Zecora

by GJT_Productions

Pursuing Pegasi

"WHAT DID YOU DO TO PISS THEM OFF SO MUCH?!?"

"I DON'T KNOW, JUST KEEP FLYING!"

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The Agents of Chaos P1 and P2, zooming side-by-side across the sky over the outskirts of Ponyville, look back at their fixated pursuers, the result of the most unsuccessful attempts at interference yet. They knew they had to make it to the tangling cover of the Everfree Forest, or their careers as Agents of Chaos would come to an abrupt end.

Leading the pursuit were an extremely ticked-off duo of Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy, the two mares keeping pace beside each other despite Fluttershy's reputed weakness in flying compared to Rainbow Dash. Just behind them was a small flock of various species of bird, including an eagle and a falcon that would later compete to become Rainbow Dash's pet. But none of the avian members of that chase squad could compare in fearsomeness to the manticore also involved in the aerial chase, nicknamed "Manny Roar" by Fluttershy.

The chase had started out badly enough for each Agent of Chaos separately - P1 getting his face caved in by Rainbow Dash's hoof upon apparent recognition by the rainbow-maned pegasus, and P2 getting thoroughly chewed out by Fluttershy, again apparently after being recognized, before she ordered her avian friends to start attacking him. Both Agents retreated in quick order, prompting the intended interviewers - Guard Upper Class Noteworthy for Rainbow Dash and Guard Upper Class Lucky Clover for Fluttershy, respectively - to rush away a call for a general pursuit. This spared the two pegasi Element Bearers, who had been the most embarrassed by the poison joke effects, from the indignity of having to recollect those memories, but also prompted them to go after the Agents themselves as they realized calling for support would take too long in order to be of any good.

The Agents being chased individually were heading in the same general direction - back to the Everfree Forest - and had just joined up, hoping that by working together they could both escape in one piece. There was no cloud platform for them to use or hide with - both platforms the agents had used had been hastily abandoned once pursuit began - and in the open sky there was no real good chance to escape. It was the forest, or a prison cell.

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"I swear that filly is deceptive! How was I supposed to know she had command of the birds and beasts?!" P2 exclaims to P1, both looking back again briefly.

"Never mind about that! Dive for the forest!" P1 exclaims, pointing a hoof down at the line of the Everfree Forest below.

Immediately P1 and P2 go into a steep dive, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash's pursuit close behind. At the tree line of the Everfree Forest, the two pegasi agents level off and zip at full speed into the forest canopy, willing to bear the slapping of leaf and branch in order to loose their pursuit. Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash drop to just about ground level and transition into a full galloping landing on the ground, sparing looks up into the canopy, while the manticore Manny Roar attempts to directly follow the pegasi into the tree line and sadly finds himself tangled in tree branches, the roar echoing across the forest as he swipes and twists to try to free himself.

"Shoot, I... think we lost 'em." Rainbow Dash replies in breathless frustration as she skids to a stop, scowling at the obscuring trees above.

"We'd... better go help Manny." Fluttershy adds just as breathlessly, pointing up to the tree where the manticore is currently jammed tight.

"Got it. I think they... learned their lesson anyway... do it all again if they ever show their faces around town once more!" Rainbow Dash continues in her bombast, flying up with Fluttershy to help pull Manny out of the tree.

After some yanking, the manticore finally is pulled free, sending the two pegasi fillies flying back into the branches of another tree, only giving a moment's cushion before tumbling to the ground. Rainbow Dash feels a knock on her head as she falls, and Fluttershy ends up on her back when she thuds on the ground.

"Ow, it's supposed to be 'Rainbow Dash', not 'Rainbow Crash'." Rainbow Dash mutters to herself as she rubs a bump on her head with a forehoof. When she looks over at Fluttershy, she finds the other filly has already righted herself and is making her way over the manticore, who is trying to lick a combination of sap-sticky leaves and twigs out of its fur.

"No silly Manny, they're not going to come out that way. Here, let me help you." Fluttershy replies in a motherly tone as Rainbow Dash gets onto four hooves and starts over to beside Fluttershy.

"I was going to ask, Fluttershy, that manticore looks familiar." Rainbow Dash comments.

"Same one I pulled the thorn from. He comes by my house from time to time, usually bringing another sick animal for me to care for. I decided to call him 'Manny Roar'." Fluttershy replies with obvious pride in her tone as she helps pull out sticky leaves and branches from Manny's coat.

"Well, either he likes it or he just likes you pulling sharp objects out of his fur." Rainbow Dash comments again after looking at the manticore's grateful expression in the direction of the modestly smiling Fluttershy.

"What are you going to do about those pegasi?" Fluttershy asks as she continues her work, obviously referring to the two pegasi stallions they had been chasing.

"If I knew where they were hiding, I would trash them in their hideout! But we have no idea where they're hiding, and we need a smart cookie to have any idea where to look. If somepony hasn't already told Twilight about this, I'm going to right now!" Rainbow Dash exclaims with a determined look on her face...

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LATER THAT DAY...

"After my own experience, and the experiences of the other reports coming in, I have to agree with you Miss Twilight Sparkle - there are two pegasi attempting to sabotage this mission." Lieutenant Crispin replies honestly as he sorts through the written reports in Golden Oaks Library.

"There were also two pegasi that attempted to sabotage the early warning system started after the Ursa Minor incident, right?" Twilight asks, her concern a mirror for the Lieutenant's own.

"Correct, and we have reason to believe they have been causing trouble in this town almost since Princess Celestia assigned you here to Ponyville." Crispin affirms. "Sadly, we have no idea where they hide out between attacks other than somewhere in the Everfree Forest, but to search that big and dangerous area is beyond the capabilities of the force I have command of currently. I can only react instead of counteract."

"So what are you going to do?" Twilight naturally asks.

"Call for reinforcements. A party from Canterlot is going to have to finish the work of making Zecora an Equestrian citizen." Crispin answers.

Twilight's face took on an uneasy look. It wasn't that she felt the Lieutenant was slighting the capabilities of her or her friends - not even Twilight herself had authority beyond her reputation and connections at that time - but that his statement had unsettling implications, that the fight in Canterlot against the Agents of Chaos had spread to Ponyville and that it could be avoided no longer...

Comments

[Da Fennec]

Downside to calling for reinforcements there is almost no way to make sure they don't get more Agents of Chaos or more Pegasus supremacists at least I assume that's what Lt Aten is

[GJT_Productions]

6922307 "Pegasus supremacist" is a good way of putting Aten's worldview. I've always thought there's a certain segment of the pegasi population in Equestria - literally "flying above" the earth ponies and unicorns and with historical military roots - that have a conceit of being better than (almost) everyone else. Not all pegasi are like that, of course, and if you've been reading you'll know even other pegasi can get on Aten's bad side, but between this conceit and a residual tribalism Aten draws his support. And there's little Princess Celestia can do against it without seeming to go against the principles she herself promotes in Equestria.

[Da Fennec]

6922452 Well till he goes too far and it can be proven which most people like that will do sooner or later especially if they keep getting away with what they are doing