//------------------------------// // Once Bitten, Twice Shy: Part 2 // Story: Angelic Disposition // by MyHobby //------------------------------// Angel leaped aside as Dollar Dillo charged. The armadillo’s claws narrowly avoided slicing off the bunny’s scut, instead clocking a confused Opalescence on the head. The kitty was laid low, splayed out on the floor in a semi-conscious parody of the “I can haz dayzee sammich?” newspaper cartoons. Angel scrambled up the oven and grasped his ladle. He pointed it at Dollar in warning, a small smirk playing at the corners of his mouth. Dollar Dillo responded by brandishing a nearby whisk. His snort of irritation was accompanied by a bound up to the top of the stove. Being an armadillo that lacked the powerful jumping muscles of a bunny rabbit, he didn’t make it four inches off the floor. His display of athletic prowess ended with his pointed snout planting itself in the tiled floor. Angel’s chittery chuckles only served to infuriate the antagonist further. Dollar climbed up the stove with the whisk held firmly in his teeth. At last, the two combatants faced off at the top of the flaming stove. Dollar swung high, and was parried by Angel’s ladle. A solid whack to the shell sent the armadillo rolling, Angel giggling at his misfortune. The laughter was cut off by Dollar’s rebound. Angel found himself knocked into the salad he had been preparing, his white body sinking into the greenery. He surfaced among the lettuce with a gasp. He raised his ladle to block Dollar’s downswing. They began a test of strength, both pushing, neither willing to give in. Dollar’s greater bulk was wearing Angel down, and the bunny knew it. He looked pleadingly over to the other pets, who were in various states of being occupied. Owloysius flapped overhead, trying to calm down a screaming Silver Spoon. She was doing a distressed dance, her hooves pumping. Opal’s eyes were pointing in different directions, her brush with an armadillo claw not quite healed. Tank hovered over to the other side of the kitchen, hiding from the cacophony of activity. Featherweight’s camera clicked. Angel felt himself sink into the salad as Dollar overpowered him. Death by salad seemed to be a quite fitting, and indeed ironic, fate. Fluttershy and Snowflake shared a laugh as Hour D’oeuvres mumbled into his drink. His date was having a great time, sure, he just wished that he could be a part of it. “Vell now, vat vill you be orderink for suppah!?” The brawny pegasus produced a notebook out of nowhere and held his pen at the ready. Fluttershy had seen her favorite dish within minutes of picking up the menu. “I’ll have the oriental salad with celery soup, please.” Hour put his drink down and gave a small smirk. “I’ll have the burrito de queso.” Snowflake finished writing down their orders and trotted off, leaving the blue stallion with his date. Both ponies sat at the table in silence; Fluttershy looking around and taking in the high-society sights, and Hour plotting the start of a new conversation. A conversation that would, hopefully, not be quietly slain by a shy pegasus. “Say, weren’t you one of the ponies who brought the Mexican Muskrat Mannheim Madness to the National Dessert Competition?” He smiled inwardly at his keen memory. Fluttershy replied inaudibly. Hour coughed and urged her on. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t catch that.” “Marzipan Mascarpone Meringue Madness,” she repeated. Her seemingly-perpetual blush deepened as realization dawned on Hour’s face. “But you were really close.” “Yes,” he replied with a frown. “Aheh. I just happened to be one of the judges at that function.” “That’s nice,” Fluttershy said. “Did you enjoy the dessert?” “I should say so!” He grinned; she was finally opening up a little bit. “We did, after all, give Dinky Pie the blue ribbon.” “Pinkie Pie,” she corrected. Hour flinched noticeably, so Fluttershy added, “But again, you were really close.” Hour D’oeuvres’ mouth became a grim line. “Yeeesss, I was, wasn’t I?” Fluttershy wasn’t sure how to answer that, so she said nothing. Hour wasn’t sure what to say either, so the silence persisted. So the date continued. “What’s going on in here!?” A mare stood amidst the wreckage of the kitchen, her veins bulging out of her neck. Her eyes blazed at the two children and five pets that found themselves at the epicenter of the disaster. “Who’s responsible for all this!?” Sue Chef was well known in the restaurant industry for her no-nonsense approach to running her business. With her husband, Silver Spoon, running the customer relations, she was able to fully focus on the technicalities that came from being the boss. Her daughter, Silver Spoon the younger, kept her eyes on the ground as she spoke. “I’m sorry, Momma, I don’t know.” Sue squinted at Silver, searching for any sign of duplicity. “Hmm, how about you, Featherweight? Do I have to call Snowflake in?” “I… I think those two started it,” he said nervously. His hoof pointed at Angel Bunny and Dollar Dillo, the two pets standing far too close to each other for comfort. “Dollar Dillo leaped at Angel and bonked Opal in the head, or that’s what I saw.” “Is that so, Mr. Dillo?” Sue turned her steely gaze on the armadillo. Dollar shrank back. Angel snickered at his misfortune, but found himself next in line for a glare. “And how about you, Mr. Bun?” Angel gestured at himself with the most innocent gasp of surprise he could conjure up. He shook his head lightly, a smile as smooth as butter sliding across his face. He put an arm around Dollar’s shoulders, grinning good-naturedly and flashing a thumbs-up. Or what passed for a thumbs-up for a rabbit. Dollar smoldered with rage beneath his touch. Angel retreated as quickly as he could while maintaining his bluff. The armadillo glared at him with teeth bared, and Angel’s ears drooped. Sue rubbed her temples. “Whatever. You’re all going to be cleaning up this kitchen unless I get some solid proof-” The kitchen’s pantry door opened, admitting a frazzled cook back into the kitchen. He saw Angel standing in the line-up and growled. “Hey! That’s the little fuzz-ball that dropped a frying pan on my head!” Angel bolted, dragging Tank, Opal, and Owloysius with him. He grasped the remains of Fluttershy’s salad with his free paw, and prompted the owl to grab some of the discarded instruments they had brought along. “Hold it!” Sue Chef shouted as the pets ran between her legs. She stuck her head underneath herself to watch as they marathoned for the exit. “After those miscreants!” Featherweight’s camera flashed. Angel quarterbacked his way through the door and into the restaurant proper, the salad tucked under his foreleg. Hour D’oeuvres and Fluttershy found themselves deadlocked in another conversation lull. Hour had run out of conversation topics, while his date had run out of one-word responses to his questions. He sighed, hiding a grimace from her. “The food sure is taking its sweet time getting here, isn’t it?” A plate came sailing over his head. It landed on the table, splattering dressing and vegetables everywhere. A bunny rabbit leapt on the table and began playing a small violin in what sounded like a romantic ballad. The bunny’s tempo increased as he ran from an angry armadillo that had scrambled onto the table beside him. Around the table they raced, evenly matched as far a speed went. Either Angel was out of shape, or Dollar Dillo’s anger gave him a boost. Hour D’oeuvres was covered in oranges and dressing. His face burned a deep purple as his frustration gave way to fury. “What in Grogar’s Gorgeous Gondola is going in here!?” Owloysius soared overhead and dropped a silky napkin on the angry stallion’s head. It covered Hour’s face, hiding him from the now-chaotic restaurant. The owl carried an accordion, which he used to accompany Angel’s violin. Whether it was beautiful, romantic music or something out of Weird Al was up in the air. Owloysius dodged a flying plate that had been thrown by Hour. The stallion growled as he bounded off of a table to catch the owl in his hooves. Owloysius simply increased his altitude and let Hour fall back to the ground unimpeded. Opalescence was being chased by Silver Spoon the younger and her mother. The wily cat zipped under tables, between legs, and through the occasional skirt. She held a trumpet in her mouth with one paw, her occasional blats adding color to Angel’s ensemble. She came to the entrance, where the maitre d’ was waiting. “Ei’ll turn yoo ehntoo eh meaty-meat pie!” With a grin, Opal slashed at his tuxedo with a razor-sharp claw. He gasped as his suit fell apart, leaving the pony naked. He quietly excused himself, as he had managed to slip beneath the dress code. Silver Spoon grasped at Opal, who was suddenly elsewhere. The cat had climbed the podium and was waving condescendingly at the pursuing earth ponies. She let loose a flat blat right in Sue Chef’s face, knocking the mare back. Tank fought hard to stay ahead of the father-son team of Snowflake and Featherweight. Though the family’s wings were tiny, they were a scrappy lot. Tank and his keyboard ended up being far more nimble than their appearances would suggest. “Ah’ll head heem off!” Snowflake shouted. “Yoo stey ohn heez tail!” Featherweight nodded as his camera snapped a picture. He was hot on the tail of the whirly-herp, his tiny wings beating like a humming bird’s. He was about to grasp on to the tortoise when the critter went into a steep dive, dropping to the restaurant floor. Snowflake and Featherweight collided head-on. Angel hopped away from the enraged Dollar Dillo, the armadillo catching up with every passing moment. He tried to stay close to Fluttershy so that she and her date could experience the full passion of his romantic ballad. Hour was still trying to bring Owloysius down with projectiles. Patrons scrambled for the exits as the chase continued. Mares screamed. Stallions fainted. Foals laughed that they got dinner and a show. Angel grinned as he finished his song and struck a pose before Fluttershy. “Angel, what’s going on?” A very unhappy Fluttershy. Angel kept the grin plastered to his face as he indicated the food he had prepared and the music he had provided. He tried to explain that he hoped the date was going well using gestures towards Fluttershy and Hour. At that moment, Dollar Dillo tackled him to the ground. The bunny was at the other pet’s mercy for a moment or two, receiving a pummeling that was far less injurious than it could have been, had Dollar not been so tired from the chase. As it was, the armadillo collapsed at Angel’s side after a single punch. The two pets lay side by side, glaring fiery daggers at each other. “Angel, I think I’m a big enough pony that I can go on a date by myself,” Fluttershy said. “Now you’ve gone and made a mess! What am I supposed to say to Sue Chef?” “How about, ‘I’ve got the bill, don’t worry,’” Sue said. Her glare was nearly draconic in the way it scared Fluttershy stiff. “No, really. Who’s gonna pay for this?” “I will,” Hour said. He lumbered up to the other ponies and slumped to the floor. “I’ll take care of the applebucking bill, Miss Fluttershy. By Discord’s Distilled Dodonga Diapers, I hope you have a long and happy life.” He tossed a bag of bits at Sue Chef’s feet and bolted out the door. Fluttershy watched him go with a raised eyebrow. “Was it something I said?” “Aha!” Snowflake trotted up with Tank tucked beneath his bulging foreleg. “I hev captured de torteez!” He grinned at the crowd of upset mares, presenting his prize. “Iz good, yah?” Sue Chef took in a deep breath and let it out very, very slowly. “Thank you, Snowflake. You have managed to capture the least-destructive animal on the property.” Fluttershy looked around and noticed that both Opal and Owloysius were still attempting to escape the cook. “Opalescence! Owloysius! Come here, please.” The pets obeyed at once, coming alongside Fluttershy and standing at attention. The cook gave an exasperated sigh. He returned to the kitchen to attempt to salvage the remaining food. “Now then,” Fluttershy said. “I want you to apologize to Sue Chef for destroying her restaurant.” She sent Angel a one-eyed glare. “All of you.” Various squeaks, mewls, and hoots rose from the pets. All of them bowed their heads in deference. Sue Chef rolled her eyes as she hefted the bag of bits into her saddlebags. “Fluttershy, if you ever wanna come here again, I recommend getting a good sitter. Like maybe the royal guard. Or Discord.” Fluttershy smiled, nodded, and flew as fast as her wings could carry her. The pets filed out soon after, under the watchful eye of Sue Chef. Angel thanked each pet personally, except for Dollar Dillo, and waved goodbye as they returned to their respective homes. Angel was left alone with Dollar Dillo. He sucked in a nervous breath as he turned to his nemesis. The armadillo slumped to the ground, unaware of the bunny’s presence. An awkward silence filled the air. Angel tapped Dollar on the shoulder, who responded by turning away. The depression Dollar felt was palatable. Angel was getting sick of the armadillo’s mood swings. He snapped the digits on his paw and grasped at Dollar’s claw, a plan forming. He dragged Diamond pet along, taking him towards the train station. On the way he kept a keen eye out for a certain scooter and its three occupants. He wasn’t too concerned about actually being able to find the CMC; he could probably track them by the proximity of the emergency sirens. He found them rolling home from a day of crusading. He tossed a pine cone at them to get their attention, bonking Apple Bloom on the head. “Hey! What gives, yah crazy rodent!?” “Bunnies aren’t rodents,” Sweetie Belle corrected. “They’re actually a member of th—” “Rabbit’s ain’t rodents, but that one is!” Apple Bloom pointed and shouted to Scootaloo. “After that critter! We’re gonna get our reprobate-catchin’ cutie marks!” “Cutie Mark Crusader Police Officers, YAY!” The scooter spun, aiming the CMC right for the bunny rabbit. As planned. Angel raced for the station, his legs pattering against the dirt road. He beat the CMC to the train platform by a mere second. He noted that the train was five minutes behind schedule. As planned. What he didn’t plan on was bumping heads with Diamond Tiara, and then being run over by the scooter an instant later. The Crusaders and Diamond Tiara picked themselves up. A few tense moments went by as they stared each other down like it was an Appleoosan standoff. Diamond Tiara opened her mouth to yell at the CMC, until Angel hopped up to her to kick her leg. She looked down in surprised outrage. She was about to give him a piece of her mind, too, but he pointed insistently at a dismal shape a few feet away. Diamond Tiara’s eyes opened wide as she caught sight of Dollar Dillo, her estranged pet. The words of Fluttershy flowed into her head unbidden. “Show Dollar that you’ve decided not to hurt him.” “How am I supposed to do that!?” “By showing everyone a little kindness.” “Dang,” she said. She looked at the Cutie Mark Crusaders as they picked themselves up. “Um, you okay?” Apple Bloom’s mouth dropped open. “Pardon?” “I said,” Diamond repeated through gritted teeth, “are you guys okay?” “Uh, yeah. I think so.” Scootaloo scratched at the back of her head. “I’m, uh, sorry I ran you over.” “That’s…” Diamond Tiara’s face turned red as she held in her anger. “That’s okay, I’m fine.” “So, yeah.” Sweetie Belle sat in the red wagon, her eyebrows knitted. “You, uh, you have a good night, Diamond Tiara.” “You…” Diamond took a deep breath in. “Too.” The Cutie Mark Crusaders rode off towards their clubhouse. Diamond sighed and looked at her pet. The armadillo was looking at her with a mixture of apprehension… And hope. Diamond turned her head as her father called out to her. “Diamond, come on! The train’s leaving!” She looked back at Dollar and gave him a small smile. “I’m sorry, Dollar. I’ll… I’ll try, okay?” She ran into the train car, and they pulled out of the station. Dollar Dillo watched it go with a small smile on his face. He grasped Angel in his strong claws and hugged the bunny close. Angel marveled that the bear didn’t give this level of bear hugs. His lungs constricted, his ribs strained, and his head lit up like a cherry. Dollar let him go, and Angel slumped to the ground. The armadillo pranced happily towards Silver Spoon’s house, where he would spend the week waiting for Diamond Tiara to return. Angel gasped and made his own way home, glad that the night had not been a total waste. The headlines were quite clear: “BUNNY RABBIT AND COHORTS DESTROY LOCAL RESTAURANT.” Each picture was credited to Featherweight, and each was a sparkling example of the colt’s skills. The paper, certainly, would look good in his future resume. Angel snickered from his place in time-out. The chickens had been gracious not to peck at him as he shared their abode. The hen house was sort of cozy if one didn’t mind the constant clucking. He scootched aside to get more comfortable on top of the eggs he was keeping warm. Fluttershy wasn’t happy, but she wasn’t quite angry either. She didn’t really know how to rate her “date” with Hour D’oeuvres, save that he hadn’t walked her home, and was thus not second-date material. She returned to her quiet life with gusto, content with the attention she received from her animals. Hour D’oeuvres had hightailed it back to Canterlot, intending to tread safer waters. There were rumors that he planned on shipping himself to the griffon homeland to become a hermit. Unsubstantiated rumors, of course. That one-way trip ticket he bought could have meant anything. Angel mused at the news he had just received about Dollar Dillo and his relationship with Diamond Tiara. They made amends and were currently inseparable, if the amount of time they spent together was any indication. Not a day went by that they did not spend playing in the park with Silver Spoon the younger. Silver Spoon the elder and Sue Chef remodeled the entire restaurant the bits received from Hour D’oeuvres. The story in the papers gave them quite a bit of free publicity, which they utilized to the fullest extent. Their snooty restaurant was more popular than ever. Salacious P. Boysenberry and Prissy Pallet relocated to Fillydelphia. Their new art show was scheduled to open at the end of next week. There was a strict ban on bunny rabbits, crazy pink ponies named Pinkamena, and cake. Angel settled back and sighed. Not a bad couple of weeks. Not bad at all. Finis.