G5 Adventures in The Bad Guys

Allura could easily feel herself getting attached to Reva and her cousins the longer she, Twitch and the Mane 6 were around them.

The five cubs reminded Allura so much of herself when she was a young cub, and if she, Twitch and the ponies could do something to get the cubs and the Bad Guys out of the dangerous reaches of Safira, a feared Dark Dragon, she knew that they would do it in a heartbeat.

But our heroes ultimately knew that they had to get some rest if they were going to help the Bad Guys and their apprentices with their biggest heist of the century the next day-- stealing the coveted Golden Dolphin before it could be given to a guinea pig known as Professor Marmalade (who Izzy and Hitch had to admit was pretty darn cute, but they would never say that to Mr. Snake's face) at the Good Samaritan Awards that night.

And if the heroes helped with the heist, Mr. Wolf promised them that the police wouldn't have any idea of their involvement, just in case the Bad Guys were caught.

It was now or never... for all their sakes.

XXXXXXXX

“Okie-dokie, everypony, rise and shine!” came the voice of Zipp Storm as she flew through the hideout, trying to get everyone up for breakfast, which was being cooked by the one and only Sunny Starscout. “Sunny’s fixing a huge breakfast spread and we’d hate for anyone to miss out on it!”

“Breakfast buffet?!” Mr. Piranha was up immediately at the sound of this, laughing like a maniac. “Come on, amigos! Otherwise I’m gonna eat it all before Sunny gets done cookin’ it!”

“Oh no you’re not!” Zari challenged her mentor with a smirk on her face. “Race you to the dinner table!”

And so, Zari and Mr. Piranha charged right out of the bedroom, nearly trampling Ms. Tarantula and knocking over Oran in the process. “Piranha! Zari! Watch it!” Ms. Tarantula scolded. “Small and delicate soul coming through!”

“Better stick with me, Webs,” Oran said as she climbed onto his back. “I'll keep you safe from all sources of feet in a five-mile radius.”

And so, all of the Bad Guys and their apprentices slowly woke up and ensured that they made it to the kitchen without getting trampled on. And what they saw being prepared in the kitchen took their breath away.

Sunny had prepared a breakfast spread full of pancakes, fruit, cereal, smoothies of every variety and special cupcakes that Misty helped her make for dessert.

Mr. Wolf couldn’t help but laugh at the sight of all the food laying before them. “Whoa-ho, Sunny! How did you have time to cook all of this? You were sound asleep around 3 o'clock this morning!”

“Well, yeah, I was,” Sunny said as she blended a couple more smoothies. “But, I woke up around 4 and headed to the nearby mini mart while everyone was still asleep to get all the ingredients I needed, plus a small grocery run of all the necessities.”

“You call this small?” Gretchen asked, raising an eyebrow as she looked at the fully stocked refrigerator. “I see at least four different kinds of peppers in here!”

Sunny blushed nervously at the cub's remark, giggling slightly. “I may have gone a little overboard, but at least I have plenty of ingredients to make some of my famous smoothies from back home! Here, Snake, try one!”

Mr. Snake grabbed a smoothie with his tail, sniffing it slightly before he used his forked tongue to taste it, his eyes immediately going wide once he registered the taste. “Holy barracuda, this is incredible! Sunny, how much does that smoothie job pay ya? I'll pay you double if you can make me a guinea pig flavored smoothie.”

Sunny seemed a bit flustered as the others sat down to their breakfast, gulping with a nervous look. “Uh, I'll see what I can do, but... wouldn’t that mean the smoothie is full of blood?”

“Yeah!” Mr. Snake smirked. “That's the whole point-- the guinea pig's blood compliments the raw flavor of the--”

“Oh-ho-ho, okay!” Hitch said, clearly disgusted. “Can we skip the blood and grow and just enjoy our breakfast please?”

“Good idea,” said Reva. “We’ve still got to pick out out outfits so we can blend in with the crowd while we’re at the award ceremony.”

Pipp’s eyes went wide as she heard this part. “Pick out outfits?! Ooh, guys, you came to the right pegasus for the job! Just leave everything to me-- I’ll have you looking spiffy in time for the big heist tonight.”

However, as she said this, she secretly shuddered to herself. “Never thought I’d have to hear those words coming out of my mouth.”

XXXXXXXX

Later that night, at the Museum of Fine Arts, it was nearly time for the awards ceremony to start, and thanks to Pipp, the Bad Guys, their apprentices and their newfound acquaintances were wearing their best clothing for the event.

• Zipp's outfit consisted of a black dress and light gray lace stockings on her back legs.
• Misty’s outfit consisted of a dark blue dress with flowers and vine-like designs all over it.
• Sunny's outfit consisted of a dark red frilly dress with red rose designs all over it.
• Hitch's outfit consisted of a white shirt, black pants and black shoes on his back hooves.
• Pipp's outfit consisted of dark red shoes and a flowery white dress.
• Izzy's outfit consisted of a long-sleeved light blue and white dress with light blue roses on the skirt portion.
• Twitch wore a mini tuxedo with a red bow tie.
• Allura wore an elegant white dress that went perfectly with her purple fur and the colors in her wings.

And as for the Bad Guys and their apprentices, their outfits went as followed:

• Mr. Wolf wore a a black-banded white fedora, a white suit over a matching double-breasted vest, which itself is worn over a black dress-shirt with a silver purple necktie, a fake mustache, brown-rimmed sunglasses over his eyes and white shoes while Reva wore a simple, yet elegant, red party dress with short sleeves.
• Mr. Snake wore a wig and fake bushy mustache, a monocle on his right eye, and a fancy costume that features a maroon top hat, and a matching suit-jacket with bright red lapels and buttons, worn over a white collared shirt with a large bright red bowtie, along with gloves on the sleeves while Gretchen wore bright yellow party dress.
• Mr. Shark, being the disguise expert of the group, wore a more feminine disguise, which consisted of a pair of sparkly red-framed glasses, a short blonde wig with a small decorative red pillbox hat, a pearl choker around his neck, a strapless red sequined dress, pantyhose and red high-heels. To complete the look, he also wore makeup that consists of pink blush, red lipstick, and fake eyelashes with mascara and eyeliner, while Carmine decided to wear a deep purple party dress to go along with his look.
• Ms. Tarantula wore a black zip-up latex stealth-suit with a hood since she was going to be in hiding doing the stealth work, but Oran decided to wear a red tuxedo with a black bowtie, in case he wanted to be at the party with his cousins.
• And lastly, Mr. Piranha wore a small fake mustache, a pair of round gold-framed glasses, a black top hat, a matching suit with a white handkerchief over a white collared shirt with a black necktie, and black dress shoes, while Zari wore a deep, ocean blue party dress to fit in with her female cousins.

And once they were all dressed, Mr. Wolf decided to go over the plan with everyone one final time before they went inside the building. “So here’s the plan. Like every year, the ceremony will be held at the Museum of Fine Arts, where the Golden Dolphin will be positioned just beyond the backstage curtain.”

Oran let out a slight scoff as Ms. Tarantula straightened up his tie. “That sounds easy.”

“Sounds easy, hermano,” Mr. Wolf said, straightening his hat, “but to get there, we’ll need to bypass three levels of security. So, step one... we blend in.”

“Well, that step is achieved,” Pipp said, twirling around. “I knew these tango outfits from Fun Fest weren't gonna come in handy again!”

“Professor Marmalade, this year’s recipient of the Golden Dolphin, the most annoying good creature on the planet,” Mr. Wolf said with the roll of his eyes. “Once inside, there are two armored doors. The first can only be opened by a special key card that is carried by our dear friend, the chief of police.”

“The second,” Reva added, “is outfitted with a retinal scanner and guarded by an elite special ops unit trained to strike first and ask questions later. Governor Foxington is the only one who has clearance to open the second door.”

“So, step two,” Mr. Wolf quickly interrupted, “she and I will need to get up close and personal. Once we’re in, it’s on to step three; we split up and we take our positions.”

“And while Allura and Twitch will be keeping an eye on things from a higher perspective, we'll be around acting like everything is natural,” Zipp added, “so nobody will suspect anything strange happening.”

“Wolf... promise us you guys will be careful,” Misty said sincerely. “If at least one thing goes wrong, you have to pull out before you get too far in.”

“Hey hey, you ponies have nothing to worry about, really,” Mr. Wolf said reassuringly. “Once the dolphin is in our possession, everything is gonna be fine and dandy again... trust me.”

The Mane 6, Allura and Twitch slowly nodded, deciding to trust their new acquaintances for now... at least until this Golden Dolphin thing was over.

And once Mr. Wolf had seen their nods of approval, he tilted his hat one final time before smiling again. “Phase one is officially a go.”

Immediately after this, the group began to move toward the building with cameras flashing as they began to cross the road. At first, the Mane 6 thought someone had recognized them from one of their previous Unity Quests, but they realized that it wasn't them the people wanted to take pictures of...

...but it was someone else instead.

A fancy limousine pulled up in front of the museum, and a man opened the door to reveal Professor Marmalade stepping out of the car, to be met by a bunch of adoring fans, and Tiffany Fluffit, who wanted to get an interview with the Golden Dolphin recipient before anyone else. “Professor, in the past year, you’ve stopped wars, fed the hungry and saved countless pandas. Some have described your goodness as second only to Mother Teresa.”

“Oh, Tiffany, it’s not a competition. And if it were, it would really be more of a tie,” Professor Marmalade responded, signing a few autographs as he spoke. “But we can all agree that there is a flower of goodness inside all of us, just waiting to blossom.”

“Flower of goodness? Hmm... I never thought about it in that light before,” Reva muttered to herself before shaking the thought out of her head. She couldn't fill her head with thoughts like this before what could be the biggest heist of their lives...

...her life, her cousins' lives and the Bad Guys' reputations could be put on the line if she did.

After the limo had driven off, the group made their way across the street once again, with Mr. Wolf spotting Diane Foxington (who wore a beautiful pink dress) and her Dark Cheetah assistant Rogue (wearing a dark blue tuxedo) talking with some guests not too far away. But while Mr. Wolf was eyeing Diane with interest ad part of the plan...

...Reva’s gaze fell on Rogue for a different reason.

Admiration.

He seemed so... gentle, so... carefree.

He probably didn't have to live with the same kind of pressure that she did.

Sunny leaned down to speak to the cub on a more personal level. “You wanna go over there and talk to him, don't you?”

Reva’s face heated up in embarrassment. “W-What?! No! I-I mean... nothing casual. We're only talking to him and the governor for the sake of the heist going as planned. And if I take one step out of line...”

“Hey hey hey, forget about that blow hard dragon for one night,” Pipp said with a smile. “You deserve to be happy just as much as the next pony-- er, tiger cub.”

Reva glanced around at her friends and cousins with a bit of a disheartened sigh. “Yeah, I know thar, but... I've spent so long doing whatever my friends and cousins and... Safira... wanted me to, that I... don't really know what makes me happy other than our villain training and usual heists.”

“...well… now’s your chance to find out,” Pipp said, nudging the cub with her hoof. “Now get over there and get this heist on already.”

That was when Reva took a deep breath and walked toward Diane and Rogue with Mr. Wolf, ready to get what they needed in order to get to the Golden Dolphin award.

XXXXXXXX

At the same time, Diane was shaking the ambassador’s hand while his wife rubbed up against Rogue, as a way of welcoming them to the event. “Enjoy your evening, Mr. Ambassador.”

“Thank you, ma’am,” the ambassador said before he and his wife walked away. That was when Rogue looked around a bit, wanting to explore a bit since this was his first Good Samaritan awards as the governor’s assistant. “Diane, is it okay if I go play? I wanna get a good layout for the place.”

“Sure, Rogue, go ahead,” Diane told the cheetah cub, rubbing his head. “But stay within range-- the ceremony is gonna start in half an hour.”

Rogue nodded before running off, and once he ran past her hiding place, Reva built up her nerve and secretly followed after him.

And once the cubs were gone, Mr. Wolf, who had been inspecting a strange piece of artwork made from garbage, finally spoke up to attract Diane’s attention. “Interesting piece. Trashy, pointless and pretentious.”

“Hmm…” Diane looked to the disguised Mr. Wolf after looking at the artwork herself. “They say that art reveals more about the viewer than the artist. Mister…”

“Poodleton. Oliver Poodleton,” Mr. Wolf said, kissing the governor’s paw as he slipped off her ring and put it in his pocket without her noticing. “ It’s about time someone stood up to those diabolical Bad Guys. Though, I’ve got to say, no one’s succeeded yet.”

“Eh,” Diane shrugged. “I don’t think it’ll be that hard.”

“I have a feeling,” said Mr. Wolf with a smile, “it’ll be harder than you think. I’d say they’re one epic job away from cementing their legacy.”

Diane tried her best not to laugh at this, playfully nudging Mr. Wolf on his shoulder. “Mr. Poodleton, you’re-- you’re funny.”

“I… I am?” Mr. Wolf asked, trying to keep his composure, though he was a bit confused. “The only legacy they’re cementing is life in prison,” Diane told him. “Did you see their last job? Ugh. Unsecured exits, crude disguises, compulsive showboating. I mean, it was a mess. All the classic signs of a crew in decline. Next, they’re gonna make it personal. That’s when you know they’re toast.”

Mr. Wolf chuckled nervously as she said this, realizing that Diane did have a slight point. “Uh, well, that’s your opinion.”

“It is, and I’m the governor. As for the sculpture, I think it’s about perspective,” Diane continued, turning Mr. Wolf around so they could see the rotating shadow of the piece. “If you look closely enough, even trash can be recycled into something beautiful.”

Mr. Wolf glanced up at the shadow for a moment, and for a brief moment in time, he discovered that the rotating sculpture’s absract shadow had actually become a beautiful swan... something he thought Izzy would really like. “How about that? I guess some things aren’t always as they appear,” he said, genuinely impressed before he remembered that he had a mission to get back to and got out his phone. “That reminds me, may I? I can’t miss a photo op with the governor and a pile of garbage.”

Diane merely smiled and posed for the selfie. “Oh, Mr. Poodleton, you’re too hard on yourself.”

“Hey…” Mr. Wolf began to say before he took the picture. Now all he needed to do was find Reva so they could get on with the plan. But then he wondered... where did that little tiger cub get off to in the first place?

XXXXXXXX

At the same time, Reva had found Rogue sniffing around the snack table, and tried to build up enough courage to go over and talk to him, to give Wolf a little more time with Diane if he needed it.

But she felt a sinking feeling rising into her stomach as she thought about it. What was this emotion, guilt?

She had never felt this much guilt before in her life. Here she was, standing close to one of the most amazing cubs she had ever seen and after they might potentially become friends, she was gonna use him to get the Golden Dolphin.

But before she could try and push this guilt down into her stomach, Rogue approached with a tray of salmon sushi rolls. “Here… you want some of these? They’re my favorite, and I thought you might like one.”

Reva blinked in surprise. “Oh, um… me? T-Thank you,” she said, taking one into her mouth before chewing it and swallowing it. “W-Wow. That’s really good. Hey… aren’t you the assistant to Governor Foxington?”

“Yep, that’s me,” Rogue said, wiping his mouth with his paw. “I’m Rogue. What’s your name?”

“M-Me? Oh, um… Raindrop,” Reva decided to use the nickname that her mother gave her when she was a baby. “I’m Raindrop.”

“Nice to meet you, Raindrop,” Rogue said before he looked around. “Wow, this is quite the event, huh? But it’s only gonna get better from here-- the governor and I are gonna get to go to the Gala for Goodness coming up. I’ve never been to a gala before, have you?”

“Oh, no. I’ve never really been to… any parties,” Reva admitted, trying to hide her blushing face. “I’m not exactly what you would call… a social butterfly.”

Little did she know it, but Pipp, Sunny and Izzy had snuck around the snack tables around the same time as the cubs were there, and they had been watching the whole encounter from afar, trying not to attract unwanted attention. “...well, you could’ve fooled me,” Rogue said with a gentle smile, causing Reva to look up at him. “You in that dress, you could easily be the belle of the ball.”

Reva’s blush seemed to harden at this. “Y-You really think?”

“Sure I do,” Rogue nodded as he finished up the last of the salmon rolls. “Well, I better go wash my paws before I go back to Diane. The award ceremony is gonna be starting soon. Hey… who did you come here with?”

“Um… a man named Oliver Poodleton,” Reva stuck to what she and Wolf had discussed. “He took me in a few years ago during a… really tough time.”

“Aww, that’s really nice,” Rogue smiled. “Well, it was nice meeting you. See ya!”

And with that, Rogue ran off, leaving Reva by herself for a few moments before she stood up and began to walk off… only to feel a strange sensation coming from her tail.

When she looked behind her, she saw that her tail was… wagging! Much like a dog’s would. And that wasn't the weirdest thing-- her cutie mark was glowing too, and it was glowing really brightly!

Reva gasped when she saw this and sat on her tail to stop the wagging, and when the wagging and the glowing from her cutie mark finally stopped, she sat up and went off to rejoin her friends.

XXXXXXXX

Allura looked at the clock on Zipp's phone with a heavy sigh-- Mr. Wolf and Reva should have been done with their part by now, and they needed to get the plan underway before it was too late. “Do you think Wolf and Reva are alright? They have been gone for a good while.”

“I'm here!” said a voice as Reva ran over to her friends. “I'm here, I'm here...”

“Where did you go, chica?” Mr. Piranha asked quietly. “We've been waiting on you and Wolf for, basically, like... forever!”

“Yeah, you usually never take this long to carry out an assignment,” Carmine agreed. “Everything okay?”

“Uh, yeah, yeah. Just waiting on Wolf to do his part of the plan and stuff,” Reva lied as Pipp, Sunny and Izzy joined the group. “He should be done by now, shouldn’t he?”

That was when Mr. Wolf walked up behind her, still having Diane's ring in his possession as he smirked. “Okay, friends. It’s showtime.”

That was when the Bad Guys, their apprentices and their new Equestrian acquaintances walked inside the museum, ready as they would ever be to pull this off.

XXXXXXXX

At the same time, Chief Luggins was giving a pep-talk to her officers as they awaited to protect the Golden Dolphin from any thieves. “Officers, if the Bad Guys crash this event, I am definitely going to lose my job, and I will not hesitate to take you down with me. Now, move out!”

“Yes, ma’am!” the officers shouted in unison before marching off in different directions. “Hut, hut, hut, hut, hut, hut, hut, hut, hut, hut, hut, hut, hut, hut, hut, hut, hut…”

XXXXXXXX

Down below, the others walked around the museum before splitting up, in order to not attract attention. Mr. Shark set Ms. Tarantula down on the floor and she scurried off, and Oran used his invisibility magic in order to quickly pursue her.

Mr. Piranha went into the fountain and began to swim through a series of pipes while Zari joined Gretchen and Snake into climbing up into the vent systems, with Zari hoping to meet Piranha in the same place at the same time. Mr. Wolf and Reva went up the stairs with Allura and Twitch and Mr. Shark, Carmine and the Mane 6 ventured deeper into the auditorium.

Ms. Tarantula had given everyone communication devices to put in their ears for such a situation as this, and as they all split up, they turned their mics on before Ms. Tarantula began to speak again. “Mic’s on. Everyone on comms, do you copy?”

Everyone soon responded with a quiet copy as they went on their way, though Mr. Shark’s voice was higher pitched in order to avoid his cover being blown.

Everyone seemed to be in the perfect position, and as the Mane 6 walked around, admiring the museum, Carmine hid under a table as a waiter approached Mr. Shark with a couple of drinks in hand. “A drink for the pretty lady?”

“No thank you,” Mr. Shark said, although taking two drinks. “My life is too complicated right now.”

Carmine sighed to herself as she tried to make herself scarce, waiting for the rest of the plan to resume.

XXXXXXXX

Up in the vents, Gretchen, Zari and Mr. Snake were sneaking around when Mr. Snake suddenly shed his skin and into his black latex uniform, causing Zari to shudder to herself. “So gross…”

“Quick,” Gretchen whispered, pointing down another set of vents. “That vent will take you toward the bathroom-- Piranha will be waiting for you there.”

“Got it. Good luck,” Zari whispered before crawling off in that direction.

XXXXXXXX

In the bathroom in question, one of the waiters was getting ready to use the bathroom before he had to rejoin the others…

…completely unaware that Mr. Piranha was waiting for him in the toilet, just waiting for the right opportunity to pounce.

XXXXXXXX

In the museum's security office, Ms. Tarantula and Oran had already taken care of the guard who was supposed to be on duty, with Ms. Tarantula plugging in the USB, activating her computer and beginning to type at a rapid pace before an image of the Golden Dolphin appeared on the screen. “Boys… it’s dolphin season.”

“Eww!” Izzy whispered over the coms. “Can you say it a different way? I don’t wanna make it seem like we’re hunting dolphins!”

“Just a figure of speech, Iz,” Oran whispered back. “Just keep an eye on the situation and everything is gonna go as planned, promise.”

XXXXXXXX

In the bathroom, Mr. Piranha disguised himself as a waiter while the real one had been knocked out. “Copy that. I’m waiting for Zari and I’ll be on the move.”

Zari meowed as she suddenly fell through the vent system and landed right in front of Mr. Piranha, groaning in pain. “Hey, amigo… what’s shaking?”

“Us in prison if we don’t move it! Come on, chica!” Mr. Piranha whispered, and Zari immediately began to follow him out of the bathroom...

...right near where Hitch was waiting. And once Hitch had seen them go by, he put a hoof up to his communication device and spoke into it. “Guys, Piranha and Zari are heading out-- Wolf, I think you and Reva are up.”

XXXXXXXX

Back on the upper floor, Chief Luggins was keeping a firm eye on the situation before speaking into her radio. “Unit two, is the backstage area still secure?”

“Unit two,” said another officer, “all clear.”

Chief Luggins smiled to herself. “This is where all the training pays off.”

Suddenly, Mr. Wolf (in his Poodleton disguise) accidentally bumped into her, with Reva waiting behind a nearby corner. “Oh, pardon me. Terribly sorry.”

“Not a problem, sir,” the chief said to the disguised Wolf as he walked off. “Keep your eyes open, boys. They could be anywhere, just waiting to humiliate us.”

But as Mr. Wolf reached the corner that Reva was hiding behind, he pulled out the card and showed it to her, causing her to laugh and high-five him before they went on their way.

At the same time, Sunny was watching this before speaking into her own communication device. “Wolf is in position with Reva close behind. Piranha, you all penguin-suited and booted?”

XXXXXXXX

“Affirmative,” Mr. Piranha said quietly as he pushed a waiter’s cart with Zari hiding inside. “I’m a clean, mean, Dolphin-stealing machine. What's going on, guys?”

As Mr. Piranha and Zari got close enough to a nearby closet door that Zipp was standing near, Zipp slightly opened it, allowing her just enough space to push the cart, Mr. Piranha and Zari inside without anyone else noticing.

On the upper floor again, Reva stuck close to Mr. Wolf as he walked past the guests, stealing jewelry and wallets from them. Both of them witnessed Zipp letting Mr. Piranha and Zari into the closet as they began to walk downstairs, and the plan seemed to be going fairly well so far.

As he and Reva walked down the stairs, Wolf noticed he was right near an old woman with a purse loaded with cash and pearls. He was about to steal the purse from the old lady until she tripped, and Wolf grabbed hold of the purse to keep her steady.

Reva’s breathing hitched nervously, wondering what Wolf would do until he finally sighed and pulled on the purse a bit. “Here, let me help you.”

That was when Mr. Wolf set the old woman down, and Reva approached in concern. “Are you okay, ma’am?”

“Oh, my gracious, yes,” the old woman said while panting and adjusting her glasses. “I may be dizzy, but I’m alive, thanks to you.”

“What are you…?” Mr. Wolf began to say when the old woman suddenly hugged him, catching him offguard and making him a bit uncomfortable. After finishing the hug, the old woman held Mr. Wolf’s paws in her hands with a caring smile. “Thank you, dear. You’re such a good boy.”

And that was when she finally left, leaving Mr. Wolf and Reva staring at her as she left. That was when Reva noticed something very off about Wolf’s tail-- it was wagging just as hers had a little while ago when she first encountered Rogue. “Uh… Wolf? Y-Your tail is…”

Mr. Wolf then noticed his tail wagging and immediately held it in place to stop it, not wanting his cover to be blown. “Come on, kid. We gotta go.”

“Wait up!” Reva whispered as she chased after him, feeling a bit confused about this whole wagging thing, but decided to put it off until further notice.

XXXXXXXX

Zipp had joined Mr. Piranha and Zari in the closet not long after Wolf and Reva started heading downstairs, but as Mr. Piranha had been chopping veggies, Zipp noticed Zari looking a little down and out. “Is… everything okay, Zari?”

“Oh, well… I guess I’m just a little embarrassed,” Zari said with a bit of a frown. “I chose to go up into the vents with Gretchen and Snake because I… I was too afraid to go into the water.”

Zipp looked at the cub in surprise. “You’re scared of the water?”

“I always have been,” Zari admitted. “When I was little, my father warned me that getting too close to the water was a sign of a lightning tiger’s death. Ever since then, I… I’ve been trying to stay away from it. It’s pretty pathetic, a tiger being scared of water, among… other things.”

“...I don’t think you being scared is something to be afraid of,” Zipp told the young tiger with a caring look. “Actually, you telling me you were scared was pretty brave.”

Zari looked up at the white pegasus in surprise. “You think so?”

“Sure,” Zipp nodded. “Real courage isn’t not being scared. Real courage is bravely moving forward, even when you’re scared. And admitting something you’re scared of is pretty courageous in itself.”

“...Safira doesn’t seem to think so,” Zari said quietly. “She thinks me being scared of water is weak.”

“Then she doesn’t know what the heck she’s talking about,” Zipp frowned sternly. “You don’t have to believe everything she tells you, you know.”

“I know… it’s just hard to have my own opinions with her around and looming over,” Zari shrugged. “Especially since I’m the youngest.”

However, before Zipp could say another word, the door to the closet opened and Reva and Mr. Wolf entered the closet, with Mr. Wolf still being a bit shocked-- even his fur seemed a bit tingled up, and a smile eventually crossed his muzzle.

Zipp seemed to notice the change in demeanor and tilted her head curiously. “Is… everything okay, Wolf?”

“ Yeah, all… a-all good. Yeah, yeah. Um…” Mr. Wolf stammered before turning on his communicator again. “Webs, what do you say about moving on to step four?”

XXXXXXXX

“Copy that,” Ms. Tarantula said from back in the office before turning her attention to Mr. Shark, Misty, Carmine and Pipp on one of the security cameras. “Shark, you’re up. Do your thing.”

Mr. Shark immediately became excited when he heard this. “Do I get to improvise?”

“Yes, fine,” Oran rolled his eyes. “Improvise. But please be subtle! Girls, please help him stay subtle.”

XXXXXXXX

Pipp, Misty and Carmine watched from nearby as Mr. Shark spilled his drink, threw a nearby table away and got down on the floor as part of his little routine. “I’M HAVING A BABY!!!!” he wailed in a high-pitched voice, causing many to immediately gasp and turn their attention to what they thought was an elegant woman. “Is there a doctor?! Or perhaps several security guards that could leave their post and help me?!”

Two security guards immediately ran from their post to help Mr. Shark, and Carmine sighed and put a paw on her face. “If this goes wrong, we are SO busted.”

“True, but you have to admit, he’s got a lot of confidence to even try that stunt,” Pipp said with a bit of admiration in her voice. “I oughta see if we can get him in a theater troupe when this is all over.”

However, Misty saw that Carmine looked a bit down and out. “Hey… looks like you need some confidence yourself, Carmine. Everything okay?”

“It’s just… everything Shark does is with so much passion and confidence,” Carmine admitted, glancing over at her mentor. “I’m just… me. I’d love to create my own line of perfumes and potions for others, but… with Safira looming over our heads, it’s kinda hard to find the right opportunity.”

“Hey, I never thought I could open up my salon, Mane Melody, after magic returned to Equestria,” Pipp told her. “If I can do it, you can too. Hey, why don’t I give you a few pointers when this is all over?”

“Really? I-I’d love that, Pipp!” Carmine smiled gratefully at the pink pegasus in question. “Thanks.”

XXXXXXXX

At the same time, once the guards had left their post, Mr. Piranha pushed the cart with Mr. Wolf, Zari and Reva hidden inside over to the door, which Mr. Wolf opened with the help of the chief’s security card. Then, once they were inside, Mr. Wolf, Zari and Reva climbed off the cart and pushed it to the end of the hallway where two guards were waiting.

Needless to say, the guards were confused when they saw a platter of food rolling to them and even more confused when they saw what was on the note. “Fish surprise…?”

Then, out of their curiosity getting the better of them, they lifted the lid to reveal Mr. Piranha underneath. “SURPRISE!!!” he said before leaping to attack the guards.

And once they had been knocked out, Reva kicked the cart back the other way while Mr. Wolf pulled out his phone and zoomed in on the picture he had taken with Diane, to where her eye could be seen before he sent it to Ms. Tarantula. “Hey, Webs, can you enhance this…”

“Done. Eight steps ahead of you, Wolf.”

Within seconds, the image was enhanced so it could be more clear, and Mr. Wolf held the photo up to the scanner, and once it had turned green, the four of them made their way inside.

XXXXXXXX

Meanwhile, back in the main auditorium, Allura and Twitch flew down to the Mane 6, who had all been gathered to discuss what to do while the Bad Guys and their apprentices did their thing. “The ceremony is about to start!” Sunny whispered. “Has anyone heard from Wolf?”

“Not since a few minutes ago,” Izzy shook her head. “But Mr. Shark is playing a very convincing routine, so that might buy us some time.”

It was then that an announcer on a microphone began to echo through the auditorium, signaling the start of the award ceremony. “Ladies and gentlemen, your MC for the Good Samaritan Awards…”

Mr. Shark breathed heavily during his routine, to try and really play the part that he was in labor, when Reva suddenly spoke into the com system. “All right, Shark-- we’re in.”

“Oops, I forgot, I’m not pregnant,” Mr. Shark told the crowd before slipping away, causing them to react with confusion before the announcer continued speaking. “...president of the committee, Governor Diane Foxington.”

“WHOO-HOO!!!” Rogue cheered and excitedly clapped his paws together as Diane walked onstage, and the rest of the auditorium applauded as well.

“Thank you. Thank you. Thank you so much. Thank you,” Diane said politely before the screen behind her began to show a video from one year ago, and her expression turned to deep concern. “Last year, we faced our biggest test when a meteorite crashed into our dear city. That meteorite didn’t just make a hole in our city. It made a hole in our hearts.”

“Aww…” most of the crowd said sympathetically, and Mr. Shark even had to wipe a few tears away. Then, the footage showed Professor Marmalade coming up to some people looking at the crater the meteorite had created. A crane slowly lifted up the meteorite and Professor Marmalade tilted his head in curiosity, as did the people, and seeing it's shaped like a heart, they smiled warmly.

That was when Diane felt the urge to continue her speech. “But even in tragedy, Professor Marmalade, he did what he does so well. He made us look at things differently. And thanks to you, Marmalade, the Love Crater Meteorite will forever serve as a symbol of how there is good even in the worst places.”

XXXXXXXX

Back behind the curtain, Mr. Wolf, Mr. Piranha and their apprentices soon removed their disguises and revealed their black latex suits, with Mr. Piranha cheering in excitement.

They quickly dodged all the lasers in the room just as Mr. Snake and Gretchen appeared from the vents, and the four immediately grabbed onto him with Gretchen waiting for the right moment to move down.

Mr. Snake groaned as Mr. Piranha and Zari climbed up his long body toward the vent. “Hurry up!”

Once Gretchen saw that Zari and Mr. Piranha had Mr. Snake covered, she slid down Mr. Snake’s body to reach the others while Zari and her mentor began to lower them toward the Golden Dolphin. “This is going surprisingly smoothly,” Mr. Wolf said, but little did he know it, but a lot of things were about to start going wrong.

Suddenly, the ring he had stolen from Diane slipped from Mr. Wolf’s sleeve, fell toward the ground and bounced off the trophy. As Reva tried to grab it, the security system activates laser guns while Mr. Wolf scrambled to grab the ring with his feet and the lasers destroyed a statue not too far away.

Needless to say, Gretchen was a bit more than nervous by this point. “What the molt is that?!”

That was when Mr. Wolf saw a sign nearby and scoffed in disbelief. “The Wolf Piranha Snake Shark Tarantula Protection System!”

“I’m sorry,” Zipp whispered on the communication system, “but isn’t the acronym for that the WPSST?”

“Oh, no no no,” Reva muttered to herself, going into panic. “This was NOT supposed to happen!”

XXXXXXXX

“Guys, calm down. I’m on it,” Ms. Tarantula reassured before getting out another USB drive. “Initiating WPSST override protocol!”

“Whoo-hoo!” Oran cheered as Ms. Tarantula inserted the drive into her laptop. “Get it, queen!”

But as Ms. Tarantula began hacking, an error appeared on her laptop's screen, causing Oran to pause his cheering in confusion. “Huh?”

“Well?” Hitch whispered over the com. “Did it work?”

Ms. Tarantula groaned in exasperation. “Just give me five minutes!”

XXXXXXXX

“And now,” Diane said from the stage, continuing her speech, “please join me in welcoming to the stage…”

XXXXXXXX

“We don’t have five minutes!” Mr. Snake exclaimed in panic. “Can’t you ponies use your fancy-schmancy magic to work somethin’ out?!”

“Sorry, Snake, but there’s only so much we can do from where we are right now,” Misty whispered. “I’m sure Webs can work something out in time, though.”

XXXXXXXX

“...Professor Marmalade!”

As Diane called out the professor’s name, the guinea pig got down from his table toward the stage, with several fans calling out to him. “The pig is on the move!” Mr. Shark whispered. “I repeat, the pig is on the move!”

XXXXXXXX

“Webs, Webs!” Mr. Wolf was in full-blown panic. “The curtain’s going up any minute.”

XXXXXXXX

“We’re trying!” Oran said as he tried to help Ms. Tarantula with her hacking. “It’s not letting us in!”

XXXXXXXX

“Check your system preferences!” Mr. Wolf said desperately just as Mr. Snake came up with his own suggestion. “You probably need to download a driver!”

XXXXXXXX

“Try rebooting!” Pipp whispered, causing the Mane 6 to glare at her. “What? It always helps when my phone is slow!”

XXXXXXXX

“Oh my gosh,” Ms. Tarantula said sarcastically, “you fixed it!”

The Mane 6, Allura and Twitch seemed surprised at this. “Really?”

“NO!!” Oran and Ms. Tarantula shouted at once. Suddenly, the fur on Oran’s body rose up in panic as he heard the door rattle and the chief’s voice coming from the other side. “Hey, Larry. Come on, open up. What did we say about locking doors?”

“Oh no no no no no!!” Oran whispered. “Guys, we have a situation here! The chief’s trying to get inside the office!”

XXXXXXXX

“Stay right there-- me and Twitch are on the way,” Allura said, inviting the rabbit onto her back. “We’re going to kill two birds with one stone, so to speak.”

And with that, Allura flew off with Twitch on her back, and the Mane 6 couldn't help but wonder what that meant.

XXXXXXXX

Backstage, Mr. Piranha was becoming so nervous, his stomach was starting to churn. “Hurry up, guys!”

“Ugh, we’re trying here, teethy tuna!” Gretchen hissed. “But we still have a serious situation on our paws here!”

XXXXXXXX

Back in the office, Oran watched as Ms. Tarantula cracked her neck slightly. “Time to turn this baby on beast mode!”

And after cracking her knuckles, Ms. Tarantula deployed several more keyboards and began to type using her other legs at lightning speed, smiling confidently. “Eat it, WPSST!”

XXXXXXXX

At the same time, Zari sniffed the air and noticed a bad smell starting to form, and she instantly knew what it was and tried to warn the others. “Wolf… Wolf!”

Mr. Wolf seemed to sense that Mr. Piranha was getting a bit too nervous for comfort, and he immediately began to panic more. “Wait, wait, wait. No, no, Piranha!”

XXXXXXXX

On the stage, Professor Marmalade was getting ready to accept his award, but was now giving the speech he had rehearsed in his honor. “This award is for…”

Suddenly, Mr. Piranha’s fight was heard behind the stage, making everyone confused, except for the Mane 6, who gagged in disgust.

Why did Piranha have to be nervous NOW of all times?

But after the fart had passed, Professor Marmalade cleared his throat again. “As I was saying…”

XXXXXXXX

The horrendous cloud of gas from Mr. Piranha’s fart pours down the vents and into the computer room. Ms. Tarantula and Oran immediately noticed the smell and the fart cloud, leaving both of them angry and irritated. “Piranha, are you kidding us?!”

“Sorry!”

XXXXXXXX

“And that is why,” Professor Marmalade continued, “my Gala for Goodness will raise all the money needed for those less fortunate.”

XXXXXXXX

The chief’s knocking began to get more and more frantic as Ms. Tarantula and Oran had to hold their breath, and Ms. Tarantula typed as fast as she could, even though she felt like she was going to pass out.

“I’m starting to get mad here, Larry!” the chief called out, and began to search through her keys for the right one.

XXXXXXXX

“Webs! Webs!” Izzy whispered nervously as the Mane 6 tried to listen in. “You can do this!”

“And now,” said Diane, “the moment we’ve all been waiting for.”

XXXXXXXX

Backstage, the curtains began to open, causing Gretchen and Reva to yowl in surprise as the lasers began to inch closer and closer toward them, knowing in just a few seconds, they would be dead.

XXXXXXXX

At the same time, Chief Luggins had found her keys and was about to enter the office when suddenly, she heard a voice behind her. “Excuse me.”

The chief quickly turned around to find Allura standing behind her, with Twitch on her back, the little rabbit looking like he was about to burst. “Is the bathroom anywhere around here?” Allura asked curiously. “My little bunny here can’t seem to hold it any longer.”

Chief Luggins blinked in surprise as the fart cloud began to disappear from the computer room, thanks to the open door. “ Oh, uh, y-you need to take a right at the end of the hall, ma’am.”

XXXXXXXX

Once the gas was released, Ms. Tarantula and Oran gasped for air just as Ms. Tarantula finally finished the hacking. “Yes! Whoop-bam!”

That was when she noticed a weGOTCHA ad, asking if she's not a tarantula, and this got Oran very aggravated. “Oh, come on! Just click it and let’s go!”

And within seconds, the X was clicked and the security system was disarmed, allowing Mr. Wolf, Mr. Snake, Mr. Piranha and their apprentices to quickly try and make their move.

XXXXXXXX

“And now,” Diane said as the curtain began to rise further and further, “it is my honor to award Professor Marmalade with the Golden Dolphin!”

But as the curtain rose completely, everyone stood in horror as the Golden Dolphin was… gone!

Rogue was the first to gasp when he saw this. “No!”

And at the same time, Professor Marmalade was also terrified at what had become of his award. “No!”

The Mane 6 sighed in relief.

XXXXXXXX

“Oh, thank goodness,” Allura said to herself before smiling at Chief Luggins and right before she and Twitch left the scene.

Of course, the chief was confused, so she went inside the computer room to find it completely empty (Oran and Webs managed to use Oran’s cloaking magic to get out safely without her noticing), but when she looked on the computer screen, she saw that the Golden Dolphin had disappeared, causing her to shriek and run out of the room, leaving the guard that Ms. Tarantula had tied up still... well, tied up.

XXXXXXXX

Back on the stage, Rogue had run up to the stage to join Diane and the professor while Diane tried to calm the crowd. “Everyone, everyone, uh, please don’t panic. Just stay calm. I’m-I’m sure there’s an explanation for this. I repeat, uh, please do not panic.”

That was when the Bad Guys, their apprentices, Allura, Twitch and the Mane 6 soon reunited not too far away, with Mr. Shark stuffing the Golden Dolphin inside his dress. “Nice work, everybody,” Mr. Wolf praised with a smile. “Now, let’s make like a wolf and get the pack out of here.”

“Ohhhh, wordplay, funny!” Izzy said with a laugh before stopping and realizing. “I don’t get it.”

“We’ll wait for you outside-- I don’t think Allura was kidding when Twitch had to use the bathroom!” Zipp said, gesturing to the still squirming bunny before she, the rest of the Mane 6, Allura and Twitch ran outside.

That was when Professor Marmalade immediately grabbed the mic from Diane, causing the spotlight to fall on him. “Diane, Diane, if I may…” he said, getting up onto the stand to address the people. “You have to understand, I didn’t bring hope back to the city for an award. I did these good things because of how they made me feel. That tingly feeling I get. That shiver up my spine. The wag in my tiny tail. Because, you see, being good just feels so good. And when you’re good, you’re loved.”

Hearing the professor’s speech seemed to resonate with Mr. Wolf in ways that he didn’t even realize were possible, and as he stopped to smile and listen, the unthinkable happened-- his tail started to wag again, causing him to yelp and try to hide it…

…causing Reva to yelp and turn back to him. “Not this again!”

“Wolf? Reva?” Gretchen looked confused. “What are you doing?”

However, as Reva and Mr. Wolf tried to stop Mr. Wolf’s tail from wagging, the mustache of Mr. Wolf’s disguise fell off, and one of the men in the audience seemed to recognize the Bad Guys and immediately became horrified. “It’s the Bad Guys!”

Upon hearing the Bad Guys’ name being called from outside, the Mane 6 immediately stopped in their tracks while Allura tended to Twitch. “Uh-oh…”

XXXXXXXX

“Arrest them!” Chief Luggins shouted, and officers appeared from all sorts of angles, trapping the Bad Guys and the cubs in a tight-knit circle, frightening the cubs further as Chief Luggins made a rigorous accusation. “They stole the Golden Dolphin!”

“Come on,” Mr. Wolf scoffed. “You can’t prove that.”

Suddenly, the Golden Dolphin fell from Mr. Shark’s dress, causing him to shriek and grab it again. “My baby!!”

“Oh brother…” Carmine rolled her eyes. “What did I tell you?”

“On your knees, Bad Guys!” the chief then barked, cracking her knuckles with a victorious smirk. “With your hands up!”

“Never!” Mr. Snake hissed with rebellion in his tone. “We’re out of here!”

That was when Mr. Wolf fired a grappling hook at the ceiling, and the other Bad Guys and apprentices quickly grabbed onto him, ready to make their escape worthwhile. “So long, suckers!”

But unfortunately, as Mr. Wolf retracted the grappling hook, the hook took off Mr. Wolf’s pants, causing all eyes to fall on the scene in front of them.

And after a moment, Reva chuckled nervously, a blush coming onto her face. “Well, this just got a little weird.”

XXXXXXXX

The Mane 6, Allura and Twitch felt powerless as soon as they saw the officers surround their acquaintances… friends… whatever they wanted to call them.

If our heroes didn't come up with a solution to help the gang fast... this would probably be the last time anyone would ever see them, and their quest would be incomplete for as long as they were in prison.

This couldn't be the way things had to end... could it?