Chapter 4
Starbloom found herself waking up earlier then normal to the smell of something being cooked in the kitchen. She sat up slowly sniffing the air as her magic activated the lights in her room slipping out of bed. She trotted over to the door heading out into the living room looking around yawning softly. "Mmmmm something smells good." She said softly moving around to the bar counter that separated the kitchen from the living room.
"It's called food Starbloom," Sweetie said sticking her tongue out at her. "I noticed a lack of it when I got home from my tour. What did you live on when I was gone, take out?" She asked filling a plate with stir fried greens, and tofu before floating it over to Starbloom. "By the way... I think something is living in the fridge, I could of swore I heard something growl at me when I opened it."
"I call it Fritz, I think it use to be a slice of apple pie." Starbloom said jokingly her mouth watering seeing the stir fry. "Mmm this looks really good. Surprised your cutie mark isn't a chef's hat." She added while smiling and started to eat.
"Wait.. apple pie... You don't mean the one Apple Jack brought up when she and Apple Bloom visited do you?" She asked looking over at Starbloom who nodded up at her. "That was almost a year ago, no wonder the thing was alive it's probably mutated into some weird sentient mold monster by now." Sweetie Belle said blinking at the fridge then over at Starbloom. "Feel kind a of bad tossing it into the incinerator chute now."
She blinks at Sweetie Belle a bit then shakes her head a little before going back to her stir fry. "It was just a moldy old apple pie slice." She said smiling at her before floating over a bottle of apple juice and taking a drink. "When do you go back on tour?"
"I have the next three weeks off, to work on my new album." Sweetie said joining her at the bar with her own plate, forgetting about Fritz the mold creature. "But I also have to take some cover and poster photos for a promo deal coming up soon."
"I see, I'm glad you'll be home for a while." Starbloom said smiling at her finishing off her plate she floats it into the sink before getting up. She notices a news paper and floats it over looking it over. "Oh, I made the papers.... sorta. Masked vigilant stops bank robbery, police baffled." She said as she reads the headline. "Statements from the criminal reports a mare dressed in a purple and blue costume interrupted them. Reports says the vigilante is a unicorn who is also strong like an earth pony and fast like a pegasus.. Other reports says this vigilante has stopped muggings and saddle bag robberies around the city late last night."
Sweetie Belle listens quietly and smiles, "Mmm not a whole lot to go on it sounds like, but the word does seem to be spreading. Might want to let them know your name before they start to make stuff up though. Might end up being called the Purple Avenger or something." Sweetie Belle said smirking at her lightly.
Starbloom rolled her eyes and giggled a bit. "Could be worse I guess, but your right I do want to keep the Mare Do Well title." She said going to her room and getting out the uniform looking it over, checking the cut. Rarity did give the suit the ability to repair itself over time when not being worn. "Good looks like the cut has fixed itself." She said looking at the time, she still had time before nine so she returned the suit to her chest.
Sweetie Belle frowned softly looking at Starbloom, "Your going to go out again tonight? I was hoping you would wait until your new suit came in." Sweetie Belle said looking over at her. "I sent Rarity a letter tell her you needed the new one with the guard silk."
Starbloom looked over at Sweetie and smiled but shook her head a bit. "Sorry Sweetie, I can't take a night off, as much as I want to. Not until I strike fear into the hearts of the criminals and make them think twice before hurting other ponies." She said going over to the counter. "Don't worry though, I'll be careful."
Sweetie sighs softly but nods smiling at her. "I know Starbloom," she uses her magic and takes out a apple from the fruit basket nearby and stuffs it in Starbloom's mouth. "You need to eat more fruit though. I've seen your diet, specially when I'm not home."
Starbloom blinks and chewed on the apple looking at Sweetie Belle scowling abit before swallowing the bite of apple. "My diet is fine, look at Pinkie Pie, she eats mainly sugar sweets." Starbloom said huffing abit taking another bite of the apple. "Your remind me of Rainbow Dash when I was training."
"Who do you think told me to make sure you stuck to your diet?" Sweetie said winking at Starbloom putting her own dishes away. "You are a unicorn after all, to keep up that pegasus speed and earth pony strength you need proper diet and exercise."
Starbloom sighed softly and nodded slowly. "I know, I know." She said moving to her hooves smiling at Sweetie, "Your right of course," she said before heading out to the roof and started on her work out routine. She had plenty of time today to do a full work out.
Sweetie Belle smiled, but then sighed shaking her head frowning softly. She turned to the sink to clean up the dinner dishes and put away the left overs. As she worked on getting the kitchen clean she heard a knock at the door. "Hmm wonder who that could be... Coming!" She called going to the door and opened it seeing a express delivery pony.
"Package for Sweetie Belle, express delivery from Pony Ville. Sign here." He said holding out a clip board. Sweetie signed the paper before taking the large package. "Thank you ma'am." He said bowing before she closed the door.
"That was quick, I didn't think Rarity would have it done and sent so fast." She said bringing the package over to the coffee table and placed it on top opening it up. She saw the new Mare Do Well suit, it looked a lot like the old one, though thicker except in the joints, the muzzle also had small breathing holes in it and the eye covers looked a bit different. She took out the letter and read it.
Dear Sweetie Belle,
Thank you for writing and I'm glad your tour went so well. I'm also pleased to hear you and Starbloom are doing well in Manehattan. As requested here is the new suit, the guard silk was hard to get a hold so do ask Starbloom to be careful as this suit will be hard to replace if it gets damaged.
I did add some extra reinforcing to the hooves and more vital areas for added protection, as well as extra weaving into the cape to make it more resistant to tearing and ripping so she'll be safer when gliding. Do to the nature of the fabric I also added breathing holes around the muzzle. Twilight also added some enchantments to make the suit fire resistant.
Regardless of the changes, please do make sure she's careful. The suit might offer her a lot more protection, but she is only one filly and not invincible, do remind her of this from time to time so she wont take to many risks.
Love, your sister Rarity
Sweetie smiled abit but sighed, looking over the new suit levitating it out and looking it over. She then placed it across the back of the couch for Starbloom when she came down from the roof after her training. "Guess there wont be any chance of talking her out of staying home tonight." She said to herself softly, she floated the box into a closet to be disposed of later and tucked the letter away in her desk.
Some time after the package arrived Starbloom made her way down from the roof and back into the apartment. She paused seeing the suit on the couch and looked over at Sweetie Belle who was resting on the couch reading a book. "Sweetie did you take out my suit?" She asked tilting her head abit. "No, this one is different.... is this the new one?"
"Yes it just came in alittle while ago, Rarity had it done as quickily as she could and express shipped it here from Ponyville. Special delivery, she said to be careful though, the fabric was hard to get a hold of so she wont be able to make a new one any time soon." She said then blinked seeing her getting ready to put on the new suit. "Hold on there, before you put it on, shower first."
Starbloom sighed and rolled her eyes but smiled softly. "Fine, I suppose your right, I did work up a sweat." She said making her way into the bathroom to shower, the water felt good after the hard work out. Once she was clean and dried off she comes back out and puts on the new suit. She felt the fit noticing the extra bulk around her sides and flank and across her chest and neck. "Feels alittle thicker in some areas. But still pretty light and flexible." Starbloom said as she moved around to get use to the new suit.
"Yea, Rarity, added some extra padding to the more exposed areas, as well as to the hooves, Twilight also enchanted it so you're resistant to fire." She said watching Starbloom test out the suit. "But your not invulnerable so be careful ok?" She reminded her.
"I'll be careful," she said pulling the mask on over her head and put the hat on. "Glad they added air holes, the old one could be a little stuffy," She said breathing in and smiled. "Vision is better to, these eyes covers are not as tinted."
Sweetie Belle nodded at her and smiled softly. "Yea, Rarity made some improvements over the old design. It was never meant to be used long term, remember?" She said watching Mare Do Well quietly before turning out the lights. "Have a good night, and stay safe." She said watching as Mare Do Well move to the window.
"I will Sweetie Belle, sleep well." She said before moving out of the window and to the roof to start her nightly patrol, swiftly moving across the roof tops. Her ears perked up to listen for signs of trouble in the city she had sworn to protect.