Seasaddle. Compared to every other city in Equestria, it seemed like it had arrived from the future and brought twenty years worth of rainclouds along with it. There were so few sunny days that they got marked on the calendars as holidays. According to the weather bureau, it was just a natural temperature inversion and vortex formation. The ponies who lived there coped in any way they could.
Most of them had found quite a bit of comfort in coffee. There was at least one coffee shop on every block, half of them selling overpriced and exotic drinks under neon signs of Queen Novo’s smiling visage in pale green, the other half with flickering red signs that deliberately evoked an older era and offering fresh donuts, fresher coffee, and nowhere to sit.
That made the Paper Filter a real rarity in Seasaddle. While the two huge megachains fought for territory, they hung on as one of the few independent cafes. It was slower, quieter, playing classical music from vinyl records instead of blaring the latest Jasmine Jewel hit on repeat.
“See, this is real coffee,” Bon-Bon said, watching from their booth as the barista worked. The pegasus carefully set paper cones into stands, filling them with just the right amount of freshly-ground coffee before slowly pouring nearly-boiling water on them with careful, circular motions. “The other places use those huge machines, and I swear I can taste the metal.”
“Yeah, but it also takes forever to get a cup,” Lyra groaned. “Are you sure we can’t go and get Frappamochiatos from Novo’s?”
“Those are just sugar, cream, and caramel,” Bon-Bon said. “There’s barely even one shot of espresso in a whole cup!”
“Yeah but they’re really good,” Lyra countered.
“I’ll buy you one when the job is over,” Bon-Bon said. The barista placed their cups carefully in front of them and walked away, thankfully not offended by what Lyra had said. The unicorn immediately started pouring spoonful after spoonful of sugar into her cup.
“What?” Lyra asks.
Bon-Bon sighed. “Nothing. Do you remember the mission?”
Lyra straightened up, her voice lowering so it wouldn’t carry. “We’re stalking Whisper West. She’s an author.”
“We’re not stalking her. We’re staking out her book signing,” Bon-Bon corrected. “You need to pay more attention during mission briefings.”
“Yeah, but this kind of seems like a waste of time,” Lyra admitted. “I mean, we’re really chasing this?”
She picked up a newspaper and put it on the table between them. The headlines were taken up by the city’s real celebrities, the tech barons that led the huge corporations that employed almost everypony in Seasaddle. It was gossip, mostly rumors of a big reveal at an upcoming expo - there was always an upcoming expo - but down at the bottom of the front page was real news. Or at least their employer thought so.
A sighting of the infamous Mare Do Well.
“Whisper West is having a book signing today,” Bon-Bon said. “It’s a chance to get close to her without drawing attention. Her series about Mare Do Well includes classified information that was never released to the public, and the only pony who should know about it is the real Mare Do Well.”
“It could be a coincidence,” Lyra proposed. “Even if it isn’t, are we really gonna arrest her for writing about it?”
“No, we’re going to investigate. And if needed… we’ll see. You have your badge, right?”
“I only forgot it once!”
“Once was too many times.”
The bell over the door jingled, and a mare walked in, shaking the rain out of her mane. She was an older unicorn with a streak of grey going through her mane and a faded coat that left her almost monochrome. She was carrying a box almost as big as she was, and waved to the barista.
“I’m going to set up in my usual place,” she said.
The barista nodded and got to work, obviously familiar enough with her order that she didn’t need to be told.
“That’s her,” Bon-Bon whispered.
Lyra half-turned to watch as the unicorn started setting things up, producing a few books from the crate she’d been carrying and arranging them on a table as paperweights keeping the corners of a banner in place as it hung off the edge of the table.
Meet Whisper West, Author of The Dark Mare!
A framed box went behind her, containing a distinct purple uniform, the chest emblem prominent. Whisper settled herself down behind her table and put on a wide-brimmed hat, smiling up at the barista as her coffee appeared. It didn’t last long, because almost the second she sat down, a pony ran up to her like she’d been spring-loaded and waiting for this moment.
“You really think she’s Mare Do Well?” Lyra whispered.
“Mare Do Well was a changeling. She could look like anypony.” Bon-Bon watched her carefully like she could see through the disguise if she just stared hard enough.
“Hi!” the slim, beautiful pony said, with a chipper voice that didn’t quite fit the elegant body. “I am so, so happy to be here! I’m Philtrum, and I am Mare Do Well’s biggest fan. So, sort of your biggest fan! I have copies of all your books!”
“I’m always happy to meet somepony who enjoys my works,” Whisper said. She sounded tired but gave her fan a genuine smile. “Do you have them with you?”
While the two chatted, Bon-Bon nodded to Lyra.
“Finish up,” Bon-Bon whispered. “We need to go talk to her.”
Lyra downed the rest of her coffee, leaving a sludge of undissolved sugar at the bottom of the cup, and the two walked over to stand in line.
“...and I was just so inspired,” Philtrum said. “Because if she could change and become so amazing, imagine how much I could do!”
“That’s what heroes are for,” Whisper agreed. “They inspire us. That’s why I wrote these books. I was inspired by the real Mare Do Well and wanted to imagine what her story was really like. I had to put in some details myself, and I changed the names to protect the innocent, but the core of it is what’s important. The moral and message.”
“Totally!” Philtrum said. She glanced back. “Oh gosh, I’m so sorry, I’m taking up all your time. Thank you so much for signing these!” She picked up her books and walked past Lyra, humming to herself happily.
“I do love it when I meet a real fan,” Whisper West sighed. “So, you two must have been waiting for me too! I’ve got copies of The Dark Mare, volume 4, and--”
“Actually, we’re here for something else,” Bon-Bon said. She produced her badge and nudged Lyra until the unicorn did the same. “We’re with SMILE. We need to discuss some recent events with you.”
“Recent events?” Whisper West asked, confused.
“Mare Do Well,” Lyra said. “Ponies have spotted her around town.”
“It’s probably foals in Nightmare Night costumes,” Whisper said. “That’s where these came from.” She tipped her hat to the framed costume. “They’re not very good for keeping the rain away but they’re great props during the signing.”
“If it’s foals, then they’ve been taking ponies off the streets and leaving them in comas,” Bon-Bon said. “According to experts, they were drained of love. More than that, the notes that were left with them match what was in your book.”
“What are you saying?” Whisper asked, confused.
“Are you Mare Do Well?” Lyra asked.
Whisper held up her hooves. “I’m just an author! I can’t put ponies into comas! And if somepony read my book and got the wrong ideas, I’d be glad to help you stop them.”
“Good,” Bon-Bon said. “Then you won’t mind coming with us.”
Whisper West looked up at the huge, steel-clad lobby. It made her feel tiny, with brightly-lit pillars showcasing the latest and greatest in tech towering overhead as if even the product was bigger and more important than she was.
“This is Engine Heart Industries,” she whispered. “What are we doing here?”
“Mare Do Well sent a letter to the local police about corruption up at the top,” Bon-Bon explained. “She implicated Black Valintino as being personally responsible for a number of crimes.”
“W-what?” Whisper gasped.
Lyra flashed her badge to the massive grey-suited ponies in the lobby, and they backed off. Whisper hadn’t even noticed they had been surrounded until the security force disengaged, like they’d been waiting for the right moment to ambush them.
“We can’t reveal details,” Bon-Bon said.
“Mostly because we don’t know them,” Lyra grumbled.
“It’s an internal matter,” said a booming voice from near the elevator. A thin stallion stood in front of an open elevator. He was the color of paper that had been in the sun for too long, with a mane like ink. “Though we are of course thankful for Princess Twilight’s kindness.”
“She actually recommended you have the local police on alert,” Bon-Bon said.
“And that would only serve to drive our stock prices down,” the stallion said. “Just like that note that falsely accused me. It’s better to keep things quiet. Most likely it’s simply a competitor trying to gain an advantage in a novel way.”
“Whisper West, let me introduce you to Black Valintino, CEO of Engine Heart Industries,” Bon-Bon said.
He stepped forward and shook Whisper’s hoof. “Charmed,” he said. “I assume you three are here to keep me safe? It’s unneeded, you know. My private security is more than up to the task, and won’t draw media attention like involving the police.”
“We’re just here to investigate Mare Do Well,” Lyra said. “We’ll try not to get in the way of your security arrangements.”
“As you will,” Black said dismissively. “Just remember you aren’t here to investigate me. If you want to pry into my own activities, those are company secrets and you’ll need a warrant, no matter who sent you.”
“Of course,” Bon-Bon said. “We’ve got a very strict purview. We just want to keep an eye on you while you’re in public, in case Mare Do Well makes good on her threat and attacks.”
“If she even exists,” Black noted. “They’re just stupid stories for foals.”
Whisper glared at him as he brushed past them.
“My security can handle stories,” Black said. He nodded to them, and a team of three big stallions moved into position around him. Each one was armed with a slim weapon that looked like a crossbow stock studded with small gems and black metal boxes.
“What are those?” Lyra whispered.
“Boltcasters,” Black said. “They fire magical bolts.”
“Oh, like glintlocks,” Lyra said. “I remember hearing about those. They usually explode at the worst moment.”
“Glintlocks never caught on because they were dangerous to the user. These are only dangerous to other ponies,” Black assured her. “My company is hoping for a big sale to the Crystal Empire soon.”
“Why? They don’t need weapons for anything.”
Black Vanintino’s smile was like a snake’s. “Everypony needs weapons. And once somepony has the newest toy, everypony around them needs the same thing to keep pace with them.”
Lyra frowned. Bon-Bon rolled her eyes.
“Have you ever seen the Monorail?” Black asked. “It’s far more advanced than the trains in other parts of Equestria. I have places to go! You can tag along. I’d be a poor host if I didn’t at least entertain you during your wild goose chase.”
“Are you sure we’re going to be much help?” Lyra asked quietly. “This stallion’s security make the Royal Guard look like the Canterlot Chess Club.”
Bon-Bon glanced up at the burly stallions slowly pacing the monorail car. It wasn’t terribly different from any other train she’d been on, even if the decor was all plastic and steel. As far as she could tell the main difference between it and a traditional train was that the monorail followed only one rail, and somepony had decided there was no reason trains should stay on the ground, so they were moving along six stories above the pavement.
“We’re just here to find the truth,” Bon-Bon reminded her. “We aren’t here to protect him. Besides, if my guess is right, Miss West has some hidden talents.”
She nodded subtly to the author, who was watching the cityscape go by. The monorails’ windows were almost as large as its doors, giving a panoramic view of the city far below.
“I think I can see my house from here,” Whisper said.
“The monorail is one of my proudest achievements,” Black Vanintino said, stepping up to the window next to her. “The city used to have a subway system. It was a money sink. All the rain just meant the tunnels had to be constantly pumped out, and worse, it was all hidden! Ponies couldn’t see how amazing their city is! We built the monorail high up, so it could never flood, and we made it a shining symbol of the city. Ponies can see and hear it go by, and they get to look out at the city as it grows. You can see your house from here, and that is entirely on purpose.”
“We?” Whisper asked.
“No one pony builds a system like this,” Black said. “There are stations in all the major tech company headquarters, city hall, tourist spots… we had to come together as a city and agree to work with our rivals to get it built, and we made the world a little better for everypony, especially the common worker out there who uses it to get to work.”
“And they really use it?”
“All of my employees have free monorail passes as part of their benefits package. It means I know they can get there on time, as a team. Because it’s so reliable, it means things work like a well-oiled machine.”
The monorail rumbled like somepony had put bits on the rail. The overhead lights flickered.
“Well-oiled?” Bon-Bon asked, getting up and looking around like she’d be able to spot the problem from inside the train car.
Black turned to one of his security stallions. “Check the other cars. It was probably just a power surge.”
The big pony nodded and motioned to the two other intimidating ponies in the car. They moved as a well-trained unit to the steel-clad door that opened into the next train car and drew their boltcasters, ready for anything.
Fog started seeping in around the door. The security backed off.
“Fire?” Lyra asked.
“No, it’s just mist,” Bon-Bon said. “Maybe the weather is rolling in.”
“We’re six stories up. No fog gets that high!”
The door slid open, and a dark shape was silhouetted in the gloom beyond, the mist pouring around it as it glided closer. One of the security ponies fired, a bolt of orange magic streaking through the short distance and somehow missing. In the flash, everypony in the car could see who was standing there.
“Is that… Mare Do Well?” Lyra asked.
They had the wide-brimmed hat and full-face mask, but the rest of the details seemed wrong. Instead of a slim bodysuit, plates of interlocking armor silently shifted with every step. Her armored shoes had a glint to the edge that showed where they were sharpened into hoofblades. Red eyes cut through the shadows, glowing with an electric light that flickered like the halogen bulbs above.
“It’s not like any Mare Do Well I ever wrote about,” Whisper West said.
“Take her down,” Black ordered.
The security ponies fired, and the magical bolts bounced off of Mare Do Well’s armor as she stalked forward, the mist coming with her, the edge of her ragged cape making it difficult to tell where she ended and the fog began.
One of them threw his weapon in frustration, and Mare Do Well batted it out of the air, the edge of her hoofblade tearing it in half. The security pony on her other side saw the opening and lunged at her, trying to tackle her. She spun and kicked, both back hooves hitting the tip of his jaw and sending him halfway through the monorail’s huge windows. The last one grabbed him before he could fall entirely out, pulling him back inside.
Mare Do Well raised a hoof at the pony who had thrown his boltcaster before he could move, launching a net at him with a puff of compressed gas. He was caught off his hooves and thrown into one of the seats, the edge of the net sealing itself to the surface like it was welded there.
The last security pony stood up from where he’d gotten his comrade back inside and assumed a fighting stance, staying between her and his employer. Mare Do Well watched him slowly shift from one ready stance to another.
“He’s an expert martial artist,” Black Valintino whispered. “He fought professionally before I hired him away for a job where he didn’t get paid a pittance to get hit in the head every day.”
The fog around Mare Do Well cleared for a moment, and the logo on her chest lit up. There was a flash of light like a lightning bolt or a hundred cameras going off at once and the security pony stumbled back, clutching his eyes with his hooves. Mare Do Well slammed a hoof down on the back of his neck, sending him to the ground. She stepped over his still form.
“Black Valintino,” Mare Do Well said, her voice echoing and distorted.
“What do you want?” Black asked, stepping behind Bonnie and Lyra, just in case they could buy him more time.
“I came for you,” she said. She raised a hoof and… hesitated, glancing behind Black.
The door to the rear-most car opened, without quite as much fog or drama as the first. Whisper West was the closest to it, and her eyes went wide. She stumbled back in alarm.
A pony in a somewhat faded, somewhat tattered, but well-tailored costume stepped forward. They adjusted their wide-brimmed hat, cape fluttering in the wind from the monorail’s broken window. The armored pony reacted with alarm, stumbling back and almost falling.
“The real Mare Do Well…” Whisper gasped.