It was a beautiful Sunday morning in the city of Canterlot, and the local park teemed with life. Birds warbled in the trees, ducks floated about on the pond, and squirrels scavenged for nuts. Fluttershy shaded her eyes from the glare of the sun as she scanned her surroundings.
Just yesterday, Sugarcoat shared a very peculiar story with her. Less than week ago, Lemon Zest encountered a white-headed capuchin monkey in this very park. In a move that made Fluttershy just little bit envious, Lemon smuggled the monkey into Crystal Prep Academy's residence hall. Unfortunately, it escaped her room and proceeded to enter her classmates' rooms to steal clothes - specifically underwear for some odd reason.
Although Sugarcoat managed to expertly deal with the situation, Fluttershy could not help but wonder where the monkey actually came from. Often recognized as the favored companion of organ grinders, the white-headed capuchin monkey is native to equatorial rainforests. How did one end up here? And where had it learned to steal underwear of all things? She was hoping to find out at least the former today.
It would be two hours before she joined her Canterlot High friends for lunch, so she had plenty of time to interview the local wildlife. She always had a natural talent for connecting with animals. Her geode, which she obtained during her trip to Camp Everfree, enabled her to communicate with animals to an even greater degree. She walked up to a flock of pigeons pecking about for seeds.
"Good morning. Do any of you remember seeing a monkey around here in the last couple of days?"
The pigeons responded with confusion. "Monkey? What is monkey?"
"Uh..." Fluttershy searched for a description a pigeon might find familiar. "Like a squirrel. Only bigger. With a thin tail, black fur on its body and white fur on its head."
"Have not seen anything like that," responded the pigeons as they resumed their pecking.
Fluttershy went on to query another flock of pigeons, then to a flock of ducks, then to a pair of squirrels. For nearly half-an-hour, she canvassed the park's wildlife, but all their responses were the same. None of them had encountered any creatures matching the monkey's description. She was ready to give up on her investigation when one animal gave a different answer.
"I see a thin-tailed squirrel just now," chirped a lone sparrow.
"Really?" She perked up. "Can you show me where?"
The bird happily obliged, leading her to a clump of trees on the very edge of the park. She thanked her avian guide as it flew off, and proceeded to scan the vicinity. There did not seem to be any other birds or squirrels about. Just then, she heard a high-pitched chirp overhead. She looked up and saw a small, agile mammal perched on one of the branches. Its face, chest and shoulders were framed by cream-colored fur. The rest of its lean body was covered in dark brown fur, all the way to its long prehensile tail. It was a white-headed capuchin monkey!
Fluttershy could hardly believe her eyes. Before her was the second wild monkey to be found in this very park within a week. Did it escape from a zoo? Was it some eccentric billionaire's lost pet? She wanted to get some answers before she turned it over to animal control. The monkey eyed her warily. Even without her geode, she could tell that it was apprehensive. Focusing the stone's power, she called out to it. "It's okay. I'm not going to hurt you."
The monkey seemed to relax a little, venturing down the trunk of the tree. It stopped just outside of her reach, regarding her with curiosity. "Not safe here."
"Why? What's the matter?"
"You must hide!"
"Hide? From what?" Just then, a twig snapped. As she glanced about, the monkey gave a panicked shriek then scampered back up the tree. "Wait!"
Fluttershy called after the monkey, but it had already disappeared into the branches. Suddenly a large, meaty hand clamped over her nose and mouth. She struggled to break free, her screams muffled against a damp, sickly sweet-smelling rag. After several panicked breaths, darkness overtook her.
***
Fluttershy awoke to find herself lying on a cold tile floor. Her wrists were bound tightly in front of her with a thin rope, as were her now-bare feet at the ankles. She tried to scream, only to be stifled by a cloth gag that had been tied over her mouth. Remembering to breathe, she gathered her wits.
After the monkey running away, the last thing she remembered was being grabbed from behind and everything going black. Sitting up, she scanned her surroundings. To her left were a toilet bowl and wastebasket - the latter of which was overflowing with discarded tissue. To her right were a sink and mirror mounted on the wall. Clearly, she was in a small restroom. She gave a start as the ceiling lamp flickered overhead. On the opposite wall was a large wooden door - the only exit.
Using her legs, she pushed herself up against the wall. Bracing herself on the sink, she managed to stand up and in look the mirror. Thankfully, she had not sustained any scrapes or bruises. Her relief soon gave way to worry when she realized that her choker - along with her geode - was missing. Her captors must have taken it!
The top of the sink was littered with several items, including a bar of soap, a bottle of shampoo, a can of shaving cream, and a disposable shaving razor. Grabbing hold of the razor, she began scraping and sawing away at the rope binding her wrists. After several minutes - and a couple of accidental nicks to her fingers - her hands were free. She quickly untied the cloth from her mouth and the rope from her ankles. A check of her skirt pockets confirmed that her smartphone was also gone.
Free of her bonds, Fluttershy gazed at her reflection. She had no idea where she was or who had taken her. While she had faced otherworldly arcane threats alongside her friends, she was now all alone and stripped of her most powerful tool. Taking a deep breath, she summoned her courage. Geode or no geode, she had to get out of here!
Slowly, she turned the knob and pulled open the door - which was marked with a Ladies Room sign. She peeked outside to find herself looking down a short hallway. To her left was a door marked with a Men's Room sign. Beyond it, was a blind corner and the only way out. She sidled along the wall, the polished concrete floor cold on her bare feet. The Men's Room door was slightly ajar and the exhaust fan was blowing inside. Someone was definitely here not too long ago. Pressing up against the wall, she peeked around the corner.
She found herself inside what appeared to be a large warehouse. Sunlight streamed in through several skylights high overhead. Lining two walls were several shelves containing innumerable boxes and crates of various shapes and sizes. Taking up most of the floor was what appeared to be a large industrial shed. Beyond the shed was a panic door marked with an Exit sign.
Fluttershy crept forward only to stop dead in her tracks. Seated in a chair up ahead - facing away from her - was a man the same size as her classmate Bulk Biceps! His most prominent features were his shaved head and a thick goatee on his chin. Over his ears were a pair of headphones - even from where she stood, she could hear a faint rock and roll melody playing through them. Just beyond him was an archaic punch clock machine mounted on the wall and another door. She shrank back, hoping that he had not noticed her. Several tense moments went by as he hummed and bopped his head a couple of times, utterly absorbed by whatever he was listening to.
Suddenly, the door near the punch clock swung open. Fluttershy ducked back behind the corner as another man emerged, built similarly to the first, except sporting a crew cut. She heard what sounded like a slap, followed by a gruff voice. "Quit messing around! The boss is back!"
"Jeez, I'm coming!" groaned a second husky voice. "Keep your pants on!"
Fluttershy peeked out again once she heard the door slam. With both men now gone, she made a beeline to the exit door. She pushed on the panic bar, but the door would not budge. It must have been locked. Not too far away was a large roll-up door that likely led to a loading dock outside. Unfortunately, the draw chain was secured by a padlock. Even if she could raise the larger door just high enough to crawl out on her belly, the noise would alert her captors.
She glanced back at the door near the punch clock. That door had to lead to an office, which would have another way out! But she could not risk going in there now - not with her captors present. Desperate, she scanned the warehouse. With most of the boxes and crates tightly packed against the wall, there were very few hiding places. They would easily find her out here. That left the shed, which had only one door going in and out - next to which was another folding chair. She opened the shed door and was greeted by a cacophony of caws and chirps.
Fluttershy could not believe her eyes. Inside the shed were two back-to-back rows of large cages. Each cage was filled with several birds - parrots, parakeets and other brightly-plumed tropical species. There had to be at least three dozen birds altogether. One cage even held a pair of scarlet macaws - a particularly coveted species among exotic animal smugglers.
Smugglers! How else could a Capuchin monkey be found wandering the local park? It was the only logical explanation. All of these poor little birdies, ripped from their homes.
Fluttershy composed herself. She could not help these animals if she was re-captured. Inside the aviary, there was nowhere to hide. Walking behind the cages, she found another door on the opposite side the room. She went through to find herself in a dimly lit area. To her right was a table, upon which lay a can of pepper spray, a wooden baseball bat, and what appeared to be a cattle prod. To her left a large cabinet. Several large cages lined the far end of the room - all of which were empty except for one. Sitting inside this cage was a large bipedal mammal with orange-brown fur and a thick, pear-shaped head. It was a Bornean orangutan.
The great ape regarded Fluttershy with sad, dispirited eyes as she cautiously stepped forward. With the cage's crisscrossing bars, the most the orangutan could extend outside were its fingers. She nevertheless stopped a full meter away from it. There were no locks on the cage - only a series of latches bordering its front door. Even without her geode, she could feel the primate's pain and sorrow. She wanted so badly to set it free, but there was no telling what it might do.
"Oh, you poor dear..."
Next to the table was a small refrigerator, on top of which was a basket of apples and a small fruit knife. Fluttershy took the knife and sliced an apple into quarters. Cautiously, she placed an apple slice on the floor and pushed it up to the bars of the cage. The orangutan did not move, despite giving her a curious look. Even after she had backed away, it waited a moment before reaching its fingers through the bars to take the fruit. Munching the apple seemed to lift the ape's spirits.
Just then, Fluttershy heard voices coming from the aviary. She ran over to the cabinet and opened the doors. Inside were a dingy mop, bucket and a hanging rack containing various cleaning supplies. Even with all of these items, there was just enough room for her to squeeze in. She closed the doors, but left one side open just a tiny bit so she could peek out into the room. A lean man with slicked back hair in a tan designer suit stepped into view. The other two men followed him.
"Just what were you thinking bringing her here?" barked the lean man in a nasally tone.
"She saw the monkey," responded the man with the goatee. "She mighta seen us too."
"First you lose ANOTHER monkey and then you pull this," screamed the Boss Man. "The police will be all over us!"
"Don't worry boss, we tossed her phone at the park. She also had this on her!" The man with the crew cut produced a bright yellow stone from his pocket, which Boss Man snatched and proceeded to examine. Fluttershy stifled a gasp - it was her geode!
"Might be worth something," sneered the Boss Man. Fluttershy's heart sank as he slipped the geode into his shirt's front pocket. Suddenly, the Boss Man turned toward the orangutan as it finished eating the apple slice. He then glanced at the half apple on the table - the interior of which had yet to go brown. "Did either of you feed this monkey just now?"
"No boss," said Crew Cut. Both his and Goatee's eyes widened as they connected the dots.
"I'm gonna check the perimeter, you two check the warehouse!" The boss grabbed the cattle prod off the table and switched it on. He strode over to the orangutan's cage. Without warning, he jabbed the cattle prod at the bars. The great ape shrank back from the shower of sparks. "What are YOU looking at?"
The two flunkies grabbed the remaining weapons off the table - Crew Cut the baseball bat and Goatee the pepper spray - and followed their employer. Fluttershy quietly emerged from the cabinet, and gave the orangutan a wistful look before disappearing through the door after her captors. I will get you out of here.
Her heart racing, she skulked back through the aviary. I will get all of you out, she silently vowed to the birds in the cages. Somehow. If her captors were combing the warehouse for her, now was her chance to escape through the office! The shed entrance was still open as she poked her head out. She could hear the two goons arguing at the very rear of the warehouse.
"Told ya this was a stupid idea!" sneered Crew Cut.
"Says the guy who was teaching that last monkey to steal silk."
"'Hey, he woulda come back! If the boss would lay off with the shock treatment."
Now or never! Fluttershy skittered to the office door, quietly opening then closing it behind her. When she looked about the red carpeted room she gasped at what she saw. Lining the walls were preserved taxidermy mounts of various wild animals - many of them endangered species. The snarling heads of lions, tigers, bears and other apex predators all seemed to stare at her with lifeless eyes. Stifling a scream, she regained her composure and spotted a large glass door leading out to a parking lot. Her hands were on the push bar when she spotted the Boss Man outside looking about.
Fluttershy hastily backed away from the glass door, hoping that the Boss Man had not spotted her. She had to hide! Aside from a large desk, a leather executive chair and two smaller chairs, the only furniture in the office was a tall display case in the corner containing several ornately carved elephant tusks. Hastily, she squeezed behind the display case just as the Boss Man entered through the front door.
Fluttershy remained still as the Boss Man walked toward the warehouse door. By now, her feet were pretty dirty after skulking through the warehouse. Luckily, the carpet was just dark enough to conceal any footprints she might have left behind. The Boss Man suddenly stopped as his smartphone began to ring. He cursed under his breath as he glanced at the Caller ID then took a moment to compose himself before answering the call with a plastic smile. "Hiya chief, what's cracking?"
The Boss Man set the cattle prod down on his desk as he sat down in the executive chair. As he continued to chatter with his caller about various current events, Fluttershy peeked out from behind the display case to see him place her geode on the desk - albeit off to the side closer to her. Gazing at her geode, she reconsidered her escape plan. Even if she did make it outside, she had no idea where she was and had no way of contacting the police. But now, she had a chance to get her geode back and turn the tables on these smugglers!
Fluttershy gently tested the display case with her fingers. It was top heavy and would not take much effort to topple over. Planting her feet in the corner, she leaned forward and pushed the display case with all her strength. The Boss Man turned just as the display case - and the ivory within - came crashing down on him.
Stepping around the broken glass, Fluttershy scooped her geode off the desk. The Boss Man, pinned under the fallen display case, screamed and cursed at her as she scrambled back through the warehouse door. She made a mad dash for the shed - only to find the two goons waiting for her at the entrance. Crew Cut brandished his baseball bat as Goatee shook the pepper spray canister.
"Where do you think you're going?" sneered Goatee.
Fluttershy spotted movement out of the corner of her eye. She glanced up on the roof of the shed and saw the capuchin monkey - the exact same one she encountered at the park. Without warning, the monkey leaped down atop Goatee's head. The bald goon dropped the pepper spray as he staggered about.
"Ack! Get offa me!"
"Hold still!"
Crew Cut swung with his bat, only to strike Goatee on the shoulder as the monkey leaped off. Fluttershy made for the shed door, seizing the folding chair on her way in. Only after the monkey was inside did she slam the door and jam the chair against the knob. Outside, the two goons cursed as they began forcing the door.
"Want to help!" chirped the monkey.
"Help me open these cages!"
Fluttershy and the monkey began working their way down opposite sides of the aviary, unlatching the door to each and every cage. Some of the birds were hesitant to leave their cages, but most of them escaped at the first opportunity, perching atop their former prisons. Through her geode, Fluttershy could hear the birds asking what was going on, if she was hurt, and where the "Big Two-Legs" were. They had just opened the last of the cages when the two goons burst in.
Fluttershy did not have to say anything. At that moment, the escaped birds swarmed toward their jailers. The goons swung wildly at their avian attackers, but for each bird they warded off, three others swooped in. The birds still in the cages, emboldened by their brethren, joined in the onslaught. Engulfed by a storm of angry beaks and talons, Goatee and Crew Cut both crumpled to the floor.
Fluttershy breathed a sigh of relief, but it was short-lived. Standing at the shed entrance was the Boss Man, his face scratched and bruised. Slowly, he began to advance on her, dragging his cattle prod across several cages. The birds scattered as the sparks flew - through her geode, she could sense that they were too scared to attack him, even en masse. She bolted down the opposite side of the cages when he shoved two of them over, blocking her escape. She backed into the corner as he closed in, the cattle prod drawing near to her face.
"You have caused me a GREAT deal of trouble, girly!"
Suddenly, a large, hairy hand snatched the cattle prod out of the Boss Man's grip. He whipped around to find the orangutan standing behind him - with the monkey not too far behind. With its two powerful hands, the great ape snapped the cattle prod like a flimsy twig. Eyes as wide as saucers, the Boss Man let out a high-pitched yelp as he ran for the shed entrance. The orangutan, eager for revenge upon its tormentor, gave chase. The Boss Man tried to slam the shed door on the ape, only to get bowled over as the animal burst out. He scrambled to get back on his feet, but the ape grabbed hold of his ankle and dragged him back.
"HELP! SOMEBODY HELP!" the Boss Man screamed as he clawed on the floor. Pulling him closer, the ape raised its other hand, preparing to strike when Fluttershy placed her hand on its shoulder.
"Now now, Mister Orangutan," said Fluttershy gently. "I know this man and his associates did some pretty mean things to you and your neighbors. Rest assured, they WILL answer for what they've done."
The ape snorted but seemed to acquiesce, albeit maintaining its iron grip on the man's ankle. The capuchin monkey scrambled past its larger cousin and reached its nimble paws into the Boss Man's pockets. Once it fished out his smartphone, it handed it over to Fluttershy, who now loomed over their tormentor like a hawk eyeing a field mouse.
"I'm sure you already know that this orangutan is seven times stronger than you and can easily rip you in two." The Boss Man gave a terrified nod as Fluttershy dialed the emergency services number on his phone. "Now, before we have a nice little chat with the police, may I please have my socks and boots back?"
***
Within half an hour, the police and animal control arrived on the scene. Humiliated by their defeat at the hands of a teenage girl and the very animals they were keeping, the smugglers seemed relieved to be arrested. Her boots back on her feet, Fluttershy assisted the officers with getting the animals corralled again. The orangutan was especially reluctant to enter the transport crate, having spent who-knows-how-long locked up in a cage.
"It's alright," said Fluttershy. "They'll take you someplace better than this."
The orangutan paused a moment before gently taking hold of her wrist and giving her a light, affectionate squeeze. "Will not forget you."
With that, the great ape lumbered into the crate, which the lead AC officer secured. "Thanks for your help, Fluttershy. The office is already in touch with rescue orgs that specialize in exotic birds and primates. They'll be in good hands."
"Keep well!" chirped the monkey from its own crate.
As Fluttershy waved goodbye to her animal friends, she felt a sudden gust of wind behind her, followed by a familiar voice.
"This is yours, I believe."
Fluttershy turned just in time to catch her smartphone. Standing before her was Rainbow Dash.
"We got worried when you didn't show up for lunch, so I volunteered to check the park," said Rainbow. "That's where I found your phone."
"But how did you find me?"
"I saw the police cars and animal control vans all headed in the same direction - call it a hunch. Sunset said to go on ahead." Rainbow looked Fluttershy up and down, checking for injuries. "You okay?"
"I'm alright. I had a little help."
"So I see," quipped Rainbow as she eyed the animals in their crates. "Well I'm glad that you're not hurt. Need anything besides lunch?"
"A nice, long foot bath."
Fluttershy giggled as Rainbow gave her a puzzled look. This was going to be quite a tale for her to share with the others, as well as Sugarcoat and Lemon Zest. Only time would tell, but she was hopeful that the animals would soon all be released back into the wild - away from monkeyshines of the human variety.
Author's Note
Since writing The Second Story Underwear Thief, I've been wanting to write a story addressing where the monkey came from.
The scenario was adapted somewhat from another concept I had wherein Aria Blaze would have found herself having to cooperate with a Shadowbolt - either Sunny Flare or Indigo Zap - to escape from a bunch of bungling criminals.
Having written mostly slice of life stories so far, I went for something in the vein of old school Saturday morning cartoons. Hope you enjoyed this little adventure!
