More Than Angel
“Come on, Angel, please eat your food? Pretty please?” the yellow pegasus pleaded. She put on her best puppy-dog routine and nudged the carrot closer to me with a hoof.
I stared back at Fluttershy with narrowed eyes. Of all the ponies I had hitched with throughout my storied life, Fluttershy had to be one of the most domineering ponies I had met so far. And because of my current situation, I was stuck with her for the foreseeable future. Still, I had plans to leave this dump of a town as soon as I completed my task. Just not quite yet.
I sighed and took a piece of carrot slowly. Fluttershy nodded and smiled encouragingly. “That’s it.” I began to nibble on one end reluctantly, chewing as slowly as possible. I wasn’t hungry at the moment, but I did want her out of the garden. A very important client was coming and this was one of the many things she didn’t need to see. “Not too fast, Angel. Remember the last time you choked on a carrot.” I groaned inwardly. Leave it to Fluttershy to remind me of the one time I had slipped and embarrassed myself while eating. I swear, that carrot had been out to get me. I had spat out the offending piece swiftly without further trouble, but Fluttershy had taken that as a sign that I shouldn’t be trusted with feeding myself from that point onwards.
Fortunately, the sound of hooves approaching the garden saved me from the humiliation of going through this routine again. “Fluttershy, dear, have you forgotten that today is our spa get-together?” a refined voice called out. The one named Rarity, if I recalled correctly. A little snooty, but always good for a treat or two. Besides, anypony Opalescence had approved was good in my book. Rarity stood at the foot of the winding path leading up to the house, looking at Fluttershy expectantly.
For her part, Fluttershy seemed to be gibbering in panic at the sudden realization. “Oh my! I must have forgotten all about it. I’m so sorry. I was so busy trying to feed my pets that—”
“Oh hush, dear. There is still time. Quickly pack your things and we should be just in time to be fashionably late to the spa,” Rarity said, putting on a small smile.
“R-right!”
Fluttershy dashed into the house quicker than one could blink. For a whole minute, it sounded like she was turning the entire house upside down. Various birds and woodland creatures fled like the wind from her rampage. Eventually, she reappeared outside the door with a bulging saddlebag, panting heavily. Her mane and coat were a tangled mess, and she somehow had gotten a feather stuck in her mane. “Ready!”
Rarity suppressed a wince. “Oh, Fluttershy, how did you manage to ruin your mane so quickly? It’s just... Oh, no matter. Aloe will sort you out nicely. Come along now.”
To my annoyance, not even the prospect of being late to her date with Rarity seemed to have deterred her motherly instincts. She turned to me with an apologetic smile. “Remember to finish that carrot, Angel. Oh, and if you see Finch, tell him not to fly so far. I don’t want him to be trapped in Froggy Bottom Bog again.”
I nodded curtly. Truth be told, I never liked Finch.That bird had a brain made of cheese and was always rattling off about his idiotic rocks. With her final piece said, Fluttershy finally flew off after her friend.
I sighed in relief and kicked my carrot away. Looking about, I saw Bosco, one of the resident toucans, perched on the fence. He wasn’t as trustworthy as I would have liked, but he would have to do.
“Hey, Bosco!” I called out.
Bosco shifted an eye towards me. “What, Angel? Did sweetie-munchkins forget to feed you carrots again?”
Sometimes, I forgot how annoying Bosco could be. “You know she just likes me better than you. Anyway, let me know if a squirrel comes sniffing around asking for me. I’m going inside to do some stuff,” I replied, giving him a hard stare.
“Fine, fine. You know how Fluttershy don’t like you talking to strangers, right?”
“Don’t remind me. I’ll get you a peach later.” I waved him off and hopped into the the house.
The interior of the house was just about as expected. Fluttershy had nearly trashed the living room in her frantic search for her needed accessories. I suspected the bedroom was a similar mess. That just meant I’d have to clean up later. Maybe I’d get Finch to do it. The magpie was dumb enough to be talked into doing anything. Fortunately for me, Fluttershy also helped to drive the normally inquisitive fellow animals in her house outside.
I sighed and picked my way across the clutter of junk littering the floor, making my way towards the sole bookcase in the back. Remarkably, the oaken furniture seemed untouched by the whirlwind of disaster in the room. With a deft flick, I dislodged a red, leather-bound book from its position. A section of the wall next to the bookcase parted, revealing a small cubby hole. I squeezed into the opening and shut the trap door behind me, leaving only a light crystal to illuminate the room. I took a look around; everything was as it should be. The wooden desk in the corner—made to fit a bunny of course—with its communication device sitting patiently. The piles of paper lying forlornly in one corner. Various stacks of equipment filling up the rest of the room.
Despite what Fluttershy liked to think, she wasn’t the sole mistress of the house. For that matter, ponies weren’t quite in control of their lands as they’d like to believe. Beneath the tranquil surface of Equestria lay a mind-boggling hive of underground criminals, fringe elements and outright loonies. One of said criminal elements was trying to contact me right now; the blockish device on the table blinked merrily. I sighed as I pushed the button to answer.
Mandrake the Mandrill’s raspy voice erupted through the speakers. “Angel! You’re late. Where is my promised shipment?”
“As planned, boss. Butch is already on his way to make the final preparations,” I answered. Mandrake the Mandrill was probably one of the worst of the worst scum of them all. He had his grubby fingers in every slimy, illegal operation you could think of this side of Equestria. So far, he had managed to escape the best efforts of no less than five different police departments, in no small part due to his extreme caution. Rumor had it there were no less than three layers of security between him and the henchmen doing the actual dirty work.
“Good. I don’t want nothing happening to my shipment of salt, you hear?”
The supposedly magic salt being produced by the zebra nation was all the rage among the underground in Equestria. As I understood it, the Princesses had immediately banned the product as soon as they had caught wind of it and cracked down hard. Pretty successfully too, judging by the high price it commanded on the black market now, third only to contraband rainbow juice and hydra testicles. Demand was astronomical.
Understandably, Mandrake wanted to have a cut of this growing, new market. He had also wanted to keep the profits for himself. Having the cake and eat it as well, so to speak. So, instead of going through his normal network, he decided to run a little side operation of his own instead. With some proper hints and nudges, I’d managed to weasel into his trust and had been given charge of smuggling in the goods.
The sound of his raspy voice shook me back to reality again. “Remember, bunny. It’s your head if I don’t get my product. Get it in one piece and get it quick.” The device abruptly died as the connection was cut. I sniffed and rolled my eyes. Mandrake definitely was getting impatient. I better watch my back. Creatures often went missing in the nearby Everfree Forest... especially those who fell out of favour of a criminal mastermind.
Well. It was almost time to go meet Butch, who would be arriving any minute now. Just as I turned to open the trapdoor, a seemingly disused brass lamp flared to life. A trail of smoke emerged from the open mouth of the lamp and curled up into a cloud. A parchment materialised and fell on the floor. I doubled back and unfurled the note.
Plan Omega is go.
All according to plan. I scooped the note and crumpled it into a small ball, depositing it in a small bin beside the desk. I’d sneak out tonight to dispose of it. Right now, though, I could hear Bosco shouting for me. “Angel, get your furry behind here. There’s a squirrel named Butch wanting to see your sorry face.” Incredibly enough, Bosco still managed to sound bored.
I quickly stepped out of my cubby hole and slid the door shut behind me, making sure nopony was watching.
“Yeah, coming!” I answered.
***
I led Butch to a secluded area just beyond the yard, somewhere between the Everfree proper and Fluttershy’s. The squirrel was as anxious as an elephant in a mouse hole. He kept looking this way and that, his large tail flicking anxiously. “Okay, boss is gettin’ antsy. So, what’s the sitrep?” I said without preamble.
“Uh... the last of the shipment has already arrived. It’s at...” Butch leaned in closer, and put a paw sideways to his lips. “... Zecora’s place.” The squirrel withdrew, wiping the sweat off his brow. “The zebra doesn’t know a thing, of course.”
“Of course,” I repeated. That went without saying. None of the residents of Ponyville knew of our plans. And with luck, it would stay that way for a good long time.
“With luck, we should be able to move it tonight, and hand it over to the boss at the...” He looked shiftily around again. “... previously discussed place and time.”
“Right, right. How do you plan on moving it?”
“This evening, Ponyville will be having some sort of party to celebrate. Don’t ask me how, but Gummy managed to convince his master that holding a party today and inviting the zebra would be a splendid idea.” Butch wiped his brow again.
I rolled my eyes. Gummy the Alligator might look dumb, act dumb, seem dumb, but I swear, behind that facade was a mind of unspeakable genius. He could fulfill seemingly impossible demands, and had done so on numerous occasions. All the while, he steered the crazy party pony into doing his bidding. Of course, his genius was all merely conjecture, and I still hadn’t been able to prove the fact. Gummy remained stubbornly evasive despite my best attempt to coax him to speak. Quite the alligator of mystery.
“Okay, so that’s one problem taken care of. How are we moving it?”
“The meerkat triplets have volunteered.”
I frowned. “Them? I wouldn’t trust those slimy bastards further than I can throw them. I thought we agreed to use Winona for this?”
“Winona is down with scarlet fever.”
Huh, that was news to me. Poor cocker spaniel. Reliable runner, though a little on the dull side. Very trustworthy though. Her absence might be a problem.
“Don’t worry. I... made sure they are reliable.” He seemed reluctant to elaborate further. I presumed he had dirt on them, or made use of suitable incentives, but that was not what I had on my mind at the moment. What struck me was Butch himself taking proactive steps to address problems. Through all these months, he never once stepped forth to confront a problem directly.
I narrowed my eyes. “Oh?”
“You know how the meerkats are like,” was the nervous reply. I stared at Butch. The squirrel was practically sweating buckets now, so much so that his fur was actually damp.
“Butch, you better not be screwing with me. This is bigger than you or me,” I said. A lot was riding on the success of this mission.
“I’m not. I swear on Celestia’s name.” His voice quavered.
Something was definitely up. Unfortunately, it was too late to change the plan now. This was the first shot we had at Mandrake in years and we might not get a second chance. Besides, I trusted Butch. As much as I could in my line of profession at any rate. So, instead I just nodded, carefully keeping a neutral expression.
“Alright. Then make it happen.”
Butch nodded his head.
***
The Everfree Forest was considered off-limits to the ponies of Ponyville and for good reason too: dangerous wildlife, unmapped interior, abandoned castle in the middle, unregulated weather and everything else in between. Perfect for an illicit exchange of banned trade goods. Even the moon was blocked out by stormy clouds. I had Owliscious to thank for that. A quick modification of the weather schedule behind the weather team’s back and nopony had been the wiser.
I arrived at our assigned rendezvous point: a small clearing at the west edge of the Everfree, just beyond Sweet Apple Acres. I intended to stake out the area first to make sure there would be no unpleasant surprises. For insurance, I slung my Service-issued taser behind my back. A single-use weapon, but with enough juice to stun a creature—or a pony—into submission.
A rough hiss came from high above on one of the trees as I approached the designated clearing. I could recognise that bad-tempered sound anywhere—Opalescence. I peered around the branches until I saw the faint outline of her sitting languidly on the branch.
“I see you’re early.”
The Himalayan cat stretched lazily and flicked her tail. “Rarity took off early,” she said, in that mild refined accent that she shared with her master. “I took the liberty of checking the area before you arrived. It’s clean.”
“Efficient as usual, I see.”
Opal shrugged. “Look, I just want this to be over with so that I can go back and wash my paws of this hideous affair. Rarity said there’ll be a treat for me after the party and I don’t want to miss that.”
“Yes, Opal. Clearly your supper is more important than this mission,” I answered, folding my paws across my chest.
The rustling of leaves around the tree cut off any snarky comeback that Opal might have had. My ears picked up the faint beating of wings passing overhead, before two large, luminous eyes appeared beside Opalescence.
“Who,” Owliscious greeted.
“Good to see you too, Owliscious.”
“Who.”
Say what you want about Owliscious, the fact he could only utter one syllable didn’t seem to impair his communication abilities. I nodded at Owliscious and continued, “Okay. Mandrake should be here within the hour. Butch said he’ll be arriving fifteen minutes prior with the package in tow. Owliscious here will keep a lookout for them. Opal, you’ll stay here as planned and provide backup where necessary.”
“Who,” Owliscious hooted.
“Yes, Angel,” Opal purred. She cocked her head at me. “And what is our fearless leader going to do?”
“What I do best,” I replied.
***
The meerkat triplets arrived right on time, supporting a large cardboard box on their backs. The trio were infamous amongst the animal community in Ponyville for their perpetual dishonesty and repeated attempts to profit off the misfortune of others. They claimed to go under the name of Geo, Leo, and Neo. No one could differentiate between the three. Not that it mattered, as they usually spoke as one and acted as one.
“Hello!”
“Hey!”
“Salutations!” they said brightly, as they cleared the last of bushes that marked the edge of the clearing.
“Nice to see you again, Angel!”
“Yeah, we forgive you for running us out of town last month!”
“We’re just the type of meerkats who don’t hold grudges, y’know?”
I resisted the urge to smack their smug faces right in the snout. Or snouts, in this case. “Where’s Butch?” I asked curtly.
“Oh he’ll be here.”
“Yep, yep.”
“Don’t you worry your little head about him.”
Alarm bells went off in my head. Something was definitely up. The meerkats seemed all too eager. My guts told me to back off now while I had a chance, but the mission was too important to abandon on a hunch. I decided to play along for now. “Fine. Just put the package there and our business is done.” I jerked a paw at the centre of the clearing. “Butch and I will take care of the rest.”
“No can do!”
“Nuh, uh.”
“I’m afraid it’s not that simple.”
I glowered at them. “Kindly explain. That’s not part of the deal.”
“Wind blows.”
“Grass grows.”
“Plans change.”
“I was not informed of a change in plans,” I said firmly, wondering what their game was. Butch had not told me of any change, and the squirrel was as good as gold for his word. At least, as far as I had worked with him for the past two years.
“Oh, it’s for the best.”
“Yes, best for all of us.”
“Mandrake decided that you been lying.”
My mouth went dry. “What?”
“Oh yes.”
“Quite right.”
“You didn’t think your amateur plans to trap him would work, did you?”
It was an elaborate setup; Butch had been compromised. Time to bail. Without waiting for a reply, I immediately dove to one side, already unslinging the taser from my back. Just in the nick of time too, as the box neatly landed just where I stood moments before.
“You missed!”
“No, you missed!”
“Quiet! We’re supposed to trap him. After him!”
“Too late, mutton-heads,” I snarled, bringing my taser to bear. That taser was meant to subdue Mandrake, but since that plan had flown out the window, I had no reason to hold back. The magically powered device zapped the nearest meerkat, sending him into spasms. He collapsed to the ground, twitching, drool pouring out of the corner of his mouth. The two remaining meerkats howled in anger.
“Oh no!”
“You’ll pay for that, rabbit.”
“Try me, you clowns,” I taunted. The meerkats snarled and began to close the gap, powerful legs propelling them forward. I ditched the now-useless taser and bounded off, whistling loudly. It was our go-to signal in case the plan went south. To my relief, an answering hoot replied. Three long hoots and two short. Now to make my escape.
I screeched to a complete stop as a shadowy form darted past me and planted itself in my planned path.
“No escaping this time, Angel Bunny!
“None for you!”
A glint of metal flashed in the dark. I swore softly. These meerkats were definitely playing for keeps.
“Mandrake paid us well to have your head.”
“We’re rich, rich, rich, thanks to him!”
“Well, you’re not doing a very good job, idiots,” I replied as I dodged another blade aimed at my feet. I used the momentum to spring backwards and land on the other meerkat who was trying to grab me from behind. With one swift kick, I sent him flying forward and into the exposed blade. A wet squelch filled the air as I quickly ran in the other direction.
“You bastard!” the last meerkat screamed. “You’ll pay for this!”
I didn’t stop to reply. As I sprinted off into the bushes, a screech sounded from behind me. The last meerkat was sounding the alarm. Hopefully, Opalescence and Owliscious managed to sneak off and warn the team while I was keeping the terrible trio busy. WIth luck, we might still be able to salvage the situation.
“Angel? Is that you?”
I froze in my tracks. Fluttershy called out again, her soft voice amplified in the quiet woods. Fluttershy? What was that silly pony doing here? Wasn’t she supposed to be at the party together with the rest of Ponyville?
“Angel. Please come back, the forest is no place for—” Her voice was replaced by a muffled shriek. I cursed freely under my breath as I ran towards where I thought her voice originated from. Mandrake wasn’t going to play nice now that his plan had gone awry. His minions certainly wouldn’t do any favours.
More rustling ahead. I slowed my progress and quietly picked through the underbrush. My ears picked up faint conversation as I approached.
“Boss, we got you a ugly pony.” I cringed as I recognised the rough accent of a Diamond Dog.
Diamond Dog was something that was out of my pay grade to deal with.
The answer chilled my spine. “So, you’re one of the Equestrian Secret Service, eh? I never expected their agents to be so sloppy,” Mandrake’s raspy voice replied.
“I-I-I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Fluttershy squeaked.
“Sure you don’t. My boys will take care of you real nice. Once I unroot the spies in my organization, not even the Princesses would be able to stop me.” A short pause. “And you will be helping me do it. Once I break you, of course.” A nasty laugh followed.
“W-what?” Fluttershy’s frightened voice spoke.
“But first, I need to pick up my prize. Spot! Have your dogs picked up the package from that zebra’s house?”
A different Diamond Dog answered, “Yes, boss. Exactly where the squirrel said it would be.”
“Good,” Mandrake said. “Bring this pony with us. Deal with any other agents you might find. It’s time we disappear before they realise their plans failed. That accursed rabbit might have already warned his accomplices.”
I cleared the last of the underbrush blocking my view and cautiously peered through the foliage. Two Diamond Dogs were standing about with their backs to me, with a third holding Fluttershy by the scruff of her neck. Perched on the shoulder of one of the Diamond Dogs was a mandrill, dressed in a pressed suit and complete with a fedora. Mandrake. It struck me at the moment that I was probably one of the few creatures that had the dubious honour of seeing this simian in person.
“Come on, hop to it!”
The Diamond Dogs saluted sloppily, and began to shuffle off, with Fluttershy struggling in vain, trying to escape. I swore again. The small matter of size precluded me from taking on a Diamond Dog, much less three.
“Who?”
Owliscious! I looked up to see the owl perched on the tree above me.
“Just the owl I needed. We have a hostage situation. Anyone else with you?”
“Me,” Opal answered with a sinuous purr. The cat waved from the shadows. “We even found Tank.” She waved at the shadow beside her. I peered closely, making out the dome of a tortoise shell.
Tank waved shyly from his perch on the branch, already wearing the flying machine that Rainbow Dash acquired “freely”, courtesy of the Service. The Service had been very grateful for the opportunity. Tank now had a plausible reason for having a sophisticated flying machine strapped to his back and nopony was the wiser. We even took the opportunity to add a few extras. Extras which we might need now.
“Hello, Angel. Sorry I was late,” Tank said in his gravelly, slow voice.
“Okay, no time to waste. The four of us here probably can take on the Diamond Dogs over there.” I could almost see incredulous expression forming on their faces. I knew we were supposed to take on Mandrake and his lackeys with properly trained Service agents, but we were running out of time and options here. “I know you’re just the local talent the Service hired to assist me, but I really need your help now.”
“Angel. I like you. You have spunk. But we’re talking about a full-grown Diamond Dog, not those porcupines we were beating down the other day.” Opalescence glanced up, her eyes glinting softly. “And there’s three of them. Your big boys might be able to take them. Not us.”
“They won’t make it. By the time they get here, Mandrake will have escaped. We have to move now. We only need to take down two. The one holding Fluttershy and the other one carrying Mandrake,” I argued. Deep down though, I knew they were right.
“Who.”
I glared at Owliscious. “What? We can take them! You and Tank can—”
“Sorry, Angel, but not even your pony friends can take on a Diamond Dog single-hoofedly.”
“But—”
“Boss, I heard something. More ugly ponies?”
For one indecisive moment, I was paralyzed. For the first time in my life, I was faced with an impossible choice. Either I let Fluttershy be taken, or I let Mandrake get away. Neither was acceptable. If I let Mandrake escape, my superiors would be furious that months of planning gone down the drain just like that. My career would end as I know it. On the other hand, Fluttershy was just an innocent caught up in this sordid mess.
The bushes rustled and the ugly head of a Diamond Dog peeked through. “Boss! I found them! Some teeny-weeny animals!”
“It’s the Service lackeys!” Mandrake screeched. The Diamond Dog adopted a comical expression of confusion. “Well, what are you waiting for? Get them!”
My mind was made up. “Get Fluttershy,” I shouted. “Owliscious, signal the team our location.”
The Diamond Dog lunged forward to grab me, and missed admirably, burying his face in the ground. I hopped on his back and used him as a springboard forward. Already, I could hear the rotors of Tank’s flying machine whirling behind me, along with the shrill hoots of Owliscious. As I sailed through the air, two more Diamond Dogs appeared from the shadows. Their misshapen arms were outstretched, ready to swoop in on me. I saw no sign of Mandrake or Fluttershy; they must have already left the area.
I feinted left, then dashed right, hoping to catch the two off-guard and duck through the legs of the Diamond Dog on the right. Unfortunately for me, these two were a little bit smarter than the average mooks. The first threw himself on the floor in the direction of my feint just as I intended The second however, merely scooped me up as I scrambled towards the gap between his legs.
“Bad bunny! You not going anywhere!” he bellowed as he lifted me up, incidentally also squeezing the breath out of me. Right about now, I wished that I had not used my taser on the meerkat. There was just something wonderful about giving this beast a ten-thousand volt jolt in the nads.
As I continued my futile struggle, something furry darted through the trees above and landed on his face. Opalescence screeched and hissed as she clung to the Diamond Dog’s brows, digging painfully into the skin. The Diamond Dog yelped in surprise, his paws flying to his face instinctively, dropping me in the process. I rolled to the ground, a little winded, but otherwise unharmed. Muttering a silent thanks to Opal, I scurried forward, just making out the disappearing figures of two more Diamond Dogs. I cursed again as I noticed they were splitting off in opposite directions. Worst of all, I couldn’t tell which one had Fluttershy.
“Who!” Owliscious hooted as he flew past. He perched on a nearby branch and pointed to the Diamond Dog disappearing in the woods to his left.
“Lead the way,” I hollered, then bounded after him as he took off.
The owl flew past the many overhanging branches and trees of the forest, occasionally lost in the dense foliage, but never leaving my sight for very long. After a few minutes, I made out the the sound of a beast clumsily crashing through the forest, along with the faint sounds of a river. Slowly but surely, we were catching up to them. The Diamond Dog might be a strong, fast creature, but this one was burdened by both the weight of a pony and the fact that it was treading unfamiliar ground in the dark.
Soon enough, I could catch glimpses of the Diamond Dog as it forged ahead relentlessly, with a hint of a pink mane occasionally bobbing behind his back. The roar of onrushing water grew louder.
“Who!”
“I know, Owliscious. I know!” I shouted back. He was right, as usual. The river might slow the Diamond Dog temporarily, hopefully long enough for us to rescue Fluttershy. A small corner of my mind still bemoaned the fact that we let Mandrake get away, but I quickly pushed it aside. A more pertinent question that crossed my mind was the absence of Tank. Where was he?
I skidded to a halt as the dense foliage abruptly gave way to a clear, narrow strip of riverbank. The Diamond Dog stood at edge of the river, staring dumbly at the onrushing water and scratching his head. Fluttershy was tucked securely beneath one armpit, her eyes closed. She must have fainted along the way.
As I scampered closer, the Diamond Dog snapped his head towards me. “Little bunny don’t come close. Or pony goes into the water!” He mimed the action in case we didn’t quite get the point.
I froze in my tracks, and looked up at Owliscious, who similarly landed beside me and stared at the Diamond Dog without flinching.
“Who.”
“I means it! No coming closer! Let Fido go home in peace with ugly pony and she might live.”
“You have no place to run, dog. Just give up and I promise the Service will go easy on you.” A fleeting shadow appeared behind the trees overhanging the opposite bank. At the same time, I began to pick up the sputtering sound of a certain magical device amidst the roar of the river. I had to hide a small smile. Just needed to distract this canine a little more.
The Diamond Dog shook his head. “Bunny lies! Boss said you punishes poor Diamond Dogs. Why that day Porkey disappeared from the caves and we never found him—”
I had no idea who this Porkey was, and had no intention to find out. I tried my best diplomatic voice. “We had nothing to do with that, trust me. Now just let the pony—”
“No! You stay back. Fido will be going now. No funny moves.”
Right on cue, twenty kilos of solid tortoise shell slammed into the rear of the Diamond Dog’s head. Fido fell forward, stunned, letting go of Fluttershy’s unconscious body in the process. Unfortunately, Fluttershy fell right into the river, and began to disappear into the deep black waters. I quickly bounded forward, signaling Owliscious to follow. I was quite aware that even with the two of us, we probably wouldn’t have the strength to drag Fluttershy out if she slipped into the water, but I’d be damned if I didn’t try.
I quickly grasped one end of her pink tail and began pulling with what little strength I had. Owliscious did the same with her mane. Despite our best efforts, she continued to slide into the water, the swift current beginning to pull her away.
“Damnit, Owliscious, harder!”
“Who!”
“Well, flap harder!”
“Who.”
I grunted and gave another mighty tug. That only succeeded in halting her progress for a moment.
I never spoken to my master directly before. “Fluttershy, if you have any intention to live, wake up! Please.”
Maybe it was the sound of my voice speaking. Maybe it was the water. I never did find out. But wake up she did, a choking sputter escaping her lips. Her aquamarine eyes fluttered open, blinking in confusion.
“Wha—Eeeeek!” Fluttershy quickly flailed her limbs and scrambled for the mud on the river’s edge. Unfortunately for me, that included her tail, and I found myself sailing into the air and straight into the the river’s inky darkness.
I hit the ice-cold water like a stone, the chill sending little shocks throughout my body. I began to kick my legs desperately, trying to stay above the water’s surface. Yet, as swift as I was on land, rabbits were just not made for swimming. I gasped for air one last time. Then I sank beneath the murky surface.
“Angel!” I could hear Fluttershy shriek, her voice muffled by the water. But it no longer mattered. Not anymore. What mattered was that she was safe. And I was dying. Nopony would be able to save me now, not in this deep, dark, roaring river.
I never expected to face death by drowning, but then again, I knew the risks when I joined the Service. Oddly enough, the water around me grew silent as I counted the precious seconds before I had to release the air in my burning lungs. I prayed that it would be quick.
Then I felt a hoof wrapping itself around my body. Warm hooves. Then the world came back to life as I found myself being lifted through the water. I quickly gasped and gulped in the sweet, sweet air.
She found me. Against all the odds, Fluttershy found me, and rescued me.
“I got you, Angel Bunny. You’re safe now,” her gentle voice said.
“Who!”
I almost broke my cover then, and burst out in glee and gratitude that she had saved my life. That, despite all that I had done, she had gone out of her way to rescue me. But then years of training hit me in the back of the head and I bit back my words. She must never know who I am. So, instead, I nodded gratefully, and wrapped her leg with a hug, hoping that she understood.
“Silly Angel Bunny. Why did you run off in the woods in the middle of the night? You’re lucky those mean Diamond Dogs didn’t get you,” she gently admonished. I almost choked in disbelief. She was in danger herself! Did she just forget that the Diamond Dogs captured her and tried to carry her away?
Then I looked at her eyes. Aquamarine eyes that shone with sincerity and concern, ones that belong to a pony would throw herself in the face of danger if it meant saving her friends. Even an animal friend who had barely acknowledged her for the better part of a year.
“Don’t you give me that look, mister. Even if the Diamond Dogs did take me away, I’m sure I’ll be alright. And Twilight would come to rescue me. I know my friends will. But you, Angel, they might roast you, or eat you, or...”
I shook my head. Her naivety was astounding, even for a sheltered pony like her, but there was no mistaking the conviction in her voice. I just let out a sigh and pointed towards home. There would be hell to pay for this mistake later, but right now, I was just too tired to care.
***
“Are you sure about this, Angel? Just so you know, you’re cleared by the tribunal,” my Service liaison, Steel Hoof, said.
I stayed silent for a while, before shaking my head. “I’m sure. Thanks for the offer anyway. I think my place is here. Who knows, maybe Mandrake will come back.”
“I’m still sorry to see that weasel escape. We were just seconds away from nabbing him at the border of the forest. Somehow he disappeared.” I could almost picture the grey earth pony shaking his head.
“Diamond Dogs. They probably had a tunnel dug and ready,” I answered, shrugging. It wasn’t like he could see me shrug, but old habits die hard.
The sounds of papers rustling filtered through the device. “Anyway, you might be interested to know that we found Butch holed up in his home. Apparently, Mandrake had his family locked up nice and tight in a secret location.” I blinked. So it was indeed as I suspected. “Don’t worry, we got them out safe and sound. Butch is now enjoying a nice, long vacation on the beaches of the Summer Isles.” I smirked. The Diamond Dogs would find it a little tough digging through sand.
“I’m going to have to have a nice quiet talk with the Princesses about them, but that’s another matter. I wish you all the best on your new assignment.” I stared at the silent device for a moment longer, the ghost of a smile on my lips. Of course, my new assignment would involve staying longer in Ponyville. But then again, I had requested for it even before the tribunal ended. Speaking of which...
I quickly grabbed the pocket watch that I stashed in the corner of my cubby hole and crept out to the living room. I looked around for Fluttershy, before spying her lying on the couch. She seemed to be engrossed in her latest edition of Assertive Today. Typical of her to forget her appointment. I bounced my way across the room, waving the pocket watch at her.
“Oh, good morning, Angel,” Fluttershy said, as I approached. She lowered her magazine and blinked at the sight of the pocket watch. “Why are you waving that watch around? Is it broken?”
I dragged a paw down my face and sighed. One’d have thought she learnt her lesson the first time around. Looks like I was going to have to do the song and dance again.
Somehow, I didn’t mind at all.
This fic is actually tangentially related to an older fic of mine, Trixie, Hero of Equestria. You might notice a familiar character making an appearance there as well.
