//------------------------------// // One Bad Rat // Story: My Little Heartbreak: More With a Kind Word and a Hard Hoof // by Jet_Black1980 //------------------------------// Chapter 34 One Bad Rat Angel had followed his Fluttershy to one of the local parks that were spread around Ponyville. The local scenery was picturesque, what with the fresh, dewy green grass, lovely bright fragrant wildflowers, and a cool, crisp, gemstone-like pond that was smack dab in the middle of it all. Despite all that, despite the grass, the lovely weeping willow trees gently swaying, the delicate delectable daffodils, or the refreshing cool pond that he had just quenched himself from: Angel’s little bunny nerves refused to relax. After all; all his plans thus far had failed. Watching from a distance, he could see his yellow pony talking with the loud, light blue pony with the many colored mane. LIke always, that pony was wildly whizzing about the park, though currently she was attending to various paths and structures much like a doe would prepare her den for her on-coming, soon-to-be-expected litter of kits. Frantic and more anxious than she usually was, Angel decided to hop closer to investigate what exactly it was that the flying rainbow was doing... That’s when his fluffy white ears picked up a familiar chitter-wuffle from high in the trees... Looking up he spotted the beady little eyes of his least favorite rodent... The Rat noticed that Angel had seen him and acted in accordance by clutching his little tail and woggling bemusedly. “What rodenty thing is Angel Bunny up to now?” the Rat asked, a smug air of amusement from the safety of his tree branch hideaway. “Something that Fluttershy Pony might find of interest maybe?” Angel’s face soured at the narrow faced vermin. “This is none of Rat’s business. I, Angel Bunny, am protecting my pony from a threat that, for some reason, she can not see.” Rat scoffed. “Rat has seen Angel’s ‘monster’. They talked with a unicorn stallion with feathers and strange smelling staining liquids. Other than a mouse hole in the pony’s hoof and changing butt picture? She is not the threat that Angel Bunny makes her out to be and not a creature that the ponies need protection from.” Angel momentarily gave the rodent a cockeyed glance. Normally this sort of talk would get to him, but this time, the little white bunny only crossed his little arms, smirked, and let his long ears sway in the hot summer breeze. “I, Angel Bunny, think that Rat would know nothing about protecting their pony from danger...” Rat jumped up from his perch and grasped the branch while scowling at the rabbit. “Angel Bunny should not assume what I, Rat, knows or doesn’t know! For all Angel Bunny knows, Rat could be a most excellent caretaker! We rats are very empathic creatures despite what any species says!” “Well, Rat is going to have to excuse, Me, Angel Bunny, for making such an assumption. Especially after a story involving a Rat and a small filly has entered his ears...” Angel paused for dramatic effect, and to judge the quivering of the rodent’s whiskers. “A filly named... Ruby Slippers.” Rat’s whiskers stopped twitching and he jolted up. “Ruby Slippers and her pet rat, Tippetarius...” Angel said, pretending to look at his claws while still actually judging the most minute of Rat’s movements... Rat’s whiskers froze. “T-Tip-petarius?” He asked, his tiny rat fingers digging into the branch he was on. “N-never heard of them. Sounds like a pretentious rich pony’s pet.” Angel turned smirking. “From what I, Angel Bunny, heard, little Ruby Slippers was pretentious...” Rat recoiled and bit the bark of his branch. “Little ponies are not that way by themselves. Parents have influence...” he reasoned with Angel. Angel continued. “What I, Angel Bunny, think Rat means is ‘spoil’, and Ruby Slippers was said to be very spoiled indeed!” “S-spoiled?!” Rat’s expression soured and his little brow frowned, while his teeth chattered. “She wasn- could not be that spoiled! Rat thinks Angel Bunny is making things up!” he growled, whipping his tail. “Oh, but it is true,” Angel said with mocking assertiveness. “For you, Rat see, when Ruby Slippers asked for a pet rat, despite her parents being so adverse to such a disgusting rodent in their nice clean home, they caved and purchased a rat for their daughter.” Angel could now see the tooth grooves carved into the branch that the brown furred yellow eyed rodent was precariously sitting upon was making... “Rats are none of those things! We are clean and intelligent animals!” Rat chuffed, bits of wood and bark falling from his perch. “And cowardly...” Rat stared shocked and frowned at the white rabbit down below. “We are not cowardly! We just know when the odds are not in our favor!” he contested. “Well, that would explain why Tippetarius ran away when his filly Ruby Slippers fell ill to a burning red fever...” Angel coyly said, tapping a finger on his chin. Rat pulled away his eyes wide and shifting. “I- Rat doesn’t understand w-what Angel B-Bunny m-mea-” Just then, with a mighty thwump of the mighty rabbit hind foot, Rat lost his balance and came tumbling down from his perch with Angel towering over him. “What Rat does not seem to get was that Tippetarius was the vector for this plague that his filly, Ruby Slippers, contracted...” Angel said, slightly bowing to be more at eye level. “Though, even if he was not... Ruby Slippers’ parents were still looking for a reason to rid their home of the pest... So, does Rat know what... Tippetarius did?” Rat sat in silence for more than a few moments, his mouth open in fear, before he rapidly shook his head to break himself from the spell Angel seemingly had cast over him. “Of course not! Why would I, Rat, know that!?” “Tippetarius ran away and abandoned his little Ruby Slippers...” Angel sneered, his black eyes narrowing and staring down into the rodent’s very soul. “S-so w-wh-at!?” Rat stammered in a failed attempt to feign indifference. Angel chuffed and rolled his eyes. “Is Rat defending Tip’s behavior of running away and leaving his filly all alone?” Rat fought the urge to rear up, bear his teeth, and slash at the clearly larger creature before him. ‘That is what a wild rat would do, and I, Rat, cannot fall for whatever game this kniving long ear is playing at.’ “Of course not! One bad rat doesn’t mean all rats are like that!” came Rat’s fairly weak protest. Angel smirked. “If Rat thinks that he can be better than that ‘one bad rat’...” He began before patronizingly patting him on the head. “Then good...” the bunny said, starting to hop away. “Good!?” Rat squeaked in confusion, his ears folding as he stood up with an expression of absolute confusion aching through his body. “Yes. Good. Rat would not want Fluttershy or worse, a potential pony would want Rat as a potential pet to be like that shameful Tippetarius Rat...” Angel looked back with the most innocently 'quizzical eyes. “Would he?” he asked with a sardonic grin. “N-n-no...” Rat chitted, stammering back, the seeds of what Angel was hinting at quickly coming to bloom in his mind. “Good. Now, Rat, I Angel Bunny must be hopping off in order to ensure that My pony is protected,” he said, before bounding away. Rat sat there in silence for a few moments, shame and guilt must’ve been his last meal for they now sat heavy in the pit of his stomach. Rat shook his head and frowned. “Whatever Angel Bunny is up to, I Rat will find out...” he grumbled. Then he saw the white shape stand up and gaze in his direction... “From a safe distance...” ========== Cream Puff happily skips next to me, her stomach full and her smile fuller. She’s once again humming some cheery jingle that sounds familiar but I can’t place it. ‘And even if you did, Heart- H.B.,. H.B. -who knows if it would be a direct ponification of said song?’ I feel the mass of the food, that despite being given to us in ‘test samples’, is sloshing in my stomach. “Maybe we shouldn’t have had so much before going to the park...” I say aloud, a small burp punctuating between my words. Cream Puff... bless her, I’m thinking that I, because I have no other descriptor, am demonstrating her youthful ability to burn sugar and fat like a living conflagration. “Why’s that there, H.B.?” she asks exuberantly, licking crumbs from her little snoot and letting out a few of her own belches. “Because...” I start, forcing air into my stomach and returning fire. “Rainbow-burp-Dash urp and Fluttershy -raap- are waiting for me burp! At the park, and I think lots of physical activity will be involved-” I finish by letting out a rather noxious, window rattling, strawberries and cream scented expulsion. “And my stomach is rather full.” “Like yer pregnant?” Cream Puff asks, giggling. I feel a cold chill in the pit of my stomach at the seemingly innocent, what I am sure was meant to be a joke, is accompanied with this is an uneasy wave of deja-vu. I decide to push those mashed feelings aside and opt to play what she just asked as a joke for me. “I wouldn’t know, seeing that it’s never happened to me...” ‘and never will...’ I mentally add. “It could happen one day!” she says this in a way too cheerful of a smile. She must be reading my body language because she quickly adds. “Ah mean when yer ready that is...” ‘Ugh... That is something I would not like to think about...’ My eyes dart around for a sharp change in subject as we enter- I look up at the sign- ‘Weeping Willow Woods Park and Recreation’. That’s when I spy with my clarified eyes something- someone... somepony orange... A little orange colt blowing bubbles next to... ugh... Marmalade. “Oh hey, isn’t that your gooood fffriend, Mars Orange?” There is a dash of sweetness and sarcasm tossed into my voice. “Hmph... Ah wouldn’t call Mars an’ me ‘Friends’.” Cream Puff says, making air quotes with her hooves as she momentarily rears up. I can’t believe the next words that want to come out of my mouth. “He can’t be all bad...” Oooh, boy, the look she’s giving me could sour cream! “You have met his mother, Marmalade, right?” Her little filly face screws up and her voice drips with incredulity. “Aha- yeah, I’ve had the misfortune of-” “There you are!” Interrupts a panicked sporty familiar voice! It’s one that’s accompanied with a streak of a quickly fading spectrum of colors and a breeze that I swear feels almost too warm for a few seconds. When the rush of air passes and returns ;to a reasonable temperature, Rainbow Dash has landed right in front of me. Her eyes are wide and her normally smooth mane and tail seem a bit... frazzled. “Yeah...” I reply, adjusting my glasses and steading myself on my bike from the whirlwind that Dash just sent our way. “Here we are...” “Where were you?!” “We were getting something to eat.” I keep my voice as calm as possible. One of my old defensive behaviors seems to want to assert itself today, it seems. “Why? Do you have somewhere to be?” “We were at the grand openin’ of ‘The Strawberry Sweets Shakes Shack’!” Cream Puff interjects. “H.B. went an’ ate a lot of things!” Rainbow Dash gives me this... quizzled? Glance before looking up and down at my side in a way that makes me feel... uncomfortable... like she’s judging me. “How... often have you been eating sugary stuff?” Her hoof is moving towards my midsection. “Excuse me?” As if on instinct, I flinch and jump back! After all, one wrong slip up, one wrong move and Dash could be the third pony whose hoof has met a terrible fate with the brands on my backside and will be given a case of ‘supernaturally induced sadness’... “Not too often. I’ve been having a... time keeping anything down for the past two weeks on account of being so sick.” Not that she was aware of any of that until yesterday... buuut I’m not going to say that out loud. “Why are you asking?” “No reason...” she replies mealy mouthed. “Though it does look like you’re putting on a winter coat a bit early...” She says this in a mutter under her breath in a way that I’d imagine teenagers would use if they were making a sort of joke-not joke with their ‘friends’. “What’s that s’posta 'mean?” I peer at her over the frames of my glasses before pushing them up. Rainbow almost goes to cover her mouth as if she was some little filly who had been saying a swear word or some shit. “Nothing! I just think getting into a good exercise routine would be a good idea!” “Ah think she just called ya fat, there, H.B.” Cream Puff says with her ear pinned back and that same milk curdling expression on her little face. ========== Heartbreak’s eyes narrowed and she gave an angry snort as the gears in her head were grinding and sparking against something. All the face twisting, ear pinning and unpinning, tail curling and near smoke emanating from her hind in tight little spirals ended in Heartbreak taking a deep breath before letting it out in an anti climatic, exasperated sigh. “Ok...” Heartbreak said in a low tone of voice that was cloyingly sweet, yet passive aggressive. Rainbow Dash gave an irritated glance to Cream Puff, but quickly looked away when she heard Heartbreak make an angry snort. “I’m not saying that you are!” Dash began, trying her hardest to backpedal her words. “I’m just saying that you could... uhm... use some exercise! And I set up the perfect setup to whip you into shape!” she exclaimed, once more waving a hoof towards the series of obstacles scattered about the park. Heartbreak looked past Rainbow Dash, her ears refusing to be unpinned, and now they were joined by a rather unpleasant scowl. “Fluttershy did tell you that I just wanted to ride my bicycle around, right?” Rainbow felt disappointment and her ears drooped slightly, she gave a soft chuckle before attempting to regain her self assured composure. “Yeah, yeah, you want to ride your bicycle, but look at this! Doesn’t it look like an awesome challenge? Which would you rather do, beat my challenge for you or ride your bicycle?” “I want to ride my bike...” Heartbreak said with an unimpressed stare. “Really?” Dash asked, her face slumping even further. “I did just got done changing it after Fluttershy told me about the bike thing!” “Yeah! Really! Why is that so hard to believe? I’ve just gotten over a-” Heartbreak felt the slime in the back of her throat trying to slither its way down into her lungs and she put her muzzle into the crook of her arm to cover up a few well placed forced coughs to keep the miscreant glob of mucus from setting up shop. “-a really bad set of illnesses... series of illnesses? Whatever! It was something really terrible, and I’m still trying to get back on my... hooves...” she said irritatedly once she recovered from the eviction of the unpleasant guest in her breathing. “Oh, come on! I worked really hard on this!” Dash protested. “I’m trying not to push it! I just want to do a little bike riding, get a bit of fresh air, maybe see where I’m at ‘health wise’ and then afterwards make something like pancakes or muffins with Cream Puff, like I promised!” Heartbreak exclaimed. “Yeah... I’m sure you’d like to make more food...” Rainbow muttered. “What was that?” Heartbreak asked, the irritation growing further present as the locks in her mane and tail curled making their return. “Nothing! I mean, I’m your teacher too, right? I should have a say in what happens in these lessons too!” Rainbow spat out. Heartbreak scoffed. “You have the nerve when you haven’t even- I mean I can’t believe- I,-” she threw her right hoof in the air and twirled it in exasperation. “Ugh! You know what You might be one of my teachers or caretakers-” Her eyes darted at Cream Puff and then back to Rainbow Dash. “Because I’m like an ambassador for Minneighsota and what have you, but I don’t have to take this sort of... attitude. I think I’ve experienced plenty of things that I could summarize and condense into a perfectly valid lesson!” Rainbow Dash looked momentarily confused at all the information being thrown at her before snorting and rubbing her hoof across her face at the utter ridiculousness of how it sounded out loud. “Alright, whatever! You’ve been here for like what? Five months? And from what I’ve heard you’ve been outside for how long?! There’s so much to do! So much to see!” “I’m not taking the backstreets...” Heartbreak referenced, rubbing her hoof against her temple and rolling her eyes. “Say what?” Rainbow asked, her face going from frustration to befuddlement in ten seconds flat. “Nothing, don’t worry about it. I just can’t believe that this has to be my first interaction with you in months...” Heartbreak groaned, rolling her eyes. “Well, excuse me. It seems like you’re allergic to awesomeness and fun...” Dash scoffed. “H.B. is a great reader an’ the stories she reads us colts an’ fillies at the library are more than awesome!” Cream Puff interjected, puffing herself up at the pegasus while trying to sound indigent at Rainbow’s accusation. “She’s tons of fun!” Rainbow Dash looked Heartbreak up and down before appearing as she was going to say something, only for the tan mare’s face to scrunch up and her left hoof to shoot up in the air. “Don’t. I don’t... Whatever. I’m not even the in mood to ride my bike anymore. Guess that cooking time with you is going to come a lot sooner, Cream Puff.” Heartbreak said, turning her bike around and starting back to the entrance of the Weeping Willow Wood park. “Oh! What’s happening?!” Fluttershy asked, having finally trotted over to address the situation. “H.B., why are you leaving?” Heartbreak frowned. “I’m leaving because, Rainbow Dash,-” she looked over her shoulder and gritted her teeth. “-thinks that I’m... fat... Which is unimportant by the way! That I can’t even do her little obstacle course and that I’m incapable of having fun!” “I-I believe you can have fun...” Fluttershy said in a desperate bid to salvage the lesson that Rainbow had put so much effort in setting up. Heartbreak's body froze and a subtle, yet visible twitch made its way from the top of her pole to the end of her tail. "You seriously think I can do this, Fluttershy?" She asked, her tone flat and her eyes expressionless. "And have fun while doing it?" Fluttershy flinched and her wings flickered at the sudden change in tone coming from her student. "Of course I do..." she began. Heartbreak stared into space, seemingly miles away before turning back with a forced smile. She took a deep breath and pedaled her bike back to the park. "Alright," she chimed. "If you believe I can have fun doing it, then I'll do it, but I better not hear another word from Dash about any ‘winter coats’..." =========== Angel watched as the rainbow pony dived at the abomination, nearly colliding with it.  Part of him hoped she would, then he would be rid of this demonic being. If any of the ponies could do it, it would be Rainbow Dash. Yes, Fluttery was able to stare down one dragon and talk it down before convincing it to nest somewhere else, but Tank's pony actually physically kicked the dragon square in the jaw, or so he had heard- and any good bunny worth their carrots could respect a good sharp kick like the one he had heard described. "That is, once Tank Tortoise had actually finally finished describing the event..." Angel muttered to himself, rising up to look around. "Where is he? If he knew the danger his pony is facing, he would maybe put in some effort to be here as quickly as he could!" A chuckle almost escaped from his throat. "The only reason that tortoise even had any speed was because of pony magic... Angel Bunny could easily ta-" "Angel Bunny!" came the high pitched and loud, ferrety chittering of, well, a ferret that seemed to come out of nowhere, sending the little white bunny into a fitful tumble! "Whoa!" The brown footed ferret hopped back. "I, Festivities Ferret, did not mean to startle! He swears! He has a full belly because of his pony, Joyful Jubilee!! Angel Bunny's pony Fluttershy did great job finding pony for Festivities Ferret!! Yes! Yes! Yes!" Angel righted himself up to look at the mustelidae and gave him a sniffing twitch, the familiar scent identifying him among the countless other ferrets his pony had homed. "Oh yes. Festivities Ferret. I, Angel Bunny, remember you." His heart rate and breathing calmed down as he was, for the moment, not focused on the creature. "Why is Festivities Ferret here? He's not hunting in the park?" the white fluff ball inquired. "Oh by Rikki-tikki-tavi, no! Festivities Ferret maybe indeed a terrifying hunter, but as he said, his Joyful pony keeps his belly quite full! No, smelled Angel Bunny's scent in the wind, Festivities Ferret did, and sought him out to tell him fantastic news!!" they said, bounding about, his body twisting in near impossible ways. Angel turned his attention away from the eye burning contortions of the ferret to check on his actual target... that horrid sharp toothed thing... They were seemingly walking away from the rainbow pony and his Fluttershy. Confound the weasley distractor! He had clearly missed something unfolding! "Can Angel Bunny guess what news Festivities Ferret has?!" he asked, trying to draw the rabbit's attention from whatever was obviously far less important than what he was going to say! "... I, Angel Bunny, am uhm..." he admitted, his eyes narrowing as the thing paused and seemed to... spasm? Before turning around and getting on the bicycle it had dragged along with it. 'Is trying to impress the ponies around it? Or is it toying with them like a cat with a mouse!?' Festivities Ferret waved a paw in front of the entranced Angel eyes. "Helloooo!?" Angel shook his head and fought the urge to stomp and screech at the all too bright and bouncy ferret. "I, Angel Bunny, said that we did not know!" Festivities tilted his head. "Not out loud, Angel Bunny did not... No matter! The news! Festivities Ferret's pony, Joyful Jubilee and their litter mate, Puzzle Box, are opening a place here! In Angel Bunny's ville of ponies!" he squeaked and chittered as he leapt and danced about! Angel's eyes darted back and forth between the ridiculous antics of the ferret and the equally ridiculous antics of the monster attempting to ride on its bicycle. 'The little pony is offering it a helping hoof!! Such foolery!' he thought as he saw the wheels of the bike go round and round... That's when the wheels in his own little bunny brain also went round and round and an idea formed... but how to implement this sinister scheme without being caught? After all, Festivities was right there and showed no signs of leaving anytime soon... He looked at the ferret and it struck him. "Oh yes, that is fantastic news!" Angel shouted, clapping his little paws together and putting on an excited smile! "I, Festivities Ferret know, right!? Joyful has promised that he shall wear his most fun suit! The one with the little hat, and the vest, and the green, and the shinies! Oh! The shinies!!" "Why, this is such wonderful news, that I, Angel Bunny, think that the two of us should celibate with a game!" He quickly darted into the underbrush. "A game?" Festivities Ferret asked, dooking curiously, his little clawed paws curled to his chest. "What kind of game?" "A stick throwing game!" Angel exclaimed, returning with more than five nice looking solid sticks! "A stick throwing game?" Festivities Ferret repeated, his head tilting even farther the other way. "Yes! Yes!" Angel said with more excitement than he should have had. "See the gray square stones? Whoever can throw their stick the farthest part wins!" Festivities blinked and looked confused. It wasn't like Angel to actively seek out play with other animals... 'Then again, Festivities Ferret has been gone many, many, many, many days...’ "Alright! I, Festivities Ferret accept! But Angel Bunny better watch out! We are stick throwing champions!" Angel responded by rubbing his paws together and making a quiet chuffing chuckle...