//------------------------------// // Stare Master // Story: Angel // by Sage Runner //------------------------------// "Gotta admit," Angel said as he and Fluttershy trotted towards the Carousel Boutique, a caged and freshly groomed cat in tow, "every once in a while you still manage to surprise me." "Oh? How do you mean?" Fluttershy asked. "That cat likes nobody, and attacks anything that even looks at it funny, or at all, and yet here you're able to get the thing groomed and in its cage twice without getting so much as a scratch." "That's silly, I'm sure she likes Rarity just fine." "She doesn't!" Angel corrected her. "Believe me, I know." "You can communicate with her?" "What? It's a cat, mum, don't be ridiculous, you can't talk to cats," Angel replied, rolling his eyes. "But this cat in particular, well, I recognize a kindred spirit when I see one. It's a lone wolf, just like me." "A lone wolf?" "Aye, don't need anyone or anything but the sun on my face, the wind at my back, and... you providing me with three square meals a day..." he spoke that last part much more softly and quickly that the rest of his statement. "A lone wolf indeed," Fluttershy giggled. "But you still manage to breech that terrifying exterior of hatred and isolation and groomed the shit out of that cat." "Angel, language," Fluttershy said sternly. "Right, sorry," Angel sighed. "My point is, you have a gift." "I know," Fluttershy smiled, "and thank you." "Yeah, well, just don't think about trying to have me groomed," Angel replied, blushing. "I'll drop the first bloke that comes near me with so much as a disposable comb." As they reached the door to Rarity's workshop, Fluttershy rang the bell. "OH, WHAT NOW!" a shrill voice replied. "Oh, sorry. I thought the "open" sign meant you were open, but I must have been mistaken," Fluttershy replied timidly as she entered the room. "It does mean 'open'," Angel said angrily as Rarity extended her apologies for snapping. "You don't need to apologize for reading, and for the record I'm miffed that that's the second time I've had to tell you that today." "I can't get near her without getting a swipe from her claws," Rarity remarked as the cat sauntered out of her cage, immediately confirming Rarity's statements by swiping at her. "Look mate," Angel said to Opal, "I'm down with the whole badass loner routine, but that is the thing that feeds you. I mean, I can pull it off because I'm a survivor, but if you get yourself kicked out into the wild, you wouldn't last five minutes." Opal grunted indignantly. "Did you use... the stare on her?" Rarity asked cryptically. "The what?" Angel asked his master. "I don't really have any control over when that happens. It just happens," Fluttershy replied. "No, I'm just good with animals. It's my special gift, you know?" "Tell me more about this stare." "Later!" Fluttershy hissed. "Fair enough," Angel replied. "Listen, I'm gonna head down to the pub for a few drinks, I'll catch up with ya later." As he trotted out of the shop, a yellow flash and an orange flash whizzed past him, forcing him to leap to the side. "HI ANGEL!" Scootaloo and Applebloom shouted in unison as they bolted into the shop. "Bloody hell, what are they so excited about?" Angel asked. "Ah well, it's not my problem. I feel sorry for whatever twit has to look after all three of them at the same time." As he said that, a chill ran down his spine. Animals are always the first to know... ... "WHAT!?" Angel shouted in disbelief and anger. "It's just for one night," Fluttershy said. "We can look after them for one night with no problem!" "A sleepover, at our house!" Angel replied in disbelief. "What was going through your head!?" "Well it's not like I had a problem with Opal. I'm good with all sorts of small creatures." "Animals, yes," Angel replied. "Things that act on instinct, follow a routine, and can be programmed to be obedient. Children are not the same thing!" "But I've seen you get along with those three before just fine," Fluttershy replied. "Yes," Angel replied. "I like when they pet me and feed me treats, I also like the fact that when I'm tired of their company I can leave before they get bored and start trying to dress me up as a fireman or some such shit. Kids only work in small doses, bottom line." "I still don't see what the big difference is," Fluttershy replied. "Kids are far less predictable for starters, I mean look," Angel pointed a hoof towards the well that the Cutie Mark Crusaders were climbing all over. "They're playing on a well. Who does that? Do you have any idea how many loaves I've pinched around that thing?" "...What?" Fluttershy asked flatly. "Okay, probably not the best time to confess to that, I admit," Angel replied, his eyes shifting nervously, "but we have a bigger problem on our hands. We need to herd those sugar-filled little wrecking balls back to the dress lady's overly-indulgent carnival ride house, and we need to do it before Happy Hour." "They're staying with us for the night," Fluttershy said sternly. "I guarantee you," Angel said, more calmly, "if you do this, they will give you trouble. You are not prepared." "Aren't you the one who's always saying I'm stronger than I realize?" Fluttershy said, raising an eyebrow. "Yes, and you are," Angel explained, "but you've never looked after a child before, you're inexperienced, and the worst part is that you're not taking it seriously. If you really think it'll be the same as taking care of a wounded bunny or a mouse with agoraphobia, you're in for a shattering disillusionment. Always know your limits, and always prepare for the worst." "Oh, you're just overreacting. Trust me, everything will be fine," Fluttershy said confidently. ... "Everything will be fine," Angel said, mimicking Fluttershy's earlier words. "They've only broken our entire livingroom!" "You're exaggerating," Fluttershy sighed. "Besides, I put them to bed, and everything's fine now. I'll admit, they were a bigger handful than I thought they'd be, but the hard part's over!" "By the way," Angel said, changing the subject, "that look you gave those chickens to get them back in the coop, was that the 'stare'?" "Mhm!" Fluttershy nodded enthusiastically. "It's something I can do sometimes to make an unruly animal behave. I don't know how it happens, it just comes naturally when I need it." "That's actually pretty cool," Angel said as he took a seat on the couch next to his master. "It's like... instant psychological warfare. Do you think it could work on ponies, too? You and I could really go places in this world if it does." "It doesn't work on ponies," Fluttershy laughed, rolling her eyes. "Damn." "It sure is quiet up there," Fluttershy remarked. "Let's analyze that for a moment," Angel said, standing on his hind legs, folding his front hooves behind his back, and pacing authoritatively back and forth in front of the couch. "The little fillies who could not complete the simple act of going to sleep without waking the entirety of your poultry stash are suddenly not making a sound." "Eek, you're right!" Fluttershy gasped as she flew to her upstairs bedroom. "Girls? Girls!" she shouted in dismay at the empty room. "Window's open," Angel casually pointed out, joining her in the bedroom. "Elizabeak! She's missing!" Fluttershy gasped as she noticed the tracks leading away from the chicken coop. "Judging by the hoof prints, I'd say they went after your missing bird," Angel said, examining the tracks. "Right into... fantastic, the Everfree Forest." "We..." Fluttershy gulped nervously, her legs beginning to shake, "we need to go after them." "Why?" Angel asked. "It's not like you go running after your animals when they go into the forest." "That's completely different, animals can survive in there, but the girls are just..." the realization dawning on her, "children. Oh, Angel, you were right, I really didn't take this seriously enough. Why didn't I listen to you from the start?" "I ask myself that same question every time we get into scrapes like this, mum," Angel replied flatly. ... "Is that Twilight?" Fluttershy asked as a figure became visible through the fog. "Looks like it," Angel replied. "Didn't you tell me she was heading over to that Zebra's place for tea or something?" "Thank goodness you're here," Fluttershy cheered as she ran to meet her friend. "The girls are missing, and-" she stopped short as both she and Angel realized that Twilight Sparkle had been turned to stone. "Well, this is new," Angel commented, circling the stone unicorn. "If she's been turned to stone, then that means... oh no!" Fluttershy broke into a gallop. "What? It means what?" Angel shouted as he chased after her. "Explanations as to why our friend turned to stone should not be left ambiguous!" "It means there's a Cockatrice on the loose, and we need to find the girls before it does!" "Okay yeah that's a priority then!" Angel replied. ... "Whelp," Angel said as the Cockatrice closed in on Fluttershy, Sweetie Bell, Applebloom, Scootaloo, and himself, "our ass is grass. Er, stone. We're gonna die, is the basic point I'm trying to make here." "Behind me, NOW!" Fluttershy shouted authoritatively. "Why? What are you planning?" Angel asked as he took his spot behind her with the three girls. What happened next was all too familiar to Angel as he watched his master berate the evil magical creature before them. But there was something different this time, because when she leered down at the thing, it buckled, and submitted. It even turned both Twilight and the chicken back to normal upon her command. "She's one scary lady when she needs to be," Angel thought to himself in awe. ... The next morning, as Rarity left with the girls in tow, Angel and Fluttershy collapsed on the couch for a well-deserved rest. Once again, he pulled two beers from the ice chest hidden in the wall, and passed one over to his master. "It's a little early for that, don't you think?" Fluttershy asked, raising an eyebrow. "Not when you haven't slept," Angel said. Fluttershy shrugged and twisted the cap off of her beer. "So yeah, all in all, not a bad sleepover," Angel grinned, making Fluttershy laugh into her beer. "Yes, very exciting," she giggled. "And once again, you were right." "Nah," Angel corrected her, "for once, I was wrong." "But I really hadn't taken the responsibility of babysitting all that seriously." "True, but when the night threw you the worst curveball ever, you handled the whole thing, wire to wire. Really stepped up, mum, I'm proud." "Aw, thanks Angel Bunny," she cooed, patting him on the head. "Yeah, yeah," Angel grumbled, embarrassed. "But seriously, don't ever let those three in here again. I rather liked that table they destroyed."