//------------------------------// // Showdown In Ponyville // Story: Mare-Do-Well: Dark Reflections // by VampDash //------------------------------// After Cheerilee led Rainbow outside, the pegasus had pulled her mask back on, she lead her around to the back door of another abandoned building. Once to the door, Rainbow noticed a tiny slot on it upon closer inspection, normally used for peering through and looked as though it had been intended to be concealed as much as possible. “Okay honestly this is extremely cliched if you want my opinion.” Rainbow said with a bit of humor in her voice. Cheerilee looked at her with a deadpan expression that showed a bit of sadness behind her eyes. Cheerilee knocked a few times on the door and a sliding sound was heard and then Rainbow saw the slit open, and two yellow eyes glared through. “What’s the password?” A gruff, vaguely familiar male voice asked the two mares. Rainbow was stumped but Cheerilee simply stared back at the eyes watching them. “Revy.” A second passed as the eyes looked from Rainbow to Cheerilee, then the slid closed. The sounds of latches and bars being removed could be heard, and the door opened. Cheerilee calmly walked in. As Rainbow prepared to follow she froze in place when she saw who had opened the door. It was a tall, lean male griffon with an old bomber jacket whom she remembered as Leo, the griffon thug Gilda had hired to aid her in the fight in Cloudsdale. Leo stared back at Rainbow with a look of confusion on his face. “What’s your problem huh?” Leo asked the prismatic mare. Rainbow just stood there for a while before Cheerilee grabbed her by the hem of her mask and pulled her along. “What are you trying to do? Get yourself killed again?!” Cheerilee asked, giving the griffon an apologetic look. “Look, they’re not the nicest bunch, but sometimes a bigger threat can make truces.” “Who’s this class act?” Another voice asked, one Rainbow knew instantly. While it was disguised as a reverberating baritone, the snide, condescending way the words were spoken was all Rainbow needed to recognize who was under the metal, beaked mask the approaching griffon wore. “Gilda…” Rainbow said coldly, recalling the last time she’d seen her. It didn’t matter if this was a different reality it was clear her former friend had still chosen the same path, and probably would have gone through with it had things played out differently here. Gilda wore her same disguise she’d used when she had attacked Cloudsdale. The griffon paused and looked at her with a haughty expression. “Hm.” The costumed griffon reached behind her neck and pulled loose whatever it was that kept her helmet in place and removed it. Rainbow could have sworn she heard a guitar twang as the griffoness gave her head a slight shake to set her feather fringe in place. Looking over, she noticed Leo smirking a little as he fiddled with a small music player in his claws. Gilda narrowed her yellow eyes at the costumed pegasus and cocked her head in curiosity. “Well, you apparently know who I am. Why don’t you return the favor!” Before Rainbow could even move, Gilda spread her wings and lunged right at her, pinning her against the wall and yanking the hat and mask off in a single stroke. As soon as she did, however, Gilda’s eyes widened in disbelief; the shock causing her to lose her grip on the pegasus. “Dash?! What the?!” Gilda’s eyes suddenly narrowed and her resolve came back, grabbing Rainbow by the throat before she could react. “Let me guess, changeling?” She asked. “You know I’m too cool to be duplicated, Gilda.” Rainbow said, glaring back at the griffoness. “Keep thinkin’ that.” Gilda answered. “But you’ll have to come up with something better than that to impress me.” “Want me to sing the Junior Speedsters Flight Camp anthem?” Rainbow asked. “Other than that.” Gilda said. “She’s not one.” A raspy voice said behind the griffoness. Rainbow couldn’t believe what she saw next. He looked like any other changeling, but the look of intelligence in his blue eyes confirmed him to be none other than Zerok. She remembered before he’d stepped up and orchestrated a year-long scheme under the alias “Big Shot”, Zerok was little more than a changeling recruited by Gilda for the Cloudsdale attack. Apparently he’d chosen to stick around for some reason. “Changelings can detect other changelings. She’s no different than any other pegasus pony.” “But how?!” Gilda demanded. “She’s supposed to be dead!” “Sorry to disappoint.” Rainbow said struggling free and standing back up. “I’m not from this world.” “So you’re an alien?” Leo asked skeptically. “No, I mean I’m from another reality! Like a different Equestria from this one! The princesses are both fine, the Elements are fine, and I’m one awesome superhero to boot! Twilight was attempting a spell and something happened, I ended up in this reality!” “She’s telling the truth, or at least that’s the best theory I can go with.” Cheerilee said, standing next to the pegasus protectively. Gilda cocked her head and waved her claw. “Whatever.” She muttered and walked away. Rainbow was, admittedly, surprised by the griffoness’ actions, recalling that last time she’d faced Gilda she’d wanted to kill her… what was stopping her now? Or at least from trying now… she wondered. Intrigued, Rainbow followed. “Gilda, what’s up? I’d think after all you had planned when you and your pals dropped in you’d not miss a chance to have a go at me.” Rainbow said coldly. The griffoness was silent. “Well, out with it!” Rainbow said, flying in front of her. “Don’t make me demonstrate how good I’ve gotten in the past year?” “A year? That how long you’ve been doing this?” Gilda asked. “Yeah, ever since…” Rainbow began. “Ever since I dropped in and tried to take down Cloudsdale?” The griffoness asked, glaring. “More or less, yeah.” Rainbow answered, having a feeling where this was going. “Only reason I didn’t here is because Negamare beat me to it! She trashed Equestria big time there was nothing left to wreck, or at least no way that any of your lame ponykind here would care, and you being dead it didn’t matter as much to me anymore. Made me realize… how stupid I was being! How little it was gonna matter, like what I had left when both my parents were gone was taken from me, too and I couldn’t even think of what left to do… except kill the one who took that from me.” Gilda explained, her tone growing more dangerous. “So what happened to me in your world, if all you’re going on about is true?” Rainbow paused, for some reason she couldn’t find the words, or at least bring herself to say them. “Answer me!” Gilda demanded. “You died.” Rainbow answered. “We fought when I came to stop you from destroying Cloudsdale. Leo was already dead, the changelings were beaten by then. It was just me and you. I pushed the bomb out of Cloudsdale before it went off, you died in the explosion when you tried to stop me because you were so obsessed with revenge it made you crazy!” “I’m… dead in your world, Dash?” Gilda asked, now looking shocked. “Yes.” Rainbow replied. “Like I said, you got so obsessed with saving your ego by getting back at me it pushed you completely over the edge! All you cared about was making me pay and well guess what, Gilda? Look where that got you! Are you even capable of realizing when you’ve done something wrong, or is it always somepony else’s fault? It may not be ‘cool’ to have made a mistake but you know what? It’s even less cool not to accept and admit when you have! I became what I am now in the first place because I realized that after my friends helped me see it… and not realizing it even when your best friend tries to get you to is obviously what made you into this. Feel ‘cool’ anymore, ‘Razorbeak’?” The pegasus asked coldly. The griffoness only stared at her in stunned silence for a moment, as if she were processing what Rainbow had just said to her. A second later, though, Gilda just narrowed her eyes at her and let out a low, lionlike snarl. “Real cute, Dash. Save the preaching for someone who cares!” Gilda replied, and without another word, turned and left the room. Sighing, Rainbow returned to the main room where the others were. “Everything alright?” Cheerilee asked. “Peachy.” Rainbow answered flatly. “So what now? What’s this all about? Who are these ponies?” Leo and Zerok glared. “And others.” “Somepony call for some awesome?” A mechanical male voice called out and Rainbow turned around to be greeted by none other than a blue armored unicorn. “SHOCKWAVE?!” She shouted, and thanks to the soundproofing the walls had they would’ve been given away. The unicorn tilted his head. “Shockwave? No the name's Soundblast.” The unicorn plainly. Rainbow turned towards Cheerilee with a look of shock on her face. “What’s he doing here.” Rainbow asked earning a look of confusion on the former teacher’s face and a scoff from Soundblast. “Excuse me do I sound like a stallion?...Oh wait I actually do.” Soundblast said as he tried to flip a switch on her helmet “Hold on for a sec.” He said as the switch was finally flipped and he sighed. “Finally I forgot how annoying that gets.” A female voice came from the suit. A very familiar mare’s voice. “V-Vinyl is that you?” Rainbow asked as the helmet on Soundblast’s head split down the middle and slid open to reveal an ivory-white unicorn’s face. “Sup! Gotta say, the surprise is kinda mutual!” Vinyl said, her horn glowing and a small compartment on the back of her armor slid open, and a pair of shades floated out and rested neatly over her muzzle, hiding her magenta eyes. “Well, long story short, I’m not exactly from around here. A spell with Twilight made me kinda cross realities.” Rainbow explained, before pausing and looking at Cheerilee. “Anypony else here that I should meet? I really don’t wanna have to explain this over and over again every time another pony shows up.” “Funny you should say that.. if Vinyl’s here I’m sure the others’ll be along shortly.” Cheerilee explained. As if on cue, purple smoke filled the room and a figure in a light purple hooded cloak and a dark blue bodysuit rose up, spreading its booted forehooves out. Within the hood was a silvery orb which a pair of purple eyes glowed through, the pony’s horn poking through the hood and confirming it a unicorn. The strangely-dressed pony reminded Rainbow a little bit of Decepto in a lot of ways. “The GREAT and ENIGMATIC… TRICKSTER…” The figure declared in an echoing voice. “...Is present.” With that, the costumed pony’s horn glowed and the orblike helmet vanished from her face like a mist, revealing the mare Rainbow had already figured out would be underneath after the introduction. “Hey, Trixie.” Rainbow replied flatly. “What?!” Trixie drew her hoof to her mouth as she shuddered in disbelief. “Impossible! Trixie heard of your untimely demise, Rainbow!” “It would seem exact…” Another voice said “That Rainbow’s death is not true fact.” Soon after, Zecora entered, wearing a costume similar to that which the zebra assassin Black Hex whom Rainbow had once fought. “Hello, Rainbow Dash. Sadly we do not have Pinkie here to start a joyous bash.” Rainbow smiled as she went over and hugged her old zebra friend. “It’s great to see you to Zecora how-” Rainbow was suddenly surprised by the noise coming from Vinyl’s suit. “Greetings citizens of Equestria!” A voice came from the radio. “This is your leader, Negamare! An important matter has come to my attention! It would seem some new misguided vigilante has surfaced, called Mare Do Well. Those of you from Ponyville might remember her; she's got a costume like mine, except different colors, and reports claim her to be a pegasus. The first to bring her before me or at least have her done away with and unmasked will receive a reward of 10,000 bits from the royal treasury. Anypony who is found harboring this fugitive will be arrested on sight and brought before me personally for judgement! And to you, Mare Do Well, whoever you are, don't think you can hide. This is my world, and it plays by my rules, and the first and only rule is the one everypony knows; I always win!” The broadcast ended soon after that. Rainbow just stared at the suit and said the one thing that was on her mind. “I’m only worth 10,000 bits really?” Rainbow asked with a look of confusion on her face. The expression on everyone else’s though was clear that they took what Negamare just said very seriously. “I’m sorry but I mean come on who would be that crazy to accept her offer? And at that amount of bits I mean come on I’m worth at least twice that much.” Rainbow complained. After her boss put the bounty out for Mare-Do-Well’s head Quickdraw immediately high tailed her flank back to ponyville so that she could make sure that the costumed idiot was still there. Before she made it all the way back to the little town however she decided to stop by and… pick up a few things first. The first thing she picked up was a device modified from the changeling’s own hivemind that helped her control the buffalo herds, and the second thing were her two pistols. As she got the two items she suddenly felt her face and realized she was missing her bandana. She felt her pocket and pulled it out in her teeth but couldn’t put it on real well without assistance. “Hey! Come on over ‘ere an’ get this on me.” Quickdraw said angrily to one of the buffalo. “Right away, ma’am.” The buffalo said, trotting over and adjusting the bandanna for her with his teeth. “All set.” “Thank ya kindly. Now scram.” Quickdraw said, walking ahead of them. Ponies were immediately running for cover, ushering their fillies and colts inside, all of which amused Quickdraw to no end. Her keen eyes spotted a stray filly and she smirked. “Y’all make sure that’un doesn’t get away! Take her to the town hall an’ wait for me. Ah got a plan.” In seconds, the scared filly was surrounded by six towering buffalo. The largest one leaned down and grabbed her by the tail with his teeth, and led the way to the ruined town hall. Satisfied, Quickdraw drew in a deep breath. “Mare Do Well! Ah know yer here!” She shouted. “Ah’m callin’ you out ya lowly varmint!” No answer. “Figger’d as much.” She said. “In case you didn’t see what just happened, ah had my boys take a filly to town hall. Now if ya don’t want ‘em to test how well she fares as a stampede obstacle, you’ll come on outta hidin’ an’ meet me there in the next five seconds!” With that, the costumed earth pony galloped off to the town hall to wait for her. It didn’t take long at all. Skidding to a halt, Quickdraw gazed straight up at the rooftop where Mare Do Well had perched right as she arrived. “Hi.” The pegasus said softly, flying down and landing several feet away from the earth pony. “Well that didn’t take long at all!” Quickdraw said in amusement. “Tell ya what. You win, the filly goes free. You lose, well she’ll just be the first thing my boys trample in this here hamlet!” “How do you want to settle this?” Mare Do Well asked. “The way ah know best. A good ol’ fashioned duel like the old days!” Quickdraw answered. “On five.” Mare Do Well narrowed her eyes, but complied, not wanting to endanger the filly hostage. The two stared eachother down for a moment. “One.” Quickdraw began. Mare Do Well took a fighting stance. “Two.” The earth pony continued. Steady… Mare Do Well reminded herself. “FIVE!” Quickdraw shouted suddenly, doing a spin and yanking a lasso from her saddlebag. Mare Do Well had only a second to fly straight up, narrowly avoiding getting snared by the other pony’s trick. “Seriously?!” Mare-Do-Well demanded angrily. “Sorry, ah never said ah believed in fair play.” Quickdraw responded with a laugh. The two mares then began circling each other before Quickdraw suddenly pulled out a revolver and shot at Mare-Do-Well, the masked mare barely getting out of the way. After a few more shots Mare-Do-Well heard the sound of the gun that’s run dry. “Shucks looks like Mcgee is all out of ammo.” She called out. Mare-Do-Well poked her head out… and pulled it back in when the outlaw fired two more shots. “Mcgillicuddy is all locked and loaded though!” Rainbow soon became annoyed that this mare was using the names of Applejack’s bucking legs for her guns. She went through her utility belt and pulled out a few flash bangs. With careful timing she threw the small pebbles at Quickdraw blinding her. “NOT SO TOUGH WHEN YOU’RE NOT THE ONLY ONE WHO CHEATS HUH?!” Mare-Do-Well shouted as she ran towards the outlaw sucker punching her in the jaw. She then turned towards where the little filly was and saw what she thought was impossible: She saw Razorbeak flying down and cutting the ropes with her claws and saving the filly just as the stampede came running across. She turned back towards Quickdraw who chuckled a little bit. “So little miss Mary has a helper this is a shock.” Another voice said. Turning around, Mare Do Well saw a pegasus standing on one of the rooftops, looking down at her. The pony wore a costume identical to hers, though with a yellow bodysuit, an orange collar and hat, and a black cape and boots. Spreading her wings, the pegasus took to the air and slowly descended towards her, remaining ten feet in the air as she regarded Mare Do Well through her luminescent yellow lenses. Mare Do Well noticed another thing about the pony, that the clasp for her cape was a capital “N” instead of the “M” she wore. “Great show.” She said, clapping her hooves then folding her forelegs, her wings keeping her in the air as her cape billowed behind her. “I’m guessing you’re this so-called Nefarious Negamare ponies have been going on about?” Mare Do Well asked. “Well look who’s the big egghead! Figured that one out all by yourself, hm?” Negamare asked with a laugh. “I have to say, there aren’t many pegasi I know who can fit your description, I was pretty sure all the wonderbolts… and their cadets if memory serves… are cooling their hooves in Alkatrot.” She rubbed her chin with her forehoof. “Most of them anyway. The others… well let’s just say the numbers got thin pretty fast when they tried to handle me!” She said, laughing. “Where are the Harmony bearers?” Mare Do Well demanded, her patience rapidly wearing thin with this mare. “Hmm, Quickdraw, help me out on this one!” Negamare asked, looking at her ally. “Did I execute them? Drop them down a cliff? Do you know?” Quickdraw laughed a little as she turned towards the costumed hero. “Last ah checked them mares went screaming all the way down that one cliff. That stubborn pegasus wimp had to be hog tied though. But why yah spared the lavender one Ah’ll never know.” Quickdraw said casual as though she was mentioning the weather. “Twilight?! Where is she?! Take me to her NOW!” Mare Do Well shouted, flying at the other pegasus, who weaved out of the way, grabbed her with her forehooves, and flung Mare Do Well into one of the cottages. “Don’t worry, I intend to. Once I’ve roughed you up some more, you’ll get to see her as much as you want.” Negamare replied. “Since you’re so eager to see her, why don’t I make that happen… a little faster?” Before Mare Do Well could even respond, Negamare swooped straight down at her and flew in several circles. The wind around her built up rapidly, and in seconds a mighty tornado formed. Quickdraw ran off and hid behind one of the cottages, as did anyone else still outside. Mare Do Well spread her wings and flew straight at Negamare, and as soon as they impacted both were pulled into the cyclone, interlocked in battle. Mare Do Well attacked with everything she had as the world spun around them, but Negamare was faster, countering every blow she made and striking her with plenty of her own. Eventually, she felt the other pegasus’ hind legs kick her in the chest, sending her flying from the cyclone and tumbling across the ground. Looking up, Mare Do Well saw the cyclone dissipate, and Negamare hovering where it once stood. “Well, aren’t you gonna get up?” Negamare asked. “You actually convinced me you were gonna at least try back there!” Grunting, Mare Do Well rolled herself over and jumped back on her hooves, then flew straight at Negamare, who then flew straight up and away from her. The two flew about the town, Mare Do Well just barely behind the other pegasus. How is she so FAST?! Nopony’s faster then me! Rainbow thought to herself in disbelief as she attempted to catch up to her adversary. Negamare gave a mock salute then did a loop in the air, spread her wings, and a brilliant flash of light shone in Mare Do Well’s face, causing her to instinctively cover her eyes, just in time to get hoofed in the chest, then the chin, sending her spinning backwards in the air. “All of this! Your work, I get it!” “Not exactly.” Negamare said in a sing-song tone, waving her hoof back and forth in taunting manner. “It’s YOUR fault, actually! Maybe not the pony under the costume, but the very image you’re wearing. The image you chose to become! Rainbow Dash was very hurt when her friends betrayed her. Hurt enough to make the mistake that cost that poor pony her life! And as anypony knows, without all six, the Elements of Harmony are useless. It was all the leeway I needed to take control. The princesses never saw me coming, and neither did Rainbow or her friends.” Her eyes narrowed at Mare Do Well. “So by extension, you represent the true cause of this world’s dying state!” “No!” Mare Do Well flew at her again, slamming her hoof into Negamare’s face. The other pegasus’ head jerked to the side then she simply laughed. “This isn’t my fault! I became Mare Do Well because I wanted to be a hero who actually is a hero! A hero who stops psychotic monsters like you!” She swung again, and again, and again. This time, however, Negamare just blocked every attack. “Bored now.” Negamare replied in a flat tone, raising one hind leg up and delivering a sharp kick to the other pegasus. Before Rainbow could reach the ground this time, though, she was suddenly engulfed in explosions as numerous flashbombs went off around her. Amidst the explosions, Negamare’s laughter echoed all around her. Pain all over her, Mare Do Well felt the ground meet her hard. Struggling, she tried to get up, only to feel Negamare’s hoof slam into her back as the other mare stood over her, her mask’s yellow lenses seeming to bore into her as she looked into them. “Looks like I don’t have to worry about that bounty after all. What do we say? Mystery sol--” Before she could finish, Negamare was tackled by a blur of black that shot through the air, knocking her off of Mare Do Well. Looking over, Rainbow saw Gilda slamming Negamare against a cottage wall, her claws gripped around the mare’s throat. “Forgetting someone?” Gilda hissed, her gauntlets charging electrical energy and sending a powerful surge through Negamare, who screamed out loudly. “That’s right, I’m gonna enjoy every second of this!” The griffoness sneered, her helmet that completely concealed her face giving her voice the intimidating deep baritone but then Negamare’s scream slowly became a cruel laugh. “I think that’s my line.” The electrical energy crackled all around the costumed pegasus’ body and suddenly redirected on Gilda, blasting her off of her. Snarling, the griffon took to the air and lunged again, pulling a pair of explosives from her belt and flinging them at Negamare. The pegasus flinched and was promptly engulfed in the explosions. As the smoke cleared, Negamare grunted in pain. Though she was masked, the hatred in her glare was evident. “You’re going to pay for that…” She said coldly. “But I admit, I can appreciate the thrill of the chase a little… be glad I’m letting you go for now, but know that every one of my forces will be hunting you down now. If you don’t want to bear the full weight of them I suggest you leave town quickly and scatter to the four winds.” With those words, Negamare flew into the air and into several circles, then shot off towards Canterlot at bullet speed, disappearing into the distance. “Thanks…” Mare Do Well said, looking over at Gilda. “Don’t bother.” The masked griffon said, walking away without another word. “WAIT BOSS! YAH FORGOT SOMEPONY!” Both masked heroes heard a familiar southern mare shout out in anger. They both turned around and saw that, indeed, Negamare had abandoned Quickdraw to her fate. They approached the crazy mare carefully both wondering the same thing, What do we do with her?