Chapter 8
The silence was tangible in the room as hundreds of eyes turned to stare at the intruder. At the sight of the rabbit he’d been trying to keep out of his thoughts, Angel was filled with a strange mixture of anger and relief.
“F-Fluttershy!” Angel stammered. “Kid, what the heck are you doing here?! This is, uh… this is no place for you!”
“Don’t try to scare me off,” said Fluttershy seriously as she began to march down the aisle. “And you already know why I’m here, Angel.”
“Uh… no, not really,” Angel said flatly. “But kid, we’re kind of in the middle of something. You’ve got to leave. Now.”
“I’m not going anywhere,” said Fluttershy, giving Angel a threatening glare. “I’ve come back to do what has to be done.”
“Oh, so now you want me to help you find that stupid mushroom,” Angel said. “It’s a little late for that, kid. You shoulda stuck around instead of runnin’ off with that blasted dog and hiding for two days.”
“I’m not talking about the cure,” said Fluttershy. “I’m talking about this thing you and the other rabbits have planned. This so called ‘Big Job’.”
Angel’s stomach lurched uneasily when he realized the implications of what Fluttershy was saying. “Kid,” he said nervously, “I really don’t think you need to get involved with this, alright? Just go wait at the cottage, and I’ll come help you with whatever in a little bit.”
Fluttershy hopped up onto the raised mound of packed soil on which Angel was standing, and roughly pushed him aside. She turned and glared at the army of rabbits, all of whom continued to watch her apprehensively.
“I’ve been thinking things through,” she said, talking both to Angel and to the audience. “And I’ve decided that I need to do what I’ve always done; stand up for the animals in need. And today, that means I’m going to have to do something about this heist you all have planned!”
The murmur in the crowd grew exponentially louder. Angry looks were exchanged, and a few of the rabbits in the front took a step forward.
“Alright, alright, hold on one second!” Angel yelled, stepping back in front of Fluttershy. “Listen folks, this is the Main Mare. You know how she is. Don’t worry, nothing’s getting cancelled, and there’s no need to get upset. Just give me a second to talk to our visitor here in private.”
Luckily, Angel had managed to address his forces before things got out of hand. Grudgingly, the rabbits assumed their original positions.
“It is too getting cancel-”
Angel clapped a paw over Fluttershy’s mouth, silencing her for a moment. He glared at the yellow rabbit in his grip.
“You. Me. In the back room. Now,” he commanded.
Fluttershy refused to move, and so Angel simply dragged her to the back of the stage-like platform. At the back of the large room was a piece of cloth, dangling over the entrance to another tunnel like a ragged curtain. Angel shoved it aside, pushed Fluttershy into the small room behind it, and quickly pulled it shut again.
Angel turned, staring incredulously at his angry companion, who sat on the floor, her arms crossed tightly in front of her.
“What?” she asked curtly. “Make it quick, Angel. I have to go out there and stop your friends from ruining any more defenseless animals’ lives.”
Angel shook his head. “Kid, you are really gettin’ on my nerves now. I mean seriously, are you trying to get yourself killed?”
“I’m trying to do what’s right!” Fluttershy shot back. “Which, if you haven’t noticed, is what I’m usually trying to do. But a certain bunny seems to really enjoy making that difficult for me.”
She glared at him again as she waited for him to respond.
Angel glanced out from the curtain, where his forces still waited patiently for his return. “Look, kid. I know after what happened on Sunday, you don’t have a whole lot to say to me anymore.”
Fluttershy stuck out her tongue. “No, I certainly don’t.”
“And that’s fine,” Angel said. “I did lie to you, and I have been working against you for a long time. I don’t need to deny that.”
Fluttershy frowned and said nothing.
“But that’s not the point here, kid,” Angel continued. “Look, I may be a bad, bad bunny, but that doesn’t mean I’d be fine just standing off to the side and letting you get killed. Those rabbits out there are all hyped up and ready to go on a big apple heist at Sweet Apple Acres, and they ain’t gonna take kindly to somebunny telling them otherwise.”
Fluttershy still looked unimpressed.
“I’m telling you this for your own good, kid!” Angel growled. “If you go out there and tell them to stop, they’re gonna rip you to pieces!”
Fluttershy laughed ironically. “Since when do you care about my well-being?” she asked. “You’ve proven to me that there’s no reason for me to trust you. I know the rabbits will be angry if I try to stop them, but that doesn’t change the fact that I have to try. And if I get hurt trying to undo what you’ve done, then I guess you can deal with the guilt yourself. I’m sure you’re really good at that by now, anyway.”
“But I don’t get it,” Angel said, ignoring Fluttershy’s insults. “Why would you try something like this when you know you can’t make a difference?”
“It’s just what I have to do,” Fluttershy replied. “I’m standing up for the animals, and in this case, even for some of the ponies I love. The consequences are not important.”
Fluttershy stood and marched defiantly past the curtain and out into the room. Angel was left behind, standing dumbfounded in the empty room.
She’s really serious about this, he thought. I never realized how much the kid cared about all the critters. Now she’s gonna go out there and get herself beaten senseless over it.
And… and it’s on my head this time…
Angel shuddered. I can’t let that happen. Not to ‘Shy. Like it or not, I kind of owe the kid.
He approached the curtain. So, if she can’t stop the mob from doing their thing… then… then maybe I can!
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The rabbits whispered uncertainly to one another as they continued to stand at attention. Their leader had disappeared, and they waited impatiently for his return. Instead, it was the yellow rabbit who had caused the disturbance that emerged from the back room. She marched up to the front of the stage and stared disapprovingly down at the rabbits, her paws on her hips.
“Alright, listen up,” Fluttershy said, in the same scolding tone of voice she always used to reprimand a naughty animal in her cottage. “Like I said before, this heist isn’t happening. You’ve all been very naughty bunnies, and I’m not going to let you do this. Anybunny got a problem with that?”
There was a brief moment of silence; the assembled rabbits were clearly shocked at such a command. As Fluttershy feared, but also expected, a few began to step forward.
“Actually, miss,” said one rabbit gruffly, “we do got a problem with that.”
He turned around. “Whaddya think, boys? Should we teach this kid a little lesson?”
Nodding grimly, many other rabbits began to advance.
Fluttershy stood her ground. “Oh no you don’t!” she said, not hesitating to unleash ‘the stare’ on the rabbit in front. “Stop being a bad bunny and listen to me!”
The rabbit who had started the trouble recoiled against the power of Fluttershy’s stare, but already, more rabbits were approaching from another side. Fluttershy wheeled in place and began to deliver the same terrifying treatment.
Angel peered out from behind the curtain, paralyzed with uncertainty, watching a few of his forces fall feebly to the floor under Fluttershy’s visual assaults. But more and more rabbits were approaching Fluttershy; she couldn’t stare them all down. At this rate, it was only a matter of time until she was caught and held down, and then… well, he didn’t like to think about that part.
It’s time to make a choice here, Angel, he thought to himself. It’s either your job, and the allegiance of hundreds of rabbits… or Fluttershy’s safety.
He sighed in defeat. Not really much of a question now, is it?
Fluttershy caused a few more rabbits to stagger backwards, terrified of her gaze, but finally, a particularly strong soldier grabbed her from behind. The Button brothers, who were at the front of the crowd, hesitated to attack a rabbit that they knew their boss was close to, but they certainly didn’t make any move to stop their fellow mobsters’ efforts.
The rabbits hoisted her into the air and tied a cloth around the upper part of her head to render her only method of defense useless. Then, cheering and laughing, they began to carry their struggling victim off.
“Alright, everybunny STOP!”
The rabbits turned to the source of the voice, which had come from their furious boss.
“What?” a couple of the rabbits asked blankly.
“I said stop,” Angel said gruffly. “Put the kid down. Now.”
There was a moment of further hesitation, and then the rabbits unceremoniously dropped Fluttershy to the dirt floor. She sat up and tore off the blindfold. Then she attempted to say something, but Angel cut her off immediately with a glare almost as intimidating as her own.
“Shut up for two seconds, kid! I’m trying to help.”
Fluttershy obeyed, not entirely sure what Angel was planning to do.
Angel stepped back up onto the stage, and turned to face the congregated rabbits, who now stood in a less orderly pattern, but still gave their boss their full attention.
“Okay boys, let’s talk about something,” Angel began. “Call me crazy, but I think maybe ‘Shy has a point here.”
Angel could tell immediately that his audience was surprised. He concentrated very hard at not looking directly at Professor Snuggles, who was no doubt catching on to what Angel was about to attempt.
“Listen,” Angel said. “I know that every single one of you here is a dedicated member of this organization. I know that together, we’ve made quite a name for ourselves. Our accomplishments are hard to count, and the spoils we’ve gathered are immeasurable. Right?”
Most of the rabbits nodded.
“Good. You agree,” said Angel. “Now, who here enjoys all that wealth and power? Go on, put your paws up if you do.”
Every paw in the crowd, save for Fluttershy’s, was raised.
“Thought so,” Angel said, nodding. “And why wouldn’t you? Anybunny would agree that living in that sort of luxury is great. And if there’s a little price to pay in order for us to have that kind of life, certainly, paying that price is worth it, right?”
Again, the crowd nodded.
“Well, that settles that then,” Angel said. “Obviously, the misfortune that others endure as a result of our actions is inconsequential. You all agree on that. And I agree too. Or at least, I do most of the time. But I, as your capo, am directly responsible for our organization’s actions. I get to be involved with every job; I get to spend my time planning the most efficient way to swipe every possession of our victim in a heist. I also get the final say on the rationing of supplies to the other animals, and the punishments inflicted on those who don’t follow our rules. I get to see a whole lot.”
Angel began to pace back and forth upon the stage. “You know boys, when you get as involved with this as I am, sometimes it’s hard not to notice some of those minor consequences we talked about. Maybe it’s a family of those goofy ponies, dumbfounded at the sudden disappearance of one of their crops. Maybe it’s just a critter in our city, on his knees, sobbing and begging the passerby for a bite to eat. These are unfortunate, sure, but in order for us to keep living how we’ve been living, we’ve gotta turn a blind eye, right?”
The audience did not respond.
“Well, that’s what I did, anyway,” Angel said. “And I think I speak for all of us when I say that after a while, doing that gets pretty easy. It’s just another sad pony. It’s just another hungry creature. It ain’t the end of the world.” He crossed his arms. “And that’s pretty much how it’s been going on for a couple years now.”
Hesitantly, most of the rabbits nodded.
“So really, there was nothing for us to worry about, and no reason for us to change any of that,” Angel continued. “That was the conclusion I had come to. And then, about a week ago, fate dumped this crazy kid on my doorstep.”
He gestured to Fluttershy, who was still seated on the floor. “This, as you all know, is the Main Mare; she’s been one of our most willing sources of food for years. She’s usually incredibly friendly, and most of the time, she’s oblivious to just about everything. So I decided to use up a little of my valuable time finding a way to turn her back into a pony, so she could continue to provide the services she’s always provided. That didn’t work out too well, and as you may have noticed, even a thick-headed kid like her finally managed to catch on and realize what our mob was up to. And she was not too happy about it.”
Most of the rabbits glanced angrily at Fluttershy. She stared back at them blankly.
“So now, we come to the part you’re all wondering about,” Angel said. “Why in Equestria would I want to listen to the advice of a clueless goody-goody like her? You are all wondering that, aren’t you? Feel free to nod if you are, I ain’t planning on punishing anybunny over a difference of opinion.”
Most of the rabbits did, in fact, nod.
“Good. You’re wondering,” Angel said. “I was hoping you were, because to tell the truth, I was wondering about it myself. What weird force of nature was compelling me to spend even a moment of my time listening to the inane jabber of this little ignorant preacher of universal harmony?”
Angel tapped his foot on the ground a few times. “For the longest time, this kid has poured all her time and energy into taking care of the critters living around here, us included. And I’ll admit, I grew a little attached to her; she put up with me being… well, me… and that takes a lot of strength. But, like everybunny else, I had to treat her as just another unfortunate outsider, and if the rabbit mafia’s actions negatively affected her, it couldn’t be helped.”
Angel stomped his foot. “But over this past week, I’ve gotten to know the kid in a different way, and it got me thinking this through from a different perspective.”
Angel glanced at Fluttershy, who was still staring suspiciously as she waited for him to get to the point. He sighed.
“Boys, this kid right here… she loves what she does. She’s passionate. She pours her heart and soul into one simple goal: making sure the animals living around her are happy. And maybe this is just me starting to go soft, but… but I can’t just go and continue to make that impossible for her. I don’t feel like I’m causing an inconvenience. I feel like I’m ruining a life.”
He glanced at his companion, who was still seated on the floor.
“You do feel that way, don’tcha ‘Shy?”
Mystified, Fluttershy nodded.
“And then something even worse occurred to me,” Angel said, addressing the crowd again. “We can’t keep lying to ourselves here. We’re not just inconveniencing others with our actions; we’re probably making them feel like I’ve made Fluttershy feel. We’ve been making excuses, telling ourselves that this is a worth cost for the glorious lives we live. But… well… maybe it ain’t so worth it after all.”
Angel stared out at the dumbfounded crowd and bit his lip.
“So… does anybunny agree here?”
There was utter silence. Nobunny seemed to disagree, but nobunny agreed either. Even the Button brothers, always Angel’s most loyal followers, just shifted uneasily where they stood, avoiding their boss’ gaze.
Somebunny coughed. Angel glanced in the direction of the sound, and was met with a scowl from Professor Snuggles, who was shaking his head slowly in disappointment. This served only to empower Angel, however; he quickly became angry again.
“Well, fine!” he snarled to the stunned crowd. “I guess I shouldn’t think any of you would be able to set your own desires aside for a few seconds like I have. So here’s some news for you all; I have an obligation to fulfill today, and it isn’t the Big Job! You guys feel free to continue pushing reality aside and being the criminals we’ve always been.”
He smirked. “But as for me, I need to fulfill a promise I made earlier this week.”
He hopped off the stage. “C’mon, ‘Shy,” he commanded. “We got work to do.”
Bewildered by Angel’s sudden change of heart, Fluttershy silently rose and followed Angel. The two of them were able to leave the chamber unhindered, but the stares of hundreds of rabbits followed them down the exit tunnel. The pair was already out of earshot of the mob before Fluttershy managed to gather herself enough to actually speak.
“But Angel-”
“Shush, kid!” Angel commanded. “We’ll talk in a minute! Let’s get out of here before the rabbits decide to come after us!”
“But I-”
“No time! Let’s go!”
Angel raced up the tunnel as quickly as he could, and Fluttershy had no choice but to follow him. The two of them raced outside, and Angel quickly ducked in among the roots of the nearest tree. Fluttershy caught up, gasping for breath.
“Okay, we should be alright here, for a while at least,” Angel said. “So now you can feel free to yell at me or whatever.”
Angel sat down on the root and waited for Fluttershy to respond, although admittedly, she had no idea where to even start.
“But… wait,” she realized. “This doesn’t really change anything, Angel. If the rabbits didn’t listen to you anyway, the Big Job is still going to happen. That means I still have to try to stop it, even if you’re not involved.”
“Whoa, kid,” Angel said. “Don’t get ahead of yourself. There’s nothing for you to worry about.”
“What?” Fluttershy asked. “But… why not? You can’t expect me to just give up on my mission to keep those rabbits in line.”
“No, you don’t get it,” said Angel. “There’s no danger of the Big Job even happening.”
Fluttershy raised an eyebrow.
“See, here’s the thing,” said Angel. “While I didn’t expect you to show up today, it doesn’t change the fact that I still didn’t want to go through with the job,” he explained. “I sabotaged the Apple family’s cart last night. They aren’t going to be able to attend whatever event they were going to, so now, when the rabbits reach the farm, they’ll discover it to be a bit more heavily guarded then they expected.”
Angel scowled. “And they would have thought it was just an unfortunate coincidence, and I wouldn’t have been blamed by them at all. But then you had to go and make me blow my cover to save your life. So now we’d both better stay away.”
“Wha… wait,” said Fluttershy, as she struggled to take the news in. “Do you mean to tell me that you’re… actually sincere about all this?”
Angel scratched his head awkwardly. “Well, kind of, yeah. I mean, I couldn’t just let you get killed. You and I have been through way too much together for me to leave you hangin’.”
Fluttershy blinked. “So, despite all you’ve done… you do acutally care about me?”
“Kid, as much as I’d love to get all sentimental,” Angel began sarcastically, “there’s something a bit more important to do first. I think you want to have a chance to talk to your pony friends again, not to mention the fact that, as a pony, you might be able to more effectively deal with the rabbit mafia than you would as a rabbit. And if you wanna do any of that stuff, then we have to find you a Twinklecap Mushroom in the next eleven hours. So I suggest we get started.”
“But we can’t, remember?” Fluttershy asked. “The only place we could find one is the heart of the Everfree Forest.”
“I know,” Angel said. “And if we go in there alone, we’ll be killed. But I was thinking… what if we get a sort of search party together? In a large group, we might be able to watch each other’s backs long enough to get in, get the mushroom, and get out again. Maybe.”
Fluttershy thought about it. “It… could work, I suppose,” she agreed. “But who can we get for the search party?”
“Well, obviously the rabbits are out,” Angel said. “So here’s what we need to do. You have to go to the Haven, and get anybunny you possibly can on board. The more animals, the better. I’ll go to a few sources around here, and we’ll all meet at the entrance to the Everfree as soon as we possibly can. Can you do that?”
Fluttershy nodded. She turned and took a few steps, but then stopped and faced Angel again.
“But Angel, what if the rabbits figure out you sabotaged the Big Job? They won’t be happy, and they’ll come looking for you.”
“They’ll be lookin’ for me anyway,” Angel said with a shrug. “After that little speech I gave, I betcha my popularity dropped a few notches. But I’ll be fine; you need to look after yourself, not me.”
“Okay. Just be careful,” Fluttershy said. Again, she turned, took two steps, and yet again wheeled in place to face Angel.
“Now what?” he asked impatiently.
“Angel, I… I’m still not sure I can trust you. Even after what you said,” Fluttershy admitted. “I mean, you and I will probably never be able to be on the same kind of terms we were before I was turned into a rabbit.”
She sighed. “But I’ll give you this one more chance. I hope you’re telling me the truth this time and not just trying me to go away so you guys can go through with the Big Job.”
Angel snickered. “Do you really think I’m that twisted, kid?” he asked. “Even I have my limits, you know.”
“Alright, then we’ll go through with this,” Fluttershy said. “But this is your last chance, Angel Bunny.”
Angel rolled his eyes. “Just go, kid! We don’t have any more time to waste!”
Fluttershy stared at Angel for a long moment, and then finally turned and darted off towards Sweet Apple Acres and the woods beyond.
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“Uncle Owly. Uncle Owly! WAKE UP!”
“Who? Who! What?” Owloysius cried, nearly falling from his perch as he was startled from his sleep. “Oh dear, Peewee, don’t scare me like that! What do you want?”
“That rabbit that hangs out with Fluttershy is outside,” Peewee announced. “He says you better get out there right now or he’s gonna come in here and kick your feathery old-”
“Yes, yes, Peewee, I quite get the point,” said Owloysius quickly. “Let us see what Angel wants, shall we?”
Owloysius yawned and fluttered to the window. Twilight, who was consumed with her studies, did not even notice that her pet’s nap had been interrupted.
“There you are,” Angel said as Owloysius appeared. “By any chance, have you found any other place to get that mushroom?”
“I’m afraid not,” Owloysius said solemnly. “I’ve been neglecting sleep in order to research further, but alas, I’m afraid the results are conclusive now; the forest is the only place to find it.”
“Thought so,” said Angel. “We’re going to go and get it, but we need your help. Are you coming, or what?”
Owloysius’ eyes widened. “Are you insane?” he asked. “Entering the forest is… suicidal!”
“It won’t be if we are properly prepared,” Angel argued. “You can fly, and see well in the dark. We need you for our search party, so get out of this stuffy library and help us!”
“Whooo…” Owloysius sighed. “I’m not sure this is wise, Angel. Even if we have several animals, this will be a highly dangerous endeavor.”
Angel frowned. “Alright, you big worrywart, I guess we’re going without you then. Pity, too. You would have been quite a helpful addition, I bet.”
Angel turned and began to hop away.
“Who! Angel, wait. I… I’ll help.”
“Me too!” Peewee chirped.
“No, Peewee,” Owloysius said. “It’s far too dangerous, and besides, I have a more important job for you. You need to take what we do have of the cure to Fluttershy’s cottage and make sure it is mixed up properly. When we return with the mushroom, we must be ready to add it immediately.”
“Good idea,” said Angel. “Meet us at the entrance to the Everfree when you’re ready, Feathers. And don’t take too long, we’re running out of time.”
“I shall be there,” Owloysius proclaimed. “It’s high time I stop helping only from the sidelines, researching away in the library. This time, I shall take action! We will find the cure for Fluttershy yet!”
“That’s the spirit,” Angel said. “See you soon, Feathers. I got places to go.”
And with that, he turned and dashed off to a different part of Ponyville.
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“Winona! Winona!”
Winona lifted herself of the ground, staring in shock at the approaching rabbit.
“Fluttershy! You’re okay!” she exclaimed. “I thought for sure the rabbits wouldn’t have let you go free after what you were going to do.”
“They did, but only because Angel helped me,” she said. “Winona, I have a lot to tell you, but first, you need to get me to the Haven as fast as you can!”
“Well hop on, hun!” Winona said. “I can tell this is urgent. I’ll get ya back to the Haven quick as I can!”
Fluttershy leapt onto Winona’s back and the two of them took off for the woods.
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Opalescence chuckled delightedly as she batted her catch around. Angel once again hung by his ears from the mouth of a larger creature. He floated there, his arms crossed impatiently while Opal had her fun.
“You know, you can put me down whenever you want, you persnickety feline,” he grumbled. “There is kind of an emergency going on here.”
“It must be quite the emergency if you came to me, Angel darling,” Opal chuckled as she playfully smacked Angel with a paw and watched him swing around below her. “I should think after this past Friday, you would have learned, but I guess not.”
She purred contently. “Of course, if there’s something you really have to tell me, feel free. Just because you’re hanging from my mouth doesn’t mean you can’t talk.”
“Fine,” Angel said. “If Fluttershy doesn’t get her cure by midnight, she’s gonna be a rabbit forever. A bunch of us are going to the Everfree Forest, and we need all the help we can get.”
Opal dropped Angel in surprise. “The Everfree? You want me to go to that dirty, nasty, beast-ridden place just to help out little Fluttershy? What kind of cat do you think I am?”
“I thought you were a cat who really appreciated the only pony who knows a thing about taking care of you properly,” Angel snapped. “But, if you’d rather lose your favorite pony forever because you’re too afraid to get your paws dirty, that’s fine by me. Sit here on your pampered furry rump all day if you want; I didn’t expect you to have the guts to come along anyway.”
Opal hissed. “That was a low blow, Angel. I’m almost convinced to come along now simply to prove you wrong.”
She smiled devilishly. “Of course, this is going to cost you dearly. This is a huge sacrifice on my part, and I do nothing if I can’t expect something in return.”
Angel stamped his foot repeatedly. “We’ll work out a price later!” he yelled. “I’ll do whatever you want, but right now, just get down to the entrance of the Everfree. And hurry for once!”
Opal licked her paw nonchalantly. “Oh, don’t worry Angel, I’ll be there. Eventually.”
She smiled deviously at Angel’s frustrated look, but the rabbit just snorted before turning and bolting from the boutique.
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“Mr. Director, I believe we have visitors,” Zipper said.
Tank listened to the loud clamor in the tunnel. “Yes Zipper, I noticed,” he said calmly.
Tank was pleasantly surprised to see Fluttershy and Winona arrive in his treetop chamber. Both looked tired and very concerned.
“Tank!” Fluttershy exclaimed. “We need your help!”
Quickly, Fluttershy explained everything that had happened during her encounter with the rabbit mafia, and Angel’s apparent change of heart. She then described the plan Angel had formulated for infiltrating the Everfree Forest.
Tank chuckled mirthfully. “See, my dear? I told you there was more to that old rabbit than you thought.”
Fluttershy nodded. “There definitely was, but I still don’t know if I can totally trust him. It’s not completely clear how much of this is actually from the goodness of his heart, and how much is part of his own selfish aims. But for now, I’ve got to go with the plan. Winona has already agreed to help me, since Sweet Apple Acres isn’t in danger with the Apple family staying home. But Angel told me that we’d only stand a chance in the Everfree if I could get some creatures from the Haven to help.”
“Unfortunately,” Tank began. “The animals here live here so that they can escape the tyranny of the rabbit mafia. Most of them work hard in exchange to keep the safety and food that the Haven provides. After what they’ve worked for here, I don’t think they would be willing to put themselves at risk for an animal they don’t even know, no matter how desperate her plight is.”
“None of ‘em?!” Winona asked. “C’mon, Mr. Director, there’s gotta be a few animals here that will help us!”
Fluttershy, however, just hung her head. “I understand, Tank,” she said. “At least I have Winona. Hopefully Angel will find a few helpers as well.”
She turned to go. “Thanks for your time, at least.”
“Wait,” said Tank. “I haven’t finished, my dear. You forget that, unlike the other animals who live here, I live as a pet now. In fact, I always have lived under the care of ponies, and for the longest time, the pony who cared for me was you.”
He smiled. “In other words, I, unlike the others here, have plenty of reason to assist you. And so I shall.”
Fluttershy’s eyes widened. “You will? Oh, thank you Tank! You’re the best!”
Zipper flitted forward. “Mr. Director, are you sure that would be prudent?”
“Yes, Zipper,” Tank said. “And while I’m gone, I will need an animal to fill the position of Director. Perhaps indefinitely, should I happen to not return.”
He smiled slowly. “And so, of course, that responsibility lies with you, Zipper.”
For a moment, Zipper looked as if he was going to pass out. After he collected himself, he raised a wing in salute. “Yes, sir!”
“Very good,” said Tank. “Remember, Zipper. Kindness, understanding, and above all patience. It’s hard, but I know you can do it.”
“I… I will try sir.”
“That’s all I can ask,” Tank said. “And now, my new Director, I would like you to call your friends. I am in need of my equipment.”
Zipper whistled loudly. A few seconds passed, and then a brigade of four hummingbirds flew in, arranged in a square formation. Each carried a string, and each string was attached to a point on a shiny metallic disc with a propeller on top. The hummingbirds carefully lowered the contraption onto Tank’s back, fastening the strap around his midsection. Tank’s head retreated into his shell for a moment, and when it re-emerged, it was adorned with a pair of thick goggles.
“Okay. Let’s do this!” said Tank mirthfully. The propeller activated, carrying the tortoise into the air.
“I’ll meet you two at the Everfree,” he called as he zipped off.
Fluttershy jumped onto Winona again. “Come on!” she said. “Let’s get back as quickly as we can!”
“Way ahead of ya, pardner!” Winona said as she raced back into the tree.
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“What?”
“What?”
“What?”
“I said-”
“What?”
“Stop cutting me off, you worthless reptile!” Angel screamed. “I need you to focus, Gummy. Pay attention for two freaking seconds and answer my question!”
Gummy blinked. “Okay.”
“Fluttershy needs our help,” Angel reiterated. “We need everybunny we can find to form a search party and explore the Everfree. Will you help?”
Gummy shrugged. “Sure. Why not?”
That threw Angel for a loop. “What? No argument? No hesitation? No existential nonsense?”
Gummy shook his head. “Nah. I’m good.”
Angel stared at the gator for a second. “Well, alright then. Come with me to the Everfree then.”
“Okey-dokey,” said Gummy.
Pinkie Pie’s head burst through the ground. “Silly Gummy!” she chided. “It’s okey-dokey-lokey! You can’t forget the last part!”
The mare pulled her head out of the ground and trotted merrily away.
Angel blinked several times. “But… how did she-”
“She’s Pinkie Pie,” said Gummy. “I spend all my time in deep, complex thought, and I still don’t have a clue how she works.”
He smiled a toothless grin. “She is fascinating though, isn’t she?”
“But she shouldn’t even be able to understand us!” Angel argued.
“She can’t,” said Gummy. “Except when it’s convenient for her. At least that’s what I’ve gathered.”
“We’re getting off topic here,” Angel grumbled. “Let’s just go to the Everfree, alright?”
“Right behind you!” Gummy said with a chuckle.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Owloysius sat on a branch in a tree just outside the dark entryway to the forest. As he waited for the others, he hoped Peewee was following instructions correctly. Even if they survived this journey, there would be little time remaining to finish the cure. It was nearly four o’clock now, after all.
Owloysius looked up as a whirring sound filled the air, and was pleasantly surprised to see an old tortoise strapped to a helicopter device come flying towards him. Tank alighted on the branch next to the owl.
“Afternoon, Owloysius,” he greeted. “Lovely day, isn’t it?”
“I suppose,” Owloysius said. “But we’re about to have quite a nasty adventure, I believe. I do hope Angel and Fluttershy have found us some reinforcements.”
“Well, here comes some now,” Tank pointed out. Owloysius observed a rabbit and an alligator rapidly approaching the tree.
“Good, Feathers is here,” Angel said. “And I see old shell-boy has made it, too. Where’d Fluttershy find you?”
“Oh, I run the Haven,” said Tank calmly. “It wasn’t hard to convince me to come along.”
“You run the-” Angel started, shocked. “Boy, I see you’ve been busy since Rainbow Dash adopted you from ‘Shy’s place. You guys have caused quite a bit of trouble for the rabbit mafia since you started operations over there.”
“Oh yes, I’m sure we have,” said Tank, offering no further comment.
“My, what a lovely little band of fools this is,” came a silky female voice. All the assembled animals turned and witnessed the arrival of Opalescence.
“It’s a good thing you came to me, Angel dear,” she purred. “With a bunch of rejects like these, you’re certainly going to need me if you want to get anything accomplished.”
“Yeah, I’m sure you’ll be real helpful,” said Angel sarcastically. “Now, where is ‘Shy?”
“I’m here!”
Angel turned and spotted Fluttershy, arriving on the back of a bedraggled-looking Winona. She hopped off and walked up to Angel. “Sorry, Angel,” she said quietly. “This was the only help I could get.”
“It’ll have to do,” Angel said simply.
Fluttershy looked around. “Hi everybunny,” she greeted. “Thanks for your support, really. I hope if we work together, we can find that mushroom.”
“We will, pardner, I’m sure of it,” said Winona. “That is, if everybunny here cooperates…”
Winona glared at Angel, who crossed his arms angrily once again.
“Look, you mangy mutt,” he started. “I don’t like you, and you don’t like me. But for just a couple hours, I think we gotta put that aside, or all of us are gonna wind up as dinner for something in here. Can I count on that? Just for today? Then we can be mortal enemies again, I promise.”
Winona stared at Angel for a long moment. “Alright, pardner,” she said tentatively, extending a paw. “I trust ya. For now.”
Angel shook her paw. “Good. Now, what’re we waiting for? It’s about time we get in there!”
“Quite,” said Owloysius. “Everyone ready?”
All heads nodded solemnly.
Fluttershy stepped forward. “Well, okay then. Here goes nothing…”
And so two rabbits, an owl, a tortoise, a dog, a cat, and an alligator stepped across the shadowy border into the Everfree Forest.
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And now, I brace myself for possible negative comments about Angel in this chapter.
fuckin love this story man
Every time I read Angel's lines, I hear Numbah 4's voice, from Code Name Kid's Next Door.
I love it.
All the pets coming together for Fluttershy is awesome.
I expected Angel to react this way. And I like it. Overall, a nice setting up chapter. I expect at least two more chapters, am I wrong?
Seems legit to me
758252 Negative comments you say? Pish posh! This was a wonderful chapter! Anypony that has a problem with how this turned out just wants the story to go on longer because of complications that would arise from the plot or something. Haters gonna hate!
758356
Should be just one more, I think.
Might be a long-ish one, but I don't feel it will be necessary to split it up unless I go WAY overboard describing the adventures in the Everfree.
*whips out the sunglasses* Let's do this.
All right! Angel is back! I was worried he wouldn't be back until some big redeming epilogue or some thing... Keep up the good work!
( And what was wrong with Angel? I thought he was fine! )
758252
Hey, brace yourselves for negative comments about leaving it on such a friggin' cliffhanger! Like this one!
Nonetheless, it's going well! This story still kicks more arse than a centipede in an arse-factory.
When Pinkie told Gummy he messed up the line "okey-dokey-lokey" it was unexpected, yet expected at the same time. It's something you would have expected Pinkie to do.
I have absolutely no negative comments to say about angels behavior but I imagine that there may be a coup de ta involved with mafia at this time I am also wondering if their trip into the forest will be similiar to the nightmare moon incident. also I laughed really hard when pinkie pie showed up.
758335 interesting i imagine his voice being similiar to the old time mobsters like al capone
Flutterbunny and the Main Pet 6 enters the uncontrollable, unpredictable Everfree Forest to obtain the final ingredient to cure the Element of Kindness or she'll be a bunny forever. Will FS be cure before time runs out? Can the pets coexist? Will Angel's last chance be the end of an already broken friendship wtih his owner? All the answers will be reveals on the next chapter.
Time to find the Elements of Harmony... I mean the Twinklecap Mushroom.
Clever angel bunny, really knew how to stop the big job while covering his tracks real well.
And now they are off to find the tinklecap mushroom!
I wonder who will find one first?....
I wage 3 bits on gummy,
I also hope they all know to stay out of the poison joke.......
*imagines Angel and Winona as a two headed beast that has to share one body for the time being*..... awwwwwkwaaaaard..
758413 I've done much worse cliffhangers in my own stories. By my standards, this was rather mild, actually.
two rabbits, an owl, a tortoise, a dog, a cat, and an alligator stepped across the shadowy border into the Everfree Forest
that sounds like the set up to a joke
oh
you so randomz
Hm, now only one pet missing, but will Philomena even appear in this story.
Maybe she will come to save them when they are in danger in the Everfree forest.
I realy hope she will appear
The ending heavily reminded me of a Gary Larson strip with the caption:
"Looks like another one of those stupid 'incredible Journey' things"
I wish I had a link for it, but I only have it on paper
.
And how many times has it been un-funny? ALOT.
Aw, all the pets came together to help Fluttershy! Angel is even calling Fluttershy by her full name now.
Just ask for extra grooming, Opal. You have the chance to ask exactly what you want since Shy can hear you now.
I was so sure that at least one pony would be able to help though. As good as a team as they are, they're not going to cover a lot of distance since Winona and Owloysius will have to slow down for Opal. Such a shame they only saw AJ, Rarity, and Pinkie. I'm sure Twilight would have helped, but she seems to have taken a vacation from her library too. (Even though she's skeptical about strange stuff, she's ironically and most likely to be first to believe it.)
Of course, there's always the Manticore (from the second episode) too. Maybe Zecora even (with her knowledge of Everfree's flora). I was sort of hoping the Button Brothers would stay loyal to their "capo" though. Maybe they still will...?
758252
Negative? Dude, I want to give Angel a brofist after what he said. Just cause he has a bad attitude, doesn't mean he doesn't have good intentions. He's a jerk with a heart of gold! ... okay, more like a heart of copper, but still...!
“But she shouldn’t even be able to understand us!” Angel argued.
“She can’t,” said Gummy. “Except when it’s convenient for her.
That reminded me so much of this Rodger Rabbit reference Pinkie Pie comic I saw the other day
Anyway, no negative comments coming from me. Another thoroughly enjoyable chapter
I especially like how they now have a team made up of the mane six pets
The Pinkie Pie part was AWSOMEAWESOME
Seems legit. I'm ok with Angel in this one. *brofoot*
haha.
I read the last sentence in the narrator from pokemon's voice. It sounds perfect
Nothing wrong with Angel in this chapter! I prefer it this way.
Maybe Fluttershy can convince Twilight to find a spell that will let her understand animals. Bet she'd like that.
758745
Cats can run faster than dogs...
And this was a pretty god dam awesome chapter.
But, alas, cliffhangers...^^
759195
But as fast as a dog? And don't forget Opal is not exactly athletic. (She has a bit of belly on her. She is a pampered cat, after all.)
758335
I see him more as Numbah 1, though
This story is wonderful
You did a great job writing Angel's change of heart: it was definitely still in character.
I can't wait for the next chapter!
love it! I would have thought that flutters would go to the other critters under the rabbits rule to ask for help, but this is fine too
loved it!
keep up the awesome work!
758252
Negative comments!? By jove, good sir, I cant think of any!
I can! Y U LEAVE ON CLIFFHANGER!?
"And so two rabbits, an owl, a tortoise, a dog, a cat, and an alligator stepped across the shadowy border into the Everfree Forest. "
Sounds like the start of a bad joke
weknowmemes.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/shit-just-got-real.jpg
"And so two rabbits, an owl, a tortoise, a dog, a cat, and an alligator stepped across the shadowy border into the Everfree Forest." I think I know a joke that starts like that...
758376
Don't worry about lenght. It's a good story, and good stories take their time to develop.
Oh, and about my first comment on this fic. Lobo is a DC character from, I think, the eighties or nineties. He's... a special guy, so to speak. Here, this Wikipedia article should clarify it.
And, once again, shit gets real.
759094
And so logic dictates that there will be a MLP/Pokemon Mystery Dungeon crossover in the works from that statement.
The party encounters a wild Manticore!
Fluttershy uses stare! It's super effective!
Wild Manticore has been tamed!
-later-
The party acquired the Twinklecap Mushroom!
-still later-
The party encounters wild Timberwolf Pack!
Fluttershy uses stare! It's not that effective...!
Manticore unleashes hell! Timberwolf Pack is busied!
Fluttershy & Co. flee! They escape!
And Angel does the right thing. Great for him. I have a feeling the good Professor won't take it lying down, though...
Also, the Mane Pets (Animals of Harmony? There has to be some clever name for them) have assembled! For a suicide mission! Well, it's only the Everfree Forest. They should be fine. Really, they're probably small enough to be beneath the notice of most of the larger monsters. There are still cockatrices and timber wolves, though... they might be a problem.
758398
There are people here who actually wanted to have the story end with Angel being loyal to his job rather than Fluttershy. They're the ones who will bring in the negative comments.
758687
Pretty much anything that updates gets into the feature box. The last two slots are reserved for updating stories.
This appears there instantly upon updating, so I don't think popularity has anything to do with it after the first time.
Sorry you are apparently not enjoying it, by the way.
759249
Wait, people are using that somewhere else?
Could you link me to it, I wanna see!
759787
Now if only Fluttershy had cared for one of the creatures in the forest. Ya know, something big... a king of beasts per say (plus wings and scorpion tail for good measure)
Great chapter.
This is gonna be FUN. Looking forward to an epic conclusion.
MOAR STORY
scranton.mylittlefacewhen.com/media/f/thumb/mlfw5302.webp scranton.mylittlefacewhen.com/media/f/thumb/mlfw5165.webp