite warriors looking nervous.

That really wouldn’t do, now would it? At least he had some spare magic the rat-priest thought as whips of dark green energy manifested around the nearest Stormvermin.

***

Clearly he should have executed more Stormvermin to galvanise them, not that it would help with the defective runts he had been sent.

Taking another sniff of powdered warp-stone Thanquol felt his flagging confidence begin to lift once more. But even the wave of power that left his nose and claws tingling was unable to encourage visions of destroying the cursed duo. For over twenty years they had possessed some damnable luck. It was the only explanation for their survival against as brilliant and cunning a foe as Grey Seer Thanqoul.

Passing a wall of odd shimmering metal, its surface reflective like water, Thanquol looked at his image. Rather than the thin, wispy-furred form of a skeletal skaven living well beyond the usual lifespan of its kind with a grey coat and a pair of large goat-like horns he saw a body in its prime if a bit on the skinny side burning with chaotic magics waiting to be unleashed upon his pitifully weak opponents. His eyes glowed a sickening green with dark power and hate, that at least shared in what was there and what he saw.

The shriek of metal breaking caused the Grey Seer to jump in fright. Though he refused to acknowledge it Thanquol’s fear glands tightened and sprayed the musk of fear – or tired to anyway. His muck was already splattered further down the corridor. He hurried on, scurrying with all his well-earned speed – a true genius made sure he was strong enough to quickly flee despite the knowledge that there was nothing that could even make him. Behind him the door was finally forced open and loud Khazalid oaths filled the halls. The Dwarf swore in his natural tongue as he got a lungful of skaven piss.

Thanqoul’s staff, a powerful relic on its own, tapped the floor in time with his own hurried footsteps. He burst into the chamber at the temple’s centre, a massive stone dome covered in arcane runes even the vast intellect of Thanqoul had yet to decipher completely. What he did know, however, was that it was a gateway connecting to another point. Thanqoul suspected it to lead to an old temple in the heart of the domain of the High Elves. The possibility of plundering the island of Ulthuan was too good for the skaven to miss out on.

Thoughts of the arcane treasures and elf-slaves that awaited him had filled Thanqoul’s dreams and on the cusp of victory who had turned up but the wretched Slayer and his henchman! Clearly someone had betrayed their plans to the lesser races in the hopes of thwarting him! Whoever had been so foolish as to put their personal ambitions above the will of the Horned Rat would have to be punished most terribly. Perhaps the Council of Thirteen would allow Thanquol the honour of finding and punishing the responsible parties.

Shaking away thoughts of wrecking his great revenge, the old rat focused his powers on the dome. The magic in the ancient stone was like none he had seen before. One of the previous researchers had put forth the idea that it was a leftover artefact of some powerful race that had a hand in the world’s creation before even the coming of Chaos. Certainly the way the power stored within resisted warp-energy gave this some credence.

Thanqoul had promptly used a favourite spell to flay and melt the simpleton alive. All knew the Horned Rat was the oldest and greatest power, having gifted the world to his chosen children. Gathering as much warpstone left in the room as possible at the speed of fear, Thanquol raced to the dome.

There was no time to use the tentative ritual that they suspected would allow the artefact to be used by skaven, and Thanqoul was a master of sorcery anyway. He sneered at the stabilising devices and instruments left by the idiotic Skrye warlocks who had been working on it. He was one the Rat’s chosen, a Grey Seer. He had no need for their useless trash.

He validated this by blasting the pointless wastes of space out of the way with a wave of green force after he used them to scramble atop the dome.

The door to the chamber was treated to much the same treatment as the last and the Slayer burst in.

“Cowardly rat!” he roared, brandishing his axe. Coming in behind Gotrek, Felix didn’t waste any time with pleasantries. He simply sprinted towards the dome, a mask of anger over his face.

Thanquol most certainly did not let out a squeak of fright, not in any sense of the words! He did, however, begin to mutter a chant. Sickly green strands of power gathered around the head of his staff. He lifted it high, preparing to unleash doom on the mortal who dared to threaten the mighty Thanquol, when something moved at the corner of his eye. Glancing up, Thanquol’s empty glands squeezed at the sight of the human breeder in the door with an arrow notched to a bow. The moment he saw was the moment she realised it.

Shrieking, the Grey Seer swung his staff in at the breeder and a worm-like twisting column of warp-energy was sent flying at her.

“Kat!” Felix screamed out his lover’s name when he saw the mad rat turning its magic on her. But her years of hunting beastmen in the forests of Empire had given her superb reflexes and the nimble archer leapt to the side. Her arrow was vaporised but she was unharmed.

It was a near miss though, and both Gotrek and Felix felt rage at the sight.

“You’ll regret that, vermin.” Bellowed Gotrek, beginning to climb the dome.

With the man-thing coming up oneside, the insane Dwarf another and an archer who was trying to kill him with all the intensity of someone who had been told you tortured their lover’s father to death for no reason, Thanquol panicked.

Not, to be clear, that he ever panicked. Any rat who dared suggest such a thing where Thanquol could hear it quickly learnt that old and crazy he might be, he was still a powerful Grey Seer.

From his belt Thanquol drew a fist sized lumb of warpstone which he quickly swallowed in a single go. He forced the lump down his throat with some effort. Its power began to leak out, filling the rat-priest with unmatched magical might and instilling confidence that normally would have him facing even an army with certainty that he would win.

Drawing every ounce of that power into his hands he funnelled it into his staff and brought its butt straight down on the centre of the dome, desperate strength fuelling the blow.

The dome, a relic of the Old Ones, shivered and glowed brightly as the pure untainted energies instilling it were forced to mesh with Chaos energy. The beings who had shaped the world had been creatures of order and their power was untainted.

The dome cracked just as Felix got within arm’s reach of the skaven, knocking both human and dwarf clear, before promptly exploding in a wave of energy and reality warping magic. Thanquol’s shriek of fear trailed away as he was collapsed into the violent vortex of energy.

***

Fluttershy was roused from her slumber by the frantic shaking of Angel Bunny, who had his little paws on her side as he tried to wake her.

Staring blearily at him, her expression quickly became concerned.

“Oh, Angel Bunny, is something wrong? I mean, not that I mind you waking me up, I just I hope you’re okay.” Fluttershy murmured quietly, reaching over to pet him gently.

Angel Bunny slapped her hoof away and leaped down from her bed, running to the door and pointing desperately into the main room. It was then that she realised there was an odd green glow.

Strength ebbed from Fluttershy’s legs and she could barely bring herself to get out of bed. Every step seemed to take a few minutes and she shook fearfully.

“T-That’s l-looks like its....” trailing off, Fluttershy took a deep breath and tried to think about what Rainbow Dash would do.

“You gonna glow in MY house when I’m trying to sleep? Oh It. Is. ON!”

Fluttershy frowned. Maybe not Rainbow Dash.

Impatient, Angel Bunny began to tap his foot. He waved at the door again with an expression of annoyance.

“O-Okay Angel.” Gulping down air, Fluttershy took another tentative step towards the door. Nothing happened, which Fluttershy couldn’t decide was good or not. While nothing had happened yet, well, nothing had happened yet meaning anything could still happen.

As though the universe was listening to her thoughts anything did happen, or more accurately something did. The green light became a nova and a sound like the crash of thunder and Fluttershy took only a second to scoop up Angel Bunny before diving under her bed where she quivered in fright. Locked in his owner’s tight embrace, Angel Bunny let out a long suffering sigh. It was going to be one of those nights.

Neither noticed the thump of something large hitting the floor.

Chapter Two

Everything hurt. It made Thanquol want to kill something. Even a slave would do, preferably one who could survive for a few days of torture. His nose twitched as unfamiliar scents filled it. Wherever he was smelled of various surface animals and the thick stink of what he suspected were alcoholic or medical potions. His research into human medicine had proved how stupid and clearly inferior they were but had taught Thanquol the smell of various tools used by the moronic man-things.

Actually, now that he was thinking about it, everything was hurting slightly less than it had the second before. And he could feel tight sensations across his body in various places he suspected were wounded. They certainly hurt a little more than the other places.

Not, he hastened to assure himself just in case something was listening in to his thoughts, that it would matter. He was the mighty Grey Seer Thanquol, highest envoy of the Seerlord and master sorcerer! Even wounded he was a threat none could truly match wits or power with.

Still, considering his situation it might be best to be circumspect about his greatness. Thanquol felt completely drained and even as his mind came back into consciousness it had been reaching hungrily for his magic. There was nothing left.

Whoever had him was clearly not a skaven. He could smell none of his kind in the area. For a second the thought that he might have been taken by the odour-less assasins of Clan Eshin nearly made him squirt the musk of fear.

Thanquol mastered himself. It had barely been a few heartbeats since he awoke, his powerful mind quickly processing this information. Above all else, however, his decayed lips tingled. A lifetime of imbibing warpstone had left his lips shrivelled and rotted and they burned when he had gone too long without consuming blessed godstone.

Actually, sometimes they burned even when he was consuming it. Regardless, any time without it was too long in his vaunted opinion.

The fools who doubtless sought to gain information from Thanquol’s vast knowledge would be surprised when he valiantly defeated them. The Grey Seer would let them think him helpless and without magic until at last he would strike. He cunningly feigned unconsciousness knowing it would lure them off-guard! They would rue the day-

Something was kicking him. Small but strong it was hitting his side. The indignity of this filled him with rage and with a snarl Thanquol lifted his upper body and opened his eyes. His anger let him block out the searing sunlight in his eyes and the pain from various body parts as he beheld his attacker.

Thanquol’s jaw dropped open for a second as he stared at the little fluffy creature. It paused its feeble attack to look at him with an expression that managed to convey the message ‘Yeah, and what are you gonna do about it punk?’ before resuming. It was, as far as Thanquol’s refined senses could see, a rabbit.

The Staff of the Horned Rat, one of his most treasured items and an ancient relic of the Order of Grey Seers, was laid against the side of the bed he was in. Thanquol had just enough time between the creak of a door opening and a pink-and-yellow furred equine walking in to snatch the staff up and used it like a club to punt the little rabbit out a window.

Fluttershy froze, watching for the instant it took Angel Bunny to soar out the window. The tray of medicines fell from her mouth as she gaped in horror.

Thanquol snickered at his victory before turning to the newcomer. He gripped his staff tightly, licking his lips at the sight of the equine. He had never had a horse with such colouration before and his stomach was rumbling hungrily.

Lifting his staff to shake it in an intimidating manner at the dumb animal Thanquol was completely unprepared for it sprouting wings and taking off with the speed of a bullet. A wayward flap of its wings, by total accident, hit him in the snout as the beast fled with a fearful squeak. In his state this was all it took to knock the rat-priest from his feet and the hungry vermin tumbled into a painful heap on the floor.

Lying upside down with every inch of his body aching, Thanquol groaned. His grip on the Staff of the Horned Rat loosened and it fell to the ground with a loud, undignified clunk.

***

“Oh no oh no oh no oh no oh no.” Fluttershy moved with speed she was fairly certain she couldn’t usually achieve, blasting through the air in hot pursuit of Angel Bunny. She quickly caught up with him since the horned rat-creature wasn’t all the strong.

Angel Bunny stared at her, little arms crossed and an expression of nonchalant annoyance on his face. The look he gave her as Fluttershy caught him in her hooves indicated that this was her fault.

“It’s alright now Angel.” She whispered to him as she held him close. “I’m sure h-he didn’t mean to.” Despite her words when Fluttershy looked back at her house she hesitated. Her first reaction upon finally creeping out from under her bed and finding a hurt creature had been to help it. The strange rat-like thing had been wearing clothes even if they were caked with dirt and filth so it must be intelligent.

Those robes were now soaking in a metal basin full of as much cleaning product as Fluttershy could find. The creature itself was nearly as dirty, a fact not helped by the many cuts and abrasions across its body like it had been caught in an explosion of some kind with plenty of shrapnel flying around.

‘He was probably just frightened.’ Fluttershy told herself sternly. She was fairly certain it was a ‘he’. ‘I just need to fly back...alone...into my home...alone...with a strange mons- creature...alone...by myself... ’

For some reason her motivation to return left her.

She hovered in the air for a minute, shaking with worry. Angel Bunny fidgeted unhappily but his owner entirely failed to notice. That, he decided, would have to change so he prepared to give her a good kick.

Fluttershy was torn with indecision, at least until she heard a distressed shriek. Gulping and marshalling her tentative courage, Fluttershy started back.

Pleased that she was doing as he wanted Angel Bunny decided to let the pegasus off without a kick. This time.

***

The horns of a Grey Seer, along with their white coat, were a mark of the Horned Rat’s favour. Not even the Great Clans dared conceal a runt born with these markings. To the unwashed skaven masses those horns were symbols of power and a promise of destruction to any who dared stand in the way of such a being. Their horns could not be replicated by the warlocks of Clan Skyre nor the monks of Pestilens. They alone were all a skaven needed to rise to great heights.

One of his was stuck in the floor. Thanquol hissed curses as he tugged again. He opted to move on to snarling when this proved the same result as before. He jerked sharply but his horn remained imbedded in the wood.

Shrieking angrily he reached for his fallen staff and began to hit his horn while pulling his head back. After a minute of hitting with no effect Thanquol realised perhaps this wasn’t working.

The solution came to him at last in a stroke of brilliance. He brought the butt of his staff to the crack between planks and shoved it in. Using this as a support he began to pull again, all his efforts concentrated on this.

After the first few seconds his neck began to ache a bit more than it had before and not long after that it began to hurt. Thanquol, of course, was not afraid of a little pain to achieve his goals. His squeaks of pain were merely...automatic reactions of his body. If he wanted, Thanquol could have silenced them since he was his body’s master but he considered the pros and cons, the expense of energy and focus, and decided not to bother.

Fluttershy peeked through the window, watching her ‘guest’ wriggling and squealing in pain as it pulled its head free. She gasped, eyes wide at the sight of the poor thing in distress, and started to climb through the window.

Thanquol came free with a squeal, flying back and hitting something soft. Whatever it was made a strange ‘eep’ sound. They tumbled back into the wall in a tangled heap. He scrambled, pulling and pushing free. Spitting out a yellow feather, Thanquol glared down at the dazed horse-thing that had been trying to sneak up on him.

He grinned, teeth showing in a vicious sneer. He would teach the beast to try assassinating him! His peerless sense of awareness and intelligence had allowed him to thwart its plan before it could react and now it was left open to his cunning counter-attack!

He smacked it on the head with his staff. The horse-thing crumbled into an unconscious pile.

A gloating smirk came to his ruined face, tongue lashing out as he chuckled wheezingly. He stopped when a small fuzzy head with long ears poked out from under the unconscious horse-beast. It managed a growl. Thanquol hadn’t known rabbits could growl.

It leapt up from the horse-thing and with surprising strength kicked him square in the nose. Thanquol fell back, clutching his nose as he let out a pained squeak. The rabbit-beast stuck out its tongue and made ‘thhhbbbb’ found at him before kicking one of his feet-paws.

Teeth gnashing Thanquol removed his paws and went to pick up his fallen staff so he might send the rabbit-beast flying again. Barely had his fingers began to wrap around its haft before the rabbit-beast was there striking his fingers. Recoiling Thanquol blinked dully at the sheer effrontery behaviour.

The rabbit-beast made a face at him and, somehow, picked up the Staff of the Horned Rat. Balancing it over its shoulder the rabbit-beast took off, fleeing from the room with an ancient relic of the skaven race.

Thanquol stared after the creature, twitching, as what just happened sank in.

With a tremendously high-pitched shriek he took off in pursuit, ignoring the aches and pain through willpower, rage and adrenaline.

***

Fluttershy slowly awoke with a throbbing in her skull.

“Owie...” she whimpered, clutching her head. It felt like there was a gong inside her head. Fluttershy was reminded of Rainbow Dash’s last birthday when Applejack had brought out the hard cider. It had been an interesting night. Among the many things she wasn’t sure she wanted to learn from the experience, the next morning Fluttershy discovered hangovers.

That’s what happens when you out drink everypony else.

She couldn’t remember any drinking nor did her mouth taste like cotton candy (Fluttershy tried not to think about whose bed she had woken up in that time) so why did her head...

‘Oh!’ she moaned in both pain and realisation. ‘I must have hit my head when the poor thing ran into me.’ Fluttershy concluded.

Getting slowly to her feet Fluttershy became aware after a moment of bangs, crashes and a strange series of squeaks and snarls.

“Stop-cease, tiny beast!” a high-pitched, unfamiliar voice squeaked followed by another bang. “Return Thanquol’s staff and your liver will go ea-” it cut off with a high squeal.

Ignoring the pain in her head Fluttershy ran to the main room, following the sounds down to the kitchen.

“Ha! The Mighty Thanquol is victorious!” the strange, wheezy voice crowed triumphantly. Its tone was filled with what an uncharitable soul might call ‘smug-self satisfaction’. “Cower before my powerful....power!” it hesitated at the end before finishing with gusto.

Fluttershy burst into the kitchen and ran into the furry back of her ‘guest’. She stepped back whimpering, eyes rolling as the gong in her head went off again from the relatively soft impact.

The rat-creature, standing on the tips of his toes as he posed in victory, shrieked as he was knocked down once again.

“Oww.” Fluttershy focused on the fallen rat, concern for his wellbeing overriding her own pain.

There had never there had been something less deserving of her kindness.

Thanquol groaned as his body suddenly failed him, adrenaline running dry and all the pains of his body now coming back with a vengeance.

“Oh no, are you alright?” she reached down and pulled the weakly resisting rat to his feet. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t see you. Are you okay? Your bandages are still tight aren’t they?” she fussed with him, running her hooves over the white bindings covering his wounds.

For his part Thanquol simply moaned dully in pain. It was taking everything he had not to collapse. The horse-thing was talking. Clearly, he thought murkily, it must be a mutant. He licked his lips. If it was a mutant that meant there was warpstone nearby. His nose twitched hungrily. Something moved with it and, he noticed feverishly, the movement was following the twitching of his muzzle.

Fluttershy led the dazed creature to the couch in the next room while he batted at his whiskers, muttering accusations that they were stalking him. She noticed he kept licking his lips hungrily and his eyes were darting around in search of something. His nose was twitching madly as well.

“Are you hungry?” she asked gently, wide eyes watching him with worry.

The horse-thing was speaking. Hungry? Yes, he was hungry. The godstone, how long had he gone without the godstone? Thanquol barely restrained a squeal of frustration with a single positive realisation. Clearly the beast wanted to serve him! It was all clear! It had treated his wounds and was offering food in hopes he would accept it as one of his minions. Even unconscious it had recognised a being who was its innate superior.

This pleased Thanquol. A servant who knew its place was valuable.

“Horse-thing!” he snarled as his mind fought its way through the haze of pain and withdrawal. By the Horned Rat, his lack of magic was sickening him. He had recovered no power all this time, none at all. “Bring-find belt!”

Clearly the poor dear had something of personal value in his belt. Fluttershy nodded and ran to where she had placed his belt and various pouches in a pile next to the any odd decorations he had been wearing. She hurried back with the belt over her back, not quite willing to hold it in her mouth.

“H-here you go.” She whispered quietly, looking down as he snatched it up.

Watching him dig through the belt pouches without acknowledging her, Fluttershy began to feel a little bit of doubt. But surely he was just disoriented, and didn’t mean to forget to say thank you.

Where was his warpstone? Thanquol dug through the pouches, searching desperately...there! He drooled as he found the small bag containing an emergency supply of warpstone dust. He rammed his fingers in greedily scooping some of the green-black powder into his paw and inhaling it.

His nose’s ruined nerves burned and Thanquol let out a content sigh. The rush of power that normally accompanied his intake of powdered godstone was barely a trickle compared to its usual swell of dark energy but it was still enough to settle him. Had he been, well, sane, he might have had some concern at that moment that he still lacked the power to cast even a minor cantrip.

He looked up blearily at the horse-thing, glaring at her. “Who are you, horse-thing? Tell Thanquol!” he demanded loudly. She recoiled fearfully. Good. It recognised that it should fear its new master!

Fluttershy recoiled and whimpered. The loud sounds weren’t helping her head pain. “Oh no, I’m not a horse. I-I’m Fluttershy, a pegasus pony.” She said, smiling uncertainly at him holding out a hoof. He glared at it suspiciously. “Y-You said your name was T-Thanquol?” the timid pegasus asked as he slowly reached out to tap her hoof uncertainly.

“Yes-yes, I am mighty Thanquol! Greatest Grey Seer! Powerful sorcerer! Vastly wise- gah!” his boasts were cut off by the rabbit-beast leaping up and kicking him in the nose again.

“Angel Bunny!” Fluttershy gave her little friend a reproachful look. “Don’t be rude to our guest. He’s hurt and I don’t want you teasing him. Okay?” she asked, her stare growing firm.

The rabbit met her gaze for about three seconds before giving in and nodding reluctantly, not before shooting a dark glare at the rat. ‘This isn’t over’ the glare promised.

The look Thanquol sent back agreed entirely and images of catching and making the little beast watch as he ate it alive filled his thoughts. This was largely ruined when he let out a squeak as another lance of pain shot from one of his many wounds.

Nearly falling from the very comfortable couch Thanquol found the ‘Fluttershy’ at his side, holding him. He shakily nodded in approval.

“Oh, you poor thing.” She murmured, holding him steady as Thanquol threatened to fall. “Let’s get you back to bed.” She smiled reassuringly, trying to ignore how filthy he still was.

Never had one room contained two so different creatures. There should have been some kind of backlash from the sheer contradiction of their beings. One was a loving mare who wouldn’t hesitate to help any creature she came across in need and was almost pathologically kind. Her kindness knew no limits despite her shy nature.

The other...well, the other was Thanquol. That said it all, really.

***

Here’s chapter 2, written on and off today while also working on Justice Itself chapter 10.

So yes, Thanquol has pretty much lost all his magic for now. How else can this story logically (ha!) go forward without him laying waste to everything around him unless he needs the ponies for some reason.

Anyway, hope you enjoyed this.

Chapter Three

Thanquol snarled, lashing out with all the skill and power of a true skaven warrior. This was unacceptable treatment for so grand a personage! He struck the yellow-furred beast again and again, unrelenting in his fury.

Sighing, Fluttershy ignored her patient’s feeble attempts to ward her off. How he had managed to hit Angel Bunny so far she could only attribute to adrenaline or such a thing. “I need to change your bandages. Please? I would never forgive myself if you got an infection.” She gave him a gentle, calm smile.

His muzzle scrunched up as he studied the dumbly smilingly animal. At last he nodded in assent. “Be quick-fast, pony-thing.” Thanquol ordered with a negligent flap of a paw. It simply would not do for him to be laid low by the onset of a disease, after all.

The beast had some medical knowledge and hardly made a sound when he beat it. Perhaps he would not eat it quite yet.

Happy at his agreement Fluttershy quickly set about changing the once-white bandages. She frowned at how dirty they had become in so short a time. Murmuring reassurances to him she began her work.

The Grey Seer hissed and tried to jerk away when Fluttershy applied rubbing alcohol only to find her hooves surprisingly hard to remove. His physical weakness would be a problem, Thanquol realised sourly. Normally he could compensate through displays of his supreme magical might but he still lacked any of his usual reserves. Not to mention how little power his warpstone was providing. It disturbed him. and that in turn made him want to make something suffer. If Thanquol had to suffer it was only right that everyone else did too.

He would, he decided unhappily, need to ‘befriend’ the beast. Lure it into thinking he wished to be an equal partner in an alliance, a trusted colleague who would keep its trust.

The thought of lowering himself to allying with ‘Fluttershy’ rather than enslaving it made him want to retch. Though he was loathe to admit it his continued lack of power meant it was his only option.

Rage gripped Thanquol at the indignity of it all but he swallowed the feeling with some effort. Despite his incredible self-control his paw shook with suppressed emotion. Or maybe he needed another pinch of warpstone snuff. Just a pinch, to settle his nerves. Unlike other idiots he was not an addict. Thanquol had far too much self-control and willpower to let any substance control him. He staved this off until the pony-thing had gone to get him ‘some lovely carrot soup’. The shaking was obviously just from his anger. Clearly.

Humming as she began to prepare the meal, Fluttershy had no idea the paranoid fit now gripping her patient, all due to her kindness.

‘What does it want?’ Thanquol tapped his fingers rapidly against his snout. ‘The pony-thing must have some other motive beyond serving so august a master as I. But it is foolish to believe it can conceal its true intent from the Horned Rat’s prophet!’

Another concern was his location. His injuries and understandable need to calm his nerves with warpstone had let him push that matter largely into the back of his mind until now. Clearly he was on the surface and some place rich in plant and animal life. Though they hid he could smell that a vast number of lesser creatures common among forests were usually filling the pony-thing’s hovel.

Fear threatened to spill into his mind. The Under-Empire spanned the entire world and he had never heard of the like of the pony-thing. The human nation of Bretonnia was said to posses winged horses capable of flying. Was the pony-thing a related breed somehow granted sentience – however feeble compared to true skaven thought – and the ability to talk through mutation or magic?

Thinking of magic Thanquol reached out with his arcane senses. The usually heavy tides of aethyric power that normally danced tantalisingly at the edge of his perception was gone. Instead of flooding in when he opened his mind and reached for it he found noth-

There! Something had touched his mind for the briefest of moments but then flittered away. There was magic here! Thanquol’s mind worked furiously. The winds of magic touched all places, from Cathay to Araby to Reiksland yet here he could feel nothing of it. Almost, he mused, as though Chaos had no power here.

The notion was ridiculous, of course. Perhaps some kind of filter? Dwarf rune-magic worked without a trace of Chaos or the Warp, the ultimate blasphemy. He could easily imagine the stupid dwarfs believing they could blunt the power of the Horned Rat and the other Chaos powers by attempting to prevent it from reaching certain places. But even as he considered the idea he dismissed it. To do so would require every rune-smith in existence and by all accounts only a Master Rune could be strong enough to achieve such a total effect. Master Runes took decades of work by a single Master Rune-Smith to produce. It was, he concluded, technically or theoretically possible but not in the slight practically.

Gnawing on his tail absentmindedly Thanquol ran through every possibility, likely or not. There weren’t many. Even the magic of the elf-things wasn’t this pure, only dwarf runes and Old One relics could approach it.

His ears twitched at a knock at the door, nearly inaudible. “Come fast-quick!” he barked. “I desire food now-now!”

Fluttershy entered holding a tray in her mouth, a bowl of soup balanced on it. She smiled around the tray at Thanquol, pleased to see that he was staying in bed like she asked. Noticing the way he shied from looking into the light she made a note to remember to close the curtains. Judging from the poor thing’s eyes he was better suited to the night then sunlight and it probably made him uncomfortable.

She was rather glad he was so...odd, really. She could read his body language to an extent like she could any of her little animal friends and for whatever reason this made him so much easier to deal with than other ponies. The fact he was injured helped a great deal as well. Fluttershy never could resist a creature in need.

He was glaring at her, and she could tell by give-away twitches and fidgets that Thanquol might be angry or upset. It took a lot of effort to keep smiling in the face of a death-glare worthy of Discord.

Placing the tray over his legs Fluttershy tried to ignore how dirty her bed was getting. “Here’s some soup. Its carrot, it’s good. I mean, I think it is. But it’s okay if you don’t like it.” She bit her lip and looked away.

A smile that was more of a smirk curved along Thanquol’s muzzle at its reaction. For all the strength it had shown when it came to his bandages the pony-thing was clearly a naturally subservient beast. Such a trait could be extremely useful and if there were more of its kind...

Lifting the bowl he began to drink from it.

“D-do you like it?” the pony-thing asked in what was obviously hope for approval.

Biting back his urge to throw the soup at it and demand another meal be prepared – not that the soup was bad but because he suspected it would obey – Thanquol was annoyed to find he did actually like it. That rather spoiled things but at least it would serve yet another function.

“Yes-yes, pony-th- erm, Flutershe. Soup is tasty-delicious.” He gave the pony-thing a sincere smile.

Fluttershy tried not to recoil from his rictus grin. “O-oh, that’s wonderful. It’s, um I don’t mean to be rude but its Fl-Fluttershy. My name. It’s...uh...Fluttershy...”

He stared at her. It was unnerving. Putting the now empty bowl down Thanquol let out a gaseous burp. His long tongue darted out and cleaned along his ruined lips. “Yes-yes. Fine-good food, you have my...” was it Fluttershy’s imagination or did his expression become somewhat..darker for a split second. He continued smoothly. “...my thanks. Truly you are a fine cooker, gracious-one.”

She blushed at the praise. “Oh, I’m not all that good. I can do a few things well but nothing compared to my friends Pinkie Pie and Applejack. They’re both wonderful bakers.” Fluttershy scuffed the floor with a hoof.

So there were more! Thanquol was elated by this knowledge. If they were as eager to obey and spineless as this one the possibilities were incredible! He imagined returning to Skavenblight on a palanquin carried by the beasts. The master mutators of Clan Moulder would forget even their animosity – completely undeserved animosity at that – for the chance to acquire some of his stock. An entirely docile sentient creature would provide them with so many options for applications. Granted greater phsycial strength yet retaining their obedient nature and they could be used for all sorts of things from being able to pull carts along the deep highways of the Under-Empire to being used in construction and pulling war engines.

Within a year the Under-Empire would have systems in place as the pony-things became more prevalent. He of course would control the breeders and the supply. Only as patriotic and faithful a servant of the Under-Empire as Thanquol could be trusted with controlling such a powerful tool in the Horned Rats name. Only he was valiant and loyal enough to not misuse the power for his own gains.

A skaven who achieved such a thing would, Thanquol had no doubt, attract many jealous and bitter rivals who would attempt to snuff out his life and end his good work. He would have to hire guards who could be trusted and trained to be alert to even the gutter-slinking assassin-cowards of Clan Eshin. But there were always mistakes, flaws even the most skilled and able servants could not prevent from occurring. Clearly he would need to act first and remove those who would interfere with his plans. The skillful master assassins of Clan Eshin might provide some use there.

Though he did not like to consider it Thanquol knew that it was possible one of the Council of Thirteen, the Lords of Decay, might grow irrationally fearful of him and envious of the obvious brilliance of the humble Grey Seer. Why, even Seerlord Kritislik might fear for his position. And rightful fear it would be if he could not do as a proper skaven did and eliminate rivals before they became a threat.

Once Thanquol was Seerlord he could begin to see the Under-Empire returning to its proper course, to the days when a single great unifier could rally all of skavenkind beneath his banner. The other Lords of Decay would balk at giving any single skaven that power but it was his solemn duty. If they could not find it in their black hearts to trust him, well, Thanquol knew how to deal with heretics. It was about time the blasphemous Clan Pestilens was disciplined. Clan Skryre too, only he could be trusted with arcane wisdom and those loyal to him. Bound by magic to prevent betrayal, obviously, since only a fool would trust another in such a high position.

Taking the bowl back to the kitchen to get her patient seconds, Fluttershy could not help but smile when she heard him laughing. A bit shrill but he seemed so happy.

‘I really should introduce him to the others.’ she thought. ‘Tomorrow is spa day with Rarity and he needs a better clean then I can give him, the poor dear. I don’t know how he turned up here but if there’s anything I can do to help, I have to. He looks like he’s had such a rough life and he might be rude, but all he needs is a little love and affection like any wounded creature.’

Thanquol’s laughter rang out from the small cottage and animals in every direction looked up. Though none had the words to express it, they could all hear the note of madness to the sound.

Fluttershy trotted happily back to her room with another bowl of soup. ‘Yes.’ she decided. ‘I’ll take him tomorrow and maybe Rarity will make him some new clothes.’

The insane laughter cut off as the rat-priest started slurping carrot soup again.

Well, I wanted to see how much hypocrisy I could fit into one chapter.

Wonderful news though! In the new small anthology of Gotrek & Felix short stories by various authors one of the stories was about Thanquol! He gets body-swapped with undead-machine Boneripper and how he describes not being able to perceive or use magic in that shell was extremely helpful in writing this. I’ve also started to re-read the Thanquol & Boneripper novel The Temple of the Serpent, which should be a good help with this.

Thoughts on the story so far and how insane Thanquol is? Impressions of him from this chapter are especially welcome. How does all this stuff make you think of him?

Chapter Four

Thanquol grounded his teeth furiously and imagined eating the little beast’s guts in front of its pain-filled eyes. To his credit he restrained himself, even when Angel Bunny started pulling faces on him.

He had awoken in a less than pleased mood, having slept through the rest of the day and night in the beast’s strangely comfortable bed. For a while he had suspected it had poisoned him but had eventually dismissed the idea. It was too easily frightened to attempt to do such a thing to its better.

Still, he had best find some way to ensure it knew he would punish it properly if it failed him. Perhaps the rabbit-

No, wait. Thanquol was trying to ‘befriend’ it. Without his magic to protect him he had little interest in risking antagonising it. He stroked his whiskers and leaned heavily on his staff. The various trinkets and amulets hanging from it clinked slightly when he shifted his weight.

He chittered angrily and stamped his foot impatiently. It had told him there was a town called ‘Ponyville’ nearby, full of other pony-things and it wanted him to come with it. Yet it had the nerve to keep him waiting while dealing with its pointless little pets!

“I’m done.” The wretched beast whimpered apologetically. “Sorry to make you wait but Angel was being a fussy little bunny.” It said with a weak smile.

Ever magnanimous Thanquol resisted the urge to beat it over the head to teach it a lesson. After his initial burst of warpstone fuelled confidence reason had asserted itself. His host had explained the nearby ‘Everfree Forest’ and its danger, yet despite its obvious fear the creature remained close to it. It also lived on its own save for the damnable little beasts following its every word. All this led to only one conclusion.

His brilliant mind had deduced that Fluttershy must have a protector of some sort. Something or someone stronger was ensuring the pony-thing was left in peace. While the dangers of the forest could be exaggerated the ever-vigilant Thanquol knew not to make assumptions. The pony-thing appeared knowledgeable on beasts and nature so it must have some idea, however inaccurate its own fear might make it.

“You are forgiven.” He muttered impatiently with a flap of his paw in its direction. “Let us leave-go, now-now!” he stamped the butt of his staff on the ground for emphasis.

It nodded obediently. “A-Alright. You must really want new clothes.” It murmured quietly.

This was true. It seemed Thanquol’s tumultuous journey had done substantial damage to his robes. The various trinkets, the arcane power of many gone, had survived as had his belt. Of his sword there was no sign.

He thumped his staff again with as much dignity as a rat in a make-shift bedsheet robe could. “Yes-yes, I wish it very-highly.” Thanquol nearly bared his teeth before remembering that about Fluttershy’s likely patron. Whoever it was must be powerful and without his magic to defend or destroy…

Thanquol had the utmost confidence in his mind’s ability to devise a cunning plan. Still, it was hardly worth the effort to antagonise a no doubt reasonable being, he decided.

Sensing her patient’s lack of patience Fluttershy took his free paw by the hoof, holding it in the crook of her ankle. He resisted automatically for a moment before grudgingly allowing her to lead him down the path.

Fluttershy smiled comfortingly before turning her head back to face forward. She began to hum a quiet, beautiful tone absently that nearby birds picked up and joined in.

Since she was looking away the timid mare missed the rage that built up in those beady, hateful eyes. The dark emotion was smothered although not without his grip on his staff tightening dangerously. Thanquol settled for glaring at every tasty little beast in sight.

After a few minutes of enjoying the reactions of the animals drawn by Fluttershy’s hum something occurred to him. How was it influencing the beasts? Clearly they were being drawn to the pony-thing and by its actions he had worked out that it was a caretaker for the local animals. It might have told him so of course, but Thanquol had obviously already worked it out before hand.

He sniffed at the air and stretched out his senses, mundane and arcane both. Though animals continued to peek in from bushes and trees as Fluttershy sung there was no magic in the air. The pony-thing was unremarkable to his finely-tuned senses even as its song brought the beasts to heel.

His tongue lashed at his lips and Thanquol wondered how long it had been since he last partook of his warpstone. Too, too long, surely. Just a pinch, to focus his mind-

No! The Grey Seer mastered himself with some effort. He had managed to recover another two pouches of warpstone snuff, a far too small purse of warpstone tokens and a single finger-sized silver. Until he knew how far from the nearest outpost of the Under-Empire he was it had to be rationed!

But it couldn’t be all that far, he reasoned. Thanquol knew he was perhaps the most knowledgeable skaven alive, though in his modesty he chose not to brag, but even his immense wisdom could have a hole or two in it. The Under-Empire spread from the Old World to Cathay and from north to south. Surely he would find an outpost easily enough.

Drooling slightly he drew shook his paw out of Fluttershy’s hoof and pulled out one of the snuff-pouches. The pony-thing was looking at him but he paid it no mind as he quickly drew a small amount of the black-green dust up to his nose. Fire raced along through his veins and his tongue whipped madly in the air from his now slack jaw.

Fluttershy’s concern only grew as he took another sniff of the strange dust. Thanquol had refused to even let her touch the bags holding any of the green-black stuff and it was starting to worry her. The way he had been so desperate to get some and his sudden shudders and limp expression made her fear the worst.

After a few seconds of letting the fiery touch of warpstone sharpen his mind once again, Thanquol snapped his attention back to the pony-thing. It was staring at him with wide, frightened eyes. Good, he thought, working his jaw for a moment. Fear was good.

“Um, a-are you a-alright?” she asked hesitantly. Was it medicine? Was he sicker then she thought? Fluttershy’s worry grew every second.

He took a few moments to answer in which she only got more fearful. “Yes-yes, I am good-strong.” He thumped his chest lightly. The way he winced did not go unnoticed.

“Uh, let me just, um...” as delicately as she could Fluttershy took his paw again and gently began to let him put his weigh on her. She brushed her mane out of her face and looked hopefully at him. “I-is that better?”

Thanquol gave the pony-thing a haughty look, pondering if a good kick was in order for its presumption before commanding it to take his weight again. He caught himself at the last moment and put his foot back down.

“Much better-good.” He nodded grandly, holding his staff in the crook of his elbow while he stroked his whiskers in a practiced gesture. It highlighted his intellect. “We should move-travel again. Quick-fast!”

Was there something wrong with his whiskers? Fluttershy would be sure to ask later. For now she settled for resuming their journey.

What a waste! Thanquol glared at the pristine, untouched land around him and felt supreme contempt for the pony-things. How much black corn could be grown to feed the skaven warmachine? The warpstone forges that could be constructed in such space would give any rat who commanded them – and Thanquol had exactly the rat in mind – would allow an incredible increase in production unlike any seen in centuries! All the trees would provide materials and perhaps there were minerals deposits the stupid beasts had failed to exploit nearby.

The wide, open fields he could see through the lowering number of trees would be perfect pastures for keeping the pony-slaves.

Very wide, in fact. Extremely open. Open to the sky. The big, empty, skavenless sky....

The blue of the clear, clean sky was becoming ever more apparent through the trees and without conscious thought Thanquol’s grip tightened on Fluttershy’s hoof and he pressed closer to her.

All skaven were, to some extent, naturally agoraphobic. They were at home in the massed horde of their fellow ratkin with the press of walls on all sides. Most lived their entire lives underground forever surrounded by other skaven.

If there was one thing Thanquol could honestly claim to be was well-travelled. He had gone from Araby to the Chaos Wastes in search of opportunities to prove to his many jealous and bitter rivals the genius that was Thanquol. They had hounded him to the most remote locations forever sabotaging his other-wise flawless schemes yet never able to prevent him escaping.

It suddenly came crashing into his mind that he was alone who-knows-how-far from another skaven, lacking in magic, stuck on the surface. Not to mention injured and Thanquol knew full well what happens to the infirm. He ought to know, he’d eaten enough of them.

A foul smell reached Fluttershy’s nose. Her muzzle wrinkled as she sniffed at the air. Before she could make any connections Thanquol began to pull back down the path away from the horrifyingly open sky.

‘He’s shaking!’ she let him pull back into the comforting shadow. It was apparent where the smell was coming from.

Thanquol was crouching down, hissing madly with near-feral rage. He was too alone! Where was the comforting press of kin around him? The lack of pressure and freedom of movement induced a nearly physical ache. Anything, anyone, even a Pestilens plague monk! If a battalion of the insane diseased fanatics of their equally mad Great Clan had appeared brimming with fatal illnesses he would have gone running and leaping into their midst.

Fluttershy lowered herself down next to him. She could recognise the signs of an animal in distress easily and he was giving off so many. In particular she guessed it was something to do with leaving the forest. While she had never met any of his species before Thanquol was obviously related to rats in some way. A bad reaction to the sky, perhaps? His eyes had been sensitive to light as well, too sensitive for a creature who lived in the daylight – or rather, perfectly suited to a race that lived in darkness.

Her hoof began to gently run across the dirty fur on the back of his neck. “There there.” She murmured sweetly. “It’s alright. I’m here, you don’t have to be afraid.” The irony of her saying that was not lost on the timid pegasus but she pressed on.

The shred of rational thought left in Thanquol’s mind noticed the way the pony-thing’s submissive posture was gone and how it spoke without stuttering.

Fluttershy let out a squeak as she was suddenly pulled in tighter. He held on as though letting go would kill him and for all she knew it just might. Instead of resisting she stroked the back of his head and the base of his horns.

A few minutes later she was suddenly pushed away.

Thanquol rose from his crouch, teeth grinding with rage. To be so humiliated! Only the urgent cry of his body to acquire more warpstone had broken the trance he had been put in and only that same need prevented him from simply staving in her head with his staff.

“Say-speak nothing!” he snarled once his bloodshot eyes opened from the euphoric thrill of warpstone induced high. “Tell-squeak to no one or I break-smash home!”

Surprised by the sudden reversal of attitude and violent threat Fluttershy took a few steps back. She quickly got her thoughts in order. ‘The poor thing is just embarrassed.’ she told herself as she promised not to tell anypony. Nonetheless, she frowned. ‘But he is being a bit rude.’

He eyed her suspiciously for a few more seconds before nodding himself. “Let us go. I need-need new robes.” He commanded imperiously.

Fluttershy nodded hesitantly. He did need something to replace his old robes and her, uh, now stinking bed-sheet.

Thanquol failed to notice how close he stayed to her side as they approached the sun-lit exit. If he was the sort of reflect he might have realised that he had stopped thinking of her as an ‘it’, a distinction he had extended among lesser races only to the mad Slayer and his spiteful henchman. Nor did he notice the way sticking close to her relived some of his tension, almost like being in the comforting company of another skaven.

It sickened him when he realised what was going on. In his mad desperation his mind was using the pony-thing as surrogate kin to keep from going mad. His teeth gnashed angrily. How? Nothing of the sort had happened before!

Grudgingly he admitted the last time it had happened when he was adrift on ocean far from home there had not actually been anyone around of any kind. Even then he had been able to take comfort in the body of his rat-ogre Boneripper until the last morsels had been devoured. Only the Horned Rat’s own luck had led him to drift into a port without being seen by the humans. Once the smells of other living creatures and the stink of a man-city had reached his nearly comatose body he had awoken.

Thanquol felt quite proud that it had only taken a few tasty beggars before his senses fully returned to him.

He absently ran a finger along the inside of one of his nostrils in search of wayward warpstone. Perhaps this could be of use....Yes, he would use it! The pony-thing clearly had sort of fixation of healing animals. She had mentioned something about a mark, which he reasoned was a brand of some kind to show her occupation. Was the mark magical and somehow assisted her in fulfilling that duty?

***

The strange creature with Fluttershy was exactly the sort of thing to cause certain ponies to panic the entire town. Normally, at least.

But a dilemma was presented itself as ponies stared and winced at the smell when it got too close. On the one hand it was s strange, horned bipedal rat in a dirty sheet glaring at everypony. Its gaze was strangely unsetting and nopony could meet its stare before looking away. None could really explain the feeling, because the population of Ponyville had largely never had cause to look into the eyes of a creature that considered them less than a living thing.

On the other hand...it was with Fluttershy and she did not look nervous. Or at least anymore nervous than usual. While Rainbow Dash had bragged about the incident with the dragon, since Fluttershy was far too shy and modest to do it herself, and how the timid mare had talked the dragon into leaving on her own but many found it hard to believe.

She was Fluttershy, for Celestia’s sake! How could they look at themselves in the mirror if they were afraid of something that she could apparently handle with ease?

For his part Thanquol could not stop looking in every direction, trying to see as much as possible. There were so many! They were disgustingly coloured but he was certain the Moulder breeders could work that problem out.

Their buildings were crude and weak compared to mighty skaven construction techniques, of course, but they seemed well-made...for non-skaven. Many of the pony-things were stopping to stare at him and those he greeted with a glare. None could look for long and this pleased him. While they did not cower in quite the same way Fluttershy did they also seemed to lack much of a backbone. Good.

Some lacked wings, he noticed, and had a horn. None had both horn and wing. He sneered contemptuously when he saw the tips were dulled. The tips of his own blessed horns were razor-pointed. What was the point of a horn if it was not sharp enough to stab with?

By far the kind lacking in horn or wing were the most common. A base form, he deduced, from which the others had sprung. Perhaps they had somehow acquired a controlled form of mutation much like the mutators of Moulder could achieve through mastery of breeding and warpstone exposure.

The smells were odd as well, not at all like the horses he had caught wind of before. The air was so disgustingly clean, lacking in proper skaven-stench. All of the pony-things had marks on their sides, no two completely identical.

All the attention was flustering Fluttershy. She discreetly tried to hurry Thanquol. It was really getting to her and she wished everypony would stop looking. Thanquol probably would not appreciate being stared at either.

Fortunately the journey to Rarity's store was relatively short. Thanquol snorted as Fluttershy led him to the building. He could smell it and there was nothing about it he liked.

“We’re just about there.” Murmured the pony-thing, opening the door. “Come on in.” She smiled at him. Idly he considered giving her a smack with his staff for giving him an order before remembering that would be a bad idea. He had to be subtle.

Unfortunately any idea of that went out the window.

“Fluttershy, darling, so glad you could make it on ti-” Rarity froze halfway into hugging her friend. She stared with mounting horror at the thing Fluttershy was leading in by the hoof.

Thanquol fought the urge to hiss at the horned pony-thing. It was looking at him strangely and there was something off about its scent.

“Uh, Rarity? I’m sorry to interrupt, um, this is Thanquol. He’s-”

A loud feminine shriek pierced the air and every ear-drum within a block. Everypony recognised it and shrugged. A few who had seen the creature following Fluttershy had a sneaking suspicion about what the cause was. It had looked rather filthy.

The shriek came to an end when Rarity fell away in a dead faint. Thanquol hissed from where he was pressing himself against the wall, claws clapped over his sensitive ears.

Fluttershy took a deep breath.

“Oh dear.”

***

There’s chapter 4! Its easier to work on this compared to Justice Itself when at uni. Hmm, I should probably be working on my Academic Writing assignment but meh, got till Tuesday. I’ll do it tomorrow while at uni and finish chapter 10 of Justice Itself when I get back from work tomorrow night.

This is a bit longer then I wanted because I just couldn’t find a good place to finish so it kept dragging off. The main point of this was to establish why Thanquol is not going to be totally evil to Fluttershy and the other ponies. Oh, he’ll WANT to be. I’m going to do my best to make him as monstrous as possible while finding ways to prevent him from acting on his urges. It will frustrate him no end.

He’s still getting his high off warpstone dust but without the boost in magical power its not lasting as long or giving him the usual empowerment to destroy at whim. I couldn’t really be bothered to make a big thing about the ponies of Ponyville reacting to Thanquol so I devised the reasoning about ‘if Fluttershy isn’t scared it would be embarrassing to be scared’, which is essentially the sentiment there to the random ponies.

Ah well, hope you enjoyed the read. Please comment, I love comments. I practically feed on them, or at least my writing does. By that logic (or something indistinct I’ll call logic for now) that means I’m one or two relations from being a changling. I’d love to be able to shapeshift. For one thing, who needs to worry about brushing your teeth if you can shape-shift them into clean, healthy teeth?

Chapter Five

His attacker struck from half a dozen angles at once. Thin and quick, the insidious vines whipped around him. Were it not for his sadly weakened state, Thanquol could have avoided them with his legendary battle skills. Even as hardened and skilled a warrior as he, however, could not force a wounded body to move fast enough to escape the entwining strikes.

“Quickly!”

To her credit Rarity had recovered with startling speed. She leapt to her hooves barely two seconds after collapsing. She looked at Thanquol and in her eyes burned something which nearly made him squirt the musk of fear.

The way half a dozen odds ropes shot towards him, seemingly summoned from nowhere as the pony-thing’s horn glowed, had pushed his self-control to the limits. He thrashed as they began to wrap around him.

“Oh, so dirty!” the unicorn shrieked. “So grimy! Quickly, we must get you cleaned up this instant!”

“Um, Rarity? Are you sure you should be moving around so much? I mean, you did just faint.” Fluttershy asked worriedly. She glanced at Thanquol. “And, um, I think you might be distressing him.”

“It must be cleaned!” shrieked Rarity, turning her burning gaze upon Fluttershy.

Thanquol let out a particularly high-pitched squeal. “Release-free me!”

Closing in on the ratman, Rarity sniffed unhappily. “Atrocious grammar as well. Darling, what are you doing with this creature?”

“Oh, he’s not that bad. He turned up in my cottage yesterday. He was very hurt, I couldn’t just l-leave him!” Fluttershy explained, watching worriedly as Thanquol tried to manoeuvre his hands into a position to scratch Rarity’s eyes out while the unicorn multitasked the measuring tapes binding him and measured the ratman against his will. “Why, uh, why are you measuring him?”

Rarity scoffed. “Regardless of his lack of, ugh, personal hygiene I simply cannot allow anypony – or non-pony, I suppose – to wander around in such a filthy sheet. It would be criminal of me to him pass through these doors without receiving proper vestments.”

Something from the unicorn was saying managed to penetrate the fog of fear and anger around Thanquol’s brain. He stopped struggling and eyed her suspiciously. “What say-speak you, pony? I have owned-worn fine robes crafted by greatest-most skilled weaver-rats in Skavendom!” He sneered at her. “Doubt-doubt a pony-thing could ever match the genius of skaven craftsrats!”

“Oh ho?” Rarity smirked confidentially. “I believe you will find that I am master tailor, and if it is a fine robe you it is a fine robe you shall have! I am sure your, ahem, skaven was it? Yes, I am sure they are skilled indeed but soon you will wonder why you ever wore anything that was not sewn by my hooves.”

Fluttershy smiled at hearing this. “Oh my, how wonderful, I was going to ask you if you could maybe make him a new robe. His old one is all torn up and, um, a bit bloody. I don’t think he wants to be naked.” She whispered the last part in Rarity’s ear, although the rat-priest heard her easily.

The unicorn gave her friend a confused look. “Truly? Well, I can understand not wanting to be caught without the latest fashion but the sheet hardly seems necessary...”

Heat filled Fluttershy’s cheeks. “Its, well, I think....um.” She looked down, embarrassed. Shuffling ever closer, her mouth was practically pressed into Rarity’s ear as she whispered “His...you know, his ‘bits’ are just... hanging there.”

“....sweet Celestia.” Rarity’s hooves covered her mouth in horror and her gaze was drawn to Thanquol. “You mean...all the time?”

Fluttershy nodded timidly.

It took every iota of self-control Rarity had to not faint properly. “My word!” She frowned, reluctantly edging back over to the now placid rat. “Let me just take down your sizes, uh, your body size I mean not your...oh never mind.” She rubbed her forehead tiredly. “I am dreadfully sorry, but what was your name again darling?”

“I am great-powerful Thanquol! Mightiest of Grey Seers! First among the Horned Rat’s chosen!” The rat-priest declared, giving the pony-thing before him a superior sneer. Such a creature would surely be awed by his genuine and renowned titles, even in this place. His very bearing was enough to impress his shivelling enemies and grovelling allies, why should this mere pony-thing be any different?

Rarity closed her eyes. “Great...and...Powerful?” She grit her teeth at the memory of what that monster did to her precious mane! “Well, I had better just...” Nearly retching at being so close to such an overwhelming stench, Rarity made quick work of getting the measurements. The only biped she had ever measured before was Spike, and there was significantly less of him. A robe would be the easiest thing considering her relative inexperience.

While Rarity worked, Thanquol began to actually look at the room. It was disgustingly colourful. This building, he vowed, would be the first to do when he had this land under control. A refuse pit, perhaps. Yes, that would be ideal. If the horned pony-thing could not live up to its claims, it would spend the rest of its life at the bottom, leashed to a pole so it could use its hooves to pack the trash down.

He snickered at the thought of vengeance. A glint of light, however, caught his attention. One of the false-ponies being used to store cloth was covered in gem stone! Diamonds! Warpstone might be the major form of currency within the Under-Empire but the stones unearthed by skaven miners were still a commodity. They were, for one thing, very shiny. Diamonds of certain purity were also prized by Clan Skryre engineers for use as lens in many of their inventions.

A sudden suspicion bloomed in his brilliant mind. Among the man-things, possessing a large number of valuables such as diamonds and precious metals like gold were considered symbols of status. They wore them in great, gaudy displays.

The horned pony-thing must be wealthy! He watched it carefully, comparing it to the ‘nobles’ among the humans he had studied. Compared to the pony-things in the street and Fluttershy, this one did seem to speak more carefully. Was it stupid? Perhaps both. If he could cultivate its allegiance, he may have a valuable tool. The pony-things were so very trusting.

“There we are!” Rarity finished jotting down the numbers. She turned back to them with a smile, although it was a tad strained whenever she looked at Thanquol. “Now, we simply must get your friend here to the spa. Lotus and Aloe are the only ponies I know who might stand a chance against such, uh, a challenge.”

Fluttershy nodded happily. Thanquol, to her surprise, gave Rarity a bow.

“Many-many thanks, oh generous one.” He bobbed his head. “You are kind-good. Consider this lowly one to owe you a service.” It was a risk, considering the beast might actually ask something of him, but he had to take risks in this situation if he wanted to regain an advantage beyond his own tactical brilliance.

Surprised but pleased, Rarity beamed back. “Oh darling, think nothing of it. Any friend of Fluttershy’s is a friend of mine, regardless of how dirty they might be. Not to mention that you are hurt, and it costs very little to help those in need. Now, let’s go get you cleaned up.” The door swung open at the behest of her magic. Thanquol stepped back, clearly offering her the chance to leave first.

Smiling together, both cheered at the change in the rat’s manner, Fluttershy and Rarity trotted out. Neither saw the momentary look of venomous rage on Thanquol’s face, nor the covetous look he sent at the gem-encrusted mannequins through the room.

***

Scurrying after the pony-things, Thanquol followed in their wake. While both looked back often to check on him, they were content to let him do as he wished. Had they known what he truly wished for they would likely not have been so relaxed.

“I fear cleaning your ‘guest’ may be quite a costly affair.” Rarity was telling Fluttershy.

The timid pegasus wilted somewhat. “Oh my.” She could not help a worried glance back. “I hope I have enough bits.”

Rarity laughed. “Darling, really. I am positive I can convince the girls to give us a discount this one time on my behalf and I will be more than happy to cover the price.”

“Oh no, I couldn’t let you do that Rarity.” Fluttershy gasped, shaking her head in her delicate way. A passing stallion, who had been glancing in their direction for unrelated reasons, was transfixed and found himself walking into a pole. A pegasus, flying over head, suddenly fell to the ground as her wings suffered an, ahem, moment of indiscretion.

She landed on him and in their mutual embarrassment they fled to in the same direction, leading to a budding relationship that would bloom into love and a watermelon growing family that would one day rival the Apple clan in size. This, however, is not the focus of the story. The insane rat-sorcerer is.

Completely missing this pivotal moment in the future of the wholesale fruit market, Rarity hastily reassured her friend.

“Nonsense. Darling, leaving such a burden upon you would be simply unforgivable of me.” She gave Fluttershy a knowing look. “Feeding all those little animals is quite a financial challenge.”

Fluttershy flushed slightly. She never made a fuss but her chosen life-style was rather costly. Her short-lived modelling career had provided a surprising boost to her funds but even that was starting to run dry.

“Um, it is a bit hard at times...” She admitted. Rarity patted her shoulder comfortingly.

Behind them, Thanquol stabbed at his nostrils with a dirty claw and fixed a passing cream coloured mare with a glare.

“I have often wondered how you managed until now, actually.” Looking entirely innocent, Rarity added in a distinctly out-of-hoof way “Does dear Rainbow Dash ever actually ask you to pay her back?”

“Not at all, she-” Fluttershy snapped her mouth shut with a mortified squeaked. Thanquol actually looked up at that, fixing his beady gaze on the pair. “Um....”

Rarity sighed. “Darling, it does not take a Twilight Sparkle to figure it out. She’s your oldest friend and I know she does not spend much of what she makes. The only things she spends her bits on are food and Wonderbolts memorabilia. Well, and that rather fabulous house of hers.”

This got the rat-priest’s interest. Another wealthy pony? A ‘friend’ to Fluttershy, enough so to give plenty of their rather crude money without asking for it to be returned too. He scoffed at the foolishness of that. Even human moneylenders understood that the whole point was to demand an exorbitant interest. Preferably enough to bankrupt the imbecile and take everything they owned.

He inhaled a pinch of warpstone snuff, letting it set his mind alight. Those much reduced, the burning lights in his brain let Thanquol entertain himself with memories of a few fools he had sold into slavery using exactly that method. Idiots who thought a Grey Seer’s mind was so occupied with the ethereal that they could not hold onto their warpstone tokens properly. They had all learnt that the Horned Rat frowned on those among his chosen who did not pay mind to the physical world He wanted them to take in his name.

“-and whenever I try to pay her back she thinks of some excuse to not accept.”

His ears twitched, the muted sounds of the world around the Grey Seer returning slowly. He had not stopped walking, scurrying mechanically forward in a warpstone-fuelled daze while the pony-things talked.

Once again he fumed at the lack of proper minions. A rat-ogre at least would be sufficient. It was appalling that he, a Grey Seer, should need to keep his attention on the shallow mortal world. The Horned Rat meant for his children to gaze into the Empyrean, not divide their thoughts between the spiritual and the mundane. That’s what their magic-less lackeys were for.

Their destination loomed closer, Fluttershy and Rarity smiling widely at the sight of the Ponyville Day Spa. This place smelled even fouler to Thanquol, but he slunk closer in the wake of his companions. His grip on the Staff of the Horned Rat tightened as the door opened and a wave of disgusting air washed over them. His ruined nose twitched unhappily and it took all his incredible willpower not to blast the building to pieces.

This was considerably easier when he remember he could not actually do that right now. It also made him much more annoyed.

Rarity went in first, calling out to the owners of the Days Spa. “Lotus, darling, a pleasure to see you once more.”

The one of the two spa ponies, as they were known somewhat unoriginally around the town, smiled widely at the sight of nearly half their business. “Miss Rarity, here for your-“ Lotus began, as strong an accent as always. The beautician trailed off, her eyes growing wide as Fluttershy pulled into her business something from one of her foalhood nightmares.

The rat-monster hissed, its utterly destroyed nose darting about.

Aloe chose that moment to come in from the next room, eager to begin Rarity and Fluttershy’s weekly ritual. She froze, caught by the sight of the...the abomination before her.

“Darlings?” Rarity asked when neither spa pony spoke. “Are you alright? I was wondering if you could do us a simply terrific favour.”

They failed to acknowledge her, instead locking gazes. Without saying a word both nodded. Faster than any of the three pairs of eyes watching – or in at least one case, glaring at –them, items appeared as if by magic. Light glinted from the metal and plastic, held with surprising delicacy in their hooves.

They turned, fastening their eyes upon the filth ridden creature before them. They were hard, the eyes of crusaders who had just set eyes on the greatest mockery of their faith.

To his immense alarm and anger Thanquol felt his musk glands strain against his tight control.

Fluttershy looked between the two mares, confusion and not a little fear in her wide innocent eyes. “Um, I hate to intrude, but if you don’t mind Thanquol here needs a little....wash.”

At the last word, whatever had been holding the spa ponies back and they leapt forward like avenging angels.

Avenging angels with hooves and cleaning products, at least.

***

Sorry for lack of updates, just been working on Justice Itself. I have managed to finish the latest chapter for that, chapter 12, and send it off in case any readers of that see this.

While Fluttershy maybe being paid by the Mayor’s office, that’s a very boring idea. Far too easy, for one thing.

Also, I was apparently not clear on where Fluttershy was taking Thanquol. Regardless of which I intended, I’ve altered the previous chapter to follow the path this one has taken.

Please comment, I’m a comment-whore.

Chapter Six

Skaven live and die in filth, covered in stinking musk and their own waste. They cower for most of their short lives in warrens full to bursting with their kin unless a plague monk of Clan Pestilens happened to visit or a Clan Skryre device malfunctions (or works perfectly as the case may be). Refuse stains their fur and clothes, the smell alone enough to make many of their non-skaven slaves suffocate at the stench. It was considered yet one more point of pride among the children of the Horned Rat that no smell could lay them low like it did the weak lesser races.

Except, it turns out, cleaning products. Shampoo, or possibly some other thing of the sort. Something pine fresh, certainly.

Thanquol was aware of a floating sensation. It reminded him of the few times he had been forced to swim somewhere. In fact, he was fairly certain he was in liquid of some kind. It was warm. Pleasantly so. He remembered killing some minor human lordling for a relic it had unearthed, murdering it personally while it was having a bath. The way the warp lightning had acted on the water had been rather interesting. He snickered at the memories of his following experiments. That vile little warlock engineer who had tried to cheat him a few weeks later had an unfortunate bout of misfortune. Electrocuted after a mysterious localised flood hit his laboratories, what a shame, it really was a disgrace that the local workers weren’t more careful. That some looters had stolen every pebble of warpstone as well was just shameful.

“Wakey-wakey, dear customer.” A strangely accented voice called out to him.

His eyes popped open and a more recent memory returned. The ponies!

Thanquol erupted from the water like a slightly confused mass of wet fur. This was because, in all ways that mattered and those that did not, he realised he was. His claws grasped the edge of the tub and water spilled to the floor in his wake.

Disoriented, he had no defence against the sudden attack save a loud squeal of shock. Soft, cushiony things pressed and rubbed at him from all sides, held by two pairs of sure hooves.

“Never fear, dear customer.” Aloe told him, her warm if tired smile unseen.

“You have enjoyed pleasing nap while we worked.” Lotus added. Together the sisters towelled their strangest customer yet, strained from perhaps hours of work.

Aloe continued. “Was great challenge, greater even than getting sap from Spike’s scales.”

Lotus frowned slightly. “He squirms a lot, and thinks he will drown in the tub. Energetic little boy with scales, always playing with Cutie Mark Crusaders and getting sap everywhere.”

“Unhand me!” Thanquol snarled, struggling weakly. Reluctantly renewing as his loss of consciousness proved to be his wounds still ached and his muscled were sore. Furthermore his claws were dulled! His precious, naturally blade-like claws had been reduced to little more than those of newly spawn ratlings. They had been gnawed to perfect sharpness by his own fangs!

“Just a moment, valued customer.” Aloe and Lotus dragged him over to a large mirror, pulling away as they arrived. Thanquol thrashed at the empty air for a few seconds before realising they had left him alone.

He ran a claw along his muzzle, eyes darting around suspiciously. Something caught his attention and Thanquol found himself gazing into a reflection of...himself?

The Grey Seer froze. He looked....it was him, right? It had to be. Yet his fur was...clean. It was practically shining! Thanquol’s grey fur seemed nearly silver and he couldn’t help but run his fingers through it. It was svelte, fine to the touch like a fine Cathayian rug.

Thanquol ran his tongue along his muzzle, tasting whatever they had used, when he saw his teeth. He bared them at the mirror, reaching up to tap the white fangs with a dull claw. They may have had the foolishness to take the points from his claws but his teeth- oh how they shone!

Exposing his upper jaw, he admired his razor sharp maw with more than a little interest. Perhaps he could test them out – discreetly – on one of Fluttershy’s minions? The thought brought a spark of malevolent glee that became a rather sinister cackle when verbalised.

“Err, if sir does not mind me to pointing out, his teeth seem to be in some state of...disrepair.” Aloe said, watching their customer’s mouth nervously. “Colgate, the local dentist, may be of some help there. Until then we have polished and cleaned your teeth.”

Thanquol continued to preen, largely oblivious to the rather run down state of the pony-things. When it did occur to him the mage-rat brushed it aside. They should be happy that he deigned to allow them to groom his magnificent fur and care for his fine body. Yes, he decided, when he had these creatures under his command these two would be his personal attendants. The white collars and headbands would have to go, some heavy black iron collars would be much more useful. Maybe a hint of warpstone dust in the collars while the metal was being smelted before forging as a reward. His personal heraldry engraved on the front so all would know they were his to punish and command, because sometimes jealous underlings forgot to respect their superior’s belongings as they properly should.

A door swung open and Fluttershy appeared, a basket in her mouth. She smiled shyly around it at the sight of Thanquol. Her smile quailed slightly in the face of the glare he shot her way.

Opening his mouth to reprimand her for leaving his august presence without his permission reason asserted itself just in time. Inside he scowled, hating every moment even as he forced his anger away and tried to...

...to...

...to smile.

Thanquol had smiled before, many times. The main difference was those times he had just completed one of his cunning and devious plans, seen an enemy dead or ingested a large dose of godstone. These factors rather caused any smile to turn out as something from the nightmare of small children and everyone else for that matter.

Smiling without a liberal amount of malevolent glee, dark satisfaction or evil intent was a difficult and somewhat painful process.

“Welcome-welcome, Fluttersla- err, Fluttershy.” He grounded out, smiling toothily.

Fluttershy stood still for a moment blinking slightly in confusion. Eventually she decided the hate filled glare had just been her imagination. She smiled again, content in the knowledge that while Thanquol might be a little on the rough side deep down his heart was in the right place.

Physically speaking, she was entirely correct.

Metaphorically....

Thanquol clutched the memory of watching a human slave being crushed beneath the weight of a trap wall in one of his many human-mazes back in Skavenblight. He smiled crookedly, remembering fondly the screams of the slave.

....not so much.

Reaching up to check on his horns Thanquol noted with satisfaction that whatever other flaws they had, flaws surely thrown into ever greater contrast in his own brilliant presence, they had cleaned the dirt from them. The points remained as they ever had, sharp enough to break skin.

Noticing his interest Lotus smiled nervously. “Horns are not something we wish to mess with, and since you were asleep we did not wish to disturb you. You did not wish them dulled for safety?”

“No-no!” The glare he directed at the spa-pony froze her. Remembering himself Thanquol tried his awkward.... smile again. “No, they must be kept sharp. Sharp and pointed, as the Horned Rat decrees!”

He was unsure why he added the last part but it seemed to do the trick.

“Horned Rat?” Lotus inquired, taking a step back just in case. “Who is that?”

Fluttershy looked up as well, remembering hearing her guest mention the term once or twice. She had been too shy to actually ask of course.

Thanquol nodded grandly, straightening and keeping his expression serious. “Mightiest god, father to Skaven-kind. I am but a humble servant of the Horned Rat, born with His mark.” He indicated his horns and coat, letting a smirk grow on his muzzle. “Born to power, as He-Who-Scuttles-In-The-Dark willed my kind to command power in His name!”

The three ponies in the room exchanged confused looks but nodded nonetheless.

“So....” Aloe stepped back, looking her work over. “You are a priest?”

“I just said-spoke that!” He snarled. “Great-powerful Grey Seer! Grand sorcerer, respected by all of Skavendom. My magic is second to none among all Grey Seers and fellow magerats bow in awe at the favour the Horned one has bestowed on me.”

“Um, oh, I don’t mean to interrupt...” Fluttershy whimpered quietly, fearing Thanquol’s aggressive tone. “But, if you want I have a friend who knows a lot about a magic. We can go see her after Rarity arrives, if you don’t mind I mean.”

Thanquol stared at her silently. His beady red eyes bored into her with ruthless, cold curiosity.

“I’m sorry.” She added on general principle.

“Yessssss.” He hissed, reaching for where his staff was propped next to the mirror. As he did so, Thanquol found it pleasing clean. While grim had long been ingrained in its wood the metal of his many amulets (long since divested of their warpstone ornaments so he had all of it at hand) shone and reflected the many lights.

Taking his staff in hand Thanquol turned, teeth gleaming in a razor smile.

“Take me to her!” His powerful voice commanded with the full authority of a person used to being obeyed. He brought the butt of his staff down hard, sending a bang throughout the room. “Take me to your magepony!”

Fluttershy stared at him. He looked back, suddenly confused by the redness in her cheeks. Was the pony-thing ill? He had no time for such foolishness! Perhaps a pinch of warpstone dust, just a pinch mind you, would get her running again.

Behind him, Aloe coughed politely. “Valued costumer, I believe you may have...forgotten something.” Her voiced conveyed nearly hidden amusement.

Behind Fluttershy, in the main room through which ponies entered the spa house, a door opened and a certain white-coated fashionista trotted accompanied by a gust of wind. The folded clothing in her magical grip was unaffected by the wind.

Thanquol was not. He glanced down, curious at the strange feeling of the wind on his...

....oh.

***

There we go, a little chapter six after ages of not updating. Most of my attention is focused on Chapter 14 of Justice Itself but I felt like I should post something to announce my return. And thanks to my recent purchase of "The Folklore of Discworld" I have a great idea for a certain ratman. Oh ho ho yes I do.

Chapter Eight

Thanquol sneered. His powerful intellect was undoubtable yet this...this pony-thing was somehow finding it in its foolish being to do exactly that! Doubt him! His teeth, still shiny from the work of the spa ponies, ground together furiously.

"So he just appeared in your house, in the middle of the night no less, and you're suddenly looking after him?" Twilight's voice spoke of her lack of surprise at Fluttershy's actions and her weary opinion of them. It also spoke words which is terribly convenient when there aren't any mind readers handy.

Fluttershy nodded, biting her lip uncertainly. "H-he is awfully unwell. Oh Twilight, you should have seen him when I found him. I'm certain if nopony had been there to clean his wounds they would have gotten infected. He was, uh, a bit dirty." She confided with a glance at Thanquol to make sure he wasn't offended.

Judging by the look he was giving Twilight it was doubtful he had even heard her. Clearly he took the accusation of being imaginary seriously. Twilight had levelled the charge after getting up but before the coffee Spike had reluctantly gotten her had reaches her system.

Looking at the hostile rat Twilight thought longingly of another cup of coffee, one she knew Spike would never let her have.

"And, um, after being so mean to Zecora because she was a little scary looking I thought..." Fluttershy continued, trailing off awkwardly.

Twilight sighed tiredly. "Right, pathological kindness and not being racist, pretty much what I expected." She pressed a hoof to her forehead. "So other than being something called a 'skaven' what do you know about him?"

"Well he has said something about being a priest. He worships the, uh, Horned Rat I-I think." Fluttershy glanced at Thanquol but he was distracted by Spike. She smiled, thinking he was making a friend. Spike could do with some more male friends.

Thanquol poked the little purple lizard curiously. The ungrateful runt batted his paw away and he briefly considered how hard he should hit it. He reached for his Staff, pausing only when he saw Fluttershy smiling at him. With great effort of will Thanquol forced his hand down and smiled back. After she seemed to have enough mutual smiling the pony-thing turned away.

Spike meanwhile shot Thanquol a suspicious look. He looked pretty shifty and maybe it was just Spike but the rat's beady red eyes seemed to have a...predatory feeling to them. Like he was looking at Spike and wondering what he would taste like.

A hoot drew the little dragon's eyes up to Owlicious. Looking at the avian he was reminded of his previous overreaction. This was like his fears back then and that nightmare last week he had where The (significant pause) Machine became sentient and trying to overthrow the Princesses. There was no way Thanquol would want to eat him.

"So, you're living with Fluttershy...Angel Bunny given you much trouble?" Spike asked as casually as he could. As ice-breakers go it was a good guess. He was living with Fluttershy, of course Angel Bunny was giving him trouble.

Distracted from his musing about what the lizard might taste like Thanquol glared at it suspiciously. It was spying on him! He showed his teeth in a silent snarl before it threw its claws up defensively.

Something about the straggly rat's expression conveyed sufficient anger that Spike threw his hands up defensively. "Hey, calm down. It was just a guess. Angel can be difficult. Well 'can' is a bit unfair. He's always difficult."

Thanquol looked at the lizard anew. Lacking his usual power Thanquol's ability to properly probe its magical presence was gone, leaving him to analyse it with his formidable intellect alone. Just as he had always suspected; the lizard-thing could be of some use to him. It also displayed enimity towards the Angel Bunny beast. Perfect.

"Yes, the bunny-thing is...difficult." He agreed. "It kicks and steals my possessions. Lizard-thing! How can it be tamed?" He demanded.

Spike snorted. "Rude. You can't tame Angel Bunny. He's, like, pure evil in bunny form."

Gnashing his teeth Thanquol nearly struck the lizard-thing then and there for daring to doubt him. He restrained himself, the knowledge it couldn't know the brilliance that was Thanquol only just placating him. It would learn in time.

"Then another path must be divined. Yes-yes, another way!” He rubbed his paws together, certain his unknown brilliance could divine a plan of suitable...brilliance. Yes, brilliant!

His chance to plot was ruined by something grey and fast zooming through a window and slamming him into a bookcase. A shrill squeal of terror and pain filled the room as books tumbled down on them. Several smacked against Thanquol’s horns and head. He fended them off as they rained down, striking them aside with his staff. Each bang, as books bounced off the floor or from his staff, elicited a low moan of pain from Twilight.

Just as the book storm seemed to come to an end, Thanquol squealing angrily next to a pony sized pile of books, the pile exploded. One large tome, Equestrian Encyclopaedia Volume XIV, flew right into his snout and sent the sorcerer-rat reeling back. He flailed in front of him with his staff, his other paw clutching his nose.

The blonde pegasus who had emerged from the book cocoon rubbed her head. One eye focused on Thanquol while the other drifted off lazily. “Oh, no, not again! I’m sorry, I just don’t-”

Her apology was cut off by a thwack on the head from Thanquol. Her head swayed from side to side after the heavy wood holy symbol of the Horned Rat had smacked her right on the middle of the head. She blinked as she focused, staring at Thanquol with two perfectly aligned eyes.

“Ouchie.” She said, promptly losing consciousness.

All was silent for the following few seconds in the library as the angered skaven held his nose and glared daggers at the knocked out mare. The only sound was very ominous drip from below, but none of them heard it through the solid wood floor.

The (significant pause) Machine heard them though.

“Why did you hit Ditsy?” Twilight demanded, running over to the downed mare. She levitated the many books away, feeling somewhat guilty that she was doing so more to keep any blood from getting on them than for Ditsy Doo’s sake. Fortunately for the first edition A Sing-Along of Ice and Fire collection she had brought down on her, Ditsy didn’t seem to be bleeding. It was also quite fortunate for the pegasus too, Twilight would be willing to concede.

Thanquol glared right at Twilight and her disgusting display of magic. How dare she have magic while he did not? It was an insult, plain and simple, one that he had to repay in kind. Perhaps sending her the way of his assailant was the way to go?

Yet again the universe seemed to pre-empt his attempts to bring justice and the skaven-way to this world. Fluttershy appeared his side, reaching up to gently move aside the paw over his nose.

“Twilight, he’s hurt.” Fluttershy pointed out, focusing on where the heavy collection of knowledge had struck him. “I’m sure he didn’t mean to hit her, he was just confused. Ditsy has been through a lot worse.”

To be touched so casually by Flutter-pony was yet another insult heaped upon him but with the great dignity and generosity that were so characteristic of him Thanquol allowed her to care for his battle wound. She didn’t seem to do much but lightly tap something back into place.

“All better. Your nose will be a little tender but if you leave it for the rest of the day you’ll feel fine.” Fluttershy sighed in relief and smiled at him. Her smile withered slightly in the face of the look in his eyes but she marshalled her optimism like a general tightening a flank that threatened to break under the pressure of enemy assault. In this metaphor her soldiers were likely armed with sticks they weren’t entirely willing to use in case they hurt someone.

Twilight put Ditsy’s head back on the ground, gently resting it on the ground. That seemed a little rude and probably uncomfortable so she chose a book to use as a pillow. Staring down, Twilight removed it a moment later. She didn’t believe sleeping on books imparted you with the knowledge they contained, but she wanted to be safe. Honestly, vamponies that sparkled in the daylight? She made a mental note to have Spike burn it later and find out what malicious pony put it on the book order list.

“I think Ditsy will be fine as well.” Twilight said, turning back to Fluttershy and her guest. The large rat glowered at Twilight, his eyes darting to her horn every few seconds. “Is something wrong? Did my magic surprise you?”

He hrrmphed at her insolence. “No magic has the power to cause mighty Thanquol to cower! I was merely observing your usage. Your horn, it is the conduit of your magics?” His tone finally dropped to something other than hostile, suspicious or defensive and he seemed truly curious.

Still, something about him kept Twilight from fully trusting him. “You don’t use your horns? I assumed you did. Deer wizards use their antlers, unicorns use their horns, it’s just how magic works in a lot of species.”

Thanquol stared at her, unsure if this was some clever deception meant to trick him. The pony-mage seemed honest. Such big, stupid eyes were not for concealing truths. They were too open.

“Horns...no-no, skaven magic calls upon the power of the Warp! Energy bent through symbols and willpower!” The exact method of drawing magical energy was mostly through force of willpower and whatever little foibles different spellcasters used. Sigils helped in rituals to channel the power in specific patterns.

“Fascinating...can you show me?” Twilight asked curiously, her attention split between levitating books back onto the shelves and watching Thanquol.

He scratched his tender nose as he considered the idea. “Mighty-great skaven magic that it is, I seem unable to call forth the power of the Horned Rat here.” He admittedly grudgingly. Thanquol had no desire to make his powerlessness known but if she pressed for an example of magic he would have nothing to show. What little power was left in his warpstone, he decided, would be kept secret.

Yes, a secret weapon! If they ever turned on him Thanquol’s mighty warp-sorcery would tear them apart. He would reduce their organs to pulp and use their hides to craft a new robe, anointed with holy symbols of the Horned Rat in liquids made from their eye-juices.

He nearly cackled aloud. It was only ‘nearly’ because Twilight spoke before he could. “Really?” She felt unaccountably suspicious but with Fluttershy’s reminder about what happened to Zecora in mind she forced it away. “Maybe I could help you work out how to use your magic here? There must be a solution and I think it would be fascinating to examine a new form of magic.” Her tiredness, forced back by coffee and the giant crazy rat, began to exert its toil upon her.

Fluttershy came over and supported her friend as she swayed. She patted the unicorn on the shoulder reassuringly.

“Yes-yes, a good plan.” Thanquol readily agreed, rubbing his paws together eagerly. His staff nearly hit the unconscious Ditsy and made her Derpy again. "Explain-talk to Thanquol the secrets of your magic."

“I...will, yes, but...I need to sleep for a bit though. Tomorrow. Tomorrow we can start.” Twilight shook her head, her mane coming free in various worryingly frizzy locks. “Until then...next time somepony surprises you, please don’t hit them with your staff, okay?”

He considered this. “Far-seeing Greyseer that I am, wise Thanquol makes no promises.” He said, concealing his displeasure at the delay. Not that he required the aid of some foolish pony, but he supposed it was best to work with an assistant. As Fluttershy led her friend up to her bed with Spike’s help, Thanquol eyed Twilight’s horn thoughtfully. He wondered...

...what effect would powdered unicorn horn have?

The grey pegasus stirred and lifted its head. He absently thwacked it on the head for interrupted his musings and it slumped back in unconsciousness.

Author's Note

Well, felt like updating this after ages. Hope it was worth the wait. Tune in next time to find out if Thnaquol will find out what powdered unicorn horn does. Or something. Thanquol will do something crazy, we all know it, it just depends on how long it takes him to succeed at doing something evil.

Chapter Nine

PRE-STORY NOTE: The change from Ditsy to Derpy is quite deliberate, not a mistake. Its not me being indecisive about which to call her, it’s on purpose. Just go with, right?

With Twilight safely entombed among her bed sheets and Spike staying as a silent guard Fluttershy came downstairs. Thanquol was hopefully doing fine on his own but she just wasn’t comfortable leaving him alone. What if somepony took advantage of his vulnerable, wounded state? The thought was unconscionable!

Speaking of the unconscious, Thanquol stood on Ditsy, using the pony-thing to add to his reach. He swiped a book off the shelf; one he had seen the mage-pony returning. The ‘Comprehensive Foal’s Guide To Most of History’ would surely be of some use to him. Jumping from the laid out mare when he heard the clop of hooves coming down the stairs, he slipped the book into his robe. Let them think he knew nothing of their land and history. If they sought to deceive him he would know the truth they were keeping from him. He had already investigated her bag, messily putting the letters back in the mail bag when he found nothing of interest.

When Fluttershy finally arrived he was standing there, looking as innocent as the day he was whelped. Considering he had gnawed the face from one of his siblings to get at food...

“Twilight’s asleep now,” Fluttershy told him.

“Good-good, the mage-pony should be at its best to aid-help me.” Thanquol nodded approvingly; glad he had thought to wait until the next day before beginning. Truly the scope of his intellect was unfathomable.

Fluttershy nearly frowned at the way he called Twilight an ‘it’ but brushed it off as an oddity of the skaven. She approached Ditsy, checking over the pegasus.

“We should probably take her home.” She murmured softly. She realised just after saying it that they weren’t exactly suited to the task. She wasn’t what you would call strong and Thanquol was still injured. “Oh no, how can we move her?”

Stroking his whiskers, Thanquol wondered if maybe a heated iron would wake the stupid pony up. Its strange mark looked to be circles of some kind. When he ruled this land there would be no such foolishness. The mark of the Horned Rat would be much more appropriate, although he wasn’t sure if burning it in with a brand or some sort of chemical acid-tattoo would be better. What little Fluttershy had said indicated they may be magical, perhaps whipping them until they manifested the proper mark would work out better.

Fortunately for her, Ditsy began to wake up. Repeated crashes had given her quite the fast recovery time, especially when it came to head injuries. She rose from the ground, rubbing her head and looking around. Her eyes were back to normal, meaning only one could focus on anything for long.

“Huh? W-what happened?” She frowned. Derpy could remember seeing something odd. Not the giant rat next to Fluttershy. It was almost like before her unfortunate run-in with the underside of that flying chariot, the one going to Ponyville the day before the Summer Sun Celebration.

Fluttershy helped Derpy up, smiling reassuringly at her. Thanquol tried not to scowl. It was disgusting! If he had a rival skaven in such a position he would have made short work of it and anything of value it carried.

“You had a bit of a crash.” Fluttershy told the mare, helping her gather the messily spilled contents of her mailbag. It must have gotten thrown about by the landing they both assumed. “Are you alright?”

Derpy nodded. “I, uh, think I got distracted. Rainbow Dash was doing tricks!” She said, apparently happy despite the fact she had crashed into a building.

Thanquol ignored the inane chatter of the foolish ponies. His plans – such as they were – required that they leave so he could study his newly acquired tome of knowledge. He tapped his staff impatiently.

“Enough!” He decreed at last. Fluttershy and Derpy peered at him uncertainly. He remembered belatedly that he was meant to be befriending the stupid ponies. “Err, enough...time... distracted from your work. You are mail-minion, yes-yes?”

Derpy gasped in shock. “Oh no, I forgot! I need to get back to work. Thanks for helping Fluttershy, but I really need to go.”

Fluttershy waved it off. “Its fine, you need to work. Have a nice day, say hello to Dinky for me.”

“Okie-dokie. Buh-bye Fluttershy, and big rat thing.” Derpy waved, taking off and flying out the window.

“Thanquol!” Thanquol growled as the mail-pony fled, no doubt fearing his wrath. That it called him such a thing was a mockery he would not soon forget. “I am mighty-grand Thanquol!” He shook his fist at the window it had fled through.

Fluttershy giggled slightly at his reaction, taking it for playfulness rather than actual anger. She trotted past him to the door, missing the hot glare he sent at the back of her head. When she reached it and looked back he had concealed his anger.

“I was hoping to go see another friend. Um, w-would you like to come or do you want to go back to the cottage?” She asked, sensing that he was less than pleased.

Thanquol was sorely tempted to command Fluttershy to follow him back to the cottage but he suppressed it. After his last outburst she was likely beginning to suspect him. He had to curry her favour, as disgusting as the notion was to his refined skaven sensibilities.
He gave her an imperious nod. “We shall go to your friend. Quick-fast now, before I change my mind.”

She smiled gratefully. He was really such a dear, willing to keep walking around even despite the likely discomfort of his soreness. A little exercise would help him in the long run though.

They left the library, Thanquol sneering and glaring at every pony that looked at him when Fluttershy couldn’t see. None of them held his gaze. Fluttershy didn’t notice the way the road ahead of them was always clear and that nopony seemed to ever cross paths with them.

Thanquol gnashed his teeth as he stomped along impatiently. Where were they going? He was growing tired of this walking. A skaven of his stature deserved a palanquin when he was tired, yet like so many the ponies around were blind to what he deserved.

He was right on that note at least. They certainly didn’t know what he deserved. He deserved a lot, just not in the direction he thought it should. He was thinking along the lines of comfort and riches, where something more like a kick between the legs was called for at the very least.

His attention was distracted from being internally indignant by the sound of ...cheering? He looked around, quickly finding the source. One of the young ponies, a foal, was buzzing around the middle of a large empty area he was able to brilliantly deduce was the town square. The sign proclaiming that the town square was back in action after the unfortunate bear stampede last week was merely a confirmation to him.

“Woo, Rainbow Dash!” The child was screaming, having a hoof at the sky while the other held onto the strange contraption it was riding. Clearly it was sick in the head. Perhaps these ponies would allow him to deal with. It wouldn’t be much use, clearly insane, so perhaps it would serve as a meal-

“Oh, there she is.” Fluttershy rudely interrupted his thoughts. She pointed and for a moment Thanquol thought she was pointing at the insane spawn. He realised she was actually pointing higher and he followed the direction.

Even he, with his vast experience, was silenced by the spectacle. He had seen pegasi before, Fluttershy notwithstanding. He had watched a skaven army routed by the cursed Britonnians, their only saving grace the final volley from the Clan Skryre snipers taking out a few of the flying knights. Watching them plunge to their death and splatter was rather amusing, he had to admit.

Yet the flying he was seeing now was incredible! A rainbow-trailed blur was shooting through the sky, piercing clouds and pulling them in its wake as it darted around them, spinning them into oblivion. It bounced from cloud to clouds, rapidly clearing the sky.

Fluttershy giggled next to him, catching Thanquol’s shocked look.

“That’s Rainbow Dash, always showing off.” She said with a light titter.

At the sound of her words Thanquol snapped his jaw shut and stood up straight.

“Great Thanquol was not impressed.” He asserted sourly, sniffing haughtily. “Merely...surprised. And not even that!” Yet still his eyes darted back to watch the end of the show, if that was what it was.

She worried if his rather damaged looking nose was giving him trouble from the crash, but Fluttershy focused on what he was saying first. She didn’t want to be rude after all.

“There’s nothing wrong with admitting to being impressed. Uh, I don’t think there is anyway.” She added shyly when he looked at her through narrowed eyes.

“I was not impressed!” Thanquol huffed, shaking his staff at her. He stamped the butt in the ground. “Thanquol has seen much in his life, and Thanquol sees-knows all-”

“Look out!”

For the second time that day a pegasus came hurtling at Thanquol. He looked up in time to see the insane orange youth flying towards him on a metal contraption, skipping across the ground at high speed as though it was threatening to take off any second. A shriek pierced the air and he had just enough time to lift his staff. It caught the weight of the contraption. It didn’t catch the foal, which flipped over the handle bars and rammed its head against Thanquol’s.

Fortunately for Scootaloo her head was small enough to go between his horns, helmet and all. Unfortunately Thanquol was very dense. That is, his skull was. Clearly there was no other meaning that could be taken from that statement. None whatsoever. But it was nearly as dense as her helmet.

“Oh no!” Fluttershy cried, wincing as Thanquol fell to the ground clutching his head with a chorus of pained squeaks and squeals. Scoootaloo landed next to him, rubbing her head.

“Owww.” She whined, taking off her helmet and shaking her head, presumably to bounce her brain back into place. “D-did I hit someone?”

Thanquol would have answered if he hadn’t been huddled on the ground clutching his skull and thinking deadly thoughts. Preferably he would have answered in the form of warp lightning or a spell that skinned enemies alive, but that wasn’t an option right now.

He really wished it was.

“Whoa, Scoots, awesome skid there.” A crackly voice said from nearby, the swish of wings and displaced air preceding it.

Fluttershy gently eased Thanquol’s paws away from his head, inspecting it. She was rather worried about how much Thanquol was getting hurt in just one day. Was it always like this for him? No wonder he was so hurt when she found him. It was lucky he had found her home, he could be so much worse off.

“Really?” The dazed filly managed to be elated at the compliment. “I was trying to follow you and I lost control...”

“Yeah, I noticed. You hit Fluttershy’s...giant...rat...thing...what the hay?!” Rainbow Dash actually noticed the robed rat for the first time. How she missed the large cringing creature before was a mystery.

“His name is Thanquol and he’s unwell.” Fluttershy told her friend with an upset look. “Scootaloo hit him and he’s already hurt. Oh, poor thing.”

“Poor thing?” Looking over the creature Rainbow Dash snorted. “Okay, he’s got pretty cool horns. Look at those points! He could take an eye out.”

“Thanquol will take the eye from whoever struck him!” The ratpriest rose, tail lashing. He forced away Fluttershy and stood to his full height. Recovering his staff he glared down at the cowering Scootaloo. “Who dares to strike me?! Who dares to wound a holy priest of the Horned Rat?!”

Scootaloo stared up at him with wide eyes, her jaw open in shock. Fluttershy let out a squeak of shock as well. Rainbow Dash just looked at him with an unimpressed expression.

“You threatening Scootaloo? You’re barking up the wrong tree.” She glared at him and Thanquol returned the gesture.

“I shall destroy-.” He began with a wrathful look, lifting his staff. A weight on his arm distracted him and he looked at it to find what it was.

Fluttershy looked up at him with wide eyes. “P-please c-calm down.” She whimpered.

His plan came crashing back to Thanquol and he remembered he couldn’t destroyed the child because it was likely to tarnish his image among the stupid pony-things. He also didn’t have any magic to destroy it with, which factored heavily into his decision.

Snapping his jaw shut Thanquol took a deep breath, sucking air in through his nostrils. It made a horrible sound and everypony in hearing winced.

He let out a rancid breath a moment later. For all their work, neither Aloe or Lotus could clean the rot that ate away at everything inside him, both natural skaven foulness and spiritual. In terms of souls Thanquol was something along the lines of a piece of wood that had ceased to be wood and was more like a collection of rot that hung loosely together. Probably maggot infested too.

“I...ap-ap...” He forced it out, wincing as he did. “I ap...pologise. The pain made me...unhinged.” His paw tightened on his staff and he resisted the urge to slap the child with it. Oh how good it would feel, just one good swing.

Rainbow Dash snorted, still suspicious. “You okay squirt? He didn’t scare ya did he?”

“...no!” Scootaloo asserted, which was quite impressive considering she had been about to jump behind her idol until he calmed down. “Why would I be scared?”

Fluttershy smiled in relief. “Oh thank goodness. I knew all these accidents must be having an affect you, you poor thing.” She patted Thanquol’s arm as she cooed.

He sniffed haughtilly. His head still throbbed but he was not going to show weakness in front of mere pony-things.

“Great Thanquol is fine-good.” He said when an idea occured to him. A devious idea. A genius idea. An idea as befitting the great intellect that was Grey Seer Thanquol. He lifted a paw to his forehead and staggered. “Argh!”

It was, in truth, a rather convincing ‘argh’. Thanquol certainly sounded like he was suddenly stricken.

“Hey ‘shy, I think something's wrong with your rat thing.” Rainbow Dash pointed out.

Fluttershy was already trying to find the source of his pain. “O-oh no! Are you alright?”

He waved her off, or tried to. “Oh yes, I am fi-ah!” He ‘slipped’ and fell down on one knee. “Thanquol feels...faint.”

“Faint? Are you hungry? How long has been since you ate today? I’ll go get you something to eat. But I can’t just leave you. Oh no oh no oh no oh no.” Fluttershy began to hyperventilate, looking panicked as she was trapped between options.

Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo shared confused looks. With a sigh the weathermare approached her panicking friend.

“Uh, Fluttershy, want some help? I could-” She began to offer.

“Look after him while I find something for him to eat?” Fluttershy hugged her fiercely. “Oh thank you so much! I’ll be right back, I promise!”

It took Rainbow Dash a few seconds to realise that hadn’t been what she was going to offer. “Wait, no, Fluttershy-” She reached out a hoof as her friend took off, not hearing her. “But- but I don’t wanna look after the giant rat!”

By the time Rainbow Dash looked back at Thanquol he was laying comfortably on his side. He quickly did his best to look stricken when she turned to him.

“Great, looking after a stupid monster thing.” She muttered, sitting down heavily.

That she would be upset over being in his presence was not possible. Thanquol observed the brightest colours of the pony-things he had seen so far. It was disgusting. When he took over he would have to consider having its mane and tail removed, or perhaps dyed different colours. Its strong flying ability would make it a prime breeder for aerial mounts. The size of the pony-things seemed perfect, so dextrous skaven with light enough frames could easily ride them into battle.

“So...you’re a Thanquol?” Rainbow Dash asked, scratching the back of head awkwardly.

“The Thanquol.” He corrected her, adding a cough just to keep up the whole ‘unwell’ thing. He had been feigning faintness, but a cough should work. They were too stupid to pick up on it.

“Hay, I thought you were feeling faint, not coughing.” Scootaloo pointed out with a frown.

He glared at her slightly. “Yes-yes. Thanquol coughs when he is faint.” He said with narrowed eyes. The insane one was talking to him like an equal. Disgusting.

“Ooookay. Ignoring that....I’m Rainbow Dash, fastest pegasus in Equestria. I take care of the weather around here. Between practicing for the Wonderbolts and being awesome, obviously.” She boasted. “You’re kind of weird but eh, if Fluttershy is okay with you. I can understand being upset after taking a scooter full of Scootaloo to the head.” She ruffled Scootaloo’s mane as she said it, giving her a grin.

Thanquol’s sycophant instincts kicked into gear and he had to fight urge to sneer. This pony-thing was, unlike Fluttershy, deluded into a belief that it was important or impressive. It was wrong, of course, but such could be useful.

“Thanquol sees that the title is well befitted to you, flying one.” He said with a vaguely praising tone. “Truly, the skies of this land are blessed. Never before have I seen such skill. Great-good you are.”

The pegasus preened, puffing her chest out. “Yeah, I know, I’m totally awesome. Never seen anything like that before? Stick around and maybe you’ll see even better. That wasn’t my best, I can do way better.” She smirked. “If I bother to try, that is.”

He sat, resting his staff across his knees as he sat cross legged. “Truly? Thanquol would be honoured-awed to see such a sight. A rare and impressive dispay from such a generous pony-thi- pony as you.”

Looking down at her number one fan Rainbow Dash grinned. “See, he’s not so bad. Maybe you should say something about running into him.” She hinted.

“Yeah, I’m really sorry about that.” The filly apologised. She ruined it by giggling. “You sounded weird, making all those sounds, just like Marbles.”

Rainbow Dash giggled as well, covering it up with a cough and replacing it with a chuckle because Rainbow Dash doesn’t giggle. Giggling isn’t awesome or cool. Its not even radical!

“Uh, yeah, so, what’s up with you? Fluttershy looking after you or something?” She asked casually, at ease now she was certain he was impressed. Not that she hadn’t been certain before, since she was pretty rad.

“Mighty Thanquol is unwell. The Fluttershy is aid-helping me. Not that I require aid-help, obviously. Except right now.” It was hard to give both an impression of greatness while pretending to be wounded, made more difficult by the fact he was actually wounded. The various aches were starting to get to him.

“Mighty?” She asked, cocking an eyebrow at the weird way he talked. “You sound like Trixie. Can’t you talk normal?”

He bristled at that. He was talking normal! It was all others who talked strangely. Even in human tongues his skill was beyond doubt, although of course the stupid man-things were too moronic to realise that. He was a skaven and like all skaven when he used something another race had created he improved upon it.

“I am a wise-smart Grey Seer, my knowledge of tongues extends from the lands of the man-things of Clan Empire to the smouldering heat of Araby!” He snarled, banging his staff on the ground. “I speak-talk normally!”

Rainbow Dash was about to argue the point when Scootaloo piped up with a question.

“What’s a ‘man-thing’? Feel like I’ve heard that somewhere....” She frowned as she tried to remember.

Now that she thought about it, Rainbow Dash had heard that before as well, or something like it. It hit her, remembering perfectly the last time the word ‘man’ passed her hearing. Unfortunately she didn’t get to warn Thanquol from the topic in time.

He smirked widely at the chance to prove his knowledge. “I am wisest of Grey Seers in the ways of the man-things, creatures that call themselves ‘human’.” He said the word sneeringly. A stupid if sometimes useful race, really. How unfortunate for them, with Thanquol’s acquisition of these pony-things they would be useful for fewer tasks. Their future in the grand utopia of a skaven ruled surface had lessened a great deal.

He took out one of his pouches for a small whiff of warpstone dust, it had been almost ten minutes since he last had any and that was unacceptable. Brilliance like his needed fuel after all.

Rainbow Dash’s expression fell as he talked. “Oh no...” She began to back up, shaking her head.

Its actions brought a wide smirk to Thanquol’s face. Clearly it realised just this moment the grand personage it had been insulting! Now it would fall prostrate before him, grovelling at its unworthiness. Perhaps he would forgive the pony-thing, in time. For now it could earn his generous mercy by serving as his mount. Its tongue might need to be removed so it wouldn’t be able to talk back and a proper saddle that gave him full control fitted to it with a collar would help it remember who its master was. The greatest of the flying pony-things was the obvious mount for Grey Seer Thanquol, once proper mindless obedience and discipline had been beaten into it.

He was too busy planning how Rainbow Dash would be trained into a faithful slave to notice the cloud of dust and dirt speeding towards them from the distance. It was much like the distant dust cloud of a stampede, except only one pony was responsible. Thanquol had just began to plot how his pony-slave would be taught to always respond to the far better name he would give it and to forget its stupid old name when a something came skipping to a halt in front of him.

Dirt and rocks pulled in her wake came tumbling down as she slid to a halt, leaving a long scar through the dirt road. The dust settled over the skaven, pegasus and filly as they stared at the brightly, widely grinning mare.

“Who was talking about humans?” She demanded.

“Him!” Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo answered, pointing at Thanquol with expressions quite close to terror.

The Grey Seer coughed, rubbing his eyes as dust stung them. Skaven curses rolled from his snout When he could finally see again something greenish was in front of him, with splashes of white. Blinking through the watery haze he glared at it.

“Hi!” The green thing said far too cheerfully for his liking. “I’m Lyra Heartstrings. What do you know about humans? Please tell me!”

Clearing the dust from his eyes suddenly became less important. Thanquol heard something in that voice. The voice itself was new but the personality behind it he recognised from long experience. It was in the voice of alchemists shunned for their obsessions and willing to go to any length. It was in the voice of wizards delving into the darkest of magics who burned to know, who would sell their souls to learn everything. It was the voice of the obsessed.

He grinned through the dust. She wanted to know about humans. She had to know about humans. This pony would sell her soul to know about humans. Thanquol knew about humans. More importantly, judging from the hidden desperation in her voice, he was the only one around here who did.

How much, he wondered with a suppressed cackle, was her soul worth to her?

Author's Note

There it is, chapter nine and out a lot faster. Listening to it being read out rather helped get it done, really. There's a shout out I couldn't resist to to Everfree Rat tumblr, in the form of referring to Marbles, which is as far as it goes but gave me the giggles.

I've been waiting to introduce Lyra. Remember kids, don't buy from skaven, everyone in the Old World knows that.

Too bad Lyra doesn't. Muahaha!

Chapter Ten

This will be the last chapter for at least two or three weeks, as I've finished the Thanquol novel Grey Seer as so lock the steady dose of inspiration that got three chapters out so quickly. That and I want to focus on Justice Itself.

Enjoy the madness!

Lyra could not be described as merely eager. Enthusiastic was equally inadequate. Keen might indeed be accurate, if only it was a keenness likened to the edge of a vorpal blade. Desperate was also an option. She was very desperate. She looked at this new creature with a combination of thirst to learn and fascination.

"What do you know about humans?" She asked excitedly. ‘It looks more human than it does pony. Is it related to humans in some way?’ The thought gave her the jitters.

Thanquol tried to look authoritative as he stood, swiping at his eyes again as they continued to treacherously water. It wasn't suited to the image he meant to give of wisdom and knowledge. Then again, he decided giving up, his innate magnificence was sure to shine through.

"Humans, you ask?" He began with a rhetorical question, playing off his audience. "Great-wise Thanquol does indeed know much about the man-things. Oh yes, big-huge is my knowledge of them."

Her eyes seemed to come alight at the answer. "R-really?" She asked breathelessly. Lyra looked faint, as if unable to cope with the answer.

"What did I just- err, I mean, yes-yes." Thanquol answered through gritted fangs.

A squee cut through the air, piercing ear drums and collapsing souffles. Thanquol plugged his ears with his paws at the sound the mad-pony was making. Rainbow Dash's ears went flat against her head at the sound and Scootaloo pulled her helmet over hers. Ponies who had been backing swiftly from Mad Lyra covered their ears with winces of pain.

Halfway across Ponyville Bon Bon stopped what she was doing and lifted an ear. After a moment she sighed and lowered her head to press her forehead against the cool metal of the cashier.

“Oh Lyra, why?” She asked the empty store plaintively. With another much put-upon sigh she locked the cashier and trotted out, pausing only to change the sign on the candy store’s door to closed. After some thought she took out a spare sign, one reading ‘Closed, Lyra-based emergency’. Nodding to herself in satisfaction Bon Bon set off to find her wayward 'friend'.

The sound eventually began to wind down, Lyra’s lungs only able to support it for so long. She finally came to a stop only to take a great breath to begin again.

"Haaa...." She sucked in air.

“No!” Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo shouted at once.

“Cease-desist air-suck!” Thanquol ordered with a screech.

She stopped mid-suck, her mouth still wide open. Slowly she closed it. “Sorry.” Lyra said with a blush, “I get...excited sometimes.”

“Yes-yes, I get-see that.” The Grey Seer grunted, digging a claw into one of his ears. “You wish to know of humans great-much do you?”

Lyra nodded excitedly, her embarrassed look turning back to extreme glee. “Yes please. I can’t believe it, someone who knows about humans. And they called me crazy, ha!” She cackled.

“There’s a reason for that, isn’t there?” Scootaloo whispered to Rainbow Dash.

“Yeah.” The weathermare nodded. “You’re looking at it.”

Thanquol rubbed his paws together, chuckling. “Good-fine, yes, Thanquol can tell you much-” He was cut off by aquamarine hooves wrapped around him. She stood on her back legs, her front under his arms.

“I. Just. Can’t. Believe. It!” She shrieked again, tightening her hug with each word. Lyra was lost in her happiness and missed the way he slapped at her sides. Thanquol’s pallid tail whipped about like an ugly snake gone mad.

Rainbow Dash watched for another few seconds before intervening, deciding she didn’t want to deal with Fluttershy being disappointed in her over letting the rat get hugged to death. That mare could make anypony feel guilty if she tried.

“Hey, Lyra, I think you’re kind of choking him.” She warned. “Fluttershy is looking after him, I don’t think she’ll appreciate coming back and finding him with broken ribs.”

The unicorn blinked at Rainbow Dash, looking entirely uncomprehending for a few seconds. “Huh?” She finally seemed to notice the rat paws hitting her with less and less strength each time. “Oh. Oh!”

Lyra put Thanquol down gently, patting his back as the ratkin bent over, choking for air.

“Sorry about that Mister Rat.” She apologised earnestly, looking very sorry indeed. “I just got so excited. Everypony has always said I was crazy or mad or insane or loco-in-the-coco or loony or off my rocker or-”

“I think he gets the picture.” Rainbow Dash interrupted, slightly guilty that she had been the one who used the loco-in-the-coco to describe Lyra once.

Lyra nodded and looked at Thanquol with a begging expression. “So if you really know about humans, I need to know. It means everything to me!”

“Mighty-wise Thanquol’s knowledge of humans is unmatched-”

“Great, where can I find him?” Lyra asked brightly.

He worked his jaw for a moment, trying not to swell with indignation at its impudence, interrupting him!

“I am Thanquol.” He snarled, .

“Oh, I was wondering why you kept mentioning him.” She commented without so much as batting an eyelash at his tone. “I thought you were friends or something.”

“No, Thanquol is Thanquol.” The priest told her with a bleak expression. Perhaps it was too stupid to be his servant. If the rest of its kind thought it was mad maybe....no. If it was outcast from its fellow pony-things it would be all the easier to manipulate. Like humans, these pony-things seemed to crave each other’s company. Why else would Fluttershy seek out so many of her so-called ‘friends’. She didn’t even seem to be manipulating them! It was the height of idiocy and naivety.

Or perhaps, he considered, that was the genius of it. Yes, what if the Fluttershy was more cunning than she first let on? He stroked his whiskers as he thought about it, The mad-pony first, he filed away his thoughts on Fluttershy for later.

“So, humans, tell me tell me tell me!” Lyra was bouncing in front of him, practically begging. Really, it was begging.

He drew himself up, reclaiming his staff again and trying to regain his dignity.

“Benevolent and wise as I am,” He began pompously only to be interrupted by the sound of wings beating and Fluttershy landing next to him.

“H-gasp-here.” She croaked, placing a basket of various fruits and vegetables next to Thanquol before slumping.

He nodded at her, a simple sign that her job was done, and turned back to Lyra. Its expression hadn’t changed as it stared at him. Thanquol pulled a fruit from the basket before he continued, enjoying the way the mad-pony watched him with wide-eyed attentiveness. He rather enjoyed being in control of this conversation.

Rainbow Dash was not so delightfully quiet and attentive.

“Fluttershy, are you okay? You look like you flew around Ponyville a couple times.” She asked, going to her panting friend.

The meek pegasus gave her a small smile. “Oh I...just wanted...to get him...enough...” Fluttershy managed as she huffed and puffed.

“You’re way too nice. He hasn’t even said thanks.” Grumbled Rainbow Dash as she sat next to her friend.

“Its...fine...” Mumbling her reply Fluttershy finally took notice of Lyra’s presence and her stare locked on Thanquol. She shivered slightly, remembering the time Lyra was certain a human was hiding in Fluttershy’s shed. Which was strange for a number of reasons, not least that Fluttershy didn’t have a shed. “What’s...” She took a deep breath. “What’s going on?”

Rainbow Dash shrugged. “Thanquol apparently knows a lot about humans. He said the h-word and Lyra came running.” She rolled her eyes.

“Oh...”

Meanwhile Thanquol was preparing to entangle the hapless pony-thing in a brilliant web of most cunningly devised deceptions.

“Over my many years sneak-stalking across the world, my knowledge of the man-things has grown greater than any-all other’s. Even the man-things lack my knowingness of them.” He declared with his usual modesty.

“Wow!” Lyra replied in turn.

He stroked his whiskers, smirking widely. “Yes-yes, wow indeed. Great-vast is my knowing, known-revered across the Under-Empire as the greatest of researchers.”

She was bouncing in place again. “Really?! You must be amazing!”

Thanquol swelled with self-importance. It was all true, obviously, but it had been too long since he had an underling to fawn over his brilliance. Perhaps this pony-thing would be even more use than he had thought, he thought as he took a bite from the fruit he had taken. The juices ran from his jaw, reminding him of a bloody flank of slave meat.

“Benevolent and generous as Thanquol is,” he went on, “I cannot share-give what I know, much as I want to.” He lied, fighting back a cackle at the sudden look of despair in its eyes.

“W-what?” Lyra stuttered, her eyes going even whiter and a wet sheen coming to them. “W-why?”

Fluttershy tried to get up, seeing that Lyra looked a few seconds away from crying. As quirky as Lyra might be, Fluttershy couldn’t just stand there and let her cry. She would try to comfort her...as soon as her muscles started working again...

He did his best to look like he cared. “Rules are strict for such things. Pain-hurt are those who break them. A Grey Seer cannot share-give his knowledge to one not initiated....” He said with a regretful tone.

Lyra sniffled as she stared at him. It was so close! He knew everything she had been searching for and he wouldn’t tell her. She threw herself down in front of him, not caring about the fact she was begging on the ground in the middle of the town square.

“Please! There must be a way!” She cried desperately. She had to know!

“Hmm..” Thanquol took a whiff of warpstone, feeling the tingle blaze through his nerves and down his spine. His tail twitched and snaked about as he pretended to think. “Perhaps...perhaps there is a way...”

She stared up at him as he trailed off. “T-there is? Please Mister Thanquol, I have to know! It means everything to me.”

On the inside he cackled. Perfect!

“I grow-get tired.” He suddenly said, sagging against his staff. “Come-come tomorrow morning, find-bring me all collections of human knowledge you possess. I may be able to do something.”

He meant to turn away and demand Fluttershy accompany him back to the cottage, because he actually was tired and his body ached. Unfortunately he failed to reckon with the intentions of a happy Lyra. He squealed in shock as her hooves wrapped him in another hug.

Her squee was slightly less painful this time, although that didn’t mean much considering how close she was to Thanquol’s ears.

He clapped his paws over his ears again, dropping his staff as the insane pony-thing tried to break his ear drums. It was pushing its luck! He would punish it severely for this! He was a grey seer, a master of the Horned Rat’s dark magic and he would not be-

“Uh, excuse me Lyra, but could you, um, please stop?” Fluttershy asked timidly, finally able to walk again. She tapped the unicorn’s shoulder and the madmare let him down.

He tried not to glare, he really did, but as he fussed with his robes and reclaimed his staff Thanquol felt his eyes grow a tad intense in their focus.

“Oh, sorry.” Lyra said with an apologetic smile. “I got overexcited.”

A new voice cut in before any replies could be made to the incredibly obvious.

“Just what is going on here?” Bon Bon demanded, trotting towards them at a determined pace. “Lyra, were you hugging that...rat...thing?” She asked when she reached them

“Uh huh.” Lyra nodded happily. “He knows all about hum-” She was interrupted by a hoof being jabbed into her mouth.

“No.” The candy maker said, sighing. “Not this again Lyra.”

The unicorn scowled and pushed her friend’s hoof away. “Yes, this again Bon Bon! He’s called Thanquol and he’s a human expert and he’s going to tell me all about them tomorrow.”

Thanquol sniffed as the newcomer looked at him crossly. He folded his arms, tapping his staff on the ground as he met its gaze imperiously. This one smelled sweet, of sugar and chemicals. An apothecary? It seemed to know the madpony well.

“Lyra, do you really want to go through this again? Remember last time? You were convinced that minotaur was a secret agent of some, what was it, ‘shadowy cabal’ who were concealing the truth about humans.” Bon Bon pointed out with a growl.

“Hey, in my defense he totally turned Fluttershy evil. She dumped garbage on you because of him!” The unicorn protested.

That got Thanquol’s attention. Not only did he recognise the word minotaur but one that apparently turned his meek nurse to what lesser creatures called ‘evil’. How intriguing.

The pegasus blushed. “Oh, uh, sorry about that. I mean, I know I apologised before...and it wasn’t really Iron Will’s fault...”

Bon Bon gave her a dismissive wave. “I told you it was alright Fluttershy. Anyway Lyra, do you want to be put back on medication after only two weeks?” Bon Bon asked sternly, giving the monster-rat thing a sharp looking for playing with her friend like this. It was cruel.

Lyra flinched at that, looking down. “N-no.” She looked up again a moment later, the force of her obsession beating the shame. “But this time its real! I asked and he said he knows all about that, that he’s an expert. No amount of drugs will change that.”

Drugs? This mad pony-thing smelled odd, now he focused on it..Thanquol narrowed his eyes. Clearly the madpony was even madder than he had first suspected. The fact that its belief in humans was apparently mad enough to warrant being drugged didn’t go over his head. A land where humans were a myth? There were few parts of the world that their filthy kind could not be found, a clear act of jealousy directed at the glorious proliferation of the skaven.

Bon Bon took a deep, deep breath.and drew on reserves of patience she had acquired from years of dealing with Lyra. “Lyra, we are going home. Now.” She ordered with a tone that said in no-uncertain terms that somepony would be sleeping on the couch if she refused.

Opening her mouth wide to protest she was cut off by a flap of Thanquol’s paw.

“Go-go, friend-pony.” He commanded magnanimously. “Tomorrow come-come to Fluttershy’s cottage with your lore-knowledge. My solution-answer may be ready.”

That decided it and Lyra nodded. “Sure thing! Alright Bon Bon, home we go!” She stood upright as she pointed a hoof in a random direction, “Away!” Her other hoof managed to grab the one Bon Bon had been using to interrupt her.

The candy maker’s eyebrows shot up in surprise at the sudden surrender. She realised what Lyra was thinking of doing a few seconds too late. “Wait, Lyra, let’s just waaaaaaaa....”

The dust cloud that was a charging Lyra vanished down the street, a wailing earth pony flailing in the air next to her.

Thanquol snickered quietly, taking a savage glee from the shock of the pony-thing that had tried to talk the mad-pony out of its obsession. An obvious failure. Those with addictions and obsessions were the weakest of minds to manipulate, at least as far as Thanquol was concerned. He inhaled a pinch of warpstone to settle his nerves, smugly considering how his plan was coming together.

“Uh, Thanquol?” He looked down sharply at Fluttershy, who pawed the ground nervously. “A-aren’t you going to be d-doing research with Twilight tomorrow?” She asked.

His expression went slack for a moment. “...yes-yes, I am! But wise Thanquol plan-schemes well. The mad-p- Lyra will come early, then I shall bestow-bless my presence upon the magepony.”He said it confidently, warpstone fuelled certainty burning in his veins and setting his brain afire.

Even Rainbow Dash had to find that a bit much. “Bless? Come on, seriously?”

Thanquol eyed her for a moment as if considering how to react. He settled on inclining his head towards her. “Right-yes, just as you yourself have done with meagre-humble Thanquol, oh graceful flier.” He praised.

It worked perfectly. Rainbow Dash practically puffed up, smirking cockily. “Well, yeah, I am kinda totally awesome.” She agreed. “Grace, ha, I could out-grace a swan!”

“Obviously, I see-scent it clearly.” Thanquol nodded, trying not to let his disdain for the pony-thing’s idiocy infect his voice. That it fell for deceptive flattery so easily was just another sign of its inferiority. He would never fall for such transparent lies. “Grace-skill in all your movements.”

Fluttershy thought, in the privacy of her own head, that Thanquol was laying it on a bit thick. If she was anypony but Fluttershy she might have even pointed this out. Since she was Fluttershy, she didn’t.

Her ego suitably inflated Rainbow Dash was happy to forgive and forget - particularly forget - any wrongdoings or rudeness on Thanquol’s part. Transgressions great and many could be forgiven for appreciating how awesome she was and she was very awesome indeed. It took a lot of appreciating to cover all her awesome and there was only so much appreciating she could do on her own without most of her friends donning costumes and pretending to be the same pony.

“I’d love to stay and talk about how cool I am,” she said, really meaning it, “but I’ve got some rain to take to Sweet Apple Acres.”

Thanquol gave her a gracious bow. “Do not let me delay-detain you. Go-go, take...rain. This awed one will be wait-waiting eagerly for our next meet-talk.”

Ruffling Scootaloo’s mane and waving goodbye to Fluttershy Rainbow Dash took off, zipping away.

“Guess I better go home.” Scootaloo sighed, pouting slightly now that Rainbow Dash was gone. She waved to Fluttershy and the big horned rat monster. “See you later Fluttershy and Thanquol!” She sped off on her scooter, mane rustling in the wind.

Thanquol saw the insane child had forgotten its helmet and eyed the armour thoughtfully. Shoving the last of his fruit into his mouth he picked up the helmet in his now free paw and shook it, testing its weight. A nasty grin he kept turned away from Fluttershy spread over his verminous face, teeth bared. Lifting his gaze back to the fleeing child he aimed carefully.

“Forgot helm, take-take back for safety!”

The helmet soared through the sky, spinning over as it flew towards its owner. Scootaloo heard the rat’s call and looked back briefly, confused.

“My helmet? Oh, I- ow!” It smacked her on the head. For a few seconds she zigzagged before regaining control, her head ringing from the light impact.

“Woops.” The verminpriest said with a suppressed snicker, his tongue snaking out to slurp the juices running down his chin.

“Oh my.” Fluttershy covered her mouth with a hoof but Scootaloo just got back up waved her thanks, slightly uncertainly, before slipping on her helmet and taking off once more. Fluttershy breathed a sigh of relief and looked at Thanquol, who had turned to the basket he had been brought and was devouring several choice fruits. “I’m glad you’re enjoying what I got you at least.”

He looked up, fixing her with a look. It was an irritated and tired look.

“Yes-yes, much enjoying.” He took a bannana bit through it,devouring it skin and all. He scrunched his nose halfway through, licking his lips as he considered the taste. Apparently deciding he liked the taste Thanquol finished it off, his teeth making short work of the fruit.

Fluttershy looked him up and down, looking worried. “I think we should go home for now. You look a little tired.” She suggested gently.

Thanquol snorted. “Great-strong Thanquol does not tire easily,” he corrected her, “but this once the idea has merit. I wish-want to rest, quick-fast.”

Picking up the basket and balancing it on her back Fluttershy led the way back through town, feeling the basket shift when her odd companion pillaged it for more goods. Occasionally she had to stop to steady it and he just watched, licking varied juices from his paw as she struggled not to trip and spill the fruit everywhere.

‘He’s tired, of course he can’t help right now.’ She assured herself after a few times of distress where he failed to so much as lift a paw, continuing on ahead and waiting impatiently with unhappy tapping of his staff when she failed to catch up right away.

They reached Fluttershy’s home eventually, her basket of fruit’s weight much diminished and Thanquol patting his filled belly. It was no substitute for a flank of bloody skaven or a leg of human but the fruit was fresher than any wares found in the Under-Empire and certainly far superior to black corn. The thought of the foul staple of the skaven capital’s diet made him shudder in disgust.

Fluttershy let out a relieved sigh, smiling as she opened the door and trotted in. Her smile grew at the sight of her little animals, all milling about together.

“Oh, hello everyone, I’m so sorry I was out for so long. Let’s fix you all some yummy lunch, hm?” She offered, enjoying the happiness in the eyes of the hungry litte critters.

Happiness which died a painful death when Thanquol stalked in behind Fluttershy. He fixed them with a beady, hungry stare, little red eyes darting about in a way that suggested he was considering which would be the best appetizer.

Fluttershy gaped as the animals fled, streaming out the back door and through windows. “Wait, everyone, what’s wrong?!” She flew after them, dropping the basket and trying to get at least a few of them before they fled. She hoped they were just upset or playing a game. Fluttershy was starting to have a few flashbacks to the Grand Galloping Gala.

The sorcerer-rat smirked smugly, ignoring the commotion to scurry to the bed he had claimed as his own. On the way the only animal not to flee crossed his path and they exchanged hot glares, Angel Bunny and Thanquol’s eyes met dangerously. For a moment the rabbit seemed to consider remaining in the verminkin’s way. Thanquol bared his fangs, flashing vicious incisors and licking his disgusting tongue along them. His stare told Angel Bunny exactly which animal he wanted to start with.

The bunny hopped away, leaving Thanquol to scowl in annoyance and continue on his way. It didn’t take long for him to finish his journey to the bed and to his chagrin he all but collapsed in it, damaged muscles protesting all the walking he had been doing and aches beginning to play up across his body. The Staff of the Horned Rat thudded to the ground next to the bed without an ounce of dignity in its treatment.

He forced the pain away. He was grey seer Thanquol, the favoured of the vermin god and a master of sorcery beyond mortal ken! His body obeyed him, not the other way around. Every bone and vein was his to command and control as his magnificent will saw fit and no mere mortal weakness could impede or influence him.

A pang of longing struck Thanquol and he reached under the pillows. His rat-skull snuff box, secreted away before they left, greeted him and he took a pinch of refined warpstone snuff. It filled him with strength and life again. With a relieved sigh he lay back and reached into his robe. The ‘Comprehensive Foal’s Guide To Most of History’ was safe and sound where he had left it. Concealing his rat-skull snuff box again Thanquol lay back and opened the book to the first page, his eyes hungrily devouring...

….

“What-what?!” He shrieked, staring at the unfamiliar characters. His teeth gnashed and it took all of Thanquol’s self-control not to tear the book to pieces and smash what was left to pulp. His paws shook, his grip biting into the book.

The book’s title made complete sense to him and only now did he realise the weak magic cast on it to convey its meaning to all who laid eyes on it. He didn’t know yet but the book was meant for children who couldn’t quite read yet, optimistically enchanted by Twilight so they could find out about history if they were interested. The book had never been borrowed.

The words on the inside made no sense at all and Thanquol realised, one of his eyes twitching dangerously, that he didn’t know how to read their language. He hadn’t even realised they had a different language until now and that he had not, in fact, been speaking natural skaven Queekish this entire time.

Angel Bunny wasn’t sure why the rat-monster begin to wail in aggravation considering he hadn’t done anything to it - yet - but he decided it didn’t matter much and just lifted his ears to hear it better. It made him feel warm inside.

* So Ends Chapter 10 *

Chapter Seven

“Well....that was certainly the most....’interesting’ thing I’ve seen upon entering your premises.” Rarity told Aloe and Lotus. The spa ponies nodded, looking slightly embarrassed.

Standing off to the side Thanquol entirely ignored the equines. He sniffed, posturing to his reflection and flashing a fanged smile. The black robe was clearly of fine make, reminding the magerat of a particular article had he divested from a human sorcerer with connections in the human city of Nuln. The idiot had been stupid enough to try out-ratting the skaven, but for all his lacklustre warpstone experiments the fool had good taste.

That robe had been white, but it had taken little effort for him to make it grey. A more fitting colour for a Grey Seer although he noted the stupid unicorn had failed to pick up on that. He sniffed again, this time caught between disapproval and approval. It also lacked proper ornamentation of a priest of his great standing and unutterable wisdom but he could fix that later. Maybe a few beatings later if she proved unable to acquire a robe of proper colour, although in deference to her quick acquisition of this one he would have her only lashed on one side.

“How are you finding the robe darling?” Rarity trotted over, looking him up and down. “I had little to work on, so I thought minimalism was the way to go for now. A fine black, contrasting nicely with your coat.”

“Yes-yes, many thanks to you craftspony.” He flapped a paw at her, his gaze intent on his reflection.

Approaching the pair, Fluttershy tried to fight down the blush that felt permanently stained into her cheeks. “Um, T-Thanquol? You, um, you wanted to go see Twilight. Remember, the ‘mage-pony’?” She quoted nervously.

He stamped his staff authoritatively. Or what he thought was authoritatively anyway.

“Indeed! Take-guide me to this mage-pony. My intellect requires the stimulus of magic.” He declared, twitching slightly. Speaking of stimulus....

He reached for where his belt and its pouches were. Ripping free one of the pouches he licked his dust coated fingers eagerly. Behind him Rarity recoiled, her expression one of disgust at the way he was coating his hand in drool.

Running his thin tongue over his hand one more time, Thanquol turned to look blearily at Fluttershy. He wiped his hand on his robe without noticing the gasp from Rarity. The thump of a fainting mare went unnoticed as he focused on the meek pegasus trying to look past him.

Fluttershy took a step around Thanquol her eyes alight with worry for her friend.

The impudence of this beast, an animal who was but a meagre, lesser creature unworthy of his presence daring to ignore him filled Thanquol with endless warpstone fuelled fury. His claws bit into the varnished haft of his staff and his teeth gnashed. Rage burned through his veins and instinctively he began to channel that into his staff.

Turning the head of the Staff of the Horned Rat to point at Fluttershy’s head he reached into the ether, grasping at the dark power of the Realm of Chaos-

A shriek pierced the ears of the ponies present, conveniently rousing Rarity back to the land of the waking.

“Oh no!” Fluttershy was on Thanquol in moments, trying to find out what was going on. The skaven let out a high pitched whine as he flailed, hands gripping his horns as though he was trying to pull them from his skull. “What’s wrong?”

He wasn’t able to voice his thoughts right now except in screeched skaven curses. He writhed and wriggled for nearly two minutes before calming down.

“A-are you okay?” Fluttershy asked, helping him up. She was so worried about Thanquol, he seemed just so prone to accidents! She could remember when she was just a little filly and such a klutz she got a mean nickname about it. The poor thing really needed looking after, she decided. Thin and weak, tripping all the time and the way his fur was falling out in places just made him easily pitiable.

“Fine-good, pony-thing.” Thanquol shook off her hoof. The Staff’s butt wedged against the ground and he leaned on it for support. “Merely a skullache.”

“Um....do you mean ‘headache’?” She volunteered. Fluttershy ducked her head when he made a dismissive wave of his staff that nearly brained her.

His snout scrunched up at her. “Yes-yes, skullache. Never mind now, Flutter-pony. Take-lead me to magepony!”

“But- Rarity- Wait-” Fluttershy tried to look over to Rarity to make sure she was fine but found weathered paws pushing her towards the exit. She might have been able to push him back and check but the rat was too insistent and she bowed to the pressure of his urgency.

The door banged shut as Rarity wobbled into a standing position on all fours, terribly confused.

Twilight’s day had started less than perfectly. For one thing it had started the day before last at about two in the morning and had continued until this afternoon. Technically it was a different day but she hadn’t gone to bed in all that time and she didn’t count falling asleep mid-research. In the end, she explained to Spike as he cowered in a corner, that no she had not been up for nearly two days it had just been one day. One long, gruelling day.

Spike was merely happy to escape the two hour long rant without Twilight deciding a Want-It-Need-It spell would help her resolve the issue.

“This doesn’t make any sense!” The unicorn clutched at her head, staring at the read-out from her machine. “I’ve recalibrated the Machine every way I can think of!”

Looking up at the menacing creation wrought of black iron, engraved with arcane runes and speckled with strange protrusions of silver glass filled with bubbling liquids she grudgingly admitted she could understand why Spike had dubbed it ‘the (significant pause) Machine!’. When they were doing inventory he even wrote it that way, bracketed significant pause included.

Her hooves clopping on the hard flooring of her underground lair- her lab Twilight paced around the (significant pause) Machine with a slightly deranged frown.

“I’ve changed the cognitive fluids, oiled the gears, restocked the gerbil feed, found gerbils, designed a new intake-outtake valve that doesn’t leak and nearly gutted myself trying to fit the new receptive spires onto it!” Twilight nearly screamed as her mane began to spring up. “So WHY WON’T YOU WORK?!”

Spike stood off to the side, nervously twiddling his thumbs. Twiddling his thumbs always made him feel special since he was the only one he knew who had thumbs. It was like showing off but he didn’t get told to stop being a show-off since nopony noticed. Now the dragon whelp was doing it worriedly.

“Uh, Twilight, maybe you should-” He began.

She fixed him with a Look. “Do not. Tell me. To. Relax.” Twilight ground out through clenched teeth.

“I was just gonna say, maybe you’d see things a bit more clearly if you had a nap.” Spike went on quickly. “I’ll wake you up whenever you want I’m just getting a bit worried about you. C’mon Twilight, please.”

In the face of Spike’s wide, wet eyes and scaly expression of pleading Twilight’s resistance began to crumble at last. “But- but I need to analyse the disturbance and the (significant pause) Machine isn’t working!” She whined in a very good imitation of a foal being told she wasn’t getting any dessert, albeit unintentionally.

Spike approached her cautiously, sensing Twilight was starting to give in. Normally she didn’t actually say ‘significant pause’. “Which you can do when you wake up. I promise it’ll only be for ten minutes. Nothing is going to happen in ten minutes.”

Of course he was actually going to leave her until she had slept for at least eight hours but Spike figured it would be a bad idea to say that.

Reluctantly Twilight let Spike led her upstairs. He had to keep coaxing her up but soon they were in the library’s main room only a few steps from the stairs leading to Twilight’s bed.

That, somewhat predictably in narrative terms, was when Fluttershy and Thanquol arrived.

The throbbing headache from his attempt to reach into the Immaterium had started to fade making room in his skull for blinding rage and eventually curiousity. Despite his best efforts Thanquol couldn’t remember what it had been he had touched. It had burned him intensely, like acid had been poured into his brain and wiped out the actual memory of what it was. His mind was simply unable to grasp the nature or energies of whatever plane the magic of this world stemmed from.

That didn’t happen. Thanquol had travelled further than even most Grey Seers and seen more magic in many different forms. None were like what he had found in the place of the Warp.

Tapping the Staff’s haft he pondered this mystery as the Fluttershy led him to the magepony. Was it possible, he wondered, that there was a power stronger than Chaos energy here? The very idea seemed impossible but the mental action of reaching across the planar barrier into the parallel realm of Chaos had instead tried to access somewhere else. An alternative energy plane, one with a different nature that he was unfamiliar with.

It was a ludicrous idea and Thanquol was tempted to merely banish the idea. But perhaps, he thought as he showed his fangs to a grey pony runt and sent it scurrying away, only the genius of Thanquol could dare to contemplate such a theory. After all it was understandable that no one before had managed such a feat until Thanquol. Obviously only a mage of his calibre could perform the action. Yes, he decided, it must be that.

He was completely wrong in just about every way but there was no reason for the universe to burden him with that knowledge.

Fluttershy quietly knocked on the door. Thanquol’s ears twitched as he failed to hear the knock from less than a foot away. She did it again.

At last it grew too much for the ratpriest and before she could try knocking a third time she found herself pushed out of the way and paws twisting the knob.

“Mighty-great Thanquol grows impatient!” He growled, forgetting his own decision to try sucking up to the kindly pony. “Let the magepony come forth!”

He forced the door open and came face to face with Twilight Sparkle. Well, not quite face to face but in that general area. She stared at the walking rat man in a finely made black robe with a staff practically glaring at her as Fluttershy stood behind it nervously.

Twilight looked at Spike and said, somewhat apologetically, “Spike, you’re right. I really do need to sleep. I’m seeing a giant bipedal rat! With Fluttershy of all ponies! Ha!”

“Uh, Twi’.....” Spike stared at the giant rat. “I’m seeing that as a well.”

A few twangs were heard as more of Twilight’s mane began to spring up. “Oh.” She said with deceptive calm. The snap! was almost audible. “Ha. Haha. Ahahahahahaha.”

Fluttershy crept in around Thanquol who was banging his staff on the ground as Twilight rolled around laughing hysterically.

“Oh my.” She said, looking at the much stressed Spike. “Are you okay?”

It might seem strange for her to be asking that as the closest thing to family he had rolled around laughing like an asylum escapee but not asking the actual asylum escapee. Fluttershy was fairly certain right now Twilight had to get...whatever it was out of her system. Spike on the other hoof looked like he needed somepony to lean on.

The dragonling sighed, rubbing his forehead. The giant rat was now demanding Twilight cease mocking him, banging his staff on the floor and waving it in the air every few seconds.

“No. I’m really not.” He said morosely.

Down stairs the (significant pause) Machine sat, its glass protrusions bubbling and light reflecting off its surface almost sinisterly.

Author's Note

Well that was fun. Thought I'd finish this up after getting chapter 17 of Justice Itself done.

Just to confirm, yes, everything Thanquol was reasoning about magic was pretty much wrong. He tried to reach for Chaos energy in a huge amount and there wasn't any so it kind of made a collapsing vacuum. He just can't admit he failed to get anything, that there's nothing TO remember so he makes excuses.