//------------------------------//
// This Isn't So Bad 
// Story: Agent of Chaos 
// by Enfield 
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	Darkness falls faster than expected as I sprint to Fluttershy's cottage. I have no idea how it's gotten so dark within just several minutes of leaving Sugarcube Corner. I'm hoping that one day of helping Pinkie take care of the Cake twins will be enough to help me look after these three fillies. I was grateful that my work in Sugarcube Corner was done for the day, Mr and Mrs Cake both heard about what I was doing the previous day and they allowed me to take the rest of the afternoon off so that I could learn about how to take care of young kids. But I highly doubt that these kids will require the amount of care that Pound and Pumpkin Cake need. As a small precaution I did ask Fluttershy about the girls and she told me everything about them. Apparently they call themselves the Cutie Mark Crusaders and their goal is to find their talents so that they can get Cutie Marks. It's a cute little idea for a club but from what I heard, they can make huge messes. Applejack told me about when Apple Bloom got the Cutie Pox and scared the entire town, not something that I have to deal with.  

As I near the cottage I stop running and skid several feet until I come to a complete halt. I look at the windows of the small house and notice something, there's no-one there. The lights are off and there's no sign of life inside of the cottage and there's no sign of anyone outside. I walk over to the front door and knock on it, slightly puzzled because Fluttershy wanted me to be at her place at six and she's not here. Either that or she's out with the fillies. Should I call them Crusaders for short? What were their names again? 

"Oh Scott, you're here," Fluttershy's voice says behind me. I spin around and see Fluttershy with the Crusaders standing by her side coming up the front path.
"You told me to be here at six," I say. 
"Yes but I never expected you to be here so early."
"It is six isn't it?" I ask, "It's gotten darker and have no idea what time it is."
"How can you tell what time it is?" the pegasus filly asks me. What was her name again? Scooterlot?
"I can gauge the suns position and the shadows to see what hour it is," I say. No joke, I can do that.
"Is that by magic?" the unicorn filly asks. I have no clue what her name is.
"No, it's just through basic studying of astronomy."
"What's astonamininy?" the pony filly asks. I see that she has a massive dark red bow in her mane, I didn't see it earlier because she was wearing a helmet. Her name also escapes me.
"Astronomy is the scientific study of space, stars and planets." 
The fillies "ooooh" after I say this, they seem interested, maybe I can teach them what I know. Who knows, it might stop them from trying to break stuff. Fluttershy opens up her cottage and lets us inside, there are several small woodland creatures that stare at us as we enter. I hope that they don't start to hate me as well like that rabbit which is here as well. The animals watch or retreat as shows the kids to the room that they'll be using for the night, she explains to me that they were meant to stay at Applejack's farm but Applejack has been too preoccupied with the upcoming party to be able to take care of the girls. I ask her for the names of the fillies and which one is which. Fluttershy goes on to tell me that the pony is Apple Bloom, the unicorn is Sweetie Belle and the pegasus is Scootaloo. I was half right with her name. 

"Let me tell them what's going on," Fluttershy said.
"You haven't told them yet?" I ask. 
"No, I wanted you to be here so they knew who you were."
"Good idea." 
Fluttershy clears her throat and turns to the stairs. 
"Girls," she says in a voice barely audible to my ears. Within seconds the fillies are standing in front of her, looking as innocent as possible. 
"Yes Fluttershy?" they all say. 
"You remember Scott Websly right?" Fluttershy says, the fillies nod, "He's going to be looking after you until I get back." 
The fillies look at me nervously but they ease up as I lean down to their head level.
"How ya doing ya wee lasses?" I ask in a very thick Scottish accent. Sweetie Belle giggles a little. 
"Why are you talking like that?" Scootaloo asks.
"Like what?" I reply, this time Apple Bloom giggles.
"That silly voice you have," Apple Bloom says, "What's wrong with it?"
"Ach, this is me normal voice," I say. Oh how I love being a stereotype.
"You sure?" Scootaloo asks, a small smile breaking out on her face.
"I don't see anything wrong with it," I say. 
"Can you please talk like you were earlier?" Fluttershy asks, but I know that she's enjoying my little act. 
"Thank goodness you asked," I say in my normal accent, "I thought I was going to end up as a haggis if I kept that up."
This make all the girls fall to the floor, laughing from what I said.
"That was the funniest thing I have ever heard," Scootaloo said.
"Say it again Mr! Pleaseeee?" Sweetie Belle pleads.
"What word?" I ask.
"That one word," Apple Bloom said, "Ah can't say it in case ah die from laughing."
"Was it 'haggis'?" I say. The girls are off giggling like maniacs again. They keep this up for a few minutes until they lay still on the floor panting for air.
"HAGGIS!" I shout in my deep Scottish accent. The girls, even though out of breath, start laughing again. I look over at Fluttershy and see her with her hoof over her mouth.
"Something wrong?" 
"Is that an appropriate word to say around the girls?" she asks me.
"Oh yeah, it's just one of my country's traditional foods." 
"What is it?"
I stop when I realize that I can't tell her that haggis is boiled sheep stomach that's been stuffed with vegetables.
"I can't remember," I say quickly. Fluttershy looks at me suspiciously until the fillies start coughing. 
"Oh dear," Fluttershy said, "Are you girls alright?"
"Yeah," Scootaloo said between hacking coughs, "Just need water or something."
"Get some for all three of them," I say, Fluttershy doesn't hesitate. As she's getting water for the fillies I sit on the floor next to them and let them get their breaths back, for small kids they sure have big lungs.
"You okay now?" I ask them.
"I think we'll be okay," Apple Bloom said, her voice a little dry and scratchy sounding. Sweetie Belle lies on her back and sucks in as much air as she can.
"Mr. Websly?" she said.
"Call me Scott," I say. Sweetie Belle looks over at me.
"Scott, can you please not say that word again for a while?"
I nod and smile a little.
"Anything for you guys." 

Fluttershy returns with three large glasses of water and gives them to the fillies, who gulp them down in seconds. After they finish drinking they sit up and let out deep a satisfied exhale. 
"Are you girls alright now?" Fluttershy asks.
"Yep, much better," Sweetie Belle said.  
"Now you girls behave for Scott," Fluttershy said.
"I think that we'll get long just fine," I say. The Crusaders are already back up and looking as angelic as they possibly can, I can just see the golden halos above their heads. I start to wonder if they might use them as Frisbees if they were real. 
"Okay, I'll be back later," Fluttershy said as she left, "Bye girls."
"Bye!" the fillies say. Fluttershy shuts the door and the Crusaders run up to the window and watch the yellow pegasus fly away. They then turn their attention to me, the looks that they are giving me don't bode well in my mind.
"Don't even think that I'm going easy on you because you barely know me." 
"We weren't planning to do anything," Apple Bloom said.
"We were just going to try and find our special talent," Scootaloo adds.
"Do you have any ideas on what it might be?" I ask. 
"Last time we were here we tried to fix a table and catch a chicken," Sweetie Belle said. I scratch the side of my head as I remember the story that Twilight told me when Fluttershy took care of the Crusaders for the first time and how it almost ended with them becoming statues. Not the way I want to die. 
"Maybe we should try and figure out what the Haggis might be," Scootaloo said. A few giggles from the other two follow.
"Yeah, what do you think it is though?" Sweetie Belle said.
"Maybe Scott knows," Apple Bloom said as she points toward me, "Scott, what's a Haggis?"
I know that I shouldn't be messing with the minds of these kids but if I don't tell them they might get bored and start to break stuff. I decide to go with the most ridiculous thought that pops into my head, it might keep the kids occupied until they fall asleep.
"The Haggis is a rare and very strange creature," I say, "It's one of the most interesting animals in the whole of Equestria. I've spent a few years of my life searching for it but I have never found anything."
"What's it look like?" Apple Bloom asks.
"Small, round. It's red with a plaid pattern so seeing it shouldn't be too hard." 
"But you said that you've never seen it before," Scootaloo said.
"I know from what it looks like from books and sightings," I say, "But I've never seen one in real life before." 
"Do you think there could be one in the forest?" Scootaloo said to Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom. 
"There could be," Apple Bloom said. Sweetie Belle pipes up.
"Wait, didn't Fluttershy tell us to not go into the forest alone?"
"Did she say you could go if there was another pony with you?" I ask. 
"Well, no," Apple Bloom said.
"Then you don't need to worry, I'll take you into the forest if you want to try and find the Haggis," I say.
"Really?" Sweetie Belle asked excitedly. 
"Sure, what? Did you really think I was going to keep you here all night?" 
"Cool! We can go into the forest again?" Scootaloo said. 
"Just for an hour before it gets too dark to see," I say, but in my mind I know that I'll probably have to use the Element of Chaos if it gets dark. 
"Can you give us a second?" Apple Bloom says as she runs upstairs with Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo. They return a few minutes later with red capes around their necks, on the side of the capes is what looks like a yellow emblem of a small pony foal with a cape that's rearing on it's hind legs. 

"CUTIE MARK CRUSADER HAGGIS CATCHERS!" they all yell in joy. The next words I say escape my lips before I can stop myself.
"Aww, that's dead cute." 
"We're not cute!" Scootaloo said triumphantly, "We're fearless Crusaders!"
"Okay, okay," I say as I open up the front door, "Shall we be on our way?"
"Let's go!" the Crusaders all shout as they bolt out the front door. Once they're outside I shut the door and join them at the bottom of the front path.
"Is there anything in the forest at this time of night?" I ask.
"No," Apple Bloom said. Just then a distant howl catches my attention but the Crusaders dart off in the direction it came from, towards the thickest part of the forest.
"Come on, Scott!" I hear Sweetie Belle yell toward me. I look at the trees and an uneasy feeling washes over me. I have no clue what's in that part of the forest because I've never been there. I scan the trees and see a pair of large red eyes stare at the Crusaders as they run into the woods. A sudden feeling of panic hits me.
"Ah sod it." I say. I then take off, yelling their names as I pursue them, hoping to catch them before the owner of the red eyes does.