//------------------------------// // Mare-Do-Well Strikes! #3. Brawl // Story: Mare-Do-Well Strikes! // by Magenta Cat //------------------------------// -Cover concept: Brick wall. Mare-Do-Well's hat nailed in the middle by a black arrow, shredded. *** It was a quiet and clear sunrise. Birds were singing and ponies began to fill the streets that were recently getting used to be full of activity in contrast to it's old times. All was peaceful while Celestia's sun graced the new day with its light, leaving the darkness of the night to retreat once again. But in the Everfree forest, that light was being eclipsed. A black mass of clouds filled with thunder and lightning was forming over the indomitable place. Like a black flag of death, the mass was moving over the enchanted forest, slowly going in Ponyville's direction. Darkness was coming. The storm was coming. *** FIMFiction presents: Mare-Do-Well Strikes! in The Hunt (Part two). Wounded Written by Wave Blaster Preread and Edited by Diamond Dust My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic created by Lauren Faust Based on the styles of Warren Ellis and Frank Miller. Dedicated to Bob Kane's memory All rights reserved or ignored accordingly *** Ponyville's Gazette "M" is for... (Ponyville's Gazette photo by Action Shot) ...Mare-Do-Well.At least that's how she identified herself when acceded to tis exclusive interview with the Ponyville's Gazette. Apparently on her twenties, could be mistaken with a mid grade pony from academy in her way to spring vacations except for the mauve and purple uniform and the fact she entered through my window... at the fourth floor. "Obviously, Mare-Do-Well isn't your real name." She smirks "Well, it was better than the other ideas in my mind at the moment." "Aren't you worried about it? that name has quite some history here in Ponyville." "I don't know, we'll have to see." She says. "But I took it for what it means. If you read it, it says exactly who I am; a simple mare who just wants to help." "A simple mare, armed with a crossbow." We both laugh. "Yeah." She scratches the back of her head. I notice how she avoid touching the hat, like hiding something under it. "Well, when I decided to jump around in a Nightmare Night costume, I said 'hey, I may need something to defend myself' and I'm rather good with it, so..." Barely even touching her cape, she produces from her back the aforementioned crossbow. It's the Royal Guard's model, modified for hooves instead of magic. She politely refuses to reveal her real name and where she is from; but by her tone of voice and mannerisms, one can say Canterlot. But her previous location is not important right now, it's where is she now that matters. "Why Ponyville? What does Ponyville has that you came here?" She looks around the room before answering. "I suppose it was the closest town around. I was just going to pass it when I decided to check it up." "Are you staying?" "As long as I'm needed here? Yeah, you can count on me." I'm about to ask her if she doesn't believe in the system to take care of things, but suddenly my room is flooded in a tick gray smoke. I reach to open the window but it's already opened. I can see a caped silhouette jumping so quickly over the rooftops that it seems like flying. By T.S. Lulamoon of the news team of the Ponyville's Gazette. *** I will admit it, it wasn't my best moment. Okay, okay. It was actually one of my worst moments, I totally screwed it up, and I'm not a stranger with the concept. But who I'm talking to? You've already seen how bad I can screw things up, after all, you where there too. But that's not the point now, isn't it. No, you want to know how I screwed it up THIS time. Well, take a seat, I know it's a cliché, but it's a longs story... *** -The night. Mare-Do-Well has only twenty minutes left to live. "Do you have a preferred fighting style?" asked the red mare. "I don't think that verbal debate counts, right?" Mare-Do-Well replied. "No answer? Well, I'll take that as a permission to use my favorite." The red mare began the assault with one of her weapons, the bundi dagger. Her first slice was quickly evaded by Mare-Do-Well performing a quadruple backflip, putting all the possible distance between them. "Not a bad move, I can recognize some experience on it." The red mare said. "But amusing as they are, your parlor tricks will not save you for I've been trained to kill everything on my path." Using her magic, the red unicorn drawn another dagger, placing it on her free fore hoof and leaning on her back ones. "Gaze and cower in fear for your killer." Smashing the blades together. "And tell the devil that Lady Vic sends you." "Nah, I don't take messages." The fight was unique, Lady Vic was quick and strong. Her skill with the bundi daggers was clear as she assaulted the capped pony with a tenacity that would have killed even the bests from the Royal Guard. On her side, Mare-Do-Well was doing all she could to dodge the sharp weapons. After facing two major gangs some minutes ago, she was out of smoke bombs and arrows, so she had only her own skill to avoid being amputated by Lady Vic. Not wanting to only dodge forever, Mare-Do-Well used her only weapon at hand. Her big mouth. "That's all you got?" she said with a not-so-sure tone in her voice. "A long speech and a poor dance with knifes, oh I'm so scared." Finally seeing a window when one of the daggers got stuck in the ground. Mare-Do-Well used it to hit Lady Vic with a direct hoof to her white mask. She immediately regretted it as she tried to get back while rubbing her pained hoof. "HA! Did you really think that my mask was for show only?" Lady Vic asked with her own mockery tone. "I'm a professional, not some madpony in a costume, learn the difference. please. I would hate to get money for killing a dumb pony." Since the mask had a muzzle window, Mare-Do-Well could see clearly how Lady Vic was smiling at her. "Oh yeah?" Mare-Do-Well replied. "Well you're..." Pausing to think for something to say. "...naked. You're naked." "Oh, ouch." Vic faked a pain tone. "I'll have to surrender to such an impressive mind." Lady Vic tossed her daggers from her hooves and took a combat pose. "Or, I could kill you for such a bad joke." Mare-Do-Well swallowed hard, this was going to suck. Both mares started to walk in circles, searching for any weaknesses to exploit from their opponent. But before any of them managed to do anything a third voice interrupted them. "Time's up dear, now is my turn," the dark blue stallion said from the rooftop behind them. Lady Vic lowered her front hooves, going back to using the four ones to stand, and simply walked to a side of the street. "I suppose it's my fault," she resigned herself. "We are still dividing the earnings." Mare-Do-Well was about to use the distraction to get the hell out of there. Too bad that a black tipped arrow pinned her down to the ground by her cape before she could even move. "Ah-ah miss, you're not getting out of this that easily." The archer pony descended to the street. "Name's Merlyn and arrow's the trick. But instead of Lady Vic over here I'll give you a chance. You got one free shot before I try to finish you." The masked pony didn't seem to be paying attention, staying still with her head low and covering under her cape. "Did you heard me miss?" Merlyn asked, getting closer to her. She didn't say a word. "I'm giving you a free shot!" Still nothing. He got even closer, no more than three or four hooves from her. "Can you hear me?!" "Very clear." Two gloved hooves pointed a crossbow at Merlyn's face, point blank. He didn't had time to express any surprise as an arrow exited the crossbow directly to his face, hitting it with an iron ball instead of a tip. The impact got the mercenary confused and angry. "Cheater!" He said as reaching with his magic for his own bow and arrows. Tensing the string he looked everywhere, but there was nobody in the street with him besides Lady Vic laughing. "Will you stop laughing and help me!" "Ha-ha-ha-ha oh come on, that was gold comedy." She replied holding her stomach. "You went all high and formal, only to fall on a kid's trick-ha-ha-ha-ha!" She stooped to take a breath. "She's behind you by the way." She pointed at him. Merlyn didn't managed to turn around before two hooves smashed his ears and knocked him down. "Not a bad move girl, if I wasn't being paid for killing you..." Lady Vic congratulated her while clapping her hooves. "Too bad I'm being paid to kill you." Mare-Do-Well tried to charge at her, but Lady Vic was faster. The red mare took Mare-Do-Well's right hoof and used it to force the pony to the ground. After that, Mare-Do-Well didn't stood a chance; Every attempt to attack was countered, every defense was ignored. Unlike before, Lady Vic seemed way more focused on harming her target. Head, joints, neck, diaphragm, the mercenary knew exactly where to hit with a fearful precision. It only took one minute, or maybe less, for the masked pony to be unable to stand still, much less fight. "Just to be clear, this is not personal." Lady Vic told her before drawing the revolver from her belt. "But somepony really expects you to die, so..." But before she could take the killing shot, Mare-Do-Well collapsed on the ground. "Hmm." She muttered to herself, leaning closer to the beaten up mare and putting a hoof over her neck to check for a pulse. Nothing. "Well I suppose that's it. Damn I really expected a more interesting fight." She unceremoniously awoke Merlyn by slapping his face with her magic. "Come on you jester, we have a good paycheck to collect." Merlyn rose slowly from the ground, tenderly rubbing his head. He looked down at the motionless figure of Mare-Do-Well and anger overtook him. Lighting up his horn, the archer pony took Mare-Do-Well in his magic and carried her till they were about to cross the bridge across the river. "See you in hell, you cheating witch." Without saying anything else, Merlyn was about to toss Mare-Do-Well's body into the cold water. "Wait!" Lady Vic stopped the fall with her own magic. "What the hell are you doing?" "The bounty was to make an example of her." Merlyn replied. "We throw this into the river and tomorrow ponies find a body inside a Mare-Do-Well costume. The message should be clear enough." But Lady Vic didn't seem too convinced as she was still holding the costumed pony. "Are you sure this is enough?" "Ha!" Merlyn said. "Sure as hell it will, because if it's not and she comes back singing 'Dream On' I'll give her whatever she wants." They stood in silence for a moment. "Unless of course, you want to carry it around town." Lady Vic must have decided he had a point, because she turned off her magic, letting the river to drive Mare-Do-Well downstream. *** -Next morning, Golden Oak Library. "You can't be serious," Twilight said to her friend. "I mean, it's not that I'm defending Trixie, but going to her home for more? Come on, Rainbow, just let it go." "No!" Rainbow replied, inadvertently extending her wings. "Twilight, you saw how she lied her flank off last time. Now she comes back, and what does she do? Lie again to put Spike on her side!" "But we don't know if she lied." Twilight rolled her eyes back, thinking about Trixie's story. If what she told Spike was even half the true, then the poor girl really deserved to be left in peace. Though, even if that was true, telling it to Spike wasn't the best thing to do either. Since Trixie's visit last night, Spike has been too distracted for Twilight's taste. After their friends left the house, Spike seemed to be saddened, even remorseful. Twilight asked him what was happening and Spike only replied by telling her what Trixie told him. "Come! On! Twilight!" Rainbow interrupted her train of thought. "You really think she is even able to tell the truth? I bet bit against doughnuts that she's lying." *beat* "Again." "Well." Twilight put a hoof over her chin. "It would be good to clarify things, after all, I invited her to do that and we pretty much left her hanging alone." There was some tones of regret in Twilight's voice. "Good, let's go!" Rainbow exited the library with her usual speed, leaving Twilight alone. The purple unicorn walked calmly to the door and, with a bored expression, waited for Rainbow to realize the obvious. A cyan blur came back to her side. "Come on Twilight, what are you waiting for?" "Rainbow, where does Trixie live?" Twilight asked in a complete deadpan voice, waiting for Rainbow's respond. "That's easy, she's staying in Berry's tavern." "Wait," Twilight raised an eyebrow. "How do you know that?" "Easy, I asked Derpy where she was staying." "How does Ditzy knows?" "She delivers the mail, she has to know," the pegasus said as taking flight again. "Come on, let's go for Rarity too." Twilight couldn't reply as Rainbow raced towards Carousel Boutique. Without too much options, Twilight followed her. *** -Golden Dawn Hotel, Ponyville's North side. "So, can I trust you that Mare-Do-Well is no more?" the voice from the speaker over the desk asked. "Pff, easier than killing time." Merlyn rested an elbow over the table while smiling smugly. "We tracked, we caught and killed her flank." "Good, then Tempus can handle you your payment." As the speaker said that, the brown unicorn with the pocket watch cutie mark walked next to a painting in the wall. He removed it, revealing a safe inside the wall from where he produced a briefcase. Closing the safe, Tempus Fugit put the briefcase over the table. Merlyn was about to reach for it, but his hoof was stopped by a purple one. He looked angrily at the owner of the hoof, the pony of the spider cutie mark. Reluctantly, Merlyn retired his hoof as the purple earth pony opened the briefcase. He stared in silence at the money papers, counting them twice to be sure. "Mister," he said staring at Tempus, "there's a mistake here." His tone didn't betray any emotion, but his whole facial expression was actually aggressive. Tempus gulped loudly as his hooves started to shake. He opened his mouth to say something but was cut off by Lady Vic. "Don't be mean with the right hove pony, Spider." She walked between the two of them. "But I'm curious too, why is there more money than the one we agreed?" "No way, let me see it!" Merlyn struggled to see over Spider's shoulder to take a peek. It truly amazed him when the double of money he was expecting greeted his eyes. "Beautiful." "Gentlecolts, lady," the radio spoke again, "I do believe you would like to stay in Ponyville for a little longer if the payment is enough." "Who is the target?" Spider asked. "Tempus, give our collaborators their new reason to take my money." Tempus nervously opened a drawer behind the desk. From there he handed a folder to Spider, who took it between his hooves. Both, Lady Vic and Merlyn, looked over their boss' shoulders to see the photos of a jasmine and a white pegasi with the PPD's uniform. "I took the liberty to arrange you a good window. In a week, they'll be alone in the station." The radio stopped for a moment. "I want it to be a mess, this town needs to know to not disturb important ponies' business." *** -Some minutes later, Carousel Boutique. *knock, knock, knock, knock* Rainbow Dash literally smacked her head against the door out of hastiness for Rarity to open it. Although Twilight tried to calm down the hotblooded pegasus, her efforts where in vain. Reasoning that she needed help, Twilight convinced Rainbow that Rarity should go with them by telling her that the unicorn may side with Rainbow against Trixie. Twilight expected for Rarity to be more reasonable than that and help her to hold Rainbow from doing something she could regret. *knock! knock! knock!* Rainbow hit the door harder this time. Right when Twilight caught up with Rainbow, the Boutique's door opened, but not by the expected white unicorn. Instead, a filly made of metal was looking up to Rainbow from the door's frame. "Oh, hi miss Rainbow Dash," Sweetie Belle said in her now usual mechanical voice. "Are you looking for Rarity?" "Yeah, hurry and bring her here quick." Rainbow was scratching the ground under her right foreleg without noticing by this point. The image of the 'about to charge' pegasus was intimidating enough to scare the bullet-proof robot. (If you're wondering why Sweetie Belle is a kryptonite powered robot in this scene, go and check out The Doom Patrol. Shameless self-promotion is shameless.) "I'm Sorry, but Rarity can't come out right now." Sweetie looked down, drawing circles in the ground with her right hoof. "What?!" "Rainbow! Calm down." Twilight put a hoof over the pegasus shoulder. "Sweetie Belle, what wrong?" "Nothing, nothing at all," Swetie replied hastily. "It's just that... Rarity is.... hum....." Each word coming quieter as she took longer pauses between each one. "Sick! Yeah, she's sick." The metallic filly raised a triumphant hoof to the skies. "Oh no." Twilight tried to cross the door but was stopped by Sweetie Belle's hoof. "Sweetie, let us in to check on her." "No, you can't!" The filly screamed again, pausing after seeing the quizzical looks on the elder mares. "Because... Rarity.... and you..... she's......" *insert comical time skip here* "Sleeping! Yeah, that's good too. She's sleeping and she wanted to rest the rest of the morning." "Fine," Said Rainbow as taking fly again in Berry's Tavern's direction. Although Twilight wasn't buying anything of that, Rainbow was too focused to notice if it was the truth or not. "Wait, Rainbow!" Twilight groaned. "Tell Rarity I'll come to visit her later, when she's awake." Sweetie Belle nodded as Twilight chased after Rainbow Dash. when the two ponies were out of sight, Sweetie Belle sighed in relief. Upwards, on Rarity's bedroom, the curtains were closed as silence reigned the room. Scattered around the floor were various pieces of purple and mauve cloth. Sitting in the bed's corner, a white unicorn mare was looking down at the object between her hooves. A purple mask of the side of a regular mare, with two broken goggles over the eyes' level. Rarity sighed, thinking of all what happened since she first sewed that same mask. She thought of how much things have changed since she became the Element of Generosity. She thought how the calm and simple Ponyville had become one of the next boomtowns. In fact, after Discord's defeat, Ponyville became the boomtown of this generation. Celestia saw it that way too and responded accordingly. Due to the masses of ponies deciding to live in the town that made it into the cover of the Equestria Daily almost as much as Canterlot, the Princess decided to expand the little place into something that could offer a proper place to live for those ponies. In the last year, Ponyville was changing. Rarity remembered how she saw the first negative sign of that change and what it was presaging. It was a small sign, almost imperceptible. But Rarity was a pony with a good eye for detail, so naturally she saw it. It was something a simple as a graffiti on a wall. For Twilight, that was nothing new, Canterlot has its own problems with young ponies too, so it was nothing out of this world. The same went for Rainbow, Fluttershy and Pinkie, they all were used to see them in the periphery of Cloudsdale and Fillydelphia respectively. Applejack for her part didn't care too much, reducing it into something to be cleaned and forgotten. At the end of the day, it was just another mundane occurrence, overshadowed by all the other spectacular events happening in town. Only Rarity saw it under a different light. Of the six Elements, only she and Applejack were raised in Ponyville. But where Applejack was more focused on her family and job at the far, Rarity took more time to be part of her hometown. She knew a lot of Ponyville that her friends ignored. She knew that Ponyville was the first town to be settled near a place as dangerous as the Everfree forest. She also knew that Ponyville was the first town to have a mayor since its foundation, instead of adopting one after it. Rarity knew and remembered how even the styles of the houses have changed through time. Because of that attention to detail, Rarity knew that the graffiti was, in fact, the first one in Ponyville since it foundation. And it didn't stop there. From that day, Rarity saw how much things began to change around her. With the population growing by the month, there were way too many faces to know who was doing what. Small things first. A lost wallet, a missing crate of fruit, an unpaid bill. Then, the big ones began. Shoplifting, bank robberies, small street gangs. Rarity was annoyed but not surprised when it was enough for the mayor to order the creation of the first police department in Ponyville. Rarity understood that Ponyville needed somepony. Somepony who could make a stand against the iniquities of the selfish and the tyranny of evil ponies. Somepony who was willing to do what's right. Somepony who could give something to believe in for the innocents, and something to fear for the guilty. Rarity knew that. *sigh* Rarity looked again at the mask between her hooves, remembering how she shaped each detail of it. She wasn't looking for nothing in particular that time, just a reminiscent of the icons in some of Sweetie Belle's comics. She never thought that her offhoofed reprise of a child's magazine would become something like this. "Ugh-- uuh..." The bathroom's door opened as the mare who has been using the mask for the last two months stepped out of it. "Mare, I really needed that shower." "I suppose you're feeling better." Rarity left the mask over the bed and walked next to a pony about her size and age. "If by 'better' you mean 'less like dirt and more like a maggot', yeah." Rarity offered her shoulder for support. Both her and the mare walked at the bed and sat down as Rarity took a medical kit from her nightstand and opened it. "So, you know who I am, you heard what happened and now I'm in no shape to resist against anything. What know?" Rarity looked at the other mare. She saw her covered in various bruises of different sizes, her left shoulder had still hematoma for being dislocated and her breathing was slowed by the pain of one broken rib. "Well, I'm not a nurse but I'd say you need rest--" "No, not that, " the mare interrupted her. "I'm talking about you." "Me, darling?" Rarity tilted her head in confusion. "I'm not sure to follow." "I can't do anything right now without help, even recovering means asking you for that." The mare looked at the floor in defeat. "What a great defender I was." She looked at Rarity again. "What I'm saying is that, whatever happens now, it all depends on you." "I..." Rarity took a moment to think about it, about what she was thinking the last minutes while the mare was taking a bath. Rarity thought again of how much Ponyville have changed in the last year for the worse, and how much better it got in the last two months. "I want to help." Rarity said with a determined voice. "I don't know why you're doing this but I've seen how much good you have made. I believe in what you're doing and I want to help." "Hmm, thanks," the mare answered. "Well, I suppose I should take that rest you're talking about." "Good, I'll take Sweetie to the park so you can be at peace." "I don't think you're following me here." The mare rose from the bed and started to walk to the door. "Unlike some romance books, under that mask there's not an idea, there's a pony. A pony with an identity and friends who would pretty much suspect if I'm not at the tavern, soon."