//------------------------------//
// Chapter 10: Underneath the Apple Tree 
// Story: Agent Con Mane in Doctor Ironhoof (Under Revision) 
// by Fairytail 
//------------------------------//

	“Better late than never, Con Mane.” Sky Blazer said to Joe as he stepped into the light of the overhanging firefly lamp.
Twilight had fallen to night by the time Joe arrived at the docks. Anavua’s boat bobbed on the restless tides. A tiny canoe with two oars had been tethered to the side of the boat. The knocking of the two hulls against the tides served as percussion for the chirping crickets. Anavua was leaned back against the wheelhouse cross-hooved and nearly asleep. His muzzle was tucked into the collar of his red buttoned up shirt. The seaside shacks and restaurants were devoid of life and light. Only fireflies and moonlight illuminated the meeting. Sky’s charcoal coat blended well into the darkness but his mane glowed against the black waters like a lighthouse beacon. Joe saw Blazer’s eyes for the first time. Their light amber matched the light of the fireflies.
“Sorry,” Joe said, “but I had to deal with the Professor.” Sky didn't react. Joe adjusted the collar on his plain white polo shirt. “Are we ready to leave?”
With a grumbling snort, Anavua emerged from his trance. He stretched his back and craned his neck. “I still don’t like this, not one bit. But I promise you my boat will take you there quick.”
Anavua checked the supply of lightning in the motor again while Joe and Sky climbed aboard. As Sky untied the moor, Joe explained the plan. “Alright listen up. We’ll get as close as we can to the motion sensing field that surrounds Cockatrice Key. From there we’ll have to shut off the motor to avoid detection so we’ll have to take the rowboat. It will be small enough so that I can surround it with the dampening field installed in my watch. It should make us invisible to the sensor field.”
Sky turned towards Joe. “I was able to convince the LIA to provide me with a single battlecruiser. Once the motion field and the dark magic emitter are taken down, we can move in and seize the island. Those Diamond Dogs will be no match for the Lunar Guard.”
“Alright then, let’s move swiftly. We don't know how much time we have left. But I think that Cockatrice Key is going to be a nice, relaxing vacation.” 
Sky raised an eyebrow. “From what? Mares?”
“No,” Joe replied, “From being the one with the bulls-eye on his back.”
Anavua revved the motor and started the fishing boat. The boat roared into the pitch blackness of the horizon. The Island of Janeighca was left calm and silent.

The boat sputtered to a stop and Anavua idled the engine. The darkness of the Ponibean stretched out in all directions save for the ghostly ripple of reflected moonlight. Joe felt the chill of a lost child. That void of inescapable loneliness left by the fleeing of the familiar.
“This is as far as we go,” Anavua said, “From here on out we have to row.” He untied the canoe from the fishing boat and hopped inside. He then held out a hoof and helped Joe inside. The canoe wobbled around as the two large stallions squeezed into comfortable positions. Sky Blazer took over Anavua’s position in the wheelhouse. His wings were flared in excitement.
“It looks like we have to part ways here, Con Mane.” he said, “I’ll take Anavua’s boat back and prepare the battleship.”
Joe looked up and gave Sky a friendly salute, “Good. I plan to be out of there within two days. Make sure you’re ready to save my flank by then.”
“Just remember to play nice. Good Luck.” Sky took off back in the direction of Janeighca. Joe and Anavua put their oars in the water and Sky Blazer had already disappeared in the opposite direction by the time they picked up momentum.
The sound of the waves was all they could hear as they made their way across the rolling sea. With each stroke, the indiscernible shadow on the waves came into shape. Joe could make out the mountains and tree lines of the tropical isle. The metal walkways and docks of the gemstone mine protruded from the rocky cliffs. Joe checked his watch. A ring of lights surrounding the clock face lit up one by one.
“We’re approaching the sensor field. I’ll surround the canoe with the jamming signal.”
Joe turned the outer dial of the watch to the proper position. Joe’s horn tingled when they crossed over the invisible threshold. He could only pray that the blasted machine actually worked. He knew that if there were a pack of Diamond Dogs waiting on the shoreline he would have his answer. But the beach was devoid of life and far enough away from the mining docks.
“There,” Joe whispered, “we’re as good as invisible. They’ll never know we’re here.”
Anavua pulled the canoe out of the water and onto the beach. “That is until the Dragon attacks. Then he’ll cook us up and eat us as snacks!”
“If you don't be quiet we will be found. Now help me hide the canoe in that foliage over there.”
Together they dragged the boat across the sand to the forest line. The beach sand had been piled up in a dune that quickly dropped off into a ditch where a stream fed the local plant life. They tipped the boat over into the ditch and covered it with the wild shrubbery.
“Let’s scout out the area.” Joe demanded. Joe was about to climb out of the ditch back onto the beach when Anavua grabbed him from behind and pulled him back in.
“Wait, Captain, before you try to act brave. I hear a boat upon the waves.”
Joe crouched low and listened. The unmistakable snarl of a motor boat echoed through the night air. The pair hung low against the trench as the snarl crescendoed into a growl. Joe peered over the sandy side and took a glance at the incoming patrol boat. A pair of Diamond Dogs stood near the stern. One scoured the beach with a large searchlight. The other held a megaphone to his muzzle.
“We know you're here, yes?” He screeched into the device, “We see you, pony! Come out now or he hunt!”
Anavua’s eyes widened in panic. Joe took note of the twitching of his hooves. He pressed his hoof down hard on the Zebra’s chest and lifted the other to his lips. The shaking of Joe’s head and a concerning eye drove the message. Anavua closed his eyes tight and Joe made sure they kept low in the trench as the blinding light passed by just above their heads. He choked on his pounding heartbeat; the heat of the light tickled his ears.
The Diamond Dog snarled in frustration into the megaphone. “I said come out now! We hate hiding games! Fine! We come back later! You cannot hide long!”
The Dog in charged literally barked an order and the engine vanished into the distance. After Joe reminded Anavua how to breath again, he took the liberty to collect large leaves and blades of foliage which he laid down near the creek.
“They’ll be searching all night.” he explained, “We’ll sleep here until dawn and conserve our strength.”
Anavua remained resolute in his hiding place. “But their search seemed very precise. I thought you hid us with your device.”
“‘Funny, ain't it?,” said Joe as he laid out the makeshift cots. “They shouldn’t’ve been able to sense our canoe. Unless we’re not the ones they're searching for. C’mon, we’d best get some sleep. We’ll need to be in top form for tomorrow.”
With some coaching and nudge of the horn, Joe convinced Anavua to lay down on the foliage. He was snoring within minutes. Joe laid down as well but did not find it as easy to rest his mind. His thoughts lingered on the job that loomed ahead of him.

The sun at dawn caressed Joe’s face and chilling sea breezed kissed his cheek good morning. He stretched his hoof out to the side and it brushed against the ice cold dirt wall of the trench; the loose dirt trickled down and tickled his foreleg. He kept his eyes shut and lost himself to the sound of the water babbling through the dirt. The dawn birds sang in excitement and courtship. Their voices were as sweet as honey as their words rode on the wind.


Underneath the apple tree me pony and me


Words? Joe sat up and blinked in perplexity. Songbirds can’t sing in words. He listened once again to the notes in the breeze.


me pony and me la-la Luna’s moon


There was no mistake. Somepony was singing. With a stalwart eye, Joe left the seclusion of the trench and hid behind a nearby tree with a split trunk through which he could spy the beach. Joe noticed the disturbance in the waves. A sparkling, violet glow refracted the morning light. The glowing object rose from the water and Joe slowly made out what it was. It was the magical light of a horn attached to a head with a small muzzle. The smooth, slender build of an athletic mare rose from the sea. She sauntered onto the sands with two large seashells levitating next to her. She was freckled with light thanks to the specks of salt that clung to her soaking, mulberry-pink coat. She swayed back and forth to the sound of her own singing.


La-dada-da apple tree da-dum da-dum


The pinkish mare released the shells from her aura field and allowed them to fall to the shore. She sat down and grabbed her brilliant blue tail with her mouth to wring out the water. Her equally striking blue mane clung to her shoulders. She levitated one of her shells back up into the air and examined it with deep rosy eyes. The angelic singing continued.


Underneath the apple tree me pony and me
Under Luna’s moon
Underneath the apple tree me pony and me
La-loo la-loo soo…?


She paused for a moment while brushing the sand off of her shell. She tilted her head slightly and tried to remember the lyrics again.


Underneath the apple tree me pony and me…



“Underneath the apple tree me pony and me will be married soon.” Joe sang out in booming baritone. “I believe those are the words you’re looking for.” He revealed himself from behind his tree and the mare from the sea dropped her shells in surprise. She slinked back with widened eyes at the sight of Joe’s approach. She arched her back defensively but Joe could see her shaking like a timid animal caught in a corner. With every step he took she flinched backwards. Tears formed in her eyes. “Hey, don’t be frightened.” he assured her.
“What are you doing here?” the mare squeaked. “Looking for shells?”
“Nah. Just looking.” Joe tried to approach her again.
The mare grabbed the two shells and hugged them tight to her chest. She glared at Joe, trying to look intimidating, but Joe could see the purple fluster in her pink cheeks.
“Stay where you are!” she ordered.
Joe thought it best to back off slightly. He sat down on his haunches and raised his hooves in the air. “I promise you I ain’t gonna steal your shells.”
“I promise you won’t either.” The threat came accompanied by bared teeth and a snarl that was reminiscent of a wolf.
“I don’t want to cause any trouble, alright? I ain't supposed to be on this island and I take it the same goes for you.” Joe’s words seemed to be working as she dropped her snarling intimidation tactic. “What’s your name?”
She looked at Joe with the vulnerable, curious eyes of a kitten. “My name is Sea Swirl.”
“That’s a beautiful name, Sea Swirl.” Joe smiled. He held out his hoof but instead of shaking it, Sea Swirl leaned forward and nuzzled it a few time. She smiled genuinely and shook his hoof with both of hers.
“Who’re you?” she asked.
“My name is Mane. Con Mane. Tell me how’d you get on this island?”
“I swam!” Sea Swirl proudly showed off her flank. Her Cutie Mark was two dolphins swimming around each other. Their design complemented the rich blue of her mane. “It’s my special talent. I can swim as far as I want in the ocean without getting tired.” The topic made Sea Swirl laugh and leap with excitement. She skipped over to the shoreline like a rabbit. As the ocean waves rushed against her hooves, Sea Swirl’s horn illuminated with magic. And then as the tide receded, the horn grew still. Joe had heard about automatic Unicorn Magic, but he couldn't recall ever having met one with that particular brand of special talent.
“Then it was probably you who set off the motion field.” said Joe.
Sea Swirl turned her attention back to Joe and lightly touched her horn. “Yes my horn sensed the presence of the field when I swam in last night but it is no problem. I come here all the time to collect sea shells. At first the Diamond Dogs tried to catch me but eventually they just stopped trying.”
“Yeah, well I’m afraid this time may be different.”
“But all I’m doing is collecting seashells. See?” Sea Swirl levitated one of her prized shells up towards Joe. It certainly was a beautiful shell. It dazzled with a rainbow of colors that morphed in the sunlight. Still, Joe shoved the free-floating shell to the side.
“Why bother with that?” he scoffed.
Sea Swirl’s face bloated like a puffer fish. “Bother!?” she exclaimed, “The shells that form near this island are unlike any other shell in the world. This shell here is worth fifty bits back in Equestria! Fifty bits!”
Joe turned again to the rainbow shell and scanned it with the TMD. The readings matched the same concentrations of shadow magic as Strange Ways’ rock samples. He felt a chill crawl up his spine.
Sea Swirl suddenly gasped in surprise. Her head was cranked upwards like a prairie dog on watch. Something was galloping towards them. Joe readied himself for a fight. He instinctively raised a hoof in front of Sea Swirl. As the figure came into view, Joe could see heavily braided dreadlocks flailing through the air. Joe lowered his foreleg.
“Don’t be alarmed.” he assured her. “He’s with me.”
Anavua galloped up to Joe. His eyes were shocking white and his coat was pale. He tried to speak through his shaky breath. His voice was rapid and almost incoherent.
“Captain, I told you that dragon ain't no phony!” Anavua then noticed the presence of Sea Swirl. “Hold on, just who’s this pony?”
“Don’t worry, she’s just a civilian.” Joe tried to speak calmly in hopes that Anavua would settle down as well, “Sea Swirl, this is Anavua.”
Sea Swirl nodded her head in greeting. Her tail was wagging.
“A pleasure I’m sure my little filly, but now is not the time to be talking silly.” It was clear that Anavua was still very shaken up. “You wanted proof that the Dragon exists? Well the trees over there have been burn to a crisp!”
Anavua pointed back towards the direction he galloped from. The trees were too far for Joe to notice anything out of the ordinary with them. With a frustrated sigh, Joe placed a hoof on Anavua’s shoulders and gave him a stern look.
“How many times do I have to tell you? There is no Dragon!”
“Yes there is.” Joe whipped around in surprise. Sea Swirl’s expression was as confident as her statement. “I've seen it myself.”
“The little filly is right. I have seen the Dragon’s fire at night!”
Joe had a headache. He felt like a father tired of hearing about children’s fairy tales. He was at a lost for words and the constant barking in the distance wasn't helping. Barking? Sea Swirl tried to say something else about the Dragon but Joe cut her off with a violent ‘shush’! He focused his attention to the sounds around him until he was absolutely certain. The sound of several barking dogs echoed through the air. And they were getting closer.
“We’ll have to have this conversation later.” Joe said. “The Diamond Dogs are coming. Quickly! Run!”
Joe pushed Anavua towards the direction of the trench where they had spent the night. Anavua wasted no time in galloping to the hiding place. Joe grabbed Sea Swirl by the hoof to follow but she broke away and ran back for the shells she left in the sand.
“Leave them!” Joe barked. He grabbed her forcefully by the foreleg and dragged her along with him. They joined up with Anavua behind the trench. The barking grew louder and louder.
“We won’t be able to shake them at this rate.” Joe thought aloud, “We can’t outrun them.”
Sea Swirl stood up. Joe was about to yank her back down but she trotted forward and pointed into the trees up from where the stream was pouring. “Through those trees there is a swamp. It will throw up the Diamond Dogs’ scent.”
“How do you know!?” Joe said in a panic.
Sea Swirl simply said, “Because I know lots of things.” 
Sea Swirl took off into the jungle. Within seconds her body disappeared-- engulfed by the thick mesh of overgrown vines and leaves. Anavua stared at Joe with a terrified expression. He longed for guidance, but a particularly close sounding bark of a Diamond Dog decided the answer for him. Anavua galloped into the jungle after Sea Swirl. Joe desperately tried to weigh all his options. But no matter how much he struggled to find a better answer, he knew he wouldn't be able to. So Agent Con Mane entered the thick jungle, placing his life into the hooves of a mare he barely knew.
The creak led to a swamp. The water was a milky white soup and pungent vapors wafted from the thin layer of suds that bubbled at the surface. The water came up to Joe’s neck and his hooves struggled to touch the sandy bottom of the bog. Sea Swirl’s magic activated upon touching the water. Despite the fact that she was much smaller than either Joe or Anavua, she floated near the surface and drifted through the murky water as easily as a fish.
“Be careful,” she warned, “this water is likely home to Bleach Leeches. They grab onto you and suck the color out of your coat. But only temporarily. You can simply pluck them off with magic.”
Anavua looked down into the water with dread. He fumbled around in a fit of panic. The water splashed and rippled loudly. Joe had to grab Anavua and wrestle him still which was a struggle in and of itself.
Joe heard a voice back in the direction they came from. “I heard sound. You! Check stinky swamp! Hunt for ponies!”
The three ponies in the swamp tried to trudge their way forward but they quickly found that the water was too thick and too noisy. The bank of the swamp, though only several steps away, suddenly appeared to go on for miles.
“There is nowhere around here to hide.” said Anavua. “I’m sorry, Captain, but at least we tried.”
Joe scanned the area until he found what he was looking for. Underneath the shadow of a palm, a small collective of dead reeds protruded from the murky depths. Joe waded close to the reeds and yanked out three of them with his horn.
“Get underwater.” he ordered.
The others instantly understood. Joe was the first one who went under. He made sure to go low enough to hide his horn. He face completely vanished in the milky soup. The reed he was breathing through looked as inconspicuous as any other. Sea Swirl dived in next. The automatic glow of her horn could only be faintly seen. It was dim enough so that it would only be seen if somepony knew where it was and what to look for. Anavua hesitated. He imagined leeches crawling on his body. He thought about being surrounded by a white void and being unable to escape. He thought about the Diamond Dogs finding them and cleverly plugging the reeds with their paws. He then heard wading behind him. The sound of claws sifting through the mud and the heavy sniffing of Diamond Dog muzzles forced Anavua to leap into the water.
Under the swamp, only the sounds of the water could be heard. Joe could hear every flap of a mud fish’s fin. He could hear the Diamond Dog’s claws scraping against the mud and rock. Joe kept his eyes closed and focused on breathing calmly. He could hear the booming percussion of the Dog’s movements. One Dog, Joe determined in his mind. There’s only one Dog, and it’s close. 
Above water, the Diamond Dog waded cautiously through the swamp water. He had lost the scent of pony some time ago, but still he sniffed for that wretchedly sweet smell of pony. The swamp was lined with foliage. He made sure to check every patch. Every time he swiped the plant life with his claws, he hoped that he would dig into brightly colored flesh. A large, nearby palm bathed the surrounding swamp in darkness. The Dog made his way to the shadows. A particularly large bush sat in the water. It was more than big enough for a pony to hide in. He raised his razor sharp claws and struck into the heart of the bush. It was empty, and so he made his way to the next group of plants. He waded past a small collection of dead reeds sticking out of the water. He stood in front of a small garden of very tall cattail weeds. With a toothy grin he sliced through the stems of the weeds  He was so engrossed in his search he didn't notice the large Unicorn emerge from the waters behind him. The Diamond Dog suddenly couldn't breathe. He clasped his paws around his throat as an emerald green aura tightened around it. A large hoof covered his mouth and another one pressed down on his head. The weight of the assailant forced the Diamond Dog into the white void of the water. He struggled to claw at his attacker, but under the water he lost all sense of spatial awareness. And the white water slowly faded to black.
Joe allowed the Diamond Dog’s dead body to sink to the mud below. Behind him, Anavua breathed a sigh of relief. Sea Swirl stood mortified. Her hoof covered her mouth in shock.
Joe turned to her and said with deadpan seriousness, “There. The coast is clear now.”
Sea Swirl stared at Joe like a mouse standing before a hungry Griffon. “That’s so cruel… Why?”
“Because I had to.” Joe continued to wade through the swamp to the other side. “Let’s go find a place to dry off.”
“But shouldn't we do something about the body?” Sea Swirl asked with a sickening gulp.
“No.” Joe responded, “It’s best to let sleeping dogs lie.”