It was a quiet night on the outskirts of Ponyville. Everything was still, all but the nocturnal animals quiet. Except for rustling in a patch of bushes.
Emerging into the moonlight from the bushes was a large mouse, wearing a pair of sunglasses with pointed tips. Looking around carefully, the animal screeched into a bush as he marched forwards, a legion of red eyes shining as they followed into the moonlight. The group looked tired and malnourished as if food were something they'd not come by for some time.
A pudgy female mouse beside him with hair-curlers chattered, holding a collection of baby mice in one claw and a tiny rolling pin in the other.
The lead mouse just shrugged casually with an eye roll and lead the group forward. His eyes fellt on the lights of Ponyville in the distance and gave an excited squeak. However, before he could lead the way to it, they heard a screech and looked up to see an owl staring down threateningly.
“Goodnight Angel,” said Fluttershy, yawning as she tucked herself into bed for the night. All around her, her animals had curled up for the night that weren't waking up for it. Nestled into her covers the pegasus began to slowly drift off to sleep...until a loud noise from outside caused her to jump into the air with a scream and dash under her bed. “Oh...Oh dear, what was that?” She slowly crept over to the window and peaked out into the night.
Outside, she saw the frantic swarm of starving mice scrambling to find cover and avoid the swooping owl trying to find a meal.
The lead mouse jumped out of the way of the predatory bird's talons and noticed Fluttershy watching from her window. He gave a frantic cry for help, looking as weak and helpless as his famished state suggested.
As the owl dove down in at the mouse, a cream-colored blur sped in front of it. The bird of prey found itself staring into the eyes of a very angry Fluttershy.
“Leave these poor creatures alone!” she sternly warned, intimidating the creature and sure enough sending it flying. Fluttershy flew down, picking the lead mouse. “Oh my, you poor thing. It looks like you haven't eaten at all in weeks.”
The alpha mouse nodded, taking his sunglasses off with a desperate expression. He noticed his fellows staring at him confused and gave them a subtle gesture. One by one they seemed to get it and quickly fell in line, all looking up at Fluttershy with big sad eyes.
“Oh...all of you do.” The pegasus instantly realized how big of a group of mouths to feed this was. The group was gigantic, the most mice she'd ever seen in one place. It'd be hard...but she couldn't just leave them out here. They looked so starving a helpless.
“My, Fluttershy, this is the third time this week you've bought food for your animals,” Rarity stated as she walked alongside her back from the shops.
“Oh, I just got some new animals who need a lot of food,” Fluttershy replied, looking tired but smiling.
“Really, darling? What is it?” the fashionista inquired, imagining some gigantic creature as her friends' subject of care this time around. Wouldn't be the first time by any stretch.
“You can meet them now.” As they arrived at her house, the shy pegasus opened the door and was greeted by a large torrent of mice rushing up to greet her, looking up expectantly. “Rarity, this is Rodney and his family.”
“EEEEK!”
Fluttershy blinked, looking back to see Rarity having jumped up on her birdbath. “What's wrong?”
“What's wrong? Your house is full of rats!” the mare shrieked, looking at the horde of creatures.
“Now Rarity, you've hurt their feelings,” Fluttershy sternly replied, looking down at the mice, the creatures indeed looking insulted. “They're not rats, they're mice. I've always had a few.”
As if to signify, her normal hoofful of mice jumped off a light fixture and hid in her mane.
The fashionista gave a sigh. “A few yes, but your entire house is full of them! That can't be healthy, darling!”
“It's fine. They just got driven from their last home and need a new place to live,” the animal lover answered, petting Rodney's head. The large mouse, not wearing his glasses, and giving puppy dog eyes. Rarity could practically hear the violins. “I'm looking at some nearby places that might be able to house them, but there's just so many of them.”
Rarity looked at the legion of animals, which seemed to be fairly gentle and benign as far as she could see. “Well...okay, I suppose you are the animal expert.” The unicorn carefully stepped down from her perch and cleaned off her now wet hooves. “If you think it's okay, then I suppose I'm not one to argue.”
The shy pegasus nodded, quickly going inside to find a small bag and handed it to her friend. “Thank you. Here's Opal's food.”
The unicorn grabbed it in her telekinesis...only to find holes gnawed in it that leaked cat food all over. “Um...darling.”
Rodney gave a guilty chatter with 'puppy dog eyes.'
“Oh, I guess you all really were hungry, I'm sorry it took so long for me to get back...” Fluttershy apologized. “Don't worry, if you just wait a few minutes I can make you some more.”
“I'm very uncertain about this. I know Fluttershy says she has it under control, but that many mice have to be a chore to take care of even for her,” Rarity said to herself as she walked home. She then gave a blink, hearing a low growl from nearby. Looking down the path, she saw a familiar white cat waiting, glaring at Fluttershy's house with her tail batting back and forth. “Opal? What are you doing here?”
Opal merely continued to give Fluttershy's house a glare that was the definition of 'if looks could kill.' Specifically at Rodney, who was visible eating in the pegasus's window.
“No, you may not eat Fluttershy's mice, I have your food right here.” The cat gave a hiss and flailed as Rarity picked her up in her telekinesis. “Now now, no need for you to get worked up, darling. Let's head home and you can have a big bowl of your favorite food.”
The cat noticed Rodney blow her a raspberry, but couldn't break free of her owner's telekinesis. So instead, she simply hissed a death threat as she was carried away.
Several days later, Angel sat tapping his foot impatiently, surrounded by the mischief of mice (that was the actual name). His master finally came over with his plate and placed it...only to find a very meager offering awaiting him. The little rabbit chattered venomously, glaring daggers at her.
“I'm sorry, Angel, but Rodney and his family need a lot of food. We're all having to make accommodations for them,” replied the shy pegasus resolutely. She walked over to check her cabinets for more for as Angel begrudgingly began eating his meal...until several mice swarmed it and gobbled it up.
Opening her cabinet, Fluttershy was greeted by nothing, not even cobwebs. She could've sworn there were a couple spiders up here at least. “Oh dear. Angel, please watch things while I'm gone, okay?”
Rodney and Angel glared at one another as the shy pegasus departed to once more get food.
“I'm worried about dear Fluttershy, she's been running to the store almost every other day,” Rarity stated worriedly as she and Twilight walked towards Fluttershy's home on the outskirts. “I know the town gives her quite a lot of funds to be our animal care specialist and she still has a lot of bits left over from being Photo Finish's top model for as long as she did, but this has to be eating through the budget extremely quickly.”
“It definitely is, she asked me for an increase, and Fluttershy's never done that before,” Twilight replied, the Alicorn sharing her friend's worry. “And I've been getting reports from the town that are rather troubling.”
This uneasiness only increased when they finally arrived at the literal tree house abode of the shy Pegasus.
The surrounding area was now gnawed and almost barren, with the house itself having taken clear damage with holes in the walls. More importantly, her animals, normally omnipresent, were looking rather hungry and some were no longer present.
“...This has gotten out of hoof,” the two mares said as one.
“Angel? Oh, where did you go?” Fluttershy's voice asked as they got closer to the building.
Twilight carefully raised a hoof and knocked on the door. “Fluttershy?”
Their friend opened the door carefully and the two's worries instantly intensified when they found the pegasus looking very disheveled and rather hungry herself. “Oh, hello girls.”
“Fluttershy, darling! What's happened here?” Rarity asked, looking around at the almost destroyed state of the area.
Fluttershy gave a nervous look. “Oh, I've just been having a bit of trouble feeding all the animals, you see the prices went up and I've had to buy so much that I need to save up a little to afford to feed them. I'm planning to send most of the animals to be watched by some friends of mine in the meantime. I've already sent a couple.”
Rarity shot a glare towards town. She knew those crooked shopkeepers that so loved to take advantage of ponies if they could. Fluttershy could handle them normally, but nothing said 'scam me' more loudly than desperation.
Twilight opened the door all the way despite Fluttershy's attempts to keep it closed, noting the massive mischief of mice inhabiting the frankly filthy looking house. “Fluttershy, you have to do something about these mice!”
Rodney whimpered, hiding behind Fluttershy's leg.
“I can't! They've got nowhere to go! I've contacted other places and they all rejected my request!” the pegasus replied definitely. “I can't just turn them out to starve!”
“Fluttershy, at this rate you're going to starve, darling,” Rarity replied, looking over her friend. “There's simply too many for you to take care of!”
The Princess of Friendship gave a sigh. “And it's not just you that they're causing problems. Come with me.”
Filthy Rich turned the barrels of grain in his store around, revealing holes gnawed in them. “All of my grain has spoiled! And I know for a fact until now I didn't have mice or rats around!”
“Half of my carrot crop is ruined!” Carrot Top lamented, holding up an obviously gnawed and chewed on carrot, looking understandably cross.
“Oh dear,” Fluttershy muttered, looking at a hole gnawed through the wall of a house. It wasn't the only one she'd seen.
“Ponies all over Ponyville are complaining about this. The foundations of someponies' houses are even being weakened!” Twilight explained, somewhat reluctantly, knowing how little Fluttershy wanted to hear it.
“I admit, this does look kind of bad, but you don't have any proof it's Rodney and his family, and even if it was, it's not their fault,” the pegasus defended desperately. “They're just animals and looking for food because I can't feed them enough. Any animal would do the same. Remember how much trouble the Vampire Fruit Bats caused until we set them up in an orchard where they were all at home?”
“Be that as it may, you can't manage this yourself,” Rarity replied, not noticing Opal standing on a nearby crate, preparing to pounce on Rodney. “And it's not just you it's affecting. There are already ponies asking Mayor Mare to call in an...exterminator.”
Rodney screeched and cowered behind Fluttershy's leg while the pegasus gasped in horror. “I understand, but no pony will take them, what else can I do?” Fluttershy asked with a shudder. She noticed Opal's incoming pounce and flew up with Rodney in her legs while Rarity grabbed her cat with her telekinesis. “I'm sorry, but if I have to abandon them, I'm not going to do that. And I'm not going to let an exterminator...well, exterminate them!”
“Let me see if I can do something,” Twilight replied, giving an understanding smile.
“Alright, Rodney, you and your family have a good time,” Fluttershy said with a smile as they let all the mice loose in a meadow not far from Ponyville. The mischief of mice quickly took to munching on clover and other available food with gusto. “Thank you, Twilight, I was starting to get worried I'd never find a home for them.”
Twilight nodded, examining the paperwork. “This meadow should provide all the food they need and limited predators.”
The shy pegasus nodded, the group giving a wave as the two departed.
Rodney waved back, then looked back to his massive group. No longer starved and hungry, no longer weak and malnourished.
The mouse gave a slow chuckle and smirk, producing his sunglasses and putting them back on.
The next day, Apple Bloom hummed contently, carrying a basket of their namesake crop though Sweet Apple Acres towards the barn. It'd been a long day, and the little filly was tired, but as any Apple would be, was proud of the hard day's work and happy it would soon be finished.
As she approached the barn, however, the little filly noticed Winona frantically barking outside it. “Winona?”
Approaching the dog, she noticed her fur bristle and teeth barred at something.
“What's wrong, girl? Somepony in there?” Apple Bloom carefully approached and peaked in, at first seeing nothing. She approached a little further in, noticing a squeaking sound. She felt a chill down her back.
She saw a sheen come off something black in the darkness as something turned to look at her followed by an entire room of red eyes lighting up.
Fluttershy gave a relieved sigh as she came home and began to clean up the mess left behind. “Angel, we need to clean up. Can you please help?” she asked...then blinked, hearing no answer. “Angel? Where are you?” she asked, looking all over for her bunny friend. “That's odd, he normally doesn't wander very far. Come to think about it, I haven't seen him for a while.”
It was then the timid mare heard a rustling at the basement door. She barely ever went down there, it was so...well, dark. It'd come with the house, but she had very little use for it other than occasionally letting bats roost. She slowly approached the rustling door, trembling. “H-Hello?”
She carefully opened the door and her eyes widened in shock.
“Uh, Twilight?” Spike said back at the castle, walking up to her with a pile of papers. “Finally got the responses back from that check you wanted me to do.”
“Thank you,” the Princess replied, taking them in her telekinesis. She'd found it rather odd nowhere would take the mice, as even with that many it seemed unfeasible nowhere would be willing and big enough to take on the job. Maybe she'd finally get to the bottom of this. “Let's see what they say-”
Twilight's eyes went wide as she read through the first few lines. “Oh no...”
On the other side of the door, Angel laid, tied up in ropes and him having just barely managed to drag himself up the stairs.
“Angel! What happened?!” Fluttershy asked in horror, untying him quickly. The little, understandably weak and famished rabbit chattered quickly and frantically in return. “What?! Why would they do something like that?!”
Suddenly, her front door flew open, almost being knocked off its hinges in its current damaged state, as Applejack stormed in. Fluttershy snapped around...and froze. Applejack was red in the face, snorting hot air out her nose. “Applejack?! What's wrong?!”
“Come with me! Now!” the farmer roared, practically dragging Fluttershy out of the cabin with her barely having the chance to put Angel on her back.
“N-No...” Fluttershy covered her mouth as she stared through the sterile doorway, seeing Apple Bloom in a hospital bed with her right front leg in bandages, looking terrified. Granny Smith, Big Mac, and the Crusaders gathered worriedly around the bed.
“The bite was very deep,” Nurse Redheart explained. “It required stitches and we've given her a rabies vaccine just in case.”
“W-What happened?” the horrified pegasus asked in horror.
“Your mangy rats are what happened!” Applejack roared, tears in her eyes. “If Winona hadn't gotten meh in there then, who knows what would've happened! And not only did they bite my little sister, they wrecked the barn and gobbled up everything in it! This time Ah ain't gonna mess around! Ah'm gonna make those critters get before anypony else gets hurt!”
Fluttershy had the tact not to correct her friend. “But...but...why would they do that? Are you sure it was them?”
The farmer snarled. “Because we saw 'em! Big one with those sunglasses yah talked about!”
“B-But we...We gave them a new habitat! Why would they go after your barn?!”
“...The keyword is 'gave.'”
The two turned to see a very worried Twilight walk in. “Twilight?”
“I need to show you something, Fluttershy.”
Fluttershy could only stare in blind shock for several moments as she and the rest of the Mane Six looked on.
The beautiful meadow...was torn to shreds and destroyed completely.
“But...but...but...”
“...I looked into these mice, not very hard since you said that Rodney has a pair of unique sunglasses,” Twilight said, putting a hoof on her shoulder while Angel whimpered and patted Fluttershy's head. “This isn't the first time this has happened. They've been relocated nine or ten times and always do the same thing: pick everything clean and move on. They're completely out of control and you're not the first pony they've used as a shield.”
“But why would they do that?!” Fluttershy asked, tears welling up in her eyes. “I know the Vampire Fruit Bats were destructive when not handled properly, but I did everything right! Everything I was supposed to do! I know that didn't work with the Parasprites, but I didn't know them! I know mice!”
“...Ever heard of surplus hunters? Animals that hunt far more prey than they need?” Twilight asked, gingerly. “Or how locusts and parasprites can get into huge swarms and render entire stretches of land barren?”
The pegasus didn't vocally answer, but her cringe showed she understood.
“It's the same thing...they're completely out of control and no matter how many times somepony has tried to change them, they just keep doing this. Apple Bloom isn't even the first pony they've sent to the hospital, some have even been hurt much worse...I'm sorry, Fluttershy, but they're not like the Fruit Bats, they're genuinely destructive, dangerous pests,” the Princess of Friendship explained with a sigh. “They're not a mischief of mice, they're a plague...that's not an insult, that's the actual term for an out of control group of mice or rats.”
“And they've gone out of control now!” Rarity exclaimed, holding up a tattered piece of fabric. “They got into my supply closet and tore everything to pieces!”
Pinkie Pie's mane drooped. “And the Cakes have had to put Pumpkin and Pound in a hanging crib until this is over...”
“Don't worry, kids, your Auntie Pinkie Pie will figure out a way to solve this!” Mr. Cake, beating away the mice with a broom with their foals in a hanging crib...only for the broom to get mulched by the mice. The creatures crawled over the entire building, having devoured every confection in sight. Pound saw his favorite stuffed toy hanging from Rodney's mouth, the stuffing torn out. The poor baby began crying, his sister following suit instantly.
Fluttershy sunk to her flanks, totally silent for a few moments. She thought of poor Angel in the basement, all the ponies who's businesses or homes had been damaged. Poor Apple Bloom in the hospital. And they'd been lucky, it could've been all three Crusaders. She slowly turned to Applejack. “...I'm sorry. I...I think I know best when it comes to animals...but sometimes...sometimes I just think there's no such thing as an animal that can't be reasoned with. I want to believe that if I try hard enough I can get through to them...I should've seen the warning signs earlier than I did.”
The farmer took a deep breath, her rage cooling at least a little bit when she saw the tears of remorse in Fluttershy's eyes. Plus, that anger now had somecreature else to be directed at. “Ah understand, sugarcube. Sorry for explodin' on yah like that.”
“Your sister got hurt, I don't blame you...you were right to be mad.” Fluttershy took a deep breath, forcing every ounce of 'Assertive Shy' to the surface to say what she had to. “...Do what you have to do.”
“Spike, send a letter tah the nearest...uh, pest control expert,” the farmer told the little dragon on Twilight's back.
“No, that won't work,” Twilight replied with a sigh. “They know what an exterminator is, every time one gets called on them, they book it. That's how they ended up here in the first place. And that's if it's competent enough one, they've completely humiliated a few who didn't know what they were doing. If we let them escape they'll just do this all over again somewhere else.”
Rarity tapped her chin, looking at the still angry cat on her back. “Darlings, I may have an all-natural solution to our problem.”
“The horror! The horror!” screamed the Flower Trio as they fainted.
The plague of mice covered their stand so thoroughly it was hidden from sight, only moving off to reveal its ruined remains.
Rodney sat on top, picking his teeth with a toothpick made from a splinter of the stand before giving a loud belch.
“Rodney!”
The mouse jumped, seeing Fluttershy standing nearby with a glare. He quickly took his sunglasses off and assumed a guilty, repentant expression.
“I know what you've been up to! You have one chance to go quietly!” the pegasus roared, forcing herself through his manipulative expression and sparing a guilty look at the three mares fainted on the ground.
Rodney's expression became a glare and he put his sunglasses back on. He chattered something in return.
“Uh, what did he say?” asked Applejack, the rest of the mane six stepping up.
Fluttershy gave a sad sigh. “He said 'So no more nice mare? Fine, no more Mr. Nice Mouse...'”
Rodney gave a series of squeaks, his plague rallying behind him.
“...'Either you find us a nice new meadow to eat at or we're going to start eating your houses' foundations until they collapse and there's nothing you can do about it.'” Fluttershy teared up. “...Do all of you just do what Rodney tells you?”
The mouse laughed and chattered back. ''Hahah! Toots! They don't just do what I tell'ed cause I'm in charge, I'm in charge because I'm everything they wanna be!'
“So none of you want to stand up to him?”
The mouse gave a dismissive chuckle. 'Some didn't get with the program, so we ate 'em!'
The entire plague laughed along with their alpha.
Fluttershy gave a disappointed sigh and looked to her friends. “Do what you have to. I can't protect them anymore. Not if they're going to do this.”
Applejack merely put a comforting hoof on her shoulder.
Rarity cleared her throat, stepping forward. “Oh we might not be able to do anything, but my darling Opal can.”
Opal jumped off her master's back, tail batting back and forth with a dining napkin around her neck, licking her fangs.
Rodney fell on his back, squeaks interspersed with laughter.
“'...Is that all? We eat cats for breakfast...'” Fluttershy translated, turning green indicating that might have been literal from how it was said.
“Are you afraid of hawks?” Rarity questioned confidently.
The mouse raised an eyebrow and gave a slow nod.
“Well, hawks are afraid of my Opal. But if you're not afraid of her, then maybe this will scare you.” The fashionista looked over her shoulder. “Goldie Delicious! Let loose the cats of war!”
Having an Alicorn Princess capable of teleporting large groups came in handy.
A familiar old mare galloped open with a large cart pulled behind, her normally happy expression one of rage. “You think Ah'm gonna take ya varmints hurtin' mah little cousin lying down?! Get 'em, babies!”
Suddenly, her virtual pride of cats swarmed out from the cart in mass, her cheetah roaring as it jumped over her to the forefront...until Opal shot it a terrifying glare and caused it to slowly back up with a whimper until it was behind her. Each and every one quickly donned a dining napkin.
“Still so confident?” Rarity asked the mouse.
Rodney gulped and squeaked. 'Don't worry! We can still take them!'
Opal gave a dominant, echoing yowl in response, causing dozens more cats to swarm out from every alleyway and join the gigantic pride, licking their lips.
“...So uh...Opal's the alpha cat in town, huh?” Applejack asked, looking around.
“Are you surprised?” Rarity asked, proud of her precious feline.
“Not really.”
Gummy slowly walked over, an army helmet with a purple bow on it balanced on his back. Opal took it and put it on her head before giving a toothy snarl.
The little alligator made a series of surprisingly high pitched and adorable clicks and squeaks as he slowly walked back to his owner. 'I recommend you spend your last fleeting moments upon this earth before the feline monarch and her legions consign you to whatever lies beyond it contemplating the totality of your lives and deciding if you added anything meaningful to the world in your short, finite time in it, or if all you ever wrought upon this world was pointless, senseless destruction to sate your ever expanding gluttony. Was it really worth it?'
Winona, standing next to her master, barked with a snarl. 'Eat three for meh! They hurt little master!'
The alpha mouse started sweating. 'RUN AWAY LIKE LITTLE PUPS!'
Sure enough, the entire plague of rats screamed and took off.
Opal gave a loud, echoing yowl. 'LEAVE NO LEFTOVERS!'
With a collective roar, the cats took off after the mice with Opal at the front.
'Well, there goes our meal ticket! Looks like we'll have to eat our litter after all!' Rodney's wife squeaked, holding up her little of pups...before Fluttershy saw and flew over, grabbing them and flying back to her friends. 'Hey! We were gonna eat those!'
“They're gonna get away!” Applejack exclaimed, not wishing this ravenous horde on anyone.
“Don't worry, Opal already called in air support,” Twilight replied, carefully covering Fluttershy's eyes as she covered the infant rodents' eyes.
= Flight of the Valkyries – Wilhelm Richard Wagner =
Rodney's eyes widened as they reached the edge of town...to find Owlicious hovering over the boundary...with an entire flock of owls and other birds of prey. With the sound of a helicopter blade, Tank slowly lowered a jet fighter's helmet onto Owlicious's head before slowly retreating and leaving this to his carnivorous friends. The alpha mouse could only give a gulp and hide behind literally every other rodent.
The alpha owl and the Cat Queen (in this context both literally and figuratively) shared a look and nodded. With a yowl and screech, the cats and owls descended from both sides.
Fluttershy buried her face in Twilight's shoulder and buried the baby mice's in her own as the group all averted their eyes as nature took its course.
“...Told yah Owlicious ate mice...” Spike said, looking green in the face.
When the dust settled, Rodney and his wife carefully crept away, having used the rest of the plague as a shield. Noting the twin armies being completely full, one reaching for him, now round and full, prompting the mouse to kick them and send them rolling away with a laugh.
'Ha! No room for us, huh?!' he cackled, before seeing something and Owlicious, stilling having room, diving down at him. He instantly grabbed his wife and put her in the way.
'You lousy rat!... Why didn't I think of that?' she asked...as the owl swooped down and carried her away with a screech. He gave another laugh, backing away as he admired his survival...into a wall of white. Looking up slowly, he saw Opal smirking down at them, teeth bared.
Opal sat on Rarity's back as she walked home with a fresh bag of food, picking her teeth with Rodney's sunglasses.
'Dear Dairy,
I love animals, they've been friends to me all my life. But unfortunately, sometimes you can't save and reason with everycreature. Sometimes you try and try and try, but they don't want to listen. They don't want to behave. They can endanger ponies and other creatures and like it or not, you have to put their safety first. I hate that's the way it is, but it's just the way things are. I'm sorry, Rodney, but I did everything I could. If you wouldn't listen...I couldn't keep protecting you.
Fluttershy finished fixing the last piece of her house...seeing her animals coming back and Angel being well fed. “I'm so sorry I spent so much time trying to help those mice that I neglected all of you.”
Her animals didn't reply, merely gave her a group hug which she gladly returned. She walked over, her normal group of mice watching over and rising Rodney's children with love.
...At least some animals appreciate kindness.
Fluttershy.
The End.
