//------------------------------// // 130. Everyday Heroes. // Story: Baa-Ram-Ewe! // by Darkonshadows //------------------------------// -Equus, Canterlot, Tianhuo- “You are the ponies I am to train?” One would think the hardest being I have ever had to train was Pom, they would be sorely mistaken and I would disabuse them of those thoughts immediately if they ever spoke them to me. “Is this the best the lot of you really have?” The various guards couldn’t keep up with me and I wasn’t even using my fire to boost my abilities, in fact I’ve been holding back on them and they still weren’t able to keep up with a routine that even Pom could keep up with. I am beginning to wonder if Pom could defeat the royal guard single hoofed, I at least knew Fizzle, Jade and several others could. I didn’t even doubt for a second that if Arizona were to go into a frenzy, that nothing short of a god or an equally powerful individual would stop her rampage. “Ruff, Woof, Tuft, Puff…” All four of the Canis Minor came from different directions as I said their names. Puff came from the sky spinning his tail, these four would be the test of whether these guards were ready for anything. It was cruel of me to do this, but… “It’s play time, there are your toys for the next few hours.” All four Canis Minor looked to me and then my hoof pointing to the tired and out of breath royal guards. I did not know Pom’s favorite familiars could grin in such a dementedly evil manner while still being so adorably cute in how their tails wagged. I watched as they barked and communicated with each other, before they all turned to me and nodded, then they went to play rough. Blighter popped out of my shadow and made a querying sound, I sat down and started to pet my companion and watched the pain I just unleashed with great detail. Those poor guards, I can now sadly understand why Jaded is a highly prized and well paid consultant for Huoshan when we can draw her interest in visiting. She tests the mettle of the local guards to deal with unconventional thieves and the Huoshan guard has proved they are some of the best this world has to offer. At the end of the day, these royal guard rookies would say the Canis Minor were still better than dealing with Jaded ‘Free Queen’ La Perm, but the little ones did manage to surpass the horrors of dealing with that rogue Abyssinians infamously ridiculous Zampony. Pom would certainly be proud that they were being good puppies for me ‘when’ she came back, there was no room in my heart for ‘if’. -Earth, Calisota, Duckberg, Laboratory, Smolder- “I’m pretty sure Pom is having an easy time with getting here Ocellus.” I received a glare from my current best friend in the world. “You just couldn’t say that with a straight face could you Smolder?” Ocellus stated in a slightly angry manner. “Hey guys, apparently Leap Lamb was seen defending a train from some mercenaries, then later the train was blown apart... by rocket artillery trucks.” Huey was someone both Ocellus and I could agree on was the friendliest of the duck brothers, he might not be the most social but he was always honest. “Thought you should know.” “Eh, Pom will be fine, sure she might be injured from whatever happened there, but we know she’ll live.” My trust in Pom was not going to waver, she’s proven time and again that she could survive harrowing experiences and this was nothing new. Though that train did look like is was shredded by an exceptionally large dragon. At least this time the train didn’t transform into a monster and nearly kill Pom, it was actually innocent in this case. -China, nearing Kunlun, Shanty- “We almost finally be there!” This road trip is being fun, but it is not being overly dangerous. I be craving action… and rum. “Can I just state that training me to fight hasn’t gone well.” At least you would be being more capable of defending yourself Mopsy. “Yet you’re surprisingly good at scouting and thieving.” Bentley had some stats for us and I was being quite good. “We’re not expecting you to get into fights, but some light scouting and staying out of danger will be your main focus. By the way Shanty, your caretaker Pom, she apparently ran afoul of the Shred Tread mercenaries in the US. Going at her with rocket artillery seems like a bit much, but given the stuff I’ve been hearing about her, she’s definitely survived the train being completely torn apart.” “Yeah, the girls back at The Prance Dance informed me that Pom ended up in Mesa City. I really wouldn’t want to be her right now, she’s getting into worse far situations than we are. I mean rocket artillery, who goes after someone with rocket artillery!” Sighing Mopsy slouched and rubbed at her face, she then looked to me again. “I hear she’s going to be meeting up with your friends Ocellus and Smolder soon, but first she has to help a famous dog named Bolt find his way home. So... Kunlun Mountains, it sure is beautiful out here.” “Yeah, but it’s also cold and full of dangerous individuals.” Sly stated with a serious tone. “Do you mean us Sly?” Murray be flexing his right arm. “Because The Murray is going to start living up to his name!” “We do make a formidable team.” Bentley adjusted his glasses. “Even if we’re not all cut out for field work like Sly and Shanty are. Ahem, I think it’s about time for a presentation on what to expect from the Panda King’s domain and I just want to state that this might make you exceedingly angry Shanty.” “Why would I be being angry, what has the Panda King done?” I tilted my head curiously as Bentley brought up an image of hundreds of homes buried in snow and some were partially burned down. “He’s made a lot of innocent people homeless and I know that’s a bit of a thing for you.” Bentley stated quietly while looking away. I be seeing nothing but red now! “Bentley, I’m seeing red.” Sly stated with a scowl on his face understanding how I felt. “Right there with you Sly!” The Murray stopped the van and slammed his fists together. “Those poor people.” Mopsy is being more sad than angry. -California, Hollywood, Pom- I felt like I was going to die! Well of being lazy, I just couldn’t sit around, I had to do something. Dolly’s restlessness was making me become restless too! “We’re here!” Pamela finally said and I sat up to look around. “Hey, who stole the stars from the walk of fame?!” “Oh don’t worry about that ma’am, the stars are currently in Paris.” A biped walrus stated as he passed by. “Some thieves thought it’d be funny to mail them to an Interpol Agent’s office there.” “Well okay then... you guys go find the set of Bolt’s show.” Pamela parked the car and cuddled Bolt. “It’ll be okay honey, you’ll see, but if it isn’t, your always welcome at The Prance Dance. Okay?” Bolt barked and licked Pamela's face. “Oh and thanks for the autographs, all of you.” Pamela didn’t just get an autograph from Bolt. She also got ones from Dolly, Mittens, Rhino and me. “Thank you for the ride.” It was a way to get a load of stress off my back at least. “Come on, let’s go find the theatre where Bolt’s show is made.” We all made our way through the streets looking at the large letters reading Hollywood in the distance. I probably wouldn’t want to buy any food here, I bet it was all stupidly expensive. -Ten minutes later- “Pom, ask for directions.” Dolly was getting annoyed at not being able to find the set. “Well we are a bit lost…” I needed to find someone that might help us, once I spotted someone I decided to speak up. I’m surprised I could even do that. “Excuse me, my name is Pom and I need some help finding a specific place around here.” “Sure, where do you need to be?” The mouse sounded curious as if he was expecting something more from me seeing him, he also had frozen a moment when I spoke to him. He seemed quite relieved that I just wanted directions for some reason. “I just need to know where the set of the show Bolt the Super Dog is, I can find my way from there.” If asked why I had animals following me, I would advertise myself as a high end animal trainer and get Dolly to do a trick on her skateboard. Please don’t let this guy be related to any mercenaries! “Huh, oh of course, I know where you need to go! I was a bit distracted by the dog with the skateboard.” The mouse wouldn’t be wrong to find Dolly unusual. “Professional animal trainer right? Maybe even an actor for that Leap Lamb film they are going to make based on the incident that happened in Britain? You sure look like you would be good for the part.” “Something like that, yes.” They were making a movie based on our exploits in Britain? Well I might want to look into that before we start heading north towards Duckberg. “Well its two streets over that way and hang a left on Tune Town Avenue, you can’t miss it at that rate.” The mouse said pleasantly with a short laugh. “Thank you Mr. um… I don’t think I ever got your name.” He seemed surprised that I didn’t know his name. “Well that’s a first, someone that doesn’t know me on sight!” He held out a gloved hand and I gave him my right hoof to shake it. “I’m Mickey Mouse, it was nice to make your acquaintance Pom, but I have to get going.” “Sorry for taking up your time.” Well he certainly seemed like a cheerful and nice fellow. “Oh my dog we just met THE Mickey Mouse!” Dolly seemed to freak out as we moved on down the street away from him. “Is he famous?” I asked. “Have you been living under… oh right alien, duh! I keep forgetting that about you and you make it so darn easy to.” Dolly rolled her eyes and shook her head. “Mickey is like one of the best actors alive, he’s a guy that’s had so many jobs it is really nuts what he’s done throughout his life and it’s better to ask what he hasn’t been involved in! Now someone can honestly say he’s been involved in helping a super hero.” “I’m not a super hero Dolly.” I mumbled. “Says you, tell that to anyone who knows you… wait… did he say we’re getting a movie?!” It took you long enough to actually realize that Dolly. “Oh score, I’ve got one up on the Diva Trio by having a movie made about me… and you too of course Pom!” Mittens meowed something sardonic sounding. “Right focus on Bolt now, secretly get a sneak peek at our movies script later.” It sounded like Dolly wasn’t going to leave Hollywood until we did so. I can pass as an actor for myself at least, so it shouldn’t be too hard to do. Why was I contemplating doing something illegal for Dolly? Was I really that curious to know about it? -A few streets later, Bolt- So there were two guys guarding the front of the set, dressed in costumes I recognized. “Well I’m finally home. At least I know that if I had escaped normally, they had people ready to keep up the act.” It was a bit disheartening. “How am I going to get in there?” “I’ve got this!” Rhino charged forward and started squeaking death threats at the two. They were just people in costumes and he knew that right? Right? I’d rather not worry about it as he had them distracted. “Rhino… ugh… Pom, Dolly, Mittens, stay here please.” I started forward as the two guards were distracted by Rhino. “We’ll be here if you need us Bolt.” Pom and Dolly, the two heroes who helped me get here sat down. Mittens however stared at me as I turned away. I started forward and snuck into the set alone. I wanted to still be a hero, but I mostly just wanted to be a good dog for Penny, this area seemed so familiar… yet so cold and distant. I made my way over to the place I smelled myself and it was a trailer. Opening the door I walked inside and picked up Mr. Carrot in my mouth and played with it for a bit, my favorite toy was still here at least. I left it behind and went looking for Penny. When I found her… she was hugging another dog and telling him the same things she says to me. Was there ever a moment when you felt like your heart snapped in two? I now knew what that was like as I turned away not making a noise and slowly walked off with my head lowered. Penny had a new dog to worry about and I… I was forgotten. -Mittens- “Cut!” A person shouted and the area lit up, what Bolt just saw was a scene being acted out. That… probably wasn’t the best moment for him to walk in on 'his' Penny. “Bolt… please come back.” The girl was actually broken hearted for Bolt, she didn’t really love that dog. She loved Bolt and he… he just missed that didn’t he! Darn it all, I have to stop Bolt and tell him before he tried to walk away from someone who really did care about him personally! I quickly charged out to see Bolt sitting with his head down, Pom and Dolly were looking at him with worry, but they didn’t approach him. “Bolt, there’s something you need hear!” I stated urgently and Bolt turned to me looking both upset and sad. -Pom- “What do you think happened Dolly?” I asked as I watched Mittens rush out and started talking to Bolt. “Well maybe… Pom…” Dolly’s pupils shrunk and she became panicked. “Fire!” Bolt, Mittens and Rhino turned to the set that was quickly lighting up in flames. I was up in instant and moving towards the building as people ran out screaming. However Bolt stated something that made us know someone was missing. “No… Penny!” Bolt ran towards the collapsing debris in the doorway, Rhino manage to get his ball into place to prop up an opening for Bolt to slide through the quickly building debris. Mittens immediately save him from his ball before it was crush. “There’s still people in there!” Someone said. “My daughter, where’s my daughter!” A large duck lady stated looking about in worry. I looked up and around for an entrance, I spotted it. “Dolly, on me! Mittens, Rhino, both of you stay out here and watch my bag!” I didn’t get questioned by Dolly. She silently leapt onto my back without a word and I started scaling the wall until I was on the roof and next to a skylight. “We didn’t bring Bolt all this way for him to die now!” “I’ll always have your back Pom, in this life or the next.” Dolly finally said with a seriousness I’d rarely ever hear from her. “That’s exactly what I’m afraid of!” I raised my hooves above my head and brought them down to smash through the covered skylight. … Instead I brought down a large section of the roof instead it hit the ground in the middle of everything on fire, apparently we blew out some flames with the pressure wave from the crashing roof and my mind froze up. “Pom, over there!” Dolly directed my head with both her paws to someone who had an arm and a leg trapped underneath a large chunk of wood with fire spreading towards them. They couldn’t get free and they were struggling, I quickly made my way over and got my hooves under the big chunk of carved wood. “Dolly!” I shouted, she got off my back and nodded. We didn’t even need to say words, we were currently in synch with one another. “Leave me, get out of here, save your… what the?” The cockatoo animalistic tried, but I was already heaving the wood up and once I got a bit of my back under it I locked my wool to hold it in place. Dolly heaved a portion of him onto her skateboard and started pulling. Once he got the idea he pushed with his good arm and was out from under the burning chunk of wood. I quickly unlocked my wool and dove forward leaving the flaming piece of wood to crash to the floor and knock me onto me side. Dolly was in the process of helping the guy we saved find a safe place in all of this, while I was looking for someone else to help. “Over here… help…” A voice called weakly, I ran over there and found a dog biped. “Hold on, I’ve got you.” I draped him over my back and carried him in Dolly’s direction. Most of the people here would be adult animalistic and bipeds. A section of the set collapsed behind me and I hurriedly started moving as quickly as I could. I found Dolly sitting near another entrance to the place, but it was on fire. At least she in the safety spot she could find far from the flames and the smoke wasn’t too bad since we made a hole in the roof, but it was still quite thick. I sat down the dog next to the cockatoo as Dolly retrieved her skateboard from underneath him. She sent me a look and pointed in a direction, I nodded and went that way while see stayed with the injured. Following the direction Dolly pointed I came across a female lizard I had almost mistaken for a dragon, she was bleeding quite badly from several nasty lacerations to her body and it looked like she took a glancing blow to the head from some lights that dropped on her from above. I carefully crouched down and started to scoop up her up when her eyes opened slightly, I gave her a gentle smile as I carefully draped her over my back and began dragging her back towards Dolly. An entire set of stage lights fell in front of us and I recoiled, I looked at the lizard lady’s eyes dulling. I ducked low and inhaled as much air as I could get in this smoke filled theatre and exhaled to bound over the burning debris in our way. The lizard lady looked shocked, especially when I laid her next to the others and she glanced at Dolly with a further surprised look on her face when my companion leapt up and used her skateboard to smash a piece of debris away. “Did any of you see anyone else?” I looked over at the flaming entrance, it was becoming hotter in here and these people wouldn’t survive in this for much longer and needed emergency medical aid. “Yes… they went that way.” The dog biped started coughing. I nodded to him and Dolly stayed with the three people as I went looking for another. It didn’t take long, because I found a female fox animalistic with one of her hind legs and tail trapped and was in the midst of catching fire. Looked at the bits that had the screaming fox trapped, I carefully moved behind her lined up my rear legs and bucked for all I was worth sending the piece flying off of her. Grabbing her I pulled her way from the debris and threw myself on her leg and tail to smother the flames. She was crying and I carefully scooped her up and carried her back to Dolly, the area was getting worse and I looked around. “Did any of you see Bolt come through here?” They just shook their heads sadly. “We can’t stay here any longer Pom, we need to get these people out of here!” Despite saying that even Dolly felt like she didn’t want to leave Bolt to his fate. “Okay, stand back everyone, I’m going to try…” I was heading for the entrance covered in flames and debris to use a bark blast to clear it. Only I didn’t have to as the entrance and some of the worsening debris was blasted apart by a powerful jet of water and the flames around the entrance went out under the sudden torrent. That’s when the most unlikely hero that came to our aid walked in. “It’s a good thing my fire fighter costume is easy to reload and refill, it’s been a while since I’ve used this!” In walked Mickey in a red suit and hat with a metal cylinder strapped to his back and a hose leading from it to his hands. He froze when he saw me and the injured. “Huh, Pom, what are you…?” “No time to talk, help move these people out now!” I shouted and he immediately hooked the hose to the tank and grabbed the cockatoo to start dragging him out. Dolly got the animalistic fox onto her skateboard, while I grabbed the lizard and dog bipeds to start dragging them through the cleared entrance, where I saw Mickey spraying the fires around it with the hose to keep the fire from enclosing on us. “Is there anyone left inside?” Mickey asked of the people. The lizard lady sat up. “Most of the people got out, but I think we’re still missing a kid.” We all heard a loud bark. “I think the kid is with a good friend.” I said with a weak smile. “We should still go help!” -An hour later- While Bolt and Penny were being taken to the hospital in the ambulance, Dolly and I rode the ambulances roof on the way. We had seen Mittens and Rhino hitching a ride. Bolt wasn’t about to be separated from Penny after saving her life from debris, fire and smoke. “You’re a good boy Bolt.” Penny stated as she hugged Bolt still weak after being tended to. “And my hero.” “We can use this for publicity!” I finally revealed myself as the girl’s agent was asking for a hit from Penny’s mother. I grabbed the mother’s wrist and stopped her from punching the guy suggesting they profit off of her daughter’s pain. “Here, let me…” The mother duck took a few steps back looking at me curiously. I quickly spun around and slammed my right hoof into the guys face. “Bow-Waka-Whoa Pom.” Dolly stated she came up next to me, we really needed to find a place to wash the soot off. “Um… who are you?” The duck mother stated as I looked to Bolt being cuddled by Penny. “I’m just a friend of Bolt. I came a long way to get him back to where he belongs, protecting your little girl.” I said as I made my way over to Bolt with Dolly following. The girl was currently looking at Mittens and Rhino, I took up my bag from them. “Just so you know, Bolt loves you and he’s now aware that he’s not a super dog, but he still wants to be your hero. I’d say he’s doing a good job.” I nodded to Bolt, he nodded back. “These three animals are smarter than you think, treat them all well and take good care of them. Come on Caper Canine, let’s get going.” “Wait… Leap Lamb?!” The mother duck stated as I jumped out the window with Dolly on my back.