Secret Agent Dinky
Chapter 7
by Rixizu
“Now Dinky, I want you to stay here as the Rangers and I clean up this mess.” Dinky’s mom said for the thousandth time.
"Yes, mom," Dinky said with little enthusiasm.
"Sorry for keeping you down here, kiddo, but your mother insisted," Trixie said.
Dinky watched the Galaxy Rangers, minus Lyra who was in Canterlot, get ready for battle. Somehow during the last few months, Trixie had set up multiple safe houses throughout Ponyville. This one, for whatever reason, lay deep inside the ground under Quills and Sofas and only accessible through a secret elevator. This safe house was enormous with multiple rooms and a kitchen. Boxes of Trixie's random magic stuff sat all over the floor with posters of Quartermoon the Magnificent pasted all over the walls. Dinky wondered if Trixie used this place more like a storage area than a safe house.
"Don't worry Ditzy, I'll make sure she's safe," Bon-Bon said. She offered to watch over Dinky during the operation much to the filly's dismay.
“Cheer up Dinky!” Trixie beamed. “We’ll have this changeling situation sorted out by dinnertime!”
Yeah, while I sit here while all the cool stuff happens outside. She was a secret agent in training darn it! It infuriated her that she was the only foal in her class put into a safe room. Miss Cheerilee allowed the rest to go back home to their families. At least Thorax was trapped in here too so she had some company. Sadly, when pressed he couldn’t reveal much of the queen’s plans. He was just a grunt after all and they didn’t tell him much. All they knew was that the changelings were taking over the Apple Trust for some evil scheme.
" Don't forget the code word if we get separated," Twilight said, "I still can't believe that’s coming in handy."
"Hey, when your good you're good," Trixie replied, proud of the secret codes she made up for just such an occasion.
“Let’s go!” Carrot Top said with a serious expression on her face. She’d taken the takeover of the Apple Trust personally. To her, it was an attack on all farmers everywhere. Dinky felt sorry for any changelings that got in her way. The Galaxy Ranger got onto the elevator and disappeared as it traveled up the shaft.
"I'll hope they'll be okay," Thorax said with a worried look on the face he’d borrowed from Apple Bloom since he was uncomfortable in his original form. Which was a shame considering how cool his bug form looked.
“Oh, they will be fine.” Dinky waved a dismissive hoof. “They deal with this sort of thing all the time.”
“In the meantime, how about we play some board games!” Bon-Bon held up a copy of Hungry Hungry Hydras.
“That sounds fun!” Thorax’s face lit up.
Dinky, on the other hoof, was less than thrilled. “Wonderful.”
Thorax tilted his head in confusion. “What’s wrong? Is this not all that fun?”
“We could always play Monopony if you’d like?" Bon-Bon suggested.
“No, it just I don’t want to be here!” Dinky replied. “Everypony’s off on an adventure while I’m stuck here in a hole!”
"But Dinky, we're safe down here," Thorax said, "isn't that a good thing?"
“Yes, no, not really.” She hated being babied all the time and how they expected her to hide whenever anything went bad.
Bon-Bon put a hoof over Dinky’s shoulder. “I think I understand. Your mom is too overprotective, and that stifles you.”
“Yeah!” Dinky replied. “Don’t it make you angry being stuck down here considering you’re a you know what?”
Bon-Bon laughed. “A little a suppose, but protecting you is more important.”
“We should be out there battling bad guys and stuff!” Dinky went into a fighting pose.
“Not today.” Bon-Bon gave a stern no argument look. Darn it, Dinky had hoped she’d be able to convince the older mare that they should go out there and fight evil.
"I think you're lucky," Thorax said through the silence, "your mom thought of you first at the first sign of danger."
“Yeah, she does that.” Dinky sighed.
"No, I think it's wonderful," Thorax replied, "It must be nice having someone that always cares about you."
“What?” Dinky asked confused. “Is there nopony, er bug like that in your hive?”
Thorax deflated. “No.”
“Is your queen really that bad?” Dinky asked. “Aren’t you her children?”
Thorax let out a bitter laugh. “Yeah, like that one cares about anyone but herself.”
Dinky felt sorry for the entire changeling race. They fed off love, yet never received some from the one who should love them the most. No wonder they were almost all evil.
Dinky gave her new friend a hug. “Well, you don’t have to worry about that mean old queen anymore. You have a new family now!”
"Everything will be fine," Bon-Bon said, "we will find you a nice home. You deserve to live in a place where you are loved." Thorax smiled in response.
“So, how about a game of Monopony!” Bon-Bon thrust the game in front of them.
“Okay, fine.” Dinky sighed
“I’ve never played this game before.” Thorax jumped up in excitement.
An hour passed as they played. Dinky wasn’t doing too badly and already had two monopolies. “Sorry Thorax you landed on my Manehattan Ave. You now owe me 1000 bits.”
“I don’t think I like this game anymore.” To pay for the rent, he had to mortgage most of his properties. Sad for him that Dinky’s property had a hotel on it.
"The world of business is a cut-throat world," Dinky replied as Thorax hoofed over the money tokens. She felt sorry for him, but this game meant no mercy.
“My turn!” Dinky rolled the dice and landed on the Go To Jail space. “Oh, come on!”
"Right where you deserve," Thorax mumbled to himself and Dinky stuck her tongue out at him.
“Now now foals, play nice.” Bon-Bon rolled a six and a four. “Nice! Eight, nine, ten. Chance. Advance token to the nearest Railroad. Nice, nopony owns Short Line yet.” She put the necessary bits in the bank.
“My turn again.” Thorax let out a cry of surprise when Bon-Bon collapsed on the board splattering pieces and money everywhere.
“Bon-Bon!” Dinky cried out in alarm and no matter how much she shook the older mare, she didn’t wake up.
“Oh no! Oh no! Oh no!” Thorax ran back and forth in pure panic.
Suddenly Bon Bon sprung back up and smiled at them. It was an odd smile plastered on her face.
“Uh, Bon-Bon?”
“I’m hungry for some apples!’ Bon-Bon said her smile widening. “How about we go and get some apples?!”
“What?” Dinky and Thorax said in confusion.
“Apples!” Bon Bon replied. “Aren’t they great? We should go out and buy some apples from the Apple Trust’s stand!”
“But, aren’t we supposed to stay in the safe house?” Dinky asked more confused than ever.
“Not when apples are on the line!” Bon Bon beamed down at them. Before Dinky could protest any further, she pushed Dinky and Thorax into the elevator and pushed the button to go back up to the surface.
“So, what is going on?” Dinky whispered to Thorax. “She isn’t acting herself.” Bon-Bon didn’t smile like an empty-headed idiot.
"Beats me," Thorax said and his face changed when he came to a conclusion, and it didn't appear to be a nice one. "Did Bon-Bon eat any apples lately?"
“I guess, but who hasn’t?” Dinky replied. She had one this morning, and she wasn’t acting all loopy. Could this be related to why the Changelings took over the Apple Trust? Maybe she just got lucky and didn’t eat one of the bad apples?
Dinky starred in surprise as ponies all over Ponyville pushed their friends and loved ones towards the marketplace. They pressed against Dinky and she couldn't push herself out of the rush of ponies.
“Aren’t apples great?!”
“Uh, okay?”
“I’m in the mood for apples? Aren’t you?”
“Okay! An apple sounds great right about now.”
“Apples apples apples!”
“I don’t even like apples. Hey, let go of my leg!”
“What the?” Had all of Ponyville become apple zomponies? “Ow ow ow. Stop pushing me!”
Dinky soon found herself in front of the Apple Trust’s apple stands. They had set three of them up for the rush of customers.
“Yes, apples are now only a bit a piece!” The mare at the counter said a relative of the Apples Dinky didn’t recognize. “Don’t push. There are plenty for everypony!”
Fear filled Dinky as she watched the customers eat their newly bought apples. A change went over them and their eyes turned glossy. They seemed empty only concerned about getting more apples which they seemed to love more than anything now. She tried to run to safety, but Bon Bon caught her before she even got a hoofs length away. She struggled, but it was no use.
“Thorax, do something!” Dinky cried out in alarm. She didn’t want to end up an apple zompony too.
"Uh, well, okay." Thorax closed his eyes for a moment and in a flash in green light turned himself into a white big hulking pegasus pony stallion with huge rippling muscles like a bodybuilder and he towered over everypony.
“Yeah! Out of the way!” Thorax knocked stunned ponies out of his way and Bon-Bon crashed into a nearby crate making Dinky wince. It worked though and the area around Thorax cleared. "On my back!"
Dinky held on for dear life as Thorax ran for safety. Several ponies gave chase with very peeved expressions.
“What are you doing?” One mare at the Apple Trust stand cried. “Come back here, traitor!”
"Faster!" Dinky said in a panic as three ponies came after them and soon gained on them. Despite his hulking size, Thorax wasn’t all that fast.
"On it!" Thorax turned his body into Rainbow Dash's and they soon outpaced their pursuers.
Dinky cursed when the changelings chasing them threw away any subterfuge and they too transformed into Rainbow Dash much to the shock of the other nonzomponified ponies in the crowd. These bugs were older and stronger than Thorax and soon were on their tail.
"Oh, ponyfeathers!" Dinky cried out in alarm and fear. "What are we going to do now?!"
“I don’t know!” Thorax said just as terrified.
“Don’t worry darling, I got this!” Out of nowhere, Rarity appeared wielding a broom in her hooves and the Rainbow Dashes backed away in alarm. “Get to safety! I’ll handle these ruffians.”
“Oh really, what are you going to do to us pony?” One Rainbow Dash said giving the fashionista a mocking smile.
“Yeah, ain’t you afraid you will mess up your mane?” Another Rainbow Dash added and the collection of RDs broke into laughter.
“Get out of our way, pony.” The third Rainbow Dash said. “We will not ask again.”
“Oh, that does it!” Rarity went into a fighting stance and spun her broom like it was a bo staff. She pointed it at the first Rainbow Dash and gave her a gesture of challenge with a hoof. “Bring it on.”
“Sure, whatever you say…” This Rainbow Dash didn’t get to finish as the bloom whiskers impacted into her face.
The two other Rainbow Dashes tried to jump Rarity, but with a speed that stunned Dinky, Rarity batted them away like they were nothing. They tried to kick and punch at her, but she dodged and blocked with such grace it seemed more like a dance. Rarity stomped her broom on a Rainbow Dash’s hoof and tripped the Rainbow Dash onto her back painfully. Another got whacked in the face and crashed into some nearby crates. Another lost her breath as the end of the bloom smashed in her stomach and received a blow to her chin with the end of the broom. The Rainbow Dash on the ground winced and looked up in fear seeing her two buddies on the ground groaning in pain. She transformed into her changeling form and spit green gunk at Rarity, only for the mare to spin her broom like a fan and it blew away harmlessly.
“No way!” This was the last thing the changeling said before Rarity knocked her unconscious.
Dinky stared in shock her mouth gaping wide open. "How did you do that?"
Rarity did a few more spins of her broom before putting on the ground. “Haven’t you ever wondered why I insisted they install a dojo in the Sugarcube Corner Youth Center? I happen to consider myself quite the connoisseur of martial arts.”
"I see," Dinky said, lost for words. To her Rarity seemed like the type of mare more likely to be a hoity-toity party than all sweaty in a gym. She couldn't believe the level skill the other mare had. Of course, Rarity lived in Ponyville, the weirdness center of the world. Learning to fight seemed like a good idea.
"Thanks for saving us," Thorax said turning back into Apple Bloom which for some reason didn't surprise Rarity in the least.
"My pleasure, my dear." Rarity sighed as more angry ponies ran towards them. "You better run along. I'll keep these ones at bay."
"Thanks, Rarity!" Dinky felt guilty for running away, but at least ten ponies who were no doubt changelings running towards them. "Good luck!"
Rarity waved as they ran away. “Say hi to your mother for me. I’ve been dying to invite her to a spa date.” She said this as if she wasn’t about to enter a fight for her life.
“What now?” Thorax panted for breath. They hid in an alley once Dinky was sure they’d finally gotten away. “Back to the safe house?”
"No," Dinky replied after a moment of thought, "they’ve got Bon Bon so they know about it; besides we need to do something!"
“What?” Thorax cried out in horror.
“It’s up to us to make this right!” Dinky was a secret agent in training and the situation was dire. She couldn’t just hide in a hole somewhere. “For all we know, all the Galaxy Rangers are apple zomponies now! We need to find a cure!”
"How?” Thorax asked perplexed.
“I know somezebra that can help us," Dinky replied, "she'll be able to help up get a cure no problem."
Let’s just hope she doesn’t like apples.
Thorax brightened. “That sounds easy enough!”
“She lives the middle of the Everfree Forest," Dinky said trying to make it not sound as bad as it sounded.
“What?!” Thorax face turned to one of horror. “They say no one comes out of that place alive!”
Dinky waved a dismissive hoof. “It will be fine. Those are just silly stories. Carrot Top goes back and forth to Zecora’s all the time!" She left out the part that Carrot Top was a superhero and they were just foals. “There isn’t anything all that dangerous there.” Dinky lied. She was all too aware of all the horrible monsters that lived there. Didn’t Trixie mention actual flesh-eating zomponies attacking her once? However, telling Thorax this didn’t seem all that helpful. Dinky figured they would be fine.
“Oh, okay!” Thorax said with painful naivety and Dinky felt bad for lying to him, but the situation was too dire.
“First, we need to get one of the poisoned apples," Dinky said, "Lyra and Bon-Bon's place isn’t far from here.”
They kept to the shadows as they headed to their destination. Much to Dinky’s horror, most of Ponyville was under control now all giving blank vacant stares. Angry looking ponies patrolled the streets and Dinky feared the worse. For once Dinky thanked her small size, and she managed to sneak into one of Lyra’s windows unnoticed, leaving Thorax hiding behind some trash cans. She rummaged through the refrigerator and picked the evillest looking apple she could find. She put it in a small pouch and snuck back out the window. Dinky crept on the ground and froze when a voice cried out.
“Hey, you!” A stallion said wearing an apple related cutie mark. “Come here a moment.”
"Uh, hi," Dinky said trying to play it cool.
“What are you doing here?” The stallion said. “Haven’t you heard they’re having a party down in the marketplace? All the apples you can eat.”
“I’m cool, thanks.” Dinky tried to walk away but a powerful grip took her in the leg.
“A filly like you shouldn’t be alone.” Dinky didn’t like the predatory look the stallion was giving her. “Let me escort you there.”
Dinky struggled to free herself, but it was no use. He was just too big and powerful.
“Yo!” A stallion Dinky recognized as Caramel walked up to them. “Let me escort her, that way you don’t have to interrupt your patrol.”
Caramel’s eyes shifted green for a moment and the other stallion nodded. “Thanks. These little ponies are hiding everywhere.”
Caramel grabbed her with a tight grip. “Follow me, I’ll get us to safety.” He whispered to her and Dinky realized the stallion’s identity and smiled.
“What was that?” The Apple pony asked.
Dinky turned her look to one of utmost terror and pretended to struggle in Thorax's grasp. "Nothing!" Thorax replied a little too quickly, but the stallion nodded and left them.
“That was too close.” Thorax sighed in relief.
“Let’s go before some other bug finds us!” Dinky said.
"Uh, I wasn't going to say this, but I think using the term bug to describe us Changelings is a little offensive," Thorax said with a rare look of stern disapproval.
“Oh, sorry.” Dinky flushed in embarrassment mortified at her behavior.
"It's fine," Thorax replied, "you didn't know."
Dinky stayed quiet as they snuck towards the outskirts of town towards Fluttershy's house. She thanked Luna that nopony or changeling noticed them and soon the terrifying Everfree forest loomed in front of them. The trees were giants and the forest seemed to suck in the surrounding light.
“Well, what are you waiting for?” Thorax, back as Apple Bloom, said walking into the forest oblivious to the danger inside.
“Nothing.” Dinky followed wondering if this was such a good idea after all. She sternly told herself that she was a secret agent in training and being afraid was silly. She hoped that this was true as the darkness of the Everfree engulfed them both.