> My Hero
>  by Red Rover
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> My Hero
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Mare Do Well sprinted down the streets of Ponyville. Her heart beat loud and fast as her hooves pounded the cobble stone road. She couldn't mess up, not this time. This was too important. Her target, a pink coated unicorn, only inches away from her grasp. The retreating pony looked over her shoulder to see Mare Do Well hot on her heels. She glanced at a nearby alley and ducked inside to break Mare Do Well’s line of sight. She hid behind a pile of wooden boxes and silently prayed Mare Do Well wouldn't find her.
Mare Do Well stopped and turned back to follow and slowly walked up the alley to look for her target. “You can run, but you can’t hide~” The terrified filly held her breath to better hear the sound of approaching hoofsteps moving across her cover. Mare Do Well approached the pile of boxes. She quietly snuck up behind the pile and leapt on top to find the hidden filly curled up behind. “Ahha!” Mare Do Well shouted. The fleeing filly’s eyes went wide and her mouth gaped with surprise as she shouted and beat a hasty retreat.
She may have been fast, she’d get tired sooner or later. Mare Do Well chased her mark through the center of town they past by the shops, past town hall and though the town square. They both panted for breath, but the fugitive was losing steam fast. Mare Do Well inched closer until she zeroed in on her query and tackled her to the ground.

“You caught her, Mare Do Well! You’re my hero!” An older mare stood in on a nearby doorstep and cheered.
“All in a days work, Ma’am.”
The filly groaned. “Why do I always have to play the bad guy?”
“Cause I’m always Mare Do Well, silly.” said a filly with a teal mane and pale purple coat.
The mare in the doorway giggled. “Hopes, Ruby, it’s time to come in. You need to get cleaned up, it’s almost supper time.”
“Awww! But Mooooooom! There’s more heroing to do!” She whined hopped off her friend and shot her mother a pair of big puppy dog eyes.
“I think Ponyville will be safe until tomorrow, Sweetie,” her mother said with a smile.
Ruby Pinch rolled over, standing up, and brushed herself off. “I’ve had enough of being beaten up for one day.” She stuck her tongue out at High Hopes playfully. “I’m gonna head home.”
“Aww, alright. Bye Ruby. See you tomorrow.”
“Later, Mare Do Well.” The pink filly teased.



***



Days later High Hopes, her mother, and her father sat at the breakfast table. They happily munched away at their food while the father read the Ponyville Express, as he usually did.
“Oh look,” the father said. “Mare Do Well’s in the paper again.”
“Who’d she save this time?” Hopes asked excitedly.
“No, this one’s different. It says, “Mare Do Well Unmasked.”
Hopes’ eyes went wide and she jumped out of her seat and next to her father. “Can I see, can I see? Please, please, please!?” She begged, bright-eyed.
Her father chuckled. “Here you go,” he said and gave it to her before she dashed off to her room to read it locking the door so no one could disturb her. She jumped on her bed and began to read.



Mare Do Well Unmasked
Today we come to a surprising conclusion to the phenomenon known by many as The Mysterious Mare Do Well. In her short lived position as The Hero of Ponyville she's come to be loved by many. Famed for her numerous feats of heroism, most of which devoted to saving the town and its people.
The mysterious mare clad head to tail in purple appeared seemingly out of nowhere about a month ago shortly after a string of freak accidents began occurring in Ponyville. In her short time she's managed to stop the break of the Ponyville dam from flooding the town and save over a dozen individuals in both the carriage bus and construction site accidents. The heroics of Mare Do Well has inspired quite a fan base for the time she's been in the public eye. In just one month she's received awards of bravery and a parade from the towns ponies in her honor. But it seems now that the cat is out of the proverbial bag and the thank you parades are coming to an end. Today the identity of the fearless mare has been revealed.
The character we had presumed her to be was actually four separate ponies; a group of five local mares: Twilight Sparkle the town librarian, Applejack of Sweet Apple Acres, Pinkie pie, Fluttershy, and Rarity, local fashion designer had teamed up to teach a mutual friend, Rainbow Dash, head of the Ponyville weather team, a lesson after she'd let her ego get the best of her. In an interview with the group they explained Rainbow Dash's boastful behavior after doing a little heroics of her own had pushed them to take up the mask.
When asked the reason for their heroics Twilight Sparkle has this to say. "It was more or less a trick we played on Rainbow to teach her a lesson. Standing by and watching while she signed autographs was one thing, but when she began selling signatures and paraphernalia for a hundred bits apiece it was too much, so we decided to play hero for a change and it worked in my opinion. Rainbow learned her lesson and we all saved ponies in the process. What could be bad about that?"
When asked if Mare Do Well might make a comeback in the future, Applejack gave this reply. "Ah don't think so. We've had our fun and I think it's high time to hang up the hat and cape, but that doesn't mean I won't try to do what I can to help everypony, but I'm not going to be putting on a costume to do it."




Hopes couldn't bear to read another word. A heaviness, like a lead weight, dropped on her stomach. She dove head first into her pillows and began to sob. Her hero was gone. She was nothing but smoke and mirrors. A trick to prove a point. All her dreams of her childhood hero now lay in ashes and she was heartbroken. She cried on her bed mourning what may as well have been the death of her idol, not merely a physical being, but something much tougher to lose; her morals and her very spirit. Mare Do Well wasn’t just a role model, but a reference point, a standard; all of which had just been stripped away in an instant. Next came seething anger. Not at the the idea of Mare Do Well, but those ponies who dared to lie their way into her heart and ultimately take her hero away from her when she needed Mare Do Well most. She lifted her face from the tear-dampened pillow. Posters and Mare Do Well memorabilia peppered the walls. Newspaper clippings, pictures, drawings she’d made. She jumped out of her bed and went up to the nearest article. It had been about the carriage bus incident, the first that was written. It made her sick to look at it. She took the clipping, peeling it from the wall, balled it up and threw it in the trash. Beside it was an essay she’d written. It was titled Who I Want To Be Like when I Grow Up. She’d gotten an A+. Now just a sick joke. Then the stricken filly moved on the the next and tore that down as well until the walls were barren. There was just one more piece left. She opened up her closet and pawed through her cloths to find a Mare Do Well costume she had made herself. It looked like the work of a filly; patches with a dozen different shades of purple and stitching that was as crooked as her broken heart. A fresh gush of tears welled up in her eyes before she threw that too in the trash. She fell back into bed and continued to sob.
She heard a knocking at her door and a concerned voice, “You okay, Sweetie? Can we come in?”
“No!” Hopes cried. “Leave me alone!”
They tried to enter, but the door was locked. “Please let us in?”
“I said no!” She sobbed. “I’m never coming out.”
Her parents sighed behind the door. “Was afraid this would happen-- ” Her father mumbled. She listened as her parents faintly argued about how to console their daughter. 
“Please, at least tell us what’s wrong?”
High Hopes got out of bed with the newspaper, brought it to her desk and scribbled on it before she slid it under the door to her parents. They looked at the paper at their hooves. The title had been scratched out and it’d been replaced with scratchy lettering that read, “MARE DO WELL IS A FAKE”.



***



After all she’d devoted to her idol, to find out that it was all a ruse cut her to the bone. After that morning the world seemed.. different. She lost her usual bounce in her step and her perky demeanor. To her everything seemed dreary, the bright colors of the world around her fading to a dull gray, and her world slowed, though everyone else’s stayed the same as they raced around her. More than a hero, Mare Do Well had been an anchor and without it, Hopes was left adrift in a dark sea of uncertainty.
She didn’t leave her room for the rest of that day. Her parents tried to coax her out to eat but she refused, softly at first, but by the third time she’d become noticeably frustrated, so they decided to leave her alone for the time being and let her grieve. Though they hadn’t known just how long it would take. She’d mopped for days. She paid even less attention in school, was quiet and always crabby and short tempered with everyone, even her parents. 
It had been two weeks since it had happened and she was still always gloomy. She had been getting tired of being cooped up inside. She got up off the bed and looked out the window. Ponies were walking back and forth in the street. They talked, they laughed, worked and played. She saw two fillies walking together and her thoughts drifted to Ruby. She hadn’t seen Ruby Pinch outside of school in weeks. “Maybe I should see her,” she muttered under her breath.
She heard hoofsteps down the hall walking toward her room when they suddenly stopped outside her door. She heard a sigh, “You going to spend all day in there.. again?” Her mother was feeling less sorry with her and more cross by the day. Those comments always had a way of getting under Hopes’ skin.
Hopes gave a frustrated sigh and rolled her eyes. The maybe became a definitely even if to spare her mother’s nagging. “No. I was going to go visit Ruby today.”
“Good. You know you can’t mope in the forever.”
Hopes gave the door a sideways glance and the hoof steps left. She walked over to the door, opened it and went down the hall to leave. She passed her parents talking in the kitchen. “I’ll be back later, going to Ruby’s.
“Her parents followed her with their eyes. “Alright then. Be careful..”
Not bothering to look back at them she answered, “I will,” and left.

It had been rainy that morning, though the clouds had left to let the sun illuminate the muddy roads. She noticed a pony pulling a loaded cart just behind her who seemed to be in a rush. The front left wheel wobbled dangerously, but the running pony didn’t notice.Just ahead of her was a gray pegasus colt with his black mane brushed back on top of his head. suddenly she heard a crack and turned to see one of the wooden wheels from the cart snap and fall apart. The pony pulling it yelped in surprise as one corner sagged. The stallion grunted trying to keep it level, but all the goods on the cart shifted to the dipping corner and driving the pony off the road straight for the colt! Something clicked in her mind. Electricity and adrenaline flooded her veins as an inner voice whispered, “Go.” She sprinted to the colt as fast as her little legs could carry her and tackled him out of the way before the pony and waggon careened out of the street and blew through the spot where the cold had been standing a split-second ago and crashed. She panted on the ground, her heart racing in sudden realization of how close of a call she’d put herself in. The colt jumped up and looked to Hopes. “You saved me!”
“Yeah.. I did, didn’t I.” She was having trouble finding words through the shock.
“Thank you!” He shouted before wrapping his hooves around her in a hug. It had been the best she’d felt since Mare Do Well was revealed. The shock and the worry quickly faded in the warm hug and she began to smile.
With that the boy left, running home. Some other ponies noticed the crash and came to check on the pony who crashed the cart. One of the walked over to me and asked, “Are you okay, kid?”
“Yeah.. I think I am,” Hopes said with a little smile.”



***



Mare Do Well sprinted into the street, running for all she was worth. She shouted above the noise of the city street, “Stop!” A young filly turned away from her ball to see a dark purple figure charging towards her. Hooves forward she tackled the filly to the ground moments before an out of control carriage careened through where she standing less than a second ago. Mare Do Well tumbled onto the sidewalk, the filly wrapped protectively in her forelegs. She let the child go who hopped to her feet moments before being scooped up by her frantic mother, “My filly!”
Mare Do Well stood on her hooves with a groan and stepped into the street to pick up a popped ball that the filly had chased into the street. She handed it to the pegasus, “Sorry kid. I don’t think the ball’s going to make it.”
“You saved my baby! Thank you, Mare Do Well, thank you! Whatever can I do to repay you?”
“That’s the best part,” Mare Do Well chuckled. “You don’t have to.” And without another word she dashed into a dark alley nearby and disappeared from sight.

Mare Do Well Climbed up to her favorite rooftop. It was her own private place to hang out when she was “off duty”. It was quiet, no pony ever came up and bothered her, and it had an amazing view. She sat down next to a ledge and took off her hat and mask and shook out her teal colored mane. Sure have come a long way since Ponyville, she thought to herself. Indeed, little High Hopes playing hero again only this time it was for real. She was grown up now and had moved to Manehatten. There was always someone in need of saving there. Hopes looked out over the city of Manehatten. The sun was setting and it cast everything in a warm orange glow. The city was always beautiful at sunset. Living here was everything she dreamed of and a little bit more, though it wasn’t exactly how she had imagined it when she was a filly. There weren’t many bad guys to beat up or bank robbers to chase, but it was still a lot of work. Plenty of disasters happened every day in a city like hers without having to worry about thieves and crooks. It wasn’t without it’s perks though. There was always something about that feeling she would get when ponies thank her so sincerely; the feeling she got when she saved somepony’s life. Like Hearths Warming Eve and your birthday all rolled into one. It’s enough to make you want to keep going even if it’s hard or dangerous.
Celestia had outdone herself today. The sun cast orange and pink glow on the soft clouds above and painted the blue canvas of the sky better than any painter would dream of, but soon after the sun had set and the sky filled with stars. Her thoughts drifted from the sky for a moment and she thought back to Ponyville and all that brought her here. Funny how things work out sometimes. How many ponies can say they became their childhood heros? And whatever happened to that gray pegasus she saved when she was just a filly?
Most everyone in the city was snuggled in their warm beds except for the occasional light she’d see through a window. She looked out over the city again with a content sigh, put her mask back on and took off again for her night rounds.



***




RIIIIIIIING

Hopes reached out a hoof and smacked her alarm clock into submission as she did every morning and tiredly glanced hazy eyed at the time. “Four solid hours of sleep... not bad.” High hopes sat up in her bed and rubbed her eyes with a foreleg and groan
“Time to get up, sleepy head!” A voice called from outside her door. “You’re going to be late for work.”
Hopes groaned again, rolled out of bed and walked up to her dresser mirror. She took a moment to look at her reflection. Mane disheveled, and dark  bags under her sleepy teal eyes. Yeah, the face of a real hero. She grabbed a brush to comb her mane before she stepped out into the kitchen.  
She sat at the table as Ruby Pinch, old friend and now roommate. “Hurry up, Hopes. I made us breakfast and it’s getting cold.”
“I’m coming, I’m coming.” She answered tiredly.
Ruby looked over her exhausted and bedraggled friend and raised a brow. “I don’t know what it is you do late at night, but maybe you should give it a rest. I think the lack of sleep is getting to you.”
“Would if I could, Pinch.” Hopes plopped herself down in her seat and began to comb her mane.
Ruby was chewing a mouthful of pancake while looking over the Manehatten Missive newspaper. She swallowed, “Look. Mare Do Well’s in the paper again.”
“Oh? What is it this time.” After a couple strokes of the brush she left it in her mane on top of her head so she could eat.
“Something about saving a filly from a runaway carriage.”
“Hm, neat.” Hopes poked at her eggs and took a sip of milk with a grumbly monotone.
Ruby paused a moment in thought before speaking. “Hey, Hopes. How do you feel about Mare Do Well being in the paper again? You haven’t really talked about her since we were fillies.”
“Mare Do Well? Well.. it’s nice I guess. It’s always good to have someone for ponies to look up to I think.”
“Just like the old days, right?” Ruby giggled.
“Well..... not exactly.” She smirked.
They both had a chuckle and resumed eating and reading quietly. Hopes continued to brush her mane while she munched her hay pancakes.
“So, I’m going on a date tonight. You wanna come? I think my date said something a cute brother you might like,” Ruby Teased
Hopes thought for a minute. “Nah, I’m busy.”
“Oh, you’re always busy. You can’t take one night off from your “hobbies”? You haven’t taken a night off in a month.”
“Sorry, but I can’t. It’s really important.”
“What’s so important that you can’t even let yourself sleep at night? Seriously? And why won’t you tell me? We’ve known eachother for how long? You can trust me to keep a secret you know.”
“I know, I know. You keep asking and I know it bothers you, but this is too important. I’ve told you before, I can’t risk ponies finding out what I’m doing. It’s best for the both of us and, well, everypony that you don’t know. It’s nothing bad, so don’t worry.You just gotta trust me on this. It’s for a good reason.”
“Fine,” she sighed in frustration. “I just wish you wouldn’t be so mysterious about it. Ponies might start to think you’re Mare Do Well or something.”
“Yeah, ahha ha ha” She chuckled and shifted her eyes while she scrunched her mouth.
“Hey! You better get going or you’re going to be late for work.”
“Oh! You’re right!” Hopes grabbed her saddlebags, took her brush from her half groomed mane and tossed it aside. “Later, Pinch.” She quickly grabbed a plain pancake, folded it in half and stuck it in her mouth to munch on the way out the door the comic book shop. Not glamorous or well paying, but she liked it and she found it deliciously ironic.
“Later, Miss Mysterious.” She smirked and shook her head while she watched her leave. “Sometimes I wonder about that mare..”



***



Mare Do Well sat on her favorite rooftop at the center of town. The sun was setting again on another peaceful day, but there’s something off in distance. A plume of dark smoke not a mile away coming from the residential district. She jumped up and starts free running towards the source via the close knit city rooftops. She raced to the building and leaped down between balconies and fire escapes and landed back down to street level to find a crowd of ponies in front of the burning building. She ran up to the crowd. There was a group off to one side whose fur was smudged with black with hacking coughs and ponies tending to them. “Is there anyone else in there?”
One of the onlookers rushed up to her covered in soot and smelled singed. “We got out as many as we could, but the fire’s spreading too quickly and there’s still ponies on the top floor! They’re trapped!”
“Where’s the fire department?” She asked commandingly.
“They’re busy across town. They don’t know when they can get here!”
There were two stallions holding a frantic pair of ponies back from charging inside. “We can’t risk sending ponies in until the fire department arrives! It’s too dangerous!”
“By my wife is still in there! Please!”
“And my baby! Please, save my baby!”
Mare Do Well looked at the building. The three story apartment spewed fire out the windows. The first floor were engulfed and it was quickly spreading to the second. She would have to move fast. She nodded and charged up to the front door, kicked it down and charged in while the onlookers shouted.


Mare Do Well charged in. The fire was eating at the walls in all the rooms and blocked every way but the stairwell. She ran up the stairs and dodged bits of ceiling that crumbled and fell around her as she moved up to the second floor. She instantly began to sweat, the heat almost unbearable. Her nose filled with the scent of burning wood; ash stung her eyes and filled them with tears. The top floor was nearly filled to the brim with black smoke, but she could still faintly see four rooms. She ducked low under the smoke and kicked down the first door before she looked inside. The fire had traveled up the walls and had moved on to the furniture. She was running out of time.
She scanned every room quickly. “Anyone in here?! Hello!” But no one answered. Empty. She ran out and kicked down the next door and a big plume of flame rushed out into the oxygen rich air in the hallway and licked at her cloak before she could jump back, flame spreading across the cloth. She quickly tossed it away while the fire died down and she jumped in. Fire filled all the surrounding rooms as she looked around and heard a child screaming in horror. She followed the screams to a closet and opened it to find a young colt wrapped in a blanket. “It’s okay; I’m going to get you out of here.” She tossed the colt on her back. “Hold on tight.” 
Mare Do Well dashed out the front door letting the colt down and stood there for a moment to catch her breath as the child’s mother rushed in to hold him. She coughed and hacked the smoke from her lungs. A few ponies had come with cameras and were taking pictures for the news. Once they saw her they swarmed and snapped away. Though masks weren’t always just for show. 

She was already getting tired, but she couldn’t stop yet. She’d found one, but hadn’t found the child yet. She took a couple gulps of fresh air and then went back in. She dashed back up to the second floor. The wood was creaking as it burned and the walls and floor weakened. On the second floor she went to the third door and kicked it down. As soon as she did the ceiling creaked drawing her attention just before a big chunk fell down almost on top of her. She heard a faint cry from the bathroom, “Help!” She worked her way around the burning floor and flung the bathroom door open to find a mare hidden there. Mare Do Well dragged the mare from the bathroom and rushed for the exit.
She dashed out of the room just before an explosion and fire engulfed the whole room. Her legs became wobbly and she became disoriented from lack of oxygen when suddenly a creak sounded from above her and a hunk of wood fell down. She barely managed to push the terrified mare out of the way before it fell on top of her and knocked her down. She tried to push herself up, but didn’t have the strength. She could barely breathe and now she was pinned. “G-go!” She croaked. “I’ll catch up!” The mare turned and ran, not having to be told twice. The lights started to go out, but the last thing she saw was dark shadows storm in and hover around before she felt a weight lift off of her just before she fell unconscious.



***



She didn’t wake up again until the next afternoon. She was in a hospital bed in a gown and surrounded by a pale green curtain. She checked herself over and she was covered in about half a dozen bandages all over her body. She was sore and it hurt to move, but didn’t seem that anything was seriously injured, so that was a relief. Outside she could hear a crowd outside murmuring. Doctors were shouting to make room. The hall outside her room must be packed with ponies wanting to get a look at her.
Her next thought was that the gig was up. She’d been caught and would soon be exposed. She’d fallen unconscious in the burning building which meant fireponies dragging her out into the street, the Emergency Medical ponies in the ambulance, the doctors and nurses, the press. Oh, Celestia, the press.. “Boy, won’t they eat this up..” She sighed.

Just then a voice sounded from behind the curtain. “Oh, sounds like someone’s awake.” Hopes sighed softly as a nurse pulled back the curtain and looked at the patient. “How are you feeling?”
“Alright, I guess..”
“Wonderful. You were in pretty rough condition when you came. Major smoke inhalation, a half a dozen minor burns and a concussion. Been a busy mare, haven’t we?” She smiled.
“I guess so...”
The nurse placed a meal tray on her bed and Hopes sat up and ate quietly. 
“So, you’re that mare that saves ponies, hmm?”
“Yeah...” 
“You know, the fireponies were tickled pink that they got to save Mare Do Well for once.”
“Yeah, I bet..”
“Now, I’ll need a few things for the medical records. Could you tell me your full name?”
“Hopes. High Hopes.” Hopes sighed while the nurse scribbled down information on a clipboard. “Suppose now everyone’s going to know about me, huh..?”
“Actually, they won't.”
Hopes’ face lit up. “Really?”
“You still had your costume on when you got here. You were in the news, though they didn’t show anything incriminating on camera. Only a handful of ponies even saw your face and it’s a big city after all; Even if someone did see you, they probably wouldn't recognize you if they met you. They said you were being hospitalized here, but that’s really all they know.”
“That’s great.” She smiled and sighed deeply in relief.
“Though, speaking of your costume, sorry, but we had to cut your out of it.” The nurse gave a sheepish smile.
Hopes sighed. “Oh, well. Could be worse, I guess. Better than dying in it.”
“True.”
“So.. no one’s really going to know it’s me?”
“Nothing incriminating, no. We’ve been keeping the curtain closed for the visitors, but that doesn't seem to stop them from sending gifts.”
“Gifts?”
The nurse nodded and opened the curtain more and let Hopes look at the room around her. The walls were covered in crayon drawings of Mare Do Well that said ‘Get well soon’. Most of the tables in the room were covered with pitchers of flowers, get well cards, and presents balloon bouquets floated in the corners and on the nightstand beside the bed were a pile of letters all written to Mare Do Well. She felt a warmth wash over her. All these ponies had done this just for her and cared about her. She was truly touched.
She picked up the letters, looked at them, opening them up and slowly read them one at a time. They all talked about how she had saved them at one point or another or inspired them to be brave in the face of danger; how important she was to them and the city; and hopeful she got better quickly.
This, she thought, this is why she wanted to be a hero; this feeling, seeing how much everyone cared. This is what made everything worth it. This is what made all the injuries and hardships worthwhile; a city that loves you.

“Oh, one more thing..” The nurse said, breaking her concentration.
“What is it?”
“There is a pony here who says she knows you.”
Hopes answered nervously. “W-who?
Just then Ruby Pinch trotted in the room and closed the door behind her. Hopes looked around the room and then back to Ruby with a bad poker face smile. There’s no hiding all this, she thought.
Ruby looked to her friend with a laugh. “Well, at least now I know what you've been up too late at night.”
“Yeah.. you caught me.” She gave a sheepish smile.
“Who’d have guessed my best friend was really The Mysterious Mare Do Well all along,” she giggled. “Oh, almost forgot.” She reached in her bag and pulled out a bouquet of flowers and another drawing. “These just came in.” She handed both to her injured friend.
She looked at the picture. It was a crayon drawing of Mare Do Well and a little boy with a popped ball. She smiled warmly. “That little colt from a few days ago..” Underneath the drawing it had something written. A solitary tear ran down her cheek as she read,


There goes my hero
Watch her as she goes
There goes my hero
She's ordinary