//------------------------------// // Chapter 23: Sunset-Do-Well Takes Flight // Story: Sunset Shimmer: The Mysterious Mare-Do-Well // by Joeycrick //------------------------------// "Trixie! Behind you!" Trixie abruptly stopped speaking as Twilight's voice reached her ears. She spun around, her eyes narrowing into a glare as she spotted the group of intruders behind her. Eight ponies in black cloaks, three of them unicorns, and one large, burly earth pony. "Who dares to interrupt The Great And Powerful Trixie's performance?" the showmare demanded angrily. "Night Shade dares," the unicorn stallion in front answered with an evil grin, his horn lighting up as he turned towards Vinyl Scratch. The DJ's eyes widened underneath her glasses as a magic bolt shot towards her. She dove to the side, hitting the floor as the bolt destroyed her sound system. "Hey! Not cool!" Vinyl shouted, pushing herself to her hooves as she rounded on the stallion, gritting her teeth. Trixie stomped up to the leader, lifting the brim of her top hat and glaring furiously at him. "Get off my stage," she growled. The stallion chuckled. "Speaking in first person? Must've struck a nerve," he said. "We'll be out of your hair... as soon as you tell us where Applejack is." "What do a bunch of thugs like you want with her?" Trixie spat out. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw her friends in the audience, barely spotting a familiar Stetson among them. What mess did you fools get yourselves into? "We have a score to settle with her," the stallion replied with a smirk. "That's all you're getting out of me." "Well, here's all you're getting out of Trixie," the showmare replied coldly. "I don't know where Applejack is. And even if I did, why should I tell you creeps?" "You might want to rethink that," the stallion said with a chuckle. "You wouldn't want to drag your audience into this little show of ours, do you?" Trixie leaned in towards the stallion's face, her eyes death glaring into his. "You wouldn't dare." "Oh... I would." Lifting his head, the stallion fired a magic bolt at the crowd in front of the stage. As the audience screamed, Trixie threw herself in front of the blast, her horn lighting up. A barrier popped into existence at the last second, the blast ricocheting off it and striking one of the spotlights above the stage. The stallion clapped his hooves, and four cloaked pegasi took to the air, swooping over the audience. Trixie turned around, her eyes widening in shock as everypony began to scream, bailing out of their seats and fleeing for the exits. Enraged, she turned back towards the group, her horn lighting up. "You just made a big mistake." Vinyl's eyes widened as she realized what was about to happen. "Oh crap... let's get out of here, Tavi!" she cried out. Octavia scrambled to her hooves, dropping her cello as she joined her friend. The two of them bolted for the exit, only to get cut off as the other two cloaked unicorns suddenly appeared in front of them. "And just where do you think you're going?" one of them sneered as she slowly approached the two musicians. "Let them go!" Trixie shouted angrily, stomping her hoof. "They have nothing to do with this!" "Is that so?" the stallion chuckled, raising his hoof in mock thought. "You so much as lay a hoof on them, I'll give you a taste of just how great and powerful I am," Trixie said coldly as she lit up her horn. "You sure you want to do that?" the stallion asked her with a sly grin. "Because if you or anyone else tries to fight back..." As he said this, the other unicorns lit up their horns, aiming them at Vinyl and Octavia. "Well, you can see what I'm getting at." Trixie froze, gritting her teeth as she glanced between the worried pair of musicians and the stallion laughing in front of her. Suddenly, he fired off a magic blast, and Trixie barely had time to deflect it with a magic barrier. "Let's see how long you can hold up, eh?" the stallion mused, lighting up his horn as Trixie's eyes widened. "This is bad," Twilight murmured worriedly, watching as the stallion advanced on Trixie, who was trying her best to shield herself from his attacks. "Guys..." Sunset said quietly. "I want you to get that Relic to Twilight's castle. I'll take care of these jerks." To say her friends were shocked at this response would be an understatement. "WHAT?!" "You can't be serious!" "Sunset, be reasonable!" "Are you nuts?!" Twilight blurted out in disbelief, pointing a hoof at her apprentice. "You still need to recover from your injuries!" "I'm fine now," Sunset insisted, shaking her leg. "Rarity, is my costume ready?" Rarity's horn started to light up, but Twilight held up a forehoof and shook her head. "No, Sunset," she said firmly. "Let me handle this. You're not at full strength yet, and if you head out there, you could end up in even worse shape." She crouched down and spread her wings, ready to take off. "Twilight!" Sunset called out, catching her mentor's attention. "I know you want to help out Trixie, but the best thing is for me to hold off those punks while you get that Relic out of here!" "Sunset Shimmer!" Twilight glared at her apprentice, not believing what she was hearing. "You want me to leave you here and let you fight in your weakened state?!" "There's no time to argue about this, just give me my costume!" an exasperated Sunset exclaimed. "Sunset, I understand that you can't just sit by and do nothing," Twilight replied, pointing at her apprentice. "But you'll put too much stress on your body, and it'll make it harder to recover from your injuries!" "You think I don't realize that?" Sunset shot back, clearly getting irritated. "But Trixie and everypony else in this arena needs help, and right now, I'm all they've got." Twilight frowned. "Don't be ridiculous, I'm perfectly capable of-" "Twilight!" Sunset interrupted, glaring at her mentor with a defiant look. She pointed her hoof at the saddlebags hanging from Applejack's sides. "When Stray Wind used the Earth Relic, her physical strength skyrocketed. A mere costume maker laid waste to a brick wall just by lightly kicking a pony into it!" "I already know that!" Twilight replied impatiently, rolling her eyes. "And when you were talking to Sparkly Skies about the Relics," Sunset continued, pointing her hoof at the pegasus in question, "you said there's a possibility that if she used the Relic of Flight, she could outfly Rainbow Dash. Need I remind you that Sparkly's wings are paralyzed?" Sparkly Skies frowned at Sunset's remark. "Gee, thanks." "Um… is there a point to this, darling?" Rarity asked, raising her eyebrow. "It's simple," Sunset answered, crossing her forehooves. "Those two Relics are already insanely powerful. And the Relic of Magic is supposedly even more powerful. Who knows what could happen if anypony, especially these clowns," she added, gesturing to the cloaked ponies flying all over the arena, "got their hooves on it and didn't know how to properly use it? Do you really want to risk it?" "I realize that, Sunset," Twilight told her, before pointing to the arena exit. "That's why you're gonna go with Applejack to the castle and make sure it doesn't fall into anypony's hooves." Sunset chuckled. "What about the safe?" Confusion spread across Twilight's face. "Safe?" "You know… the one where the other two Relics are stashed? The one that only you can open?" Sunset's mouth curled up into a smirk as she spoke. Twilight raised her forehoof and opened her mouth to reply, but nothing came out for a few moments. Then she threw her head back and let out a massive groan. "Argh!!! Celestia dammit, I forgot about that!" "Can't you just tell Sunset how to open it?" Spike asked thoughtfully. Twilight shook her head, admitting defeat. "It only responds to my magical signature. It won't so much as budge for anypony else, not even Princess Celestia. So that means I have to head back with Applejack." "Oh dear…" Fluttershy murmured, glancing worriedly at Sunset. "Does this mean…?" Twilight sighed. "Unfortunately, yes," she said, turning her attention to the amber unicorn with a stern expression. "Applejack and I will head to the castle. Once the Relic's secured, though, I'm coming right back here to help you and Trixie. Until then, I want you to be careful. Rarity, her costume." Rarity's horn lit up, and she levitated a small purse from underneath her cape. After a few moments, she pulled out Sunset's enchanted pendant. "It's right here, darling," the fashionista told her. "I kept it on me in case something came up, though to be honest, I was hoping it wouldn't be this soon. With some help from Shining Armor, Twilight and I made modifications to the bodysuit's protective padding so you'll be better protected from attacks. I also designed a new belt for you, much more durable than the one you wore previously. On the belt are two pouches, each loaded with flash bombs to assist you with crowd control." Sunset took the pendant from Rarity and nodded. "Thanks, Rarity," she replied as she placed it around her neck. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Applejack staring at Sparkly Skies with a nervous expression. She wasn't sure why, but she had the feeling there was something off about it. "I've also outfitted it with something extra," Twilight added, bringing Sunset out of her thoughts. "A hoof-mounted grapnel launcher." Sunset gasped. "Are you serious?!" Twilight smirked. "You can thank Shining Armor for helping me put it together for you," she declared proudly. "It'll help you get around quickly without drawing attention to yourself like a teleportation spell would, though it's not quite as fast. You can also use it to pull something or somepony towards you. There's two buttons on top of the launcher. The one on the front will fire the claw when pressed quickly, and retract it while held down. The other will detach the claw from whatever it's latched onto. They're designed so that you can use either your free hoof or your magic to press them." Sunset smiled. "Thanks Twilight," she said. "You guys help everypony get out of here. I'll give Trixie a hoof with these clowns." With that, she turned around and sprinted for the exit. "Sunset, wait!" Fluttershy called out. She galloped after Sunset, only to screech to a halt as one of the cloaked pegasi swooped down and landed in front of her. "Eep!" "Hello, pretty girl," he said with a sly grin. "Oh dear!" Fluttershy squeaked as she stumbled over backwards. "Come on, I'm not gonna hurt you..." the cloaked stallion said as he spread out his wings. With a crack of his neck, he sped towards the yellow pegasus. "No! Get away from me!" Fluttershy screamed as she covered her eyes with her hooves. What she heard next was the sound of fabric ripping followed by hooves slamming. Peeking through her wings, she spotted the cloaked pegasi's unconscious head sticking out of the pointed end of a magician's hat. Standing above him was Sunset, who was offering Fluttershy a hoof. "Thanks, Sunset," Fluttershy murmured as she grabbed Sunset's hoof and pulled herself up. "Um..." Suddenly, she wrapped her hooves around Sunset in a hug. The unicorn was caught off guard, but after a moment to recover, she returned the embrace with a small smile. "Sunset... please be careful," Fluttershy murmured. "I'll try my best," Sunset assured her. Releasing her grip on the pegasus, she spun around, making her way through the crowd as Fluttershy watched her disappear. Please stay safe... Rarity turned her head and spotted Twilight standing beside her, watching as Sunset left the arena. "Don't worry about her, Twilight," the fashionista told her. "She'll be fine." "I know," Twilight replied. "It's just... I have a feeling I forgot to tell her something important..." Once Sunset made it outside, she quickly ducked away from the crowd towards a secluded area. After a quick check to make sure the coast was clear, she gave two quick taps to the pendant around her neck. After a few moments, the Mare-Do-Well costume appeared, covering Sunset's body. The suit now had a darker, slightly armored look to it and felt a tiny bit bulkier, but still lightweight and stretchy. Protective padding? Looks more like body armor to me, Sunset thought to herself as she pulled the mask over her face. Boots now covered the tips of her hooves, accompanied by the usual dark blue bandages wrapped above them. Buckled around her midsection was a dark blue belt holding two pouches, each containing a couple flash bombs. While the belt she wore previously wasn't exactly durable (having been torn clean off during Star Gazer's assault), this one looked like it could withstand a lot more damage. Sunset looked down, noticing the other new addition to her suit: a grapnel launcher wrapped around her forehoof. Sticking out of the barrel were four tiny prongs pointing outward, and right behind it sat two buttons. "The one in the front fires and retracts the claw," Sunset reminded herself. "The other detaches it. Simple enough." Taking a deep breath, she approached the arena wall. "Let's see what this thing can do." Mare-Do-Well stood up on her hind legs and aimed the launcher towards the roof, making sure to compensate for the claw's drop as it flew. Lighting up her horn, she pressed the button. The claw shot out of the launcher, speeding upwards and striking the very top of the arena wall. However, neither the launcher nor the claw made a sound. "Whoa," Mare-Do-Well muttered to herself, surprised at how silent her new gadget was. She gave a few quick tugs on the line to make sure it would hold her. The claw stayed firmly affixed to the wall, not even budging in the slightest. The costumed mare smirked underneath her mask. "You've outdone yourself, Twilight." Without a moment's hesitation, she pressed the button to pull herself up. What happened next, she wasn't prepared for. "WHOAAAAAA!!!" Sunset screamed as she suddenly shot upwards like a bullet, much faster than she had anticipated. In a panic, she released the button on her grapnel launcher. The line stopped pulling her upwards, but that didn't stop her momentum from sending her higher. Oh crapcrapcrapcrapcrapcrap! the voice inside her head screamed as she began falling down. Quick, detach the-! Sunset never got to finish her thought as the line suddenly straightened, causing her to jerk violently as she began swinging towards the wall. Her eyes widened underneath her mask. "Oh sh-!" Holding onto her fedora, the unicorn closed her eyes and braced herself for impact. "OWWW!!!" Sunset cried out in pain as she slammed into the wall with a thud. "Dammit..." she muttered, shaking the stars out of her eyes. Massaging her aching side with her free hoof, she noticed that it didn't hurt as much as she had expected, even in her injured state. "Well, at least I know I'm better protected," she grumbled. "But you couldn't have given me a warning about that, Twi?" As she dangled above the ground, she suddenly let out a small chuckle. "Heh, just like Batmare: Year One," she muttered to herself, remembering how Batmare's alter ego, Snow Storm, had a difficult time with her grapnel launcher at first. But after quite a bit of practice (accompanied by countless bruises), she became a natural at it. Unfortunately for Sunset, she didn't have time to get some practice with her grapnel launcher: Star Gazer's goons were inside the arena right now, and she had to stop them. But now Sunset knew how fast it would pull her. She just had to maintain control as best she could. Suddenly, she was reminded of a trick Batmare would use with her grapnel launcher and cape, allowing her to cover great distances in little time. I probably shouldn't try this now, especially considering what's happening in the arena. Plus, it's out of a comic book, making this an incredibly stupid idea. But if I pull it off, it might give me an advantage. She pressed her hind legs against the wall to steady herself. Taking a deep breath, she pressed the retract button on the launcher and kicked off the wall. Underneath her mask, Sunset grit her teeth as she flung upwards, the top of the arena wall rapidly approaching. Wait for it... wait for it... NOW! At the last second, she quickly pressed the detach button. The claw immediately detached from the wall, the line retracting back into the launcher as Mare-Do-Well's momentum continued to carry her upwards. Once she sped past the wall, she opened her cape, letting it carry her up as she began to glide through the air. Once she steadied herself, Sunset looked down, her eyes widening. "Whoa!" The ground was far below her, everypony looking like ants from her perspective. She was used to leaping across rooftops far above the streets, but practically flying even higher was something else. Sunset was terrified. And at the same time, she embraced it. Despite the current circumstances in the arena, Sunset couldn't help but laugh in delight as she flew over it, her heart pounding with excitement. It was nothing short of exhilarating. "Now I know why Rainbow Dash absolutely loves flying," she said to herself, imagining the look on the pegasus's face if she could see her now. With a confident smile hidden underneath her mask, Sunset grabbed the ends of her cape and pulled them towards her, causing her to plummet downwards in a sharp dive. The wind rushed past her as she streaked towards the ground. After a few moments, she extended her cape again, catching the wind and lifting her skyward again. "WHOO HOO!!!" Sunset yelled out in excitement as she ascended. "I could get used to this!" Looking out towards the mountains and spotting the city of Canterlot, she couldn't help but laugh as she came to a realization. In a sense, she had just become an alicorn. She didn't have the magical prowess or physical strength, but she had flight, albeit a limited form of it. For now, that was enough for her. Sunset wanted nothing more than to unmask herself and just glide through the air for as long as she wanted, feeling the breeze rush past her mane. But I can't right now. There's ponies in that arena who need me. Getting her mind back on track, Mare-Do-Well steered herself towards the arena, surveying the area as she flew above it. Trixie was struggling to protect herself from the leader's relentless assault, and she could make out Vinyl and Octavia on the stage, cornered by two cloaked unicorns with their horns lit up. I'll need to take care of those punks first. Her eyes narrowing dangerously underneath her mask, Mare-Do-Well closed her cape, preparing her grapnel launcher as she dove towards her prey. Trixie stumbled backwards, deflecting another magical blast from the stallion in front of her. "Come on, Trixie!" the stallion mocked. "Show me just how great and powerful you are!" Trixie slowly looked up, breathing heavily as she glared furiously at her opponent. Go ahead, keep on laughing. Let's see who's laughing when I shove my hat right up your- "What's wrong? Too much for you?" her opponent shouted as he let loose with another barrage of magic shots. Trixie ducked back behind her barrier, straining with effort to keep it raised. "Is that the best you can do?" she sneered. "Why don't you face Trixie like a stallion? Just you and me, a magic duel!" "But technically, that would be fighting back," the stallion mused as he fired off three more shots, prompting Trixie to raise her barrier again. "Besides, as great as it would be to see you flounder like you did in your last duel, I find this to be far more entertaining." "Why, because you're too much of a coward to fight Trixie head on?" Trixie retorted with a smirk. "Ha ha ha!" the stallion bellowed. "Me, a coward? That's rich coming from somepony who claimed to have taken down an Ursa Major all by herself, only to run with her tail between her legs when a Minor stomps into town!" "Admit it, you're scared of The Great And Powerful Trixie!" the showmare shot back. "You had an all-powerful amulet at your disposal, and you couldn't even handle a bunch of ponies playing dress-up! Why would anypony be scared of you?" Trixie just laughed loudly, a cocky grin forming on her face as she answered the question with one of her own. "Why else would you threaten to hurt my friends if I fought back?" "Your friends?" The cloaked stallion turned towards Vinyl and Octavia, both of whom were glaring defiantly at their captor. "So these aren't just two nopony musicians who do your bidding?" "You shut your trap!" Vinyl shouted, her glare piercing through her shades. "I've known Trixie since we were fillies, and she could take all you punks on! When she says she's great and powerful, she's not bluffing: she means it!" "Oh really?" the cloaked stallion asked, raising his eyebrow in amusement. "Trixie's been improving her magic ever since her run-in with the Alicorn Amulet," Octavia replied, crossing her forehooves. "I'd wager that she's almost on the same level as Twilight Sparkle before she became an alicorn. You ruffians don't stand a chance against her, and you know it. That's why you've been forcing her to play defense by threatening to hurt us if she retaliates. You're scared of what she could potentially do to you." "Besides..." Trixie added, catching everypony's attention. She was glancing upwards with a smirk on her face, chuckling to herself. "If you think I'm scary... well, something even scarier just arrived." At that instant, a dark figure swooped down from above, knocking one of the hooded unicorns down with a dive kick. Without hesitation, she turned towards the other, firing her grapnel launcher. "What the-?!" her opponent blurted out as the claw shot out, grabbing onto his cloak. Before he knew what was happening, he was jerked forward violently, his face meeting the figure's hind hooves as she spun around and delivered a solid buck to his muzzle. The impact sent him flying a couple feet, hitting the ground with a hard thud. "Ooh... that's new," Octavia muttered as she watched the claw retract into the launcher on the costumed mare's forehoof. "Ugh..." The unicorn that was knocked down earlier slowly began to regain her senses, only to be immediately stomped into unconsciousness. "Yeah!" Vinyl shouted, jabbing her hoof at the remaining cloaked ponies. "You're about to get yours, punks!" "BEHOLD!!!" Trixie declared loudly, rearing up on her hind legs as Vinyl let out a whistle and Octavia clapped her hooves together. Their savior straightened her fedora as she turned towards Star Gazer's followers, her cape flowing behind her and a sly grin visible through her mask. "THE MYSTERIOUS MARE-DO-WELL!!!" The Mysterious Mare-Do-Well couldn't help but chuckle at Trixie's grand announcement as she crouched down into a battle stance, ready to fight. "Did you miss me?"