//------------------------------//
// Winona vs... 
// Story: Tank N' Pals 
// by Wildebeest 
//------------------------------//

Chapter 20: Winona vs...

Winston sighed, hopped over to his cage and undid the lock for Opal, muttering indecipherably to himself all the while.  After opening the door for her, he turned around and lead the trembling, whimpering Carne back to his cage.  Opal, meanwhile, nonchalantly trotted back to greet Tank, Owlowiscious and Winona, all of whom were staring at her in utter disbelief.  

"What?" asked Opal.  "Aren't you all happy I won the match?"

"W-well, yes," said Owlowiscious.  "We just didn't expect you to win it in quite that manner."

"Oh, it's no big deal," Opal said with a chuckle.  "He just needed to be taught how to behave, is all."  She scooted over to Tank and started tickling his cheek.  "And no one hurts my Tanky Wanky and gets away with it."

Tank gave off a nervous laugh.  I'm not sure if this should make me feel lucky or scared.

Winona shook her head, snapping out of her state of shock.  "Don't matter," she said.  "Long as you won the match, we're good.  An' now it's mah turn."

A moment later, Winston slammed the door shut on Carne's cage.  "Well, apparently, that just happened," Winston announced as he locked the cage door behind him.  "I have to hand it to you, intruders; I never expected you to make it this far.  But I'm afraid your winning streak ends here."

"The hay it does!" shouted Winona, bolting out of the cage and planting herself in the center of the store, snarling in anticipation.

"Oh, fudge," Winston said with a shake of his head.  "I forgot to lock your cage door behind me.  Oh, well."

Winston shrugged, left the 'CATS AND DOGS' aisle and slipped into the 'BIRDS' aisle, which piqued Winona's curiosity.  

So ah'm fightin' a bird, eh? she thought.  Shouldn't be too hard.  If ah can round up all the chickens in Applejack's coop, ah can-

"Boss, c'mon!" called a deep, raspy voice from within the aisle.  "You're not having me fight twice, are you?"

"Don't be silly," said Winston.  "You'll be refereeing this match.  Now get a move on."

Out of the aisle flew a weary, battered Clint, still recuperating from his earlier fight with Owlowiscious.  Winston strolled out of the aisle after him.  

"Boss, I don't know if I'm up for this," Clint said as he fluttered up to the counter, grunting in pain with each flap of his wings.

"Oh, stop your bellyaching," scolded Winston as he walked over towards his cage.  "All you have to do is watch the match and declare the winner at the end."

Clint sighed.  "All right," he said.  "I'll do it."

"Hold up," said Winona.  "Why's Clint gotta do it?  Why can't you do it this time?"

Winston locked his cage door, sealing Winona's three friends inside, and he turned to face Winona with a wry smile on his face.  "Because, my dear, Winona, your opponent..."

He grabbed his sweater, pulled it up over his head, gave it a couple of swings and cast it to the side.

"...is moi."

A devilish grin spread across Winona's face.  Right before her in the arena stood the object of her contempt, her anger, her righteous outrage.  Now was her chance to unleash all of her rage on someone who truly, absolutely deserved it.  With every second she spent looking at Winston, with his smug grin and inhuman air of superiority, her blood pressure climbed higher.  

"Excited?" Winston asked.  "I'm glad you are.  But darling, you're in for a rude awakening if you think I'm going to make this easy for you."

He planted himself on all fours and gave Winona a warlike glare from across the room.  "I hope for your sake that you've brought your A game, Winona.  Because ready or not, here I come!"

"Final Round.... FIGHT!" Clint announced.  

"RUFF!  RUFF!  RUFF!  RUFF!" 

Winona let out a stream of harsh- sounding barks as she charged towards her opponent.  Just before she made contact, Winston leapfrogged over her head and stuck a perfect landing below.  

"Is that all?" Winston taunted.  

Winona immediately pivoted around and charged at Winston again, but he stopped her advance with a well timed donkey kick to the jaw.  Winona staggered backward, recoiling from the sharp pain shooting up through her jawline.  While she was stunned, Winston stuck out his rear and gave Winona a couple of light slaps across the face with his tail.  

Winona let out a deep growl and started snapping her teeth at his tail.  Winston casually flitted his tail back and forth, weaving around each bite.  In a fit of frustration, Winona stuck out her paw and swatted Winston away, sending him sprawling onto the floor.  Without wasting a second, Winston rolled onto his feet and started scurrying away from his opponent and towards the counter.  

"Oh, no you don't!" Winona called, chasing after him.  Just before she reached the counter wall, Winston hopped onto her nose and used her head as a springboard to propel himself up onto the counter top.  Winona gave off a frustrated snarl, cursing herself for letting Winston out of her grasp.

"Now it's time to show you what I'm truly capable of," Winston announced as he strutted across the counter and planted himself in front of the cash register.  "THUNDER BALL!"

Winston leaned forward and headbutted the cash register.  With a sharp ka-ching, the drawer burst open and knocked Winston straight into the wall.  The impact sent him ricocheting off the wall and onto the floor, and then off the floor and onto the ceiling, until he was bouncing around the store like a living superball.  Winona's eyes darted around every which way in a vain attempt to follow his movement, but all she managed to do was make herself dizzy.  

While Winona was disoriented, Winston rocketed towards her and landed a direct hit right on the side of her belly.  Upon delivering the blow, he uncurled himself in midair and landed on all fours.  Winona staggered back and forth, reeling from the unexpected burst of pain, before collapsing onto the floor.  

Winston ambled up to his downed opponent with a confident smirk on his face, before buffeting her snout with some light, playful jabs.  "You were so close," he sneered.  "But it was all in vain.  I'm the rightful ruler of Pet Paradise, and it's going to stay that way for a long, long time."

Suddenly, Winona raised her paw and slammed it down hard on Winston's head, pinning him face down onto the ground.  While Winston squirmed under her grip, Winona took a deep breath and, with a grunt of effort, pushed herself back up onto her feet.  As she rose, Winston felt himself getting pushed harder and harder into the floor.  In an act of desperation, Winston whisked his tail around and gave Winona some light tickling under her chin.  This sent her into a giggling fit and alleviated the pressure for just long enough for Winston to wriggle out of her grasp.  

Winston stumbled away from Winona, clutching his ribs.  Seeing a golden opportunity to strike again, Winona clamped her paw down on his tail.  Upon realizing that he was pinned (again), Winston gasped and turned around to face his attacker.  And in that moment, Winona saw, for the first time since she arrived, a twinge of fear in Winston's eyes.  His swagger and bravado evaporated from his face as the realization that he was no longer in control sunk in.  Winona couldn't help but smile.

Winston grabbed his tail with both paws and tried to pry it out from under Winona, to no avail.  Winona took a few seconds to savor the sight of him struggling helplessly against her before gripping his tail and hoisting him up off the ground.  As he dangled from her paw, she brought his face less than an inch away from hers and looked him straight in the eye.

"You're garbage," she growled.  

And with that, Winona reared herself back and flung him headfirst into the cage-lined wall as hard as she could.  Winston hit the wall with a clatter and dropped to the floor like a sack of potatoes.  

Before he could even begin to pick himself up, Winona dashed over, scooped him up into her paws and hurled him towards the opposite wall.  This time, Winston was prepared to respond.  A split second before he collided with the cages, he stuck his paws out and latched onto the bars.  Sensing that Winona was hot on his tail, he scampered up the wall with every ounce of energy he had left.  Winona charged after him, but by the time she crossed over to the opposite wall, he was already nearing the top of the cages.  

Upon reaching the top, Winston took a seat and gave himself a much-needed moment to catch his breath and mull over his options.  This moment was cut short, however, when he saw Winona wrap her paws around the bars and start scaling the cages, honing in on his temporary refuge.

Winston quivered with fear as he watched his snarling, foaming attacker draw closer and closer.  "P-please, darling, control yourself!" he stammered.  "Stop, before you do something you'll regret!"

His pleas, much to his dismay, fell on deaf ears.  Winona continued to hoist herself higher, letting her pure, unbridled, carnal rage overtake her.  Winston tried to back away, only to find the wall blocking him from retreating any further.  Before he could put together a plan to escape, he saw Winona's left paw gripping the top of the cage, and his heart skipped a beat.  A moment later, it was joined by her right, and his heart skipped again.  Then he saw Winona's furious face emerge from below, and his heart nearly jumped out of his throat.  

In a fit of panic, Winston whirled around and caught Winona off guard with a roundhouse kick to the teeth.  While she was still reeling from the blow, he followed it up with another kick, this one catching her right between the eyes.  The second strike left Winona in a dazed state, causing her to loosen her grip on the cage.

Winston spied his chance to finish her off and took it without hesitation.  He thrust himself forward and delivered a punishing jab to the dog's throat.  Winona, feeling shortness of breath, instinctively grasped at her windpipe, causing her to let go of the cage and lose her balance.  All four of her friends looked on in horror as she plummeted to the floor below.

Upon hearing the sound of Winona's body smacking the cold, hard floor below, Winston's pride began to return to him.  His terror-striken frown curled upwards into a wicked smile.  The change was so sudden that he couldn't help but let a laugh or two escape him.  

Just to relish in his victory, he lowered himself from the cages, dropped onto the floor and started surveying Winona's body.  He couldn't detect a single sign of motion or life coming from her prone body; not a twitch, not a shudder, not even a breath.  Her jaw was hanging open lazily, her jowls were dripping with drool, and her eyes were rolled into the back of her head.  She was done.  

"Winona!" cried Tank from the corner of the room.  "Winona, get up!  Please, get up!"

"This... this is impossible!" shouted Owlowiscious, who started banging helplessly on the bars of the cage.  "It can't end like this!"

Opal just put her head down on Tank's shell and began to weep.

"Oh, but it can end like this," Winston said, turning to face the three pets.  "And it will.  Clint, do the honors and announce the winner."

Clint nodded.  "Absolutely, sir.  The winner is-"

And then he saw it.  Out of nowhere, while Winston's back was turned to her, Winona stirred.  With a deep breath, she rolled onto her belly, planted all four of her feet on the ground, and triumphantly lifted herself upward.  Opal was ready to let out a cheer, but Owlowiscious clamped his wing over her mouth before she could.

"Well?" said Winston.  "What are you waiting for, you idiot?!  Call the match!"

"She ain't done, boss," Clint said with a sigh.

"What do you mean she's not- GAH!"

Winston swiveled around to find, much to his horror, his furious opponent looming over him.  Before he had the chance to react, Winona grabbed him by the tail and lifted him off the ground.

"B-but how?!" cried Winston.  "I saw you- we ALL saw you-"

"It's called playin' dead, you dirty lil' varmint."

While keeping a firm grip on his tail, Winona swung Winston right into the cage wall.  And then she did it again, and again, pouring all of her righteous outrage into every swing.  As his body crashed against the cage wall, Winston's consciousness began to slip away from him.  

After she felt that he had been thoroughly thrashed, Winona let Winston slip from her paw and drop down onto the floor below.  She decided to take one last look at her fallen challenger before Clint made her victory official... 

...and as she gazed into Winston's glazed, vigorless eyes, her brow unfurrowed itself, her muscles relaxed, her teeth unclenched, and the rage in her eyes dissipated.  

But something new was taking hold.  As she continued to hold her gaze, Winona's eyes bulged wider and wider open, her jaw hung low, and she began to develop a shiver.  "Ah...ah..."

"You won, pup," Clint announced.  "The winner is Winona!"

***

Gummy, you damned maniac, what am I going to do with you? thought Angel.  Oh, well.  Here goes nothing.

While the bouncer was occupied, Angel managed to slip under his legs and into the bar in search of his friend.  

"All right, Gummy, I'm coming for you!...oh, dear..."

Once Angel arrived, he was dismayed to find the place packed from corner to corner.  Angel didn't even get a chance to survey his environment, because every inch of the store seemed to be obscured by the crowd.  If he wanted to find the mare whose coat Gummy had stowed away in, he'd have to wade through a seemingly endless sea of faces.  On the positive side, this made him nearly impossible to spot.  

Angel sighed and took off into the crowd, scanning his surroundings for any sign of that mare.  Much to Angel's frustration, her cutie mark had been covered by her skirt, so he'd have to identify her based on skin color and clothing alone.  

Lessee here... orange coat, brown overcoat, khaki skirt... orange coat, brown overcoat, khaki skirt... orange coat, brown overcoat, khaki skirt... orange coat, brown overcoat, khaki skirt...

Angel grew more and more discouraged as he waded through the crowd.  He found plenty of different unicorns, earth ponies and pegasi, of all ages, colors and sizes, young and old, casual and dressy, thin and fat... but nopony who quite fit the description he was looking for.  Angel had tried calling his name, but the collective roar of the crowd drowned him out.  

"Gummy..." he wheezed, feeling his energy slip away from him.  "Gummy, where the hell are you, you-"

Just then, he felt a cold, scaly hand grip him by the ears.  Before he could respond, the hand hoisted him off the ground and pulled him into a dark crevice.

"W-what's going on?!" Angel demanded.  "Where am I?!"

Angel's eyes darted around, trying to identify the dark, wooly, itchy cavern he had just been pulled into.  

And then, in the middle of the thick, murky darkness, Angel spied a pair of wide, bulging purple eyes; eyes that Angel would recognize anywhere.

"Gummy!" he cried, embracing his companion.  "Sweet Celestia, Gummy, don't scare me like that.  You almost gave me a damned heart attack."

Gummy smiled and returned Angel's embrace, squeezing him like a teddy bear.

"Um, Gummy, that's a liiittle too tight," Angel said, squirming out of the alligator's grip.  "Plus, now that we're inside, we might as well get on with our mission.  Here, lemme get some light up in this bitch."

Angel reached up and pushed the overcoat pocket flap open, letting light and sound flood into their hiding place.  Through the opening, Angel spied a tan apron-clad unicorn stallion working tirelessly behind a counter.  His horn glowed incessantly as he scurried back and forth, mixing drinks and levitating them over to his continuous stream of customers.  

"And what would you like?" he asked, stopping directly in front of Angel.

"Just gimme the usual, Mac," called a feminine voice from just above Angel's line of sight.  

"You got it." 

With that, the stallion promptly got to work.  As he grabbed a hollow metal cylinder off the shelf, his horn's glow reignited itself.  Two bottles, one clear and one opaque, were engulfed in a mahogany aura and levitated over towards the stallion.  He carefully poured the contents of both bottles into the cylinder, keeping a sharp eye on them to make sure he had just the right amount of each.  Once that was done, he set the bottles down, put a cap on the cylinder and gave it a good, hardy shake.

Angel's mouth started to water as he poured the clear, sparkling mixture into a glass and floated it over towards his customer.

"Thanks," the mare said.  "I've been having a rough day."

But it seemed that nopony ever told the unsuspecting mare to keep a close eye on her drink; while she was shooting the breeze with the stallion behind the counter, Angel spied his opportunity to grab the glass and take a sip...

...and he almost choked.  As soon as the sharp, bitter taste of the drink hit Angel's lips, he nearly spat it out.

"Blech!  What kind of water is this?!  It's bitter and sour and gross and...

"...and...

"Actually, I kind of want another sip."

As disgusting as he found the taste of the drink, Angel couldn't help but feel intrigued.  It was unlike anything he had tasted before; harsh and intense, but at the same time, rather alluring.  Like cough syrup, but more robust and flavorful.  

Against his better judgment, Angel grabbed the glass and sipped it again.  This sip went down far easier than the first.  While the strength of the concoction caught him off guard, he found the taste much less abrasive once he knew what to expect.

"Hey, this isn't half bad!  Gummy, you've gotta try some of this!"

Throughout the night, Angel and Gummy drank to their hearts' content, and the mare was none the wiser.  After a few more sips, Angel could feel his worries and anxieties melting away, and his tension evaporating.  A few sips later, his head started to spin, and he could feel himself relinquishing control of his body to some otherworldly force.  A few sips after that, Angel only had the faintest idea of where he was and what he was doing.  He didn't know what this concoction was, or why it was having this effect on him...

...but whatever it was, he liked it.