The Legend of Mare-Do-Well

by JD2K

Chapter 3

"Pinkie's been actin' mighty strangely this week," Applejack mused, only to tap a hoof against her cheek and wrinkle her brow for a second. "Well, even more strangely than usual fer her, Ah mean."

"Do tell, Darling. Well, I have heard 'Mare-Do-Well' managed to put down an incident over at the bowling alley the other night," Rarity added. "Apparently some bearded stallion with tinted glasses was positively livid about a score his team got against the Gutter Gals after their nice blue-maned unicorn pony managed to help them win the game. He was so irate he then pulled out a crowbar at her and ordered the score changed back! The poor soul was obviously soused from too much salt, they say."

"Oh yeah! Then Mare-Do-Well came in, stared that guy down, he lunged at her and she disarmed him with one good throw towards one of the lanes and hit a strike! Heh-heh. I taught her that move!" Rainbow Dash beamed with pride as she hovers over their heads.

"Quite right. Mr. Kingpin banned him from the alley, they say. I give that ban around 2 weeks tops. After all, dear little Scootaloo was allowed to return after doing some community service there. Did she, my sister and Apple Bloom really think cleaning bowling balls and waxing the alleys would earn them their cutie marks? Preposterous!" the fashionista scoffed.

With those words, she finishes eating her steamed yucca stalks and downs the remainder of her berry juice glass through a straw. Applejack meanwhile is nearly done with a stew of carrots, potatoes and lentils and her apple cider, while Rainbow Dash already finished her hay fries with extra gravy appetizer, tofu burger with cheese entree, a chocolate mousse-flavored cheesecake dessert, and her neapolitan ice-cream milkshake long ago and just hovers over them out of boredom.

"So we know Pinkie's busy now, but whah didn' Twahlight an' Fluttershy join us for our li'l get-together?" the farm pony asks.

"Fluttershy is supposedly at the Everfree Forest giving her 'chiropractic massage therapy' to that fearsome manticore we met over a year ago." Rarity says with an eye twitch, remembering how the same beast messed up her mane that nearly-everlasting night.

"And the egghead and Spike were called up to Canterlot at the Princess's request. Something really huge. Guess she'll tell us all when we get back," the cyan pegasus mutters and blows her upper lip on instinct.

"If she doesn't, well, you know what to do, Rarity!"

"You know how persuasive I can be, dear. It will be easier than a cross stich," the white unicorn responded with a glint in her eye.

"Mademoiselles, zee check," the waiter of the open-air restaurant they are all eating at announces as he drops the aforementioned item from his mouth and leaves to attend other patrons.

Applejack flips it over the side, reads the amount, and grunts angrily at Rainbow Dash above her. "Now, lookee here, sugar cube. There's a new rule whenever we go out. Each of us pays our own meal now, y'hear? Since y'ate the most outta all of us, y'gotta fork over 13 bits fer yer vittles!"

The pegasus gulps as she looks to the side, "Oh, that reminds me! Seems the Mayor wants me to inform the weather team to haul in some clouds to give some much-needed rain to the farmlands, so I guess I better get out there before stuff starts drying up. OKnowbye!"

She quickly prepares to zoom off before Applejack leaps up and bites her on the tail to haul her back in.

"Mmmo wei, fugah cue! Pey yoh foo now!" she demands through a mouth still clamping down on the multicolor tail.

Annoyed, Rainbow Dash mutters some words under her breath as she drops the bits on the table. "Ya happy?!" she says with a snort.

"Ye bacha," Applejack said as she spit out Rainbow's tail and the pegasus finally flies off, grumbling a variety of expletives as the two remaining ponies simply laughed.

Before they could pay, they hear a far-off crash followed by a stampede of ponies running towards the source of the noise. Applejack and Rarity look at each other, place their own bits on the table and gallop towards the disturbance.

A group of ponies murmuring and talking amongst themselves block the view as soon as the two Element wielders arrive on the scene. Fortunately, they manage to nudge close to the front of the group and gasp to their surprise. A large house, which had recently been condemned and was close to a date to be torn down, is now in shambles as wood, mortar and hay clumps are everywhere. The site itself looks as if a tornado touched down there. If anypony was inside when the whole structure fell, they wouldn't even be alive now.

However, to the gasps of everypony present, out from in front of the wreck came a sooty, dust-covered Mare-Do-Well, hat missing and cape slightly shredded, with two familiar troublemaking colts she placed on her back. Snips and Snails are both slightly dazed but otherwise still alive. Lying down to shake the two colts off her back with a hint of a sharp jerking forward, Mare-Do-Well once again stands triumphantly in front of her grateful townsponies, who immediately go wild with their cheers.

Applejack and Rarity look at each other and then back to their friend as they give her a small smile. Mare-Do-Well sees them and gives them one silent nod before she stands up to attention for a few seconds and looks in direction of the Everfree Forest. Without a second to spare, she hops on a nearby cart, up to an awning for receiving altitude to jump on a rooftop, and makes her departure.

With her gone, Applejack goes towards Snips and Snails and demands, "Now whut in tarnation were you two boys doin' inside that old house? Didn'ja realize you could've gotten mighty injured or worse?!"

The shorter, plumper member of the duo immediately apologizes, "We're sorry, Miss Applejack! It's just that we... it's that... Tell 'em, Snails!" He then pushes his taller friend forward as he runs off.

Snails looks around in confusion. "Huh? Well, we wanted to find some treasure we heard was hidden there. But when we began to dig, we sorta kinda knocked over some big wooden board and the entire place shook."

Applejack sighed, "So Mare-Do-Well showed up, hauled you two up and tried to find a safe spot when the whole place went down. Dang it... You two are gonna be grounded. Wait till we tell yer parents..."

The farm pony looked to the side as two ponies nodded once and went after Snips. Another pair crowded around Snails as they marched him home. With the crisis done, the crowd disperses and only the Element holders remain.

"Ah guess Ah'll go back to the farm an' make sure all's well," the earth pony said as she leaves. She then turns her head around and mentions, "An' Ah wager yer gettin' a special visitor soon to ask for repairs, if ye get mah drift."

Rarity sighed in response. "I'll go make a new hat in the meantime..." She then stops and wonders to herself, "But why is she heading in direction of the Forest?"

*************************************

"Huuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuh.......yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!!!"

One good neck twist later and the manticore goes down. Fluttershy pants as sweat runs down her forehead and she wipes it off. The bear was one thing, but this was a far more unwilling customer and she had to pull all the stops to pinpoint the exact trouble spots in her friend's body. It took well over an hour with him being very unwilling to subject himself to her hooves-on approach, but it is done. She flutters up to his back and softly places her hooves over his back as she massages him, much to his content purring.

"You really should have come seen me sooner. All that stress on your back and tail must have been so troubling," she says sweetly as the manticore suddenly turns around, causing her to yelp and jump down. She then giggles softly seeing he exposes his tummy at her.

"Oh, you big silly!" she responds with a smile as she gets on his stomach and softly scratches it. The manticore purrs even louder as he waves his paws and scorpion tail around like a newborn kitten. "Who's a big strong manticore? Yes you are! Yes you are!" she baby-talks at him.

The manticore keeps purring happily until an ear starts to flick. His smile vanished as he turned to stand on his legs, causing Fluttershy to yelp again. He then puts himself in a battle stance and starts to growl angrily.The yellow pegasus becomes worried over the sudden mood swing of her friend until she too begins to hear a low buzzing sound and her pupils shrink in horror.

"Oh my... I thought they were already full, but they're coming... Oh dear... Oh my goodness..." she whimpers nervously and she hides behind her big friend.

Just as she feared, the buzzing grows louder and louder until a group of shadows appear in the sky. A flock of 10 strange flying creatures that looked like giant mosquitos with more reptilian heads, a set of four leathery wings that flap with such speed it produces the buzzing sound, extremely sharp long pointy proboscises, and the size of an average foal. Ponies learn they should be careful if they hear that familiar haunting buzzing as it belongs to a creature that is able to suck the blood off any creature, killing it slowly and painfully, worse if they hunt in flocks or storms as she now witnesses.

"Stirges!" Fluttershy cries out as she huddles into a ball.

The manticore roars loudly in response at the airborne bloodsucking predators as they immediately swoop down to feed. The beast manages to stab the first incoming stirge with its tail, killing it with his deadly venom and tossing the lifeless body aside, and smacks another with a paw which merely stuns it. The manticore takes to the air as he goes after the rest of the flock, as the stirges themselves go on the offensive as well. Seperating its concentrated group, the bloodsucking vermin fly past their larger foe, beating their scaly but speedy wings close to the manticore's body.

The beast roars in pain everytime they do due to their spines, despite being small, become dangerous at close range due to the speed in which they flap them. Nevertheless, he will protect Fluttershy even if he ends up dying. His undying loyalty to the small dainty pegasus will always go before anything else.

Despite limited intelligence, the stirge flock decides to change targets and zero in on Fluttershy still huddling in the small ball, shaking nervously on the ground below, sensing easier prey. The manticore roars angrily at their brazen cowardice to attack his defenseless friend and swoops down, managing to grab the first stirge about to plunge its proboscis into her back, landing with a tremor on the ground and crushing it upon impact. Tossing what remains of the body away, he places his body over Fluttershy's as a shield. 8 left.

So preoccupied is the manticore protecting Fluttershy as he swats his paws and swings his tail to prevent the stirges from attacking in front, that he never realized a couple of them away from the central flock noted a break in his defense and went in for the feed. A loud thunk and painful roar later, both stirges plunged their beaks into the manticore's back and latch on with their sharp legs and pincers as they begin to suck the manticore's blood. The mighty beast tried to swing its tail to detach them but it was impossible with even more stirges flying about and he fears exposing Fluttershy. Starting to grow weaker and weaker by the second having its blood drained, he eventually gives up and hopes that his blood will be more than enough to quench the entire flock and leave his friend alone.

Fluttershy finally snaps out of her shock seeing how the manticore was willing to sacrifice itself to keep her safe from harm.

"You...will...not...hurt! MY! FRIEEEENNNND!!!!!" she screams with increasing intensity.

Her fear suddenly giving way to anger as she grits her teeth, knocking some stirges out of the way and giving the duo sucking up her beast friend's blood a good buck with her hooves. The blow is strong enough to send them flying into a nearby tree trunk and knock them out on the sudden impact. 6 left.

This however got the attention of the remaining flock as they dived at her. Fluttershy's initial bravery soon faded as she realizes she can't stand against a whole group of the deadly bloodsuckers and simply hovered there as she covered her eyes with her hooves and whimpers in fear. The six remaining members of the flock aimed their proboscises directly at her and the comatose manticore. There is no way out.

Suddenly, a figure jumps ahead of Fluttershy causing her to open her eyes and sees Mare-Do-Well tuck her body into a ball while in the air and throws herself towards the stirge flock, causing them to scatter on impact. One stirge lying on the floor after the blow got a kick out of her newly-strengthened hind hooves and was sent flying off the area. 5 left.

Fluttershy lands next to Mare-Do-Well, flustered and frightened. "Th-thank you, Pin...I-I mean, Mare-Do-Well. Please save the manticore. I don't want him to die. You have to save him for me, please..."

Mare-Do-Well nods her head once and points at the side, informing her to escape. Just then, the flock finally regain their senses and counterattack, making Mare-Do-Well leave her friend's side and attack as well. Fluttershy bit her lip and her hooves begin to shake in nervousness. What can she do? It's too far away to return to Ponyville and Mare-Do-Well looks too injured by the lack of hat, torn cape and slightly teetering body movements. Finally she gasps as she gets an idea. Without a second to spare, she flies away from the stirge swarm towards the only other soul who can help them.

Mare-Do-Well didn't even notice Fluttershy go further into the forest as she's too busy fighting off the stirge flock. The supermare deals with her aggresors with ease with some good well-placed bucks, but finds it hard to catch with all of them when they aim for the beast next to her. It didn't help matters she already had slight injuries she received earlier on after pulling a back muscle carrying Snips and Snails as the condemened house was going down. She was lucky she stuffed them and herself into the open fireplace which was the only item left standing long enough after the house fell and pushed them out before the chimney followed suit. During both phases, though, she was raked with deep scratches against certain rocks the fireplace interior was built with which were slightly jagged. Both these two injuries affected her fighting heavily.

Energy she knows she can never run out of, but telling that to her body as these injuries from before are added with the rapid wing slashes and beak stabs from the stirge flock and she knows she is outclassed. Brute strength just isn't enough to help her here. If only she had other resources...

Finally, one good fly-by slash provides a stirge to sneak up on Mare-Do-Well and plunge its sharp proboscis into her back, causing her to shriek in pain and make noise for the first time since donning the mantle of the hero. She tried hard to shake off the stirge on her back but the filthy insect was latched on tightly which hurt her back even more. Suddenly, her never-ending energy started to falter and she starts to grow dizzy. The loss of blood is rapid and painful. She then sees the four stirges finally land on the manticore and they too start to feed.

Pinkie Pie rapidly loses consciousness. As her energy is slowly sapped away, several thoughts quickly go through her head. How her friends will mourn her death, how the ponies of Ponyville will grieve over their fallen hero, how she would look cute in her burial shroud and how she wishes she could have given her friends instructions on how her "wake" should be celebrated in her memory.

Finally, everything starts to get black. Just as her other senses begin to fade, she thinks she hears a gallop of hoofbeats, feels something powdery land on her nose and the buzzing of the stirges grow loud only to fade slowly. A simple hoof nudge is the last sensation she feels before she fully faints away.

******************************

Her eyes slowly open and the first thing she feels is a sweet soothing aroma to her side. Nudging her eyes sideways, she notes a beautiful tribal-marked clay pot filled with several unknown roots and leaves seeping in a strange liquid over a small small fire. The fumes off this weird blend is what she's smelling and soon starts feeling relaxed as she lets off a content sigh.

"Ah, I see you finally awaken. I feared your life you had forsaken," said a familiar voice to her ears.

Standing up right, only to wince in pain, she catches sight of Zecora the zebra and finds she is inside her hut in the Forest. The mysterious herbalist immediately frowns.

"Now now, you mustn't stir. Your body is just healing as it were," she warns with concern.

She quickly lies back down and Zecora walks off. As she does, she resumes talking. "You are truly fortunate I was home, for I was here reading a nature tome. Then suddenly, through the door to my awestruck eye, came the frightened desperate form of Fluttershy. She informs me of a most horrible event, so I gathered my things and off we went. We arrived as the dastardly stirges were in their meal, fortunately I knew the proper way to deal. A powder mixture I had cooked, flung in the air and off they booked! We inspected you and the unfortunate beast, we were relieved you were both alive at least. The pegasus stayed to nurse her friend, while I brought you here so I could tend."

No sound. Zecora poked her head in with worry. "What is this? Not a peep? Silence is not good to keep. Mare-Do-Well, you must not be shy..." Then she lowered her eye with a comforting smile "...or perhaps shall I call you 'Pinkie Pie'?"

At that, Pinkie gets up with a gasp, only to again wince in pain. She then realized her Mare-Do-Well costume was gone. All she sees on her body are tightly bound bandages on her back and waist, and several smaller ones adorning her hooves and other parts of her body where the stirges cut her.

"Ze-zecora, you know who I am but how..." Pinkie says nervously.

"Be at ease, my dear. There is nothing to fear as there is nopony else here. I admit I was very surprised, when I removed the mask and saw you disguised. Fluttershy then told me your story, how you fight for right and not for glory. I swear on my life and I decree, your secret identity will be safe with me."

"But where is my uniform? Where is Fluttershy? How long have I been here? Do the Cakes know where I am?" Her nervous inquiry ends however as her tummy began to growl, and she looks up at her sheepishly. "And do you have anything to eat?"

Zecora laughs softly and shakes her head. Despite her acts of heroism, she is still deep down the same old pink party pony she has known for a year. "Your curiosity I will comply and your questions I shall reply. Let me first fetch you a homecooked treat, so you can have something tasty to eat."

Nothing could have prepared the zebra for the truth behind the tales of Pinkie Pie's legendary appetite. No sooner had she put down a bowl of the root stew she prepared for both of them that the pink earth pony downed it in one gulp and asked for seconds. By now this was the eleventh and she was STILL hungry! Zecora at least was thankful the pot was empty so she couldn't eat anymore but that meant she had nothing to eat and that made her a bit upset.

"That mushy stuff is so tasty! Just as good as the one the Buffalo Tribe near Appleloosa make! So yummy, delicious and good to eat!" Pinkie giggles. "So, um, just what happened after you found me?"

The zebra begins her recollection of the past events as she closes her eyes. "After I brought you here to heal and rest, there soon came many an unexpected guest. It was your friends who came here fast, after Fluttershy's problem was long past. To you they were all just worried sick, but I told them my treatments will do the trick. They then decided the way to explain your absence, to keep their wits and stay on balance."

Zecora opens her eyes and is surprised to see Pinkie balancing the bowl she ate out of on her nose as she hums joyfully. The zebra was stunned. How could she act so aloof and carefree one second but become focused and a force of justice the next? She shook her head once and resumed.

"Rarity took the uniform with her to repair, while Twilight went to the baker to deal with the affair. She had to stretch quite bit the truth, but the plausible lie in fact went smooth. They believe to a far-away party you went unattended, and decided to leave you a vacation extended. As for the time you spent here with me? I believe two weeks have passed, going on three."

"Three whole weeks?!" Pinkie gasps as the bowl lands on her face with her focus having been disturbed from balancing it.

"You were quite a wreck from that attack, you were filled with cuts and broke your back. I then employed many a cure, for your back a panacea salve most pure. For the cuts many ointments and bandages were wrapped, and I placed a special aroma pot aside while you napped. And now I see you here all firm and fit, quite healthy and happy as well, I admit. Despite not moving and eating in the three weeks you have rested, your bones are strong and muscles firm, I feel they need not be tested. I guess with this you must depart, but rest assured, your secret's safe in my heart."

Pinkie grinned from ear to ear. "Thanks very muchily, Zecora. I feel oodles and doodles better now. Guess I'd better go back and pick up my costume from Rarity and head to Sugar Cube Corner." She then gets up and skips towards the door.

Zecora nods once and responds, "Farewell, my dear. You're always welcome here."

Before she opens the door, Pinkie immediately starts to think. "You know, Pinkie. Zecora sure does have a lot of cool stuff. After all, if she gave Fluttershy's rooster his crow and healed Apple Bloom from her Cutie Pox, she could help Mare-Do-Well out a lot!"

Then a second voice same as the first speaks, "Yeah, that's the ticket! Zecora can also be my own private doctor! She sure seems so nice and after everything I once thought of her. Evil enchantress, my fanny!"

A third then adds, "Fanny? Is her baby going to have her first birthday soon? I wonder what sort of party I can plan for her?"

The first two voices in her head immediately shout, "Quiet, you!"

The third eeps and whispers, "Sorry!"

Then they all speak in unison, "It's decided! Let's ask her!"

"Um, Zecora?" Pinkie says as she turns her head around to see the zebra picking up the pot by its handle to clean it.

"Yeth, sumthin botheth yu? Is theth anythin I can du?" she replies with her teeth biting down on the pot's handle.

"I was thinking, since you know I am Mare-Do-Well. I was wondering if you could help me with two things," she replies while draggin her front hoof on the floor.

"Speak, I am all ears. Relax and quell your fears." the zebra answers after setting the pot down again.

"You see it's like this..."

**********************************

"Are you sure it's a good idea to return here? We're supposed to be grounded!" Snails says with worry as he looks around in the darkness of the night for anyone showing up.

"That treasure just has to be here. With the whole house gone, we can dig around with nothing to distract us!" Snips answers back as he digs into the ground inside the area the house once stood and with all the debris having been cleared in the last three weeks.

Before they continue, they were immediately enveloped in a thick odorless plume of smoke. The two colts begin to cough.

"Wha-? What is this smoke? Where did it come from?" Snips yells out.

"We should get out of here! I don't want to eat brussels sprouts for a whole month!!" Snails wails as he start to run away only to collide against something hard.

The smoke quickly dissipates and the two colts look up and see Mare-Do-Well stand there. Her hat back on her head and her bodysuit and cape fixed once more. She shakes her head at the two young ponies as if she was silently scolding them.

"Oh no! Mare-Do-Well! Run for it!" Snips screams as both he and Snails gallop away as fast as they could.

"Snips, why are we running? She is going to find us and we're gonna be in more trouble!" Snails protests as they run.

"Think about it, dummy! Mare-Do-Well can't harm us as we're kids! She can't hit us or do anything about it! How else is she going to stop us, huh?" Snips answers with a sly smile.

The two didn't notice a pair of small pellets being thrown and land in front of them exploding and releasing a different cloud of smoke which the two absorb. They start to cough again until they begin to move with groggy steps and finally lose consciousness.

Atop another rooftop, Mare-Do-Well stands there holding one of the pellets she threw before in her hoof before slipping it back in a pocket in her new utility saddle bags each monogrammed with the familiar grayish blue "M" hidden under her cape. Rarity was all too happy to create a brand new accessory for Mare-Do-Well which she later filled with a variety of pellets and powders she personally asked Zecora, her new private healer, to make for her.

The smoke screen pellets for making her entrances and exits (as well as attacking foes as they try to find her in the thick mist) and her knockout smoke pellets work like a charm. With these and other tools at her disposal hidden in her bags, she is now prepared for almost anything offensively. Things are going to get a lot smoother for her from now on.

The Legend of Mare-Do-Well trots along.