Jack and Rainbow left the hillside, walking back towards Ponyville. Rainbow stopped them at the edge of town, with a clear view of Central Square. Preparations for the parade were already underway.
"Is this the parade you were telling me about?"
"Yeah. It makes me sick just looking at it."
"When is it?"
"Tomorrow. That's when I make my move."
"Hold on a second. No one said anything about "making a move." What exactly are you planning on doing?"
"Unmasking Mare-Do-Well, of course! She's bound to make an appearance at the ceremony, and as soon as she does, I'll swoop in, snatch the mask, and see how she likes the hero business then."
"Yeah, great plan, except it really isn't one. Based on what you've told me about her, I doubt she'll be that easy to get at. And there's a lot more to think through than just smash-and-grab."
"Ugh, you're right. She has wings, after all, and she's pretty fast on her hooves, too. I'm not that good at the planning thing, you know?"
"Then it's a good thing I'm here. I agree with you that the parade is a good chance to strike. Tell me everything you know about Mare-Do-Well's abilities. It'll help me plan for any tricks she might have up her sleeve, and I just might be able to figure out who she is."
"Okay. Like I said, she's fast and she has wings. She's pretty strong, too."
"How strong?"
"Like buck-a-speeding-carriage strong. And she has a horn, and she can use it pretty well."
"You mean like a unicorn?"
"Yeah. I forgot to tell you, unicorns can use their horns to do magical stuff. Mostly they just make things float around, but I don't get it very well."
"I see. So she's an alicorn?"
"Yeah, like the princesses. It's like she has all the best parts of each kind of pony wrapped up in one: unicorn magic, pegasus speed and flight, and earth pony strength. Not really fair to me, I say."
"Interesting. I think I'm getting some ideas..."
"Maybe we should go visit Twilight. She could probably tell us more about Mare-Do-Well, and humans, and maybe figure out why you're here."
"Good idea, except for one thing. We don't know who Mare-Do-Well is, so she could be anyone. We thus can't trust anyone, or we might lose the element of surprise. Right now, no one knows that I'm here except for you. I'm our wild card. Even if Mare-Do-Well is completely prepared for you to attack, she still won't expect me; that's our edge."
"Ohhh, clever. I like your thinking, Jack. Do you have a plan yet?"
"As a matter of fact, I do. We're going to play a few mind games with Mare-Do-Well. Here's the plan..."
Jack drew out figures in the dirt below, as Rainbow's devious smile slowly widened. She knew she was going to like this.
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A hoard of ponies had gathered in town square, collectively boiling over in anticipation. Each of them was excited to see Mare-Do-Well, and hopefully some of her famous skills and tricks. The Mayor called the energetic herd to attention with a few taps on the microphone.
"Welcome to Ponyville's first, but surely not last, thank-you parade, in honor of our city's greatest hero, the Mysterious Mare-Do-Well!"
At this, Mare-Do-Well leapt through the backdrop, onto the stage. Perched from the roof of a nearby bell tower, Jack could make out every detail of her. She was wearing a long cape, similar to his own, and large hat: neither wings nor a horn were visible. He would just have to trust Rainbow Dash on this. He studied the stage, then the crowd, and finally Rainbow. She was hidden in the throng, ready to pounce when the time was right. Jack, sensing the group's enthusiasm at a fever pitch, nodded to his partner, who had discretely looked up to him. He began recalling his plan word-for-word, just as he told Rainbow the day before, as it materialized before him.
When I give you the signal, jump out of the crowd and call Mare-Do-Well out.
Jack watched her fly up a few feet above the mob, and he could hear her loud and clear.
"The Mysterious Mare-Do-Well, huh? So what are you hiding? Let's see how mysterious you are without that mask!"
She charged forward from the mass, straight towards Mare-Do-Well. As he had expected, she took off running.
If she's someone who knows you, this is what she'll expect you to do. We'll give her a false sense of security. She'll probably run. Follow her, and don't worry: I'll be right behind you.
Jack leapt off the tower, down to the buildings below. He extended his cape and glided after Rainbow. Of all the ponies below, only Twilight wasn't distracted enough to miss the shadow passing across the crowd. Jack landed on a lower rooftop and kept runnning, keeping pace with Dash and Mare-Do-Well.
She'll try to evade you by any means she can: magic, flight, anything. But keep with her. I'll be close.
Having essentially a birds-eye view gave Jack a certain advantage in the pursuit. He was able to follow Mare-Do-Well's every move, better than Rainbow could on the ground. He kept up the chase, until he noticed a disturbing new development. Just across the road, level with him on the rooftops, stood Mare-Do-Well. Yet he could still see the one Rainbow was chasing. And on top of that, there was another Mare-Do-Well on the street opposite from him. Three different Mare-Do-Wells. This didn't figure into his plan at all.
Jack stopped, staring down the other Mare-Do-Well. Screw the plan, he decided. Rainbow could handle alone for a little while. But right now he needed some real answers. He drew a razor-disc from his hip. Mare-Do-Well attempted to turn and run, but he threw too fast: her legs were knocked out from under her. As she recovered, Jack leapt across the gap onto the same rooftop. She galloped towards the edge of the building and jumped down. But once again, Jack was too fast for her. He drew a grapnel gun from his bandolier, aimed, and fired. The hook passed right over Mare-Do-Well, snagging her cape and hanging her over the edge like dirty laundry. He tied the gun to a nearby chimney, then ran to the ledge.
"I'm not done with you yet. Do me a favor, Mare-Do-Well. Hang around a little while."
He jumped off the edge, bounding across rooftops in the direction he had seen Rainbow and the other two Mare-Do-Wells go. He figured he could at least somewhat return to the plan now.
Keep her on the ropes, but if you get a shot at her, take it. I can deal with any potential interference.
He looked down an alleyway he was about to cross, and saw that Rainbow had followed instructions: she had apparently found her shot, and taken Mare-Do-Well down. One of them, anyway. She stood over her capture triumphantly, but out of the corner of his eye, he noticed the other hiding in the shadows close to him. He could just make out the tip of a horn under the brim of her hat, and he knew that meant trouble. Diving from the rooftop almost instinctively, he glided directly at the only Mare-Do-Well still standing.
"Rainbow, look out!"
All shocked eyes went to him, as he ran into a surprised Mare-Do-Well and knocked her into a wall. She bounced back onto the pavement, and Jack put his hand over her torso, forcing her down. Rainbow gave her captive a quick curb-stomp, and ran over to him, stuttering.
"Jack! I thought you'd left me! But how do you have... if I have over there... what is this?"
"There's another one hung up a few blocks down. I should've seen it before: more than one Mare-Do-Well. It would explain all her powers, and how you could never quite keep up with her. But whoever she, or they, are, they're finished. Mine's out, and yours appears to be, too. Let's get them together, be sure the other one doesn't escape."
As he hoisted the vigilante onto his shoulder, he couldn't help but feel he wouldn't like what he and Rainbow found under those three masks.