Secret Agent Dinky
Chapter 12
by Rixizu
“What? What?” Dinky’s eyes widen horrified.
“We’ll duel in fifteen minutes.” Scapula pointed towards the ring in the dojo.
“What, no!” Dinky replied. “I’m not fighting to the death! No way!”
“Uh, but doesn’t this solve everything?” One changeling said.
“Yeah, you talk big, but how about putting your money where your mouth is!” Another changeling added.
“But, no. I can’t do this!” Dinky stared at the changelings not believing they were pushing her into this. “I am not fighting someone to death! Never ever!”
“You said that already. Fine.” Scapula rolled his eyes. “We’ll fight till grievous harm then. Happy?”
“No!”
“Good, see you in ten!” Scapula trotted away and did various stretches preparing for the fight.
“Oh, dear.” Fluttershy looked stricken.
Banana Peel put a comforting hoof on Dinky’s shoulder. “I’ll be rooting for you.”
“Quite a pickle,” Zecora said. “With your words, you should be more fickle.”
“Yeah, you kinda walked into that one,” Pinkie added.
“Poor Dinky.” Thorax shook his head. “You can’t back down now, or everyling won’t support you.”
“I can’t do this!” Dinky searched among the changelings’ faces for anyling to back her and to discover Thorax was right. She’d look weak if she backed down now. Changeling respected strength and words alone won’t solve this.
“I am so screwed!” Dinky put her face in her hooves.
Maybe she might pull this off? She was a secret agent in training after all. Oh, who was she kidding? The most training Bon-Bon gave her were running exercises. It was impossible for her to beat someone much older and literally five times her size. What would Trixie do in this situation? No, that wouldn’t work. The Red Ranger would jump into this fight with a huge grin on her face.
My only chance is to beat him with smarts! Then Dinky remembered her middling grades and her pathetic magical skills.
“Why me?”
Ten minutes passed in agony Dinky already fearing the worst. Her opponent, on the other hoof, showed nothing but the utmost confidence. Dinky sat in the ring glum and despondent. After her humiliating defeat, everything would fall apart and their only hope was Raindrops. Who knew if she’d even make it to Cloudsdale with Queen Chrysalis and her elite on her hooves?
At least she helped save Raindrops. That was something. Dinky thought as Scapula entered the ring and towered over her. One of his legs was bigger than Dinky’s whole body.
“You can do it Dinky!” Pinkie waved a flag with Dinky’s face on it. Her allies yelled with her which lifted her spirits somewhat.
What the heck? She would fight him, even if it meant getting her face smashed into the ground.
Other changelings also cheered for her and also somehow had flags wearing Dinky’s face. It warmed her heart and steeled her resolve. Changelings rooted on Scapula as well, and one changeling had a sign that said “Scapula 3:16” on it. Whatever the heck that meant.
“I want a good clean fight. The fight ends when one combatant either gives up or loses consciousness.” The referee changeling said standing in between them. “No hitting below the belt. No going for the eyes. Now, let’s get it on!”
“Let’s go.” Scapula charged ready to deliver a devastating blow to her head. Dinky ducked and ran behind her opponent. She kicked using everything she had at one of his legs. It slightly knocked him off balance, but otherwise did no harm. She cried out in surprise as Scapula kicked back, but Dinky got lucky and it missed. She backed away terrified to get anywhere near him. If he grabbed her, the fight was over.
“Go Dinky!” Pinkie cried out. “You’re doing great and have him right where you want him!”
“You got this!” Thorax shouted and waved his flag.
The cheering is great but now what? What the heck do I do now?
Scapula grinned and shifted to a ferocious tiger. He roared sending Dinky’s mane flapping under its tremendous power and filled Dinky’s heart with fear and dread. He dug his claws into the dojo’s mat as Dinky rolled away tearing a nasty gash into it. Dinky scrambled to her hooves and backed away as Scapula stalked her.
“Hey!” Pinkie hit the changeling turned tiger on the snout with a rolled up newspaper. “Bad kitty! Don’t tear holes in Sugercube property!” She hit Scapula again for good measure.
“Sorry.” Scapula turned back to his original form his ears drooping with shame. Pinkie trotted away satisfied but got a dirty look from the ref for her interference. She only stuck her tongue out at him.
Thankfully Scapula didn’t change shape again and threw a barrage of attacks in his natural form which Dinky ducked under. Dinky was quicker for being a small filly and ducked under his legs as he attempted to grab her. Dinky kicked back whenever she dared, but this only annoyed her opponent a little. She tried headbutting him, but it only hurt her head and made her dizzy. Her horn didn’t leave even a scratch on Scapula’s hard shell.
“Not bad.” Scapula nodded his head in respect. “But how about this?” His body changed shape becoming an anaconda towering over her big enough to swallow her whole.
Scapula dove and grabbed her in his scaley grip. Dinky struggled and writhed, but found his grip inescapable. He tightened his grip around her neck attempting to throttle her into unconsciousness. Dinky struggled harder, but nothing gave and the edge of her vision turned black. In moments, she’d be out cold.
Dinky pushed with desperate strength only for her opponent to tighten even further and the strength drained from her limbs. Scapula’s tail waved in Dinky’s face taunting and mocking her. In frustration and anger, she grabbed it and bite in like a crazed, desperate animal. Scapula yelped in pain and dropped her blowing on his injured tail.
Color and life returned to Dinky, and she breathed in grateful gulps of air. She gritted her teeth and swung a two hoofed blow at Scapula’s snakey head. His new form’s skin wasn’t as tough as his changeling form and he screamed out in pain as the blow impacted.
“Why you!” Scapula shifted back to a changeling and his wings fluttered as he took to the air.
“Oh, come on!” Scapula hovered keeping well out of Dinky’s range and flew above her circling like a buzzard. He made an unexpected turn and divebombed at her. The unexpected attack threw Dinky off guard and she dropped to the ground and Dinky felt the wind on her back as he narrowly avoided her. Her opponent didn’t let up and kicked at her sending blow down at her. Dinky avoided them and back away out of the range ducked when he took another sudden dive at her. Her legs burned, and she knew it was impossible to keep this up forever. Only luck had kept her safe this long. She needed a plan of attack. In a flash of insight, she had an idea. It was a plan Trixie would try, and those usually worked, right?
Scapula dove at her again, but this time she jumped and landed right on his face. He cried out in surprise and flew in an erratic pattern unable to see where he was going. Dinky blocked his sight holding on for dear life terrified to let go.
This was a horrible idea! Dinky felt ill and fought back losing her lunch. She opened her eyes to see where Scapula was flying. “Look out! Wall!”
“What?” Scapula asked in confusion. Both Dinky and Scapula cried out in pain when he collided with a wall face first and they crashed to the ground. Scapula broke her fall, and she laid on top of him groaning in pain. They landed next to the edge of the pool and Scapula’s leg hung over the side.
“Are you okay?” Thorax shouted.
“Yeah, I think so.” Her body hurt all over, but she was otherwise fine. Note to self, Trixie’s plans are stupid and hurt.
“Why you!” Scapula stood up ready to deal some payback. Dinky backed away and ran as her opponent chased after her.
“Hey, no running in the pool area!” Pinkie cried out in protest and pointed at the “No Running” sign, but they ignored her too caught up in their chase.
Oh crap, oh crap! Dinky ran was hard as her little legs could carry her and the bigger changeling struggled to keep up as they ran around the pool.
“Uh, weren’t they supposed to be fighting?” A changeling asked.
“That little filly can run.”
“Do you think Scapula will remember he can fly?”
Scapula slapped his head when he heard this. She panicked when Scapula’s wings fluttered ready to take off and attack her from the air, but Scapula wasn’t watching his hooves and ran right into a wet spot on the floor and slipped. He cried out in fear as fell right into the pool.
“Help me!”Scapula struggled to stay afloat.
“Someling help him!” Cornicle cried out. “Scapula can’t swim!”
“No running! The sign isn’t there for decoration!” Pinkie huffed in irritation. She tried to warn them.
“Help!” Scapula fell beneath the pool’s deadly waters.
“We need to help him!” Dinky looking for anything that might help save Scapula.
“Hold on.” Banana Peel asked confused. “If you let him drown, you win. It might be your only chance to victory!”
“I don’t care!” Dinky replied annoyed. “We need to get him to safety!”
“As always compassion burns deep in your heart,” Zecora nodded and smiled down at her, “we must retrieve our changeling friend from the water right away before his soul departs.”
Dinky spotted a life preserver and floated it to Zecora with her magic. Dinky doubted a filly of her size would do much and he’d only drag her under too. No point in getting them both killed. The zebra dove in after Scapula and retrieved his unconscious form. With Zecora’s CPR and some strong thrusts to his stomach Scapula was breathing again.
“Uh, what happened?” Scapula said after regaining consciousness.
“Are you okay?” Dinky said. “I feared the worse!”
“You will make a swift recovery,” Zecora said after examining Scapula’s condition, “if Dinky hadn’t thought so quickly it would have turned ugly.”
“You saved me?” Scapula asked wide-eyed.
“I wouldn’t let you drown, fight or not,” Dinky replied
Scapula absorbed Dinky’s kind words and then beamed. “I owe you my life! I am forever in your debt!”
“Well, this wouldn't have happened if you paid attention to the sign!” Pinkie said and Scapula blushed red.
“It’s what any pony would have done,” Dinky didn’t think she’d done anything that special. It was what any decent pony would have done in the circumstances.
“So, uh, are we going to continue our fight or what?” Dinky asked already trying devising what she might try next to defeat Scapula. Maybe she could trick him into running into a wall by accident? Or maybe changelings had some secret pressure point she might exploit?
Scapula’s eyes widened. “What are you talking about? You already won!”
“I have?” Dinky blinked.
“I owe you a changeling life debt!” Scapula said. “My life is forever yours!”
Dinky looked at Thorax in confusion. Since when was that a thing? Weren’t they fighting for their lives? Her friend shrugged just as baffled.
“Besides, you knocked me unconscious when you tricked me towards the pool and I fell into the water. Talk about a great plan!”
“I don’t think going into unconsciousness because of drowning counts,” Dinky replied, and what was this nonsense about it being a plan? He had only slipped because of bad luck.
“A victory’s a victory!” Pinkie said.
“Come on Dinky, he’s giving you the win,” Thorax added, “why are you complaining?”
“But!” Dinky said in protest. It didn’t sit well with her winning like this. It broke the rules, sorta. She also didn’t want his life debt.
“You beat me fair and square.” Scapula said with a confidence she didn’t share.
“Well, okay.” Dinky gave up arguing.
“This shouldn’t count!” A changeling said in protest. “She only won through luck!”
“It doesn’t matter!” Scapula countered. “I fell unconscious, so I lost. End of story!”
Honestly, it is a miracle I didn’t slip and fall into the pool too. Though unlike her former opponent, Dinky was an excellent swimmer.
Some of Scapula’s changelings agreed and nodded along. Some, however, snorted in disgust, not satisfied with this turn of events.
“Fools, all of you.” One changeling said and left Sugarcube Corner with two more of his kind following behind him. To Dinky’s relief, the defectors were in a minority though.
“Now Mistress Dinky, we must get to your friends.” Scapula said.
“Wait, Mistress Dinky?”
“According to the changeling life debt, I am your servant for life!” Scapula stood up strong and proud.
“Changeling life debt, is that a thing?” Dinky whispered towards Thorax.
“No,” Thorax replied with the utmost confidence.
Great. Now I have I’ll have this guy hanging around me for the rest of my life. Whatever, we’ll rescue mom and the other Rangers first, and then I’ll dissuade him of this nonsense.
“Where are you holding everypony?” Dinky asked.
She couldn’t believe it. Some kinks aside, she was about to rescue her mother and save the day! It seemed like five eternities since she’d left the safe house and began this adventure. No way could Queen Chrysalis beat five Rangers and all the other changelings. It was smooth sailing from here. Nothing could possibly go wrong!
“Sweet Apple Acres, Mistress Dinky!” Scapula turned his back towards her. “Get on my back, I’ll take you there.” Dinky scowled at her new title, but did as instructed and enjoyed the thrill of flying as they flew towards Sweet Apple Acres. Thorax and several other changelings followed behind while most stayed in Sugarcube Corner to continue the pizza party. Pinkie had just set out another batch of fresh pizzas.
---
Unbeknownst to Dinky and her allies, changelings watched them fly towards Sweet Apple Acre full of hate for these traitors and their pony allies.
“We have to do something!” Meninges bit at her hoof in nervousness. “They’ll ruin our Queen’s wondrous plan.”
“What can we do?” Cervical said. “There are only three of us. We can’t fight them!”
A changeling held up a hoof stopping his comrades’ panicking. Sarcomere was smaller than the others but stood with confidence. He would not sway from his purpose.
“We only have one option then.” He said. “They must never awake our enemies.”
Meninges scoffed. “How?”
“Never you mind.” Sarcomere replied. “Distract them. It will give me the time I need.”
“Okay.” Meninges didn’t agree with her ally’s confidence, but it was the only way to salvage their queen’s plan. She flew off towards the filly and her allies.
“You. Go into the Everfree and find a suitable beast to attack the traitors. They aren’t the only ones who can ally with the horrors of the forest.”
Cervical gulped in fright, but nodded and flew towards the forest as fast as his wings could carry him.
Perfect. This would be in the Ranger’s final hour.
---
Dinky watched her surroundings, wary that Queen Chrysalis might pop out at any moment. She kept a careful eye out for anything suspicious. Dinky didn’t know much about apple trees, but they looked wrong. They seemed discolored and ill and nopony had taken good care of them. She noticed signs of a huge fight with many trees smashed into splinters and guessed it must have been from the Queen’s fight with the Rangers that hadn’t eaten the poisoned apples. Dinky watched for danger as Scapula led the way. They’d almost reached the barn when a familiar voice called out to them.
“Hey!” Lyra said waving a hoof.
“Lyra!” Dinky cried out in delight.
“There you are,” Lyra said when she reached them, “I’ve been looking everywhere for a familiar face. What the heck is going on? Why is everypony like g=zombponies?”
“It’s a long story!” Dinky gave the older mare a hug which she returned awkwardly. “I’m so glad to see you. So much has happened!” She could write a book on it.
“Who the heck is that?!” Lyra pointed at Dinky’s changeling friends.
“This is Scapula,” Dinky replied, “The changelings are good now.”
Lyra peered at them with suspicion. “Really?”
“Again, it’s a long story,” Dinky said, “just let me get the other Rangers and I can explain the whole story.”
She planned to edit out most of the dangerous parts. Her mother didn’t need to learn about the time an evil cyclops almost ate her. She still wasn’t sure how she’d smooth over the “almost fight to the death” part of the story yet.
“Hold on!” Thorax walked in front of Dinky his stance and gate guarded. “How you’re the real Lyra?”
Dinky hit herself mentally. She’d been so relieved to see Lyra, she’d forgotten the possibility of a changeling imposter. There were still changelings who opposed their plan.
“What is the secret code?” Dinky had it memorized. Trixie liked having secret passcodes for just such an occasion.
“6B4-Alpha-8IQ.” Lyra did several break dancing moves that ended with the splits.
“It’s her.” Dinky sighed in relief. Trixie had drilled them on this stupid code at least fifty times making them repeat it at least once a day. This proved Lyra wasn’t an imposter, though it still confused her why Trixie didn't use a simpler code or why it needed dancing. It seemed silly and unnecessary. All her changeling allies sighed in relief.
“But what makes you so sure we can trust them?” Lyra pointed an accusatory hoof.
“Trust me! They’re friends! I’ll explain everything, later!” Dinky pointed at the barn. “This is it?”
“Yes, there is a secret door under the hay.” Scapula threw open the barn door.
“Dinky this could be a trap!” Lyra threw herself in the way blocking their path.
“No, it’s not!” Dinky grunted in annoyance. Why was Lyra so cynical?
Lyra crossed her hooves. “Explain to me why then.”
“Later, once we free everypony.” Dinky loathed repeating herself.
“What’s with her?” Thorax whispered.
“I don’t know,” Dinky replied whispering back, “Lyra can…”
Her eyes widened in horror as a changeling darted from an apple tree and threw a fiery touch into one of the barn’s open windows. The entire barn burst into flames moments later.