Angus rose up from his bed in the laundry room. It was two weeks since he had sprained his leg while trying to escape from a Timberwolf in the Everfree Forest. He had left his home in the middle of the night after he began to believe that his owner, Sea Breeze, did not love him anymore. The canine believed that she had found a new love and didn’t want him around. He realized his mistake when the teary eyed pegasus rushed into the cottage of the zebra, Zeccora, and wrapped her hooves around his slightly bloody and tattered body. After finding the black dog and sending Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie to town to get Sea and alert the veterinarian, Twilight, Rarity, Applejack and Fluttershy had helped the injured beast to Zeccora’s home.
Angus hobbled to the gate that separated him from the rest of the home. “Woof,” he barked softly. He could hear Amethyst in the kitchen and wanted to be where she was. His one lop ear stood up to the point of it being fully erect while his floppy ear pricked and flopped over in a triangle shape. He began wagging his tail as he heard the pegasus’ soft hoof falls coming in his direction. Angus held his head over the gate and began wagging his curled tail faster, letting out happy rumbling noises from deep in his throat. He then yawned, ending in a high pitched whine. Amethyst laughed and opened the gate.
“Come along, Angus. Let’s go out.” The dog happily hobbled behind the mare. He waited as she put a plastic garbage bag around his casted leg to keep the cast from getting dirty. She then opened the back door and Angus hobbled out to go about his business. Amethyst noticed that the bandages around his chest and upper body were bloody, signaling that he needed yet another bandage change and thorough cleaning. The veterinarian had decided to not stitch up the cut because it was draining so much. It had to be cleaned and re-bandaged daily, sometimes up to five times. It was a job Amethyst would have to leave to Bass and Sea, as she could not stand the sight or smell of blood.
Angus trotted back to the door and barked to be let in. Even if the door was left open, he would wait and bark, as if asking permission to continue on indoors. Amethyst complied and opened the door to let the giant dog in. He wagged his tail in approval of his “slave’s” cooperation. The writer rolled her eyes and went to the base of the stairs leading upstairs.
“SEA BREEZE!!!!!” she shouted.
~~~
Upstairs in her room, a light grey pegasus snored. She lay on her stomach, her head underneath her pillow to keep the sun rays, which squeaked through the curtains hanging over the windows across from her bed, from penetrating her eyes. She groaned in her sleep and turned over on her side, pulling her covers up and over her head, cuddling into the giant stuffed dog she had slept with every night since she was four. Her nose twitched, signaling that she was dreaming of something wonderful. Her dreams were silenced as her ears picked up the sound she dreaded each morning.
Sea’s eyes slowly opened. Her sight was blurry at first, soon focusing on the digital clock that sat on her bedside table. It read eight thirty. Sea sighed and lifted her covers. She closed her eyes and rubbed a hoof through her mane. She yawned and then sneezed, her eyes tearing up slightly. Her mother called once more. The pegasus wiped her eyes dry and went to stand up. Instead of her hoof meeting the hard wood floor, she stepped on Bolt’s skateboard, which was conveniently placed right beside her bed. The skateboard rolled as Sea’s hoof set down on it. Sea yelped, her hoof going out. Flapping her wings to catch her balance, Sea grumbled and kicked the board aside. Stupid Bolt and his stupid skateboard.
Sea walked down the stairs and into the kitchen. Angus lay on a thick blanket in the corner beside his food and water dishes. He wagged his tail and barked a greeting to his mistress. Amethyst stood at the stove, mixing up pancake batter. She smiled lovingly at her daughter. Sea smiled back, although sleepily. Her ear flicked, picking up her father’s hoof falls. Bass stumbled into the kitchen, his mane showing that he had also just arose. He shook his head and tried to smooth down his wild mane with his hoof. Seeing that his mane would require a washing and styling instead of a simple hoof smoothing, he gave up and went to sit at the island beside his equally messy maned daughter. Both father and daughter yawned and reached for coffee mugs simultaneously. Bass then levitated the coffee pot and poured some of the steaming hot caffeinated drink into both mugs. Sea picked up the sugar and creamer holders and spooned two large spoon fulls of each into both mugs and stirred. The two picked up their coffee and lifted it to their noses, taking a deep breath of the deliciousness. They then both took a sip of their cups and smiled as the hot liquid coursed down their throats. Amethyst watched her husband and daughter throughout their morning routine, brow raised.
“You two are seriously freaking me out,” Amethyst said after watching for several minutes.
“What?” Bass and Sea asked in unison, having no idea what Amethyst Rose was speaking of.
“Never mind,” the white pegasus shook her head. Bass and Sea glanced at each other and shrugged their shoulders, once more taking a sip of their coffees.
Angus watched the exchange with curious eyes. He knew that Bass and Sea had weird things they did together. Sometimes their movements were so alike it seemed as if they were one mind separated into two bodies. Becoming bored and having hunger pangs in his stomach, he woofed, making Sea Breeze flinch. She turned towards her pet and noticed his empty bowls, the canine glancing from the bowls to his mistress as if saying, “hello, think you forgot something.”
“Oh. Right,” Sea chuckled, as if she had understood. She hopped down from the stool at the island and trotted over to the pantry where Angus’ dry food bin was. She also grabbed a can of his favorite canned food. Retrieving his dish, she mixed up his breakfast, expertly hiding his medications in a lump of the can food and then set the bowl on the short stool she had bought to hold his bowls so that he wouldn’t have to bend down to eat or drink. Angus wagged is tail gratefully and immediately began chowing down.
~~~
Several hours later, Angus lay snoring in a sun beam that shined through the family room windows. He had clean bandages over his wounds and Sea Breeze pampered him with a massage afterwards. Now he lay in the sun beam, dreaming of things only a dog could dream. Every now and then he would whimper or bark, but he never stirred from his slumber. Until…
“GIRLS!” Sea Breeze shouted from upstairs. Angus jumped at the angry yell. He lifted up from his bed and looked around the corner. In the kitchen he could see four fillies trying their best to hide from the pegasus’ wrath. Angus’ ears flicked as they picked up angry stomping coming down the stairs. The dog’s eyes widened as he saw the state his mistress was in. Or rather, her mane. Sea’s usually smooth but stylishly messy mane stood straight up. The mare was so steamed that Angus could almost see smoke coming from her ears.
“JUNIE! SWEETIE BELL! SCOOTALOO! APPLE BLOOM!! YOU GIRLS ARE DEAD! D-E-A-D! DEAD!” Sea shouted once more, practically causing the house to shake. She stomped into the kitchen and scanned the area for the fillies. Her eyes settled on a purple tail peeking from behind the island. She hardened her glare more as she walked around to the other side. The fillies shrunk back, Juniper smiling innocently.
“Hey Sis! Did you do something different with your mane?” Sea began to shake and a growling noise erupted from her throat.
“Ah don’t think you shoulda said that, June,” Apple Bloom hissed.
“I think you’re right. RUN FOR IT!!” Junie exclaimed and the four fillies high tailed it out of the house. Sea galloped after them and stood in the doorway leading outside.
“YOU BETTER RUN! NEXT TIME STAY OUT OF MY BATHROOM!” Sea yelled after them. She paused, noticing the looks she was getting from ponies passing by her home. “Heh heh, nothing to see here. Move along.” The ponies shook their heads and continued on their way. Sea took a deep breath, releasing her tension.
“Hey Breezey—woah, what happened to your mane?” Bolt landed in front of the house. Sea rolled her eyes. “Don’t start with me, Bolt,” she turned and went in the house. Bolt stared after her for several moments before following.
“Was it the Crusaders?”
“No, it was my mother.” Sea replied sarcastically.
“Somehow, I can actually see her doing that," Sea lifted her brow, Bolt chuckling slightly. "Well, at least you make it work,” Bolt bumped the grey mare playfully as they walked up the stairs. Sea lifted her wing and bopped him over the head.
“You’re such a dork,” she laughed.
“You love it,”
“Sometimes I wonder if Ocean dropped you on your head when you were a foal,” Sea said, referring to Bolt’s mother, Ocean Light.
Angus watched as the two teens continued upstairs. He wished that he could go up as well, mostly to keep an eye on that colt. Angus knew that the kid was a good one and he would probably like Bolt if he wasn’t so close to Sea Breeze. Call him possessive, but it was his duty to be with and protect Sea at all times. That was his sole purpose in life and he wouldn’t let a sprained leg and a few steps keep him from his job. Mind set and eyes determined, Angus hobbled to the stairs. He stopped at the first step and looked up. It was a twelve-step case. He put his one good leg and pushed up to get his sprained leg up. Success! Step two. Good leg, push, bad leg, hind leg, push, other hind leg.
After a grueling twenty minutes, Angus reached the top. He sat down to rest and looked proudly down at his work. The bandages over his chest were spotted red from his exercise. There was just one thing he did not think of. How in Equestria was he was going to get back down? He shook his head. He’ll cross that bridge when he gets to it. Standing up, he made his way to Sea’s bedroom. The door was shut. He scratched at it and barked.
Inside the bedroom, Sea and Bolt were cuddling on Sea’s bed. Sea had just managed to get the glue out of her mane with the help of a whole bottle of mane conditioner, Bolt and two combs.
Sea’s ears pricked up as she heard a sound that was just like her dog’s bark. She sat up and glanced at the door. “Did you hear that?”
“I didn’t hear anything. Now come back here!” Bolt reached his arm around Sea’s waist. She pushed away his hoof and got off the bed.
“It sounded like Goose. But he couldn’t of gotten up here with his sprained—” She opened the door, come face to face with the giant black and white pooch.
“—Leg?” Angus pushed by her and entered the room. He froze, wide eyed at the sight of Thunder Bolt laying in HIS spot on the bed. He stiffened his body, his hackles rising along his back and showed his pearly white fangs at the pegasus colt, clearly saying “get your brown flank off my bed!” Bolt got the message and quickly got off the bed, backing away slowly. She trotted up beside her pet. “You—how—what? Ugh, never mind,” Angus woofed and licked Sea’s cheek, causing the pegasus to giggle.
“Well, I guess since the fun police has arrived, no more cuddle time, huh?” Bolt groaned.
“Sorry, Bolty. I don’t want both of my favorite guys in bandages.” Sea rubbed Angus’ head. Bolt trotted up beside her so that she was between him and the dog.
Bolt looked around Sea at the dog. “Sometimes I don’t like you.”
Angus gave as best a glare as a canine can do, his eyes clearly saying, “the feeling’s mutual.”