True Heroes Never Die

by LCranston

Chapter 3 - Visions of the past

Later that night, Sweetie Belle was moping in the hotel room with her sister. The remains of dinner from room service graced the room’s only small table. Rarity daintily wiped her mouth with a magically levitated cloth. Rarity’s face was tired and her eyes were half-closed.
She prodded, “Sweetie, you really should finish your salad. It costs money, you know.”
The little filly moaned, “I’m full. I don’t want anymore.”
The fashion designer mumbled, “Well, I guess you’ll have to finish it tomorrow. It’s not like you burned off enough energy today. All you did was run errands.”
Sweetie complained, “At least you didn’t have your dreams crushed today. I found out they don’t publish my favorite detective stories anymore…for the past forty years.”
Rarity retorted, “I did so! I had to alter my entire line today because the hostess decided that all of her guests were a size smaller. Not that the new size fit anyway. I had to exaggerate my un-altering to convince them the regular size fit them perfectly.”
The little filly flopped into her bed and pulled the covers over her head.
She begged, “I just wanna go home!”
Rarity denied her, “Well, we just got here. You wanted to come along so you got what you wanted. We have two more days and you should be thankful to have the change of scenery. At least you’re not working all day.”
She packaged the leftover salad and turned out the light.
“Goodnight, Sweetie Belle. Maybe tomorrow will be better.”

Sweetie Belle tipped her fedora down, shading her eyes from her enemy. It drove the warlord crazy. Maybe she’ll make a mistake.
The warlord mare, dressed in full regalia of decorated plate armor, growled loudly. Her mind-reading power couldn’t work without eye contact. She pulled an innocent-looking ball from her satchel and threw it at the filly’s hooves.
BANG! CRACK!
The edge of the tower broke and collapsed. The filly reached out and grabbed a conveniently-place metal bar to avoid falling too far. However, the warlord stomped over.
She leered down at the cloaked filly and gloated, “Finally, I will destroy you Shadow Belle! Once you’re gone, nopony will be clever enough to stop my conquest of the world!”
Shadow Belle reached into her cloak and grabbed her trusty failsafe device.
She proclaimed, “Not so fast, She-Was-Calm! Look deeply into this heirloom and be free of your rage!”
She then pulled out the device and held it proudly.
“QUACK!”
Both ponies adopted a perfect expression of surprise. Sweetie Belle turned her hoof towards her face and stared face-to-face with a rubber ducky.
Sheepish grin graced her face as she asked, “Um, time out? I know I got a mystical mirror here somewhere.”
Unexpectedly to our heroine, the warlord grinned a nasty grin and refuted, “Nope.”
The warlord raised her front hooves, ready to crush the skull of our cloaked filly.
“ENOUGH!!!”
A thunderclap shook the entire world. The warlord cowered in fear of the approaching specter of winged darkness above her. The shape landed, placing itself between Sweetie Belle and the warlord.
The cloaked filly chirped with glee, “Princess Luna!”
The warlord grunted, then charged forward.
Luna’s horn shone with a dark blue sheen and then emitted a ray, striking the warlord. The villain dissolved into a puff of air.
She then looked at the young filly and levitated her onto the solid tower floor.
Princess Luna said neutrally, “You seem to have trouble managing your helpful items.”
Sweetie Belle blushed and giggled. She tipped her hat over her eyes, trying to look cool.
She then looked up and greeted, “Thank you, Princess Luna, for saving me again.”
She placed a hoof upon her chest gallantly and boasted, “Of course, I could have totally saved myself. I’m sure that mystical device was more than it seemed.”
The dark alicorn smirked slightly and replied, “Of course. There was no doubt. I merely wished to visit with you again. How have you been?”
Sweetie’s expressed melted into passive disappointment.
She explained, “Terrible. I convinced Rarity to bring me to Canterlot while she was at a fashion show. Then I learned I can’t get the comic books I want ‘cause they’ve been out of print for decades.”
Then she pointed out her garb and spoke excitedly, “I got the replacement part for my radio, which Rarity broke in the first place. Now I can listen to my favorite old radio program, Shadow Nose. That’s what this costume is. I don’t suppose you even recognize it, do you?”
Luna nodded, “Aye.”
Totally oblivious to the response, Sweetie Belle continued, “Well, he’s a detective and he’s got mental powers and he’s totally cool ‘cause he solves mysteries with his brain instead of just using force. I wish I could have met him. The guy at the bookstore said he might have been real. Do you think he was real?”
Luna agreed, “Yes.”
Sweetie continued hurriedly, “They say the stories came from some lawyer but why would they wait so long? I just wish more ponies knew about him. He’s such a great role model.”
Luna stated, “Yes, he was.”
The excited filly stated, “Maybe even Ponyville might stop playing the radio shows soon. I have to stay up really late just to hear the show and it makes Rarity angry if she catches me.”
Suddenly, the words of Luna finally finished passing through the overloaded queue in her brain. Pure surprise graced her being as she cried out her perfect fusion of bliss, anxiety, and confusion.
“WHAT?!”
The dark alicorn elucidated, “Shadow Nose was indeed real. I knew him personally. I also disobeyed my sister. When he went on his cases, about half of them I was present.”
The little filly found herself overflowing with energy.
She cried out, “Really?! How did you do it?”
Luna confessed somewhat proudly, “I mostly reversed my color palette and disguised my cutie mark. I had a white coat, a red mane, and a pink fedora on my flank.”
Sweetie Belle could contain herself no longer. She began bouncing all around the dark alicorn with joy and admiration.
“You mean you were Mare-got Game? The lady with style and the acting school certificate? You are so my hero!”
The young filly could not help herself as she opened her eyes to see herself nuzzling the tall foreleg of the Royal Princess.
Backing off slightly, she apologized, “Um, sorry. It’s just that you are soooo cool.”
Gently, Luna nuzzled the enthusiastic filly on the nose and giggled.
Luna stated, “It is all right. I think you were very cool standing up to She-Was-Calm like that. Only Shadow Nose had ever done that before. The rest were too afraid of her mind reading tricks.”
Sweetie Belle jumped up and down again, “You have to tell me a story! Tell me about one of his cases!”
The dark alicorn looked off into the sky, as if gauging something not visible.
She mumbled, “I am not sure I have the time.”
The young filly stated, “It’s not like I can get back to this dream. It’s all ruined. Besides, you can make it a short case. Pleeeeeeeease?”
She then used the Stare of Ultimate Adoration upon the royal countenance.
The royal countenance put up a mighty struggle. However, after several seconds ticked by even Princess Luna succumbed.
“Oh, Very well. Just a brief one. This happened a very long time ago, before my banishment.”

[Start flashback]

The false snow fell from the ceiling of the ballroom. It swirled merrily before falling to the floor, where it disappeared. The mass of splendidly-dressed ponies danced and chatted in the illusionary snowstorm. A single snowflake sparkled and settled upon the nose of a white-coated unicorn mare with the bright red mane. It twinkled once before disappearing.
The mare laughed and turned to her escort, “You never take me anywhere often enough.”
Her date, a shorter stallion with a gray coat and darker gray mane smirked as he smoothed the folds of his tuxedo deliberately.
He replied blithely, “Strange you should not be familiar with this room. It’s in a familiar enough castle to you.”
She sidled up to him gently and kissed him upon his cheek.
She corrected, “Behave yourself. My sister is here. Besides, it’s not the same if you don’t escort me, Law.”
Law Cranberry, criminologist and wealthy colt-about-town, laughed.
He stated, “Keep your mind on why we’re here. If we wrap up early, I’ll ask you to dance.”
The pair mingled with the ponies of high society, keeping their eyes gazing all around.
Suddenly, Mare-got whispered, “Law, over there.”
The gray earth pony turned his head to watch one of the guests reach behind the neck of a well-dressed mare. He plucked the clasp of her necklace and then twirled himself as if dancing. The necklace slid away from her neck and into his grasp while his body slid behind a pair of dancing ponies.
Law whispered back, “Act weak.”
Mare-got slumped forward, requiring Law to catch her.
She moaned, “Oh, I do not feel well at all.”
The crowd parted for them, whispering amongst each other.
The gray earth pony asked pointedly, “Can you make it to the door to the garden?”
Mare-got gave a stage whisper, “I’ll have to try.”
The crowd opened a path to the glass doors leading towards the garden, the same direction as the thief.
Law spoke in a hurried tone as they limped past. “Excuse us.” “Sorry.” “Pardon.” “Make way, please.”
The pair erupted into the garden, suddenly forgotten by the crowd inside the ballroom.
Mare-got stood up tall and asked, “Do you see him?” Her gaze swept around, looking for quivering shrubs. Her eye caught a pair of trimmed hedges lightly shaking.
Suddenly, Law charged off to the right.
Confused, Mare-got followed him asking, “Law? Those bushes have some pony in them!”
The earth pony retorted, “But the most recent hoofprints go off this way. He’s trying to blend in with the town square!”
The pair quickly arrived at the town square, where numerous merchants quietly stood outside of their shops, showing off their wares to anypony who passed them by. Hundreds of ponies walked through the area, making it impossible to track any one pony.
Several ponies stared at the couple. They were dressed formally for a gala rather than walking downtown.
Mare-got sighed with defeat, “We lost him. I didn’t even get a good look.”
Law pulled an expensive ruby necklace out of this jacket pocket. Placing it around her neck, he pushed Mare-got into the sidewalk traffic.
He ordered, “Pretend you’re on your way home. I’ll be around.”
She looked over her shoulder, wondering what the point was. He was gone.
Shaking her head in confusion, she tossed her mane over her shoulder and held her head high. Trotting down the sidewalk, she cast her glance left and right, perusing the wares.
She trotted over to a baker selling cream-filled pastries. Paying several bits for a pair of pastries, she smiled and went on her way.
Suddenly, she felt a light tug on her neck. She spun around and saw the retreating form of a stallion. She threw a pastry at him, striking his back. Expensive cream smeared over his shoulders.
The fleeing pony ducked into an alley. Mare-got chased him, well away from the street. He was yellow of coat and a blue mane. He seemed to have a ruby for a flank symbol, fleetingly seen under his flapping smoking jacket.
Mare-got confronted him, saying, “You thief! How dare you steal jewels from ponies?”
Swifter than could be seen, the thief flipped backwards over Mare-got to land behind her. He pulled out a dagger from his smoking jacket.
Pointing it at his pursuer, he decided, “I do it because I can. My destiny is to collect all of the best jewels. But now that you’ve seen me, I have to get rid of you. Just business, lady.”
Mare-got backed up. She could use her alicorn magic, but that would drop her disguise and reveal herself. That would be the end of her adventures with Law. Would she give him up just to save herself?
The alley echoed with sinister laughter, “Heh, heh, heh! HA, HA, HA!”
The thief cast his gaze around, demanding, “Who’s there?!”
The voice taunted, “What will you do, Stone Facet? Face the girl and turn your back to me? Or maybe face me and risk exposing yourself to a mare?”
Stone Facet turned his back to Mare-got Game and stabbed the air in front of himself.
He yelled, “Ain’t no dame can take me down! Come out and fight me, Shadow Nose!”
Mare-got kicked his hind legs out from under him.
His flank struck the ground and the shock made him drop his dagger.
Instantly, Shadow Nose appeared before the thief a mere millimeter away from his face.
Stone Facet gasped in surprise and felt his willpower drain from the steely gaze of the vigilante.
Shadow Nose pulled his hoof back and slammed it into the thief’s face.
THUD! Stone Facet hit the ground unconscious.
Mare-got gazed upon her hero. His flank symbol of a bright, red question mark shone boldly in the light of the alleyway lampposts. She knew he kept it covered in powder while in his alter ego, so she never got to see it often.
The vigilante put away his costume and covered his flank symbol again. Mare-got called a guard over to take care of the thief.
When the guard left with the prisoner, Law gazed fondly upon Mare-got and said with satisfaction, “Well, we caught the thief and eventually all of the stolen jewels will be replaced.”
The white unicorn replied happily, “I love to help ponies. It makes me want to dance!”
The pair stepped out onto the street and began dancing together. Law Cranberry began to sing a popular song.

Law and Mare-got then began a simple dance together.
CLIP! CLIP-CLOP!

CLIP! CLIP-CLOP!

CLIP! CLIP-CLOP!

CLIP! CLIP-CLOP!

CLIP! CLIP-CLOP!

[End flashback]

Sweetie Belle asked, “Did everypony really join in singing and dancing? It hardly ever happens nowadays.”
Princess Luna answered, “It was a different time. Theater and dance balls were much more common. Everypony prided themselves on their ability to sing and dance.”
She then leveled her gaze at the little filly and said, “You’re about to wake up. Say hello to your sister for me, please.”