Fluttershy looked nervously up at Fleur. "So... are you going to tell me what's going on now?"
The gardens behind Fancy Pants' luxurious mansion weren't quite as sprawling or extravagant as those around Canterlot Castle, but they were close. Tall hedges and vine-twirled trellises formed walls and grand archways, while spiraling evergreens rose into the sky like towers at each corner. A little stream meandered through the garden's length, dropping every now and then to create little waterfalls that were highlighted by splashes of colorful flowers. A narrow path of polished stone led to a white gazebo that gleamed enchantingly in the moonlight, though it still paled in comparison to the ethereal shine of Fleur's alabaster coat.
Fortunately, Fluttershy no longer found the graceful unicorn's beauty intimidating. No, now she was intimidated by her ability to participate in hoof-fu battles on top of moving carriages against deadly earth ponies with form-fitting red jumpsuits.
Fluttershy had hardly gotten any sleep last night, so shaken by the incident and her own near-injury. Rarity had pressed her about what was wrong, but, remembering Fleur's orders, the pegasus managed to suppress the urge to jump into her friend's hooves and tell her how scared she was. Instead, she'd steadfastly insisted that she was okay, and finally Rarity had given up on the matter and had thrown herself into her work. She'd been there all night and almost all day since, emerging only briefly to use the little filly's room and, at Fluttershy's insistence, eat a bit of lunch. She'd finally passed out an hour or so ago, right around the time that Fluttershy found a note under the suite's door instructing her to be in the garden at midnight.
And here she was, face-to-face with a dangerous ninja pony who was frowning seriously as she peered warily around the garden. Fluttershy bit her lip nervously; she was pretty sure they were alone out here, but her companion's alertness set her on edge. "Fleur?"
Apparently satisfied that the gardens were empty, Fleur turned her attention to her companion. "I am sorry for the secrecy, mon amie. Have you or Mademoiselle Rarity been harassed since last we spoke?"
Fluttershy shook her head. "No... Why? What do they want with Rarity?"
"It is... complicated." She glanced around again, checking for eavesdroppers. "They wish to humiliate Fancy Pants."
"Um. What?"
She frowned. "As I said, it is complicated. Many of Equestria's old bourgeoisie resent Fancy for attempting to promote, how they say, 'commoners' to the ranks of the elite. Mademoiselle Worthy is one of the most vocal among them."
"Okay, but why Rarity?"
"She is widely known as one of Fancy's favori ponies, no? Even she does not realize how much effort he has gone to to promote her." She smiled. "If I did not know him better, I would be with jealousy. But her raison d'etre is fashion, and that is also Mademoiselle Worthy's domain. And so she sees an opportunity to prove the nobility's superiority, and to win hearts and minds from Fancy's cause."
Fluttershy quirked an eyebrow. "She... she thinks the fate of Equestria depends on a fashion show?"
Fleur shook her head and laughed. "No, mon amie, nothing so dramatic. But it is part of her larger campaign against Fancy and his ideas of equality."
"Okay. But, um... why does she have ninjas? And why are you a ninja? And does Fancy Pants know you're a ninja? And do you have to fight other ninjas often? Are there a lot of ninjas in Canterlot?" She gulped. "Because ninjas are scary."
"Ninja? No, no. Not ninja. Espionne." Fleur scanned their surroundings quickly, and then leaned forward to speak in a low whisper. "What do you know of the Duchy of Fancè?"
"Um, not much," Fluttershy admitted. "It was the only ancient unicorn kingdom not affected by the wendigos, and it's technically not part of Equestria, even though it really is. That's... sort of all I remember from history class, sorry."
"Oui, this is all true. But there is more than you know. Elite young fillies and colts from Fancè are sometimes trained to serve Princess Celestia in... ways not greatly publicized. We work in the shadows, protecting Equestria from threats from without, and from within. We are... the Agents Secret."
"I've never heard of them."
"Oui." Fleur smiled tightly. "There is reason for that."
Fluttershy frowned and tapped a hoof to her chin thoughtfully. "So, the pony on the carriage, the one you called 'Red Adder,' she's an 'agent secret,' too?"
The tall unicorn shook her head emphatically. "Non. She has been trained... elsewhere. As have her companions. I have... met them before."
"What do you mean? Who are they?"
Fleur glanced around again and lowered her voice even further. "Red Adder. Real name unknown. Born in Stalliongrad. Proficient in several martial arts, particularly hoof-fu and tai kwon po. But," she smirked, "I know her style. Then there is Blue Cobra. Trottingham native. She is extremely proficient in combat telekinesis. However, she has poor peripheral vision. And finally, Yellow Viper. Born in Okineighwa. Skilled flyer, infiltrator, and saboteur. Her, I have not yet had the pleasure of meeting."
Fluttershy gulped. "Do they all know eachother? I mean, um, with the colors and the snake names?"
"Oui, they were all trained by the same ponies. But they have never worked together like this. Individually, I could deal with them easily. But for Worthy to have hired them all... " She let out a breath. "She does not wish to take chances, here. She means to destroy Mademoiselle Rarity utterly."
"Y-you mean, Rarity's in danger?"
Fleur waved a hoof. "Not for her life. Her... persona. Her career."
"But, but... that is Rarity's life!"
"Oui," Fleur agreed. "For her sake, and for Fancy's, we must stop them."
Fluttershy froze. "W-we?"
"I will need your help, Flootairshy."
"B-but... I mean, um, I'd like to help, but, um, I'm... kind of... not good... at this sort of thing... "
She trailed off into incomprehensible murmurs. Fleur raised an eyebrow and smiled. "I will not ask you to put yourself in danger without preparing you for it, mon amie. I will train you as best I can in what time we have, if you will aid me."
Fluttershy made some sort of noncommittal murmur. Fleur put a hoof on her shoulder and leaned forward. "I need your help, Flootairshy. Fancy Pants needs your help." She paused, staring at the pegasus until she finally lifted her eyes to meet the steady gaze. "Rarity needs your help. Please."
She dropped her head, letting her mane fall over her eyes. She didn't want to be here. She didn't want to be dealing with color-coded mercenaries and scheming fashion designers and a pretty, delicate mare who led a double life straight out of one of Pinkie's wild stories. But... Rarity needed her. And by the time she got word to Ponyville so Twilight and Applejack and Rainbow Dash could come up here to sort everything out like they always did, it might be too late.
She gulped and looked up into the unicorn's pale, purple eyes. "O-okay," she told her.
"Have you ever studied the martial arts?"
Fluttershy looked at the white gi Fleur was offering her. "Well... Rainbow Dash made me watch Big Trouble in Little Chineigh once."
Fleur raised an eyebrow. "So... no, then?"
"Sorry."
The tall unicorn shook her head. "It is nothing to apologize for, only surprising. You are a hero, no? You have been on un nombre of adventures?"
"Um... sort of. But usually we don't fight anypony. And I never do.."
"But you have received no training? No instruction in the art de la légitime défense?"
Fluttershy bit her lip. "No, I don't think so."
Fleur frowned and put the gi back on its hook. "That does explain your reaction to danger. No pegasus warrior would forget her wings in panic."
"Um... "
She smiled apologetically. "I do not mean insult, mon amie. You have a gentle soul; très admirable.
This only means that you will not be able to assist me in a mêlée. But there are other ways to help."
Fluttershy gulped, nodded, and looked around the room. Fleur had established an apparently secret base of operations in a hidden chamber below Fancy's mansion, the entrance concealed behind a brass-and-steel behemoth of whirling gears and hissing steam. (Apparently, it heated the water in the mansion's showers... somehow.) Approximately a third of the room was devoted to martial training, with thick pads on the floor and various training weapons, dummies, and obstacles set up here and there. The next was a more traditional armory, with weapons and suits of armor ranging from the traditional (swords, spears, chain shirts, and so forth) to the exotic (some sort of backpack consisting of two canisters marked "flammable" and a short hose). Finally, the far wall was lined with crystal balls on simple pedestals; in their swirling depths, Fluttershy had seen various areas about the mansion's perimeter and a few other locations in the city.
The whole place was lit by cool, blue-white lights that didn't seem to come from any particular source and were starting to give her a minor headache. That, combined with her continued intimidation and apparent uselessness, was making Fluttershy more and more eager to leave. Not just the room, but Canterlot.
As she considered possible escape plans, Fleur walked over to the wall of weapons and, after a moment's consideration, levitated a simple, wooden tube. "Have you ever seen one of these?"
Fluttershy cleared her thoughts with a blink and shake of her head. "Is it a flute?"
"No, mon amie. It is a zebra weapon, called a sarbacane, or 'blowgun.'"
"Oh. ... No."
Fleur lifted the pipe to her lips and gave a quick, deep puff. A small, feathered object flew out the end and stuck, quivering, in the far wall. Fluttershy stared at it in horror as the unicorn calmly crossed the room and plucked the little dart free. "The sarbacane fires a small dart, usually dipped in some sort of sedative. These will tranquilize a full-grown earth pony for four hours."
"D-does it hurt?"
"Non, it stings no more than a needle, and the rest is actually tres agréable."
Fluttershy gulped and nodded. "O-okay. ... A-are you going to teach me to use that?"
"Oui, but only as a last resort." Fleur smiled. "I do not intend to put either of us in danger, Flootairshy. No, the life of an Agent Secret is not all hoof-fu battles and flirting with attractive stallions... though that is un avantage... " Fluttershy made a nervous little squeaking sound, to Fleur's obvious amusement. "No, mon amie, there are two things an Agent Secret must do: to be aware of her surroundings, and to always have a plan."
She turned to Fluttershy so suddenly that the pegasus squeaked again and cringed back. "Quickly, Flootairshy! Look at that wall!" She pointed a hoof to the cluster of glowing crystal balls.
Fluttershy blinked and turned towards it confusedly. "Um, okay?"
"Now look back at me!"
She did so. "O-okay."
"What did you see?"
"A... a bunch of crystal balls?"
"How many?"
Fluttershy's eyes widened. "Um... twelve?"
"What did they show?"
"W-well, there was Fancy Pants' garden, and the living room in Rarity's suite, and the big entrance place with the stairs, and that donut place Spike took us to... "
"And?" Fleur pressed.
"And... other... places?"
The unicorn stared at her for a long moment, then nodded. "Pas mal, mon amie. I have seen worse for a first try. Now, ready yourself, and look again."
Fluttershy did so. "Okay, um. There's another part of the mansion I haven't seen yet, and I think I recognize a couple of the streets around the mansion, and I don't really know where the others were pointed, but one of them looked like a big theatre, and I think maybe one or two of the others were looking at the same place. Is that where the fashion show will be held?"
"Oui, very good. And... ?"
Fluttershy blushed. "And... there were thirteen crystal balls."
"Magnifique, Flootairshy," Fleur smiled. "Tomorrow, I shall show you where all of these places are. You have a natural talent for perception."
The pegasus reddened further and scraped a hoof across the ground. "Well, you know, I take care of a lot of little animals, and I have to make sure they don't get into trouble sometimes."
"It is a useful skill to have. Now, then. If I were to attack you right now, what would you do?"
Fluttershy froze. "W-what?"
"I am attacking you!" Fleur repeated loudly, rising into a combative stance. "What do you do?"
"A-ask you to stop?"
"I refuse! What now?"
"Run away?"
"Where? There is only the one door, and I stand between you and it!"
Fluttershy cowered into a ball. "... A-ask you really nicely to let me leave?"
Fleur sighed and rolled her eyes. "You are still holding the sabarcane, Flootairshy."
"Y-yes," the pegasus agreed, looking nervously at the device. "But I don't want to hurt you."
"I am attacking you! I am intending to hurt you! Will you not defend yourself?"
"But why are you attacking me?"
Fleur frowned. "What does it matter?"
"Well, um... when we went to stop Nightmare Moon, we met this manticore that tried to attack us, but it was really just mad because it had a big, nasty thorn stuck in his little paw. So I calmed him down and pulled it out." When Fleur didn't respond, Fluttershy continued hesitantly. "And... then there was this time with a big d-dragon, and it was angry because it was sleeping and then Rainbow Dash kicked it in the face, but I just sort of scolded it and it left. And then there was this cockatrice that turned Twilight Sparkle to stone, but it was just misbehaving because it ran away from home, and once I threatened to tell its mother, it turned Twilight and Elizabeak back. And then... "
Fleur laughed. "Enough, mon amie. I see your point. Your plan would be to discern my motives, and then to use diplomatie. But what if there was nothing you could say to dissuade me?"
"Um... " Fluttershy bit her lip. "Then I'd grab your front right hoof and use it to suplex you so I could run for the door."
"You'd... what?"
The pegasus blushed again. "M-my dad's a wrestling coach in Cloudsdale."
Fleur stared at her in open-mouthed shock for a long moment, then burst out laughing. Fluttershy smiled nervously as her friend's mirth gradually played itself out, ending with the unicorn sprawled on the floor, chest heaving as she tried to gasp in breath. "I think I have chosen my assistant well, mon amie," she finally managed. "I see now where to begin your training." She stretched as she rose back to her hooves and covered a yawn. "Tomorrow, while Fancy Pants fusses about appeasing the noblesse and Mademoiselle Rarity works her hooves to the bone, I shall begin to make you into a true Agent Secret."
"What do you mean, 'We're having a photo shoot?!'" Rarity screamed. The door to her temporary workship flew open, revealing the fashionista in all of her sweaty, unkempt, sleep-deprived glory. Fluttershy recoiled, Fleur winced, but Fancy Pants regarded her placidly.
"My dear, I rather thought you'd appreciate the opportunity to show off your new designs," he said mildly.
"They're not ready to be shown!" she snarled in reply. "They're a work in progress! Why do you think I'm still in here?!"
"Actually, we were becoming concerned that you had perished sometime over the last two days, and the horrific racket was simply your vengeful spirit attempting to continue on in your memory."
"You have hardly eaten anything since we got here," Fluttershy added timidly.
Rarity huffed. "Inspiration cannot be ignored, especially when it is fueled by righteous anger!"
"Actually, Mademoiselle Rarity," Fleur interjected, "you may receive a fresh dosage. Mademoiselle Worthy will be present, as well."
"Well!" The fashionista snorted a breath, stamped a hoof, and glared at her friends lividly. Expressions of wry amusement and genuine concern met her, and after a long moment, she finally sighed and relaxed. "Well, I suppose the designs I brought with me aren't all that bad. Just give me a moment to freshen up."
"Take all the time you need, my dear," Fancy told her.
"Yeah, um, the shoot isn't until this afternoon," Fluttershy added.
Rarity wheeled on them. "What?! Then why did you interrupt me so early?!"
"We wished to give you a chance to rest," said Fleur.
"And eat," added Fancy.
"And, um, shower." Fluttershy winced at Rarity's horrified expression. "Sorry, but it has been two days, and... "
"Oh, Celestia, I'm a disaster!" Rarity wailed, examining a limp, frayed curl of her indigo mane with revulsion. "What you all must think of me! Nopony should ever have to see me this way! This is, beyond any doubt, the most humiliating... "
Fancy cleared his throat. "The bathroom is down the hall, second door on the right."
Rarity halted mid-rant, shot him an appreciative look, and dashed past.
"Towels are in the cupboard," he added as the door slammed shut.
Fleur grinned at him and nuzzled against his neck. He smiled and leaned his head against hers. Fluttershy smiled at the casual display of affection and turned to walk away.
"Er, Flootairshy," Fleur called, her voice a bit strained. "I am afraid there is bad news."
"Um, what?" She blinked and cast a quick glance at Fancy. "Is it about the, um, thing?"
"Non, mon amie. The photographer."
Fancy Pants grimaced and nodded. "I learned only after the fact that you had a bit of a history with her. She approached me over breakfast about doing the photo shoot, and I thought it would be a wonderful way to bring attention to the Forum... "
Fluttershy looked between them, realization slowly dawning. "Wait... you don't mean... ?"
"Flootershy!"
The pegasus cringed and shut her eyes tightly, hoping beyond hope that she'd turn and find the voice didn't belong to who she knew it did.
"Ah, I didn't realize you'd arrived!" Fancy said jovially. "I thought you'd be preparing for your shoot!"
The newcoming huffed dismissively. "I have been to ze place, I have seen vhat zere is to see, and I know how I vill vurk ze magics. But I had not expected... "
She trailed off. Fancy cleared his throat uncomfortably. "Yes, ah, well. You've met Fleur, and, of course, Miss Fluttershy... "
Sensing her time avoiding the inevitable was running out, Fluttershy gulped and opened an eye. "... Hello, Photo Finish."
"Flootershy, how I have missed vurking vith you! You haff no idea how hard I have looked for another model vith your natural talents!"
Fluttershy forced a smile on her face as the white-maned photographer dragged her through the park, one hoof thrown firmly over her neck. "I'm really sorry I quit so suddenly, Photo Finish, but... "
"No, I understand," Photo sighed theatrically, raising a hoof to her head. "I should haff known that vun cannot bottle a fairy, that vun cannot hold light itself in vun's hoofs. I haff seen the face of perfection, Flootershy, but I knew all along zat it vould be a great and terrible thing."
The pegasus blushed and ducked her head. Nopony seemed to be paying her that much attention; the park was mostly full of foals at play, observing parents, and the occasional pair of lovers. All were far too wrapped up in their activities to pay attention to the nervous, awkwardly-blushing pony wrapped in Photo's vice-like grip.
"But you return to ze modelling!" the photographer continued loudly. "For vun, brief, shining moment, I shall again know ze true meanink of ze magics! And for zis kindness, Flootershy, I am forever in your debt."
"T-there are other models, too," Fluttershy pointed out. "What about Fleur? She's very pretty."
Photo Finish made a dismissive sound. "She is too perfect, too crafted. I do not vish to merely capture beauty, Flootershy. I am an artist! I vish to capture, again, perfection."
"That's... very kind, but maybe one of the other girls here will inspire you?"
"Anything is possible," the photographer said doubtfully.
As they rounded a last line of tall pines, the group came into sight. All the various designers and their models were fussing over eachother in or around a tall, white-and-gold gazebo standing alongside a crystalline stream that poured down the side of Canterlot mountain just a few dozen lengths beyond. The sun was just beginning to tint orange, and various colorful birds sang in the trees as they observed the proceedings. Fluttershy gasped in astonished delight.
"Vhere is my crew?!" Photo Finish demanded, startling the designers, models, birds, and especially Fluttershy. "Ve must shoot!"
"We're right here," called an annoyed-looking pony in a white coat. Fluttershy recognized her as Photo's chief makeup artist.
"Goot. Models! Ve begin!" She pointed to the nearest pony, one of the Sky sisters. "Up to ze gazebo! Now!"
"Um, Clear is the model... "
"Do as I say! I, Photo Finish, am not here to bicker vith mein subjects, I am here to make ze magics! Go!"
Fluttershy watched in sympathy as the unfortunate pegasus was dragged up to the structure and forced to undergo the rigorous, lightning-fast orders of the famed photographer. She glanced up as Fleur sidled next to her. "I don't see Miss Worthy or her models here."
Fleur frowned. "She is on her way, but she is only 'officially' bringing Red Adder as her model. That means Blue Cobra and Yellow Viper will be free to operate. How is Mademoiselle Rarity?"
"She... looks okay." She caught her friend's eye and waved. Rarity, lounging on a silk picnic coverlet beneath yet another oversized hat (this one yellow), waved back. "Um, Photo Finish sort of dragged me off for awhile."
"Stay close to her, mon amie. Watch the water. Watch yourself, as well; they may target you to target her."
Fluttershy chewed her lip and nodded. "What about you?"
"I will move about the perimeter as best I can without drawing attention. Go, now."
"You! You are next!" shouted Photo Finish, pointing to a flat white pony with a pitch black mane; Fluttershy recognized her as Jet Black, Rhinestone's model.
"Keep yer shirt on," the model called, yawning and rising from where she lay on the grass.
"I, Photo Finish, vill continue to vear vhatever garments I vish! Now!"
Jet grumbled something indistinct and slouched her way up to the gazebo.
Fluttershy glanced back at Fleur, but the unicorn was already walking away, scanning the treeline while simultaneously attempting to look like a distracted artiste. With a nervous shrug, Fluttershy trotted over to Rarity and settled down beside her.
"Darling, I'm so glad to see you becoming good friends with Fleur," her friend told her immediately. "She really is a lovely pony. You know, when I first met her, I thought she was something of a... well, a hanger-on, I suppose. Not a very generous assumption, I know, but she sort of gave that impression. But as I got to know her... Dear, are you alright?"
Fluttershy stopped examining a suspicious lilypad. "Um. Yes."
"Really, darling, you've got a terrible poker face. You're nearly as bad as Applejack. What's going on?"
"Nothing."
Rarity arched an eyebrow. Fluttershy smiled weakly. Rarity began to lean forward. Fluttershy shrank away from her intensifying gaze.
"You!" shouted Photo Finish, snapping them out of their silent duel. "You are next!"
All heads turned towards Miss Worthy and her scarlet assistant. Red Adder's catsuit had been replaced by a slinky evening gown of the same color, cut high on one flank while hugging the other leg almost down to the hoof. She walked with a practiced sashaying motion that would have drawn appreciative gazes from almost any stallion, and no few mares. When Photo Finish called on her, she stopped and pointed innocently at herself. Photo nodded, and Red sidled up to the gazebo.
Worthy, meanwhile, walked straight over to Rarity and Fluttershy and sat down beside them. "Ah, good afternoon, darlings."
"It certainly was," Rarity agreed acidly.
"Oh, I do hope you didn't take my comments at the banquet seriously, dear," the green unicorn said graciously. "I was simply surprised to see somepony from Ponyville of all places actually aspire to be something."
"Oh, certainly, darling. Ever since all six Bearers of the Elements of Harmony came from there, the whole town's been rather abuzz."
"Well, I suppose it should come as no surprise that the embodiments of such old-fashioned ideals would come from a backwater setting."
"Yes, well, I imagine you'd have difficulty finding the Elements of Generosity, Kindness, or Honesty in Manehattan."
"Too true. I suppose that's why you left?"
Rarity blinked. "I'm sorry?"
"Well, from your dialect, darling, I simply assumed you were from there. Certainly, a pony so proud of her rural heritage wouldn't put on airs and speak with a false accent just to make herself feel better about her mud pony roots."
Rarity's eye twitched. "Why... you... "
"Why, one should think that any pony so pathetic as to affect a Manehattan accent to cover her natural one must have some rather severe self-image issues."
Rarity was beginning to turn that alarming shade of red again. Fluttershy grimaced and looked around for help. Fleur caught her eye and nodded emphatically, her expression communicating that the situation needed to be defused immediately.
Fluttershy thought desperately, settled on the first reasonable-sounding solution she could find, and acted.
"Celestia, I do not need this stupid little drama right now!" she said as loudly as she could. "Like, come on, ponies! I am trying to, like, focus and, like, channel 'the magics' and stuff! You are, like, totally killing my mojo here!"
Rarity stared at her friend in open-mouthed shock. Worthy looked at her in equal surprise, but Fluttershy could see the gears spinning behind her eyes. She'd been stopped in her tracks! It worked! Fluttershy allowed her brain a silent little "squee."
"Yes, well," Worthy said finally, picking herself up. "I suppose Miss Rarity here isn't the only mud pony with delusions of grandeur. Goodbye for now."
Rarity was still staring, open-mouthed, as the green unicorn trotted haughtily away. Fluttershy blushed apologetically and let a lock of her mane fall over her face. "... Sorry, Rarity."
"Darling," her friend finally managed, "what was that?"
"Well... I thought she was trying to embarrass you, so... I thought I'd act, like, um... "
Rarity raised an eyebrow. "Silver Spoon and Diamond Tiara?"
"Well, kind of," she admitted. "And then she'd insult me, but it wouldn't matter because everypony would just think I was a dumb, spoiled model, and... "
Her friend shook her head and smiled. "You are an odd duck, Fluttershy, but thank you. I know how much you dislike drawing attention to yourself, and it really means a lot to me that you'd... "
Something in the water caught Fluttershy's eye. The edge of one of the stream's lily pads lifted, and for a brief moment, she saw a pair of blue eyes framed by diving goggles and a tan horn. She barely had time to realize what she was looking at before Blue Cobra's horn flashed azure, and something tiny but rapid popped out of the water and zipped right towards Rarity's head. With a cry of alarm, Fluttershy dove at her friend and tackled her to the ground; she heard a soft poot from nearby as the paintball hit a tree and splattered.
"Fluttershy!" Rarity called in surprise. The pegasus blinked and glanced at the water again, but Blue had already slipped beneath the surface again.
She released her friend and sat up slowly. "... Sorry, I just, um, really appreciated you saying how much you appreciated me doing that."
Rarity frowned and examined her crumpled hat. "Well, that's very sweet, if oddly spontaneous, darling, but I'm afraid you've damaged another of my hats."
Blue Cobra's eyes appeared beneath another lily pad. Seeing her target, Fluttershy quickly grabbed her friend's hat and tossed it into the air; another paintball hissed unnoticed below it as Rarity shrieked in surprise. "Fluttershy, be careful with that!"
"Stop that, you meanie!" the pegasus hissed at the water.
Rarity gaped. "Meanie? Darling, you're the one tackling ponies and throwing their hats about!"
"N-no, not you, the-"
Both ponies turned as a newcomer cleared her throat. Jet Black stared languidly down at them. "Hey, not that I actually care, but that Photo Finish lady looked like she was gonna have an annuerism when you screamed. So you should probably, you know, not do that. 'Cause she's kinda nuts."
"Oh." Rarity blinked. "Sorry?"
"Whatever."
Fluttershy glanced back at the water. Blue Cobra was lining up another shot on Rarity's turned back. Acting as quickly as she could, the pegasus grabbed the silken coverlet in her teeth and yanked it out from under her friend, flipping the surprised unicorn onto her back. A third paintball zipped just past her head. Fluttershy had only a heartbeat to congratulate herself, however, before it smacked directly into Jet Black's eye.
"OW!" she screamed, dropping onto her rump and clutching her eye with both hooves. "What the HAY?!"
"Fluttershy!" Rarity scolded hotly.
"She did it!" Fluttershy offered desperately, pointing at the water.
"There's nopony there!"
"Gah! Seriously, somepony call a doctor, this freaking hurts!"
"S-she was in the water! Shooting paintballs!"
"Fluttershy, what has gotten into you today?!"
"N-nothing, I-I was just trying to-"
"Seriously, if I lose an eye, I am gonna be so freaking ticked!"
"You should be ashamed of yourself! Causing scenes, getting innocent ponies hurt-"
"R-Rarity, please s-stop shouting-"
"You were worried about Worthy embarrassing me? Darling, you've done far worse than she has!"
"... Then again, I could get an awesome eyepatch... "
"I-I'm sorry... "
With a sob, Fluttershy burst into tears and ran away, Rarity staring angrily after her. She distantly heard Photo Finish shouting for her to come back, that she was next, but she was too panicked and confused to listen. She broke through the tree line and into the woods around the park, and didn't stop running until she was gasping for breath between choking, miserable sobs.
"R-R-Rarity," she blubbered, sinking against a nearby tree, "I-I'm s-s-sorry... "
"I had not expected you to be a little crybaby."
Fluttershy looked up quickly. Her eyes were puffy and clouded, and she couldn't quite make out what she was looking at, but it seemed to be a tall, yellow pony. No, not quite... tan, but with a yellow catsuit and mane...
"Um," she managed.
Yellow Viper stood with a relaxed yet predatory posture. As Fluttershy's eyes cleared, she saw that the pony's eyes were noticeably slanted, an indication of her Okineighwan heritage, and on her front hooves she wore odd bracelets with a tapered, wooden club on each extending backwards to her elbows. The tan pegasus eyed the yellow one calmly. "Are you done weeping? I do not want to fight a weeping pony."
"I... If I say 'no,' will you leave me alone?"
"I do not want to fight a weeping pony," Viper clarified. "But I am willing to."
"Oh." Fluttershy frowned. "Why?"
"What?"
"W-why do you want to fight me?" Always have a plan, she thought to herself. Plan A: talk her down.
"I am to make sure you cannot model in the Fashion Forum."
"Why?"
"Because my employer wishes it so."
"Why?"
"I do not ask why."
"Why?"
Viper frowned in annoyance. "I do not question my employers."
Fluttershy chewed her lip. This wasn't working. She needed to try a different tack. Think, Fluttershy! Think!
"... Why?" NO!
"Enough questions. You will not delay this; Fleur de Lis is pursuing Blue Cobra. You are alone, and will not be rescued." Viper rose to a two-legged fighting stance, and the clubs on her bracelets began to spin, building momentum with each subtle movement of her forelegs. Fluttershy followed the arc of the clubs dazedly, her panicked mind unable to come up with a new course of action. Finally, she remembered: Plan B: RUN!
Without preamble, she bolted at full speed. Viper blinked in surprise at her, then sighed and darted into the air, less like a rocket blasting off (as Rainbow usually did) and more like a falcon leaping off to a fresh hunt.
Fluttershy gulped and ran, trying to keep under the cover of the trees to keep the dangerous pegasus from divebombing her. Fleur had tried to teach her how to control her fear, to keep her wings from locking up when she was terrified, but she didn't want to trust her life to the fickle things. A few hours of meditation and scented candles weren't going to make up for a lifetime of terror-induced wing lock.
And then she came to a cliff.
"Oh, come on!" she shouted at the world in general, skidding to a halt. A shadow passed in front of her, and she looked up to see Yellow Viper circling for the kill. She looked down; far, far below was the base of Canterlot Mountain, and very little else between her and it. She looked up again. She looked down again. She sighed, closed her eyes, and hoped Fleur knew what she was doing.
The wind whipped against her face and her mane as she plummeted towards the ground. Above, she heard a call of challenge as Viper dove after her in pursuit. She let her momentum continue to build, trying to remember all the times she'd seen Rainbow pull of dives like this, the ways she'd moved her wings, tensed her muscles just so, kept her head down at just the right angle.
Hey, my wings are moving! she realized with a surge of joy. It worked!
And then Viper shouldered into her and sent her spiraling out of control, and her wings stiffened and clamped themselves to her flanks.
"Oh, come on!" she shrieked again and the world spun dizzily around her. She briefly saw Viper, slowing herself to a hover as she watched the helpless Fluttershy spinning away towards the earth.
Okay, Fluttershy, now think, she told herself. This is no time to panic.
Actually, herself told her, now would be a really, really good time to panic.
Be quiet, Other Fluttershy, you're not helping!
Sorry.
Okay, just remember what Fleur taught us. Take a deep breath. Let your shoulders relax. Let that spread, to your neck, to your back, to your wings...
Um, it's kind of hard to relax when you're in an out-of-control freefall.
Listen, Other Fluttershy, if you're not going to help, then hush! We need to focus, here!
Okay, sorry.
Now, let our wings spread... feel the wind through our feathers... and... now!
Fluttershy opened her eyes and saw the earth very, very close in front of her. She fought to contain a wave of terror and instead focused on her wings. Stiffen, like so. Tilt, like so. Bend neck, like so. And...
She swore she felt grass brush against her belly, but at the last possible moment, her uncontrolled dive turned into a horizontal charge. With a wild cheer of delight and relief, Fluttershy zipped along through the fields of tall grass surrounding Canterlot's base, just enjoying the sheer happiness of being alive.
"I need to get back to Ponyville!" she realized aloud. "I've never flown this fast before! I could get Dashie and everypony and get back to Canterlot in no time!"
She grinned and looked up, trying to find her bearings. What she saw, instead, was the distant speck of Yellow Viper flying back into the park.
Rarity! she thought. Fleur!
Her eyes narrowed as she considered the options before her. Sure, she could get her Ponyville friends, and they could save the day... when they got here. But her Canterlot friends needed her now. These ponies were mean, violent, ruthless, and mean, and they were going to hurt or embarrass Rarity and Fleur if she didn't get back there and stop them.
"Stupid ninjas!" she growled, tilting her wings so that her momentum was carrying her back up the mountain. "Stupid Miss Worthy! Stupid... stupid Agents Secret!"
"I am afraid your friend has fallen," Yellow Viper told Fleur de Lis calmly. "That is a literal statement. She fell off of the mountain."
"Really?" Blue Cobra asked in surprise. "A pegasus fell off the mountain?"
"It was very pathetic."
"Indeed."
"I think you will find Flootairshy is more impressive than she looks," Fleur told them with as much bravado as she could manage. Hanging from a flagpole at the top of one of Canterlot Castle's tall towers with her right hind leg nerve-pinched into uselessness and her left shoulder bruised and stiff was not an overly conducive position for the cultivation an air of confidence.
Blue stretched languidly. "Yes, well, that's rather intimidating and all, but I believe you've a date, my dear."
Yellow nodded. "With the ground, she means to imply."
"Yes, thank you. Too bad Red couldn't make it, though. I think she'd enjoy the show."
"She would wish to take revenge firsthoof."
"I'd be happy to wait," Fleur volunteered considerately.
"No, I don't think so," Blue smiled, stepping towards her dangling adversary. "Given the humiliating defeat you hooved her, I think it's only fair she misses out. Now then, Fleur. How do you ponies say it? Au revoir?"
"Bonjour," she corrected, and summoning all the strength she could into her good foreleg, she launched herself off of the flag pole and into a flying forward kick. Blue, caught off guard, took a hoof to the chest and went down hard. Yellow recovered quickly and began spinning her tonfas. Fleur crouched defensively over the fallen Blue, one hoof pressed against her elbow. "Leave, Yellow Viper, and I will not lame her."
"It is no concern of mine whether she is lamed or not," Viper retorted. "She was a fool to put herself in range of your attack."
"Oui, but do you bear your comrades no loyalty?"
"My loyalty is to my employer. My employer did not specify loyalty to my coworkers."
"What?!" Blue demanded, trying to squirm away but freezing as Fleur applied pressure to the joint. "Yellow, don't press the attack! We've beaten her enough to keep her away from the Forum, and you eliminated the pegasus! We've already won!"
"Your victory remains unclear, mon amie," Fleur told her. "Flootairshy will be back."
"I find this unlikely," Viper said coolly. "She was a poor flyer, spinning uncontrollably to the ground. Few but a Wonderbolt could pull out of such a fall in time."
Blue's eyes widened, and she glanced at Fleur, who grinned at her and winked. "Is that so?"
"It is. I find it unrealistic to think... " She stopped and put a hoof to her neck; a small, feathered dart fell to the ground as she brushed it away. "... Huh," she observed. "That is odd." And then she fell over.
"Flootairshy!" Fleur called happily. "You are sécurité!"
Fluttershy landed lightly beside her friend, still the blowgun tucked under a foreleg. "H-hi, Fleur. Sorry it took me awhile to get here, I had to make sure that Rarity was okay."
"C'est une bonne," the unicorn said casually, though she winced as she tried to move her left foreleg. "She is well?"
"Yes, but... she's... sort of mad at me."
"Oui, well, she will thank you when all is done."
Blue Cobra sighed in annoyance. "Look, this is all rather touching, but could I go now? I surrender, the day is yours, viva la Fancè and all that."
Fleur frowned. "You threw un chariot at me."
"It was nothing personal. Business is business, you know. We're all professionals here."
"You can let her go," Fluttershy said softly. Fleur looked at her in skeptical surprise, but, after a moment, released her joint lock. Blue Cobra winced and started to stand, but stopped suddenly when Fluttershy pressed her face right up against hers. "But if you ever try to hurt or embarrass my friends again, I will do things to you. I wrestle bears, lady. You do not want me to do things to you."
Blue's face went through several expressions before it settled on impressed, mild terror. She nodded, tipped Fluttershy a little salute, and jumped off the side of the tower. Fluttershy gasped in surprise and horror and ran to the side, only to find Blue, wrapped in an aura of magic, drifting gently down towards the city.
"You did well," Fleur told her. "Good work, mon amie."
"Thanks," Fluttershy said, relief in her voice. She turned to the fallen Yellow Viper and nudged her gently, drawing a deep, contented snore. "So... we won, right? I mean, Blue Cobra left, we can have the guards arrest Yellow Viper, and you're a better fighter than Red Adder, so... are we done?"
Fleur sighed and shook her head. "No, mon amie. We cannot call the guards; it would draw attention to me and possibly reveal my cover. Also, the sarbacane is illegal in Equestria."
Fluttershy made an "eep" sound and dropped the blowgun quickly.
"Red is still dangerous, and I am too injured to fight her. And there is no guarantee Blue will leave for good, or that Mademoiselle Worthy will not hire more, if less talented, agents. No, Flootairshy, we still have one more task ahead of us."
She leaned forward, wincing at the pain in her shoulder, and placed her good hoof on Fluttershy's shoulder. "We... you... must still protect Rarity at the Equestrian Fashion Forum."
Fluttershy gulped. "Yay."