Heroes

by Kingsly

Introductions

It was Nightmare Night, a time for fun and merry making. But this year, Twilight was running late.

“Come on Twilight! Forget the costume! We’ve got a party to get to!”
Twilight scurried about her house. She was up late last night reading a new book, and had completely forgotten to prepare a costume for the party she and her friends had been invited to at Canterlot castle.

“If you don’t hurry, the last train to Canterlot is going to leave without us!” The voice of Rainbow dash called up from outside her house below.

“Im am hurrying!”

Twilight threw open the last chest in her storage closet.

“No... No... No! Nothing! And all the costume stores will be closed by now...” She hurried down the stairs, pushing open the door to her musty basement. Tree roots lined the ceiling, and cobwebs covered the corners. Pushing aside cardboard boxes, she looked for anything. A very dusty chest in the far corner met her eyes. She blasted the lock apart with her magic, in an attempt to open the dusty chest.

“Woops.” She wheezed, dust flew about, and chunks of thin metal impaled themselves in the ground around her. She waved her hoof around, dispersing the choking dust. She peered in the chest and gasped quietly.

“My Mare Do Well costume! I remember this.” She smiled pleasantly at the memories she had at teaching Rainbow Dash a lesson in gloating. She grabbed the bundle with her magic and raced up the stairs. She tossed the bundle in her waiting saddle bag, and dashed out the door to her waiting friends.

“Took you long enough, We almost left without you!”

. . .
The train carts rattled about, as Twilight sat in the small bathroom, with the door locked. She looked at the costume she held out in front of her. It was rather boyish, but was well designed. Much more suited to the lifestyle of a superhero than that of a costume for a party. The suit was built for one with both wings and a horn, making her, and Alicorn, the perfect wearer. She shook loose particles of dust, then quickly threw it on. She pulled the mask over her head with a final tug, strained the tie of her cape, and topped her head with the wide brimmed hat that finished the costume. She pushed open the bathroom door with a swift flourish.

“Ladies!” She announced boldly. A collective gasp filled the room.

“AHH! It’s Mare Do Well! I can’t go back to prison!” Pinkie Pie hollered, ducking beneath her train seat.

“Oh darling, I can’t believe you kept that old thing! What was I thinking making it? Those are last years colors!” Rarity hollered, disgracing herself. Twilight pulled back the mask, holding the hat with her magic.

“This was what I could come up with on short notice. I am feeling a little nostalgia though.” Twilight said, having a seat. The train's brakes began to screech as the train began to slow to a stop.

“Last stop for Canterlot!” A conductor outside of the cart announced to the train.

“Time to party girls!” Pinkie Pie hollered, emerging from beneath her chair once again.

“First, we get to the castle.” Twilight reminded her.

“Oh... Right.”

. . .
Twilight hiccuped quietly, stumbling her way down the streets of Canterlot. The party was behind her, crazy as ever with somepony like Pinkie Pie behind it. But Celestia was so darn pushy with those colorful drinks of her’s, that Twilight MAY be a little tipsy. Nothing a little fresh air couldn't handle. She pulled down the Mare Do Well mask, breathing in fresh air. She stopped and sat on a bench, gulping in air, her hat taking up the other half of the bench. A gust of wind whirled past, taking her hat with it.

“My hat!” Twilight cried out, racing after it. A hoof from an alleyway suddenly shot out, grabbing the hat in one swift motion. Twilight stopped, her mask had slid back in place during her sprint. A Colt wearing a white mask held out the hat, his cloak fluttering in the faint breeze.

“I believe this is yours, my dear.” He said in a smooth voice, holding out the hat.

“Thanks!” She grabbed the hat, and put it on snugly, pushing the brim out of her eyes. But the colt was gone!

“Hay! Where did...” She trailed off, confused. She couldn't have imagined him. A sudden scream from down the street made her stop.

“Somepony help me!”

Twilight raced down the street, turning into the small alley, when she gasped. A mare was being pushed up against a wall by three colts.

“What do you say pretty little lady, How about we forget the cash and you just come home with me?”

“Somepony help me!” She screamed again.

“Get away from her!” Mare do Well hollered out. The three thugs looked at the masked pony questioningly.

“And who are you supposed to be? Some escapee from the loony bin?” The main thug said, releasing his grip on the mare, who quickly ran away.

“I am the terror that trots in the night! I am Mare Do Well!” Twilight cried out, remembering the chant.

“You know, I think it would be more fun to beat on you instead!” The thug hollered, racing towards her. Twilight thought quickly, and used her magic to grip a discarded pipe. She brought it up forcefully, causing the assaulting Colt to collapse. She reared up, and kicked the next thug. She readied her pipe for the third thug.

“Come at me br-” Her taunt was quickly silenced as the first thug grabbed her from behind, choking her with the held pipe.

“You’ll pay for that you little creep. Rocky! Show this little pest how we repay them!”
The colt she was about to hit pulled out a knife from his belt. Nearing her. He smiled wickedly as he held up the knife, mimicking slashing movements.

“Let’s make her bleed!” A sudden flash of black raced between the two, hurdling the knife high in the air. The masked pony from before quickly tripped the pony who now clutched nothing but air. He grabbed the falling knife, stabbing it into his throat with a shower of blood. He reached out, punching the pony choking Twilight, dropping her. Pushing her aside, he kicked him swiftly, flying him towards his friend. The second thug ran, leaving the first to fend for himself.

“Another masked weirdo? I’ll kill you both!” He charged stampeding towards them with pure muscle. The masked pony side stepped him, holding out a hoof, effectively Clotheslining him. He fell to the ground coughing, but was lifted up by the masked pony. He gripped his throat, choking him.

“Stop! You’ll kill him!” Twilight cried out. The masked pony turned his head, the empty eyes of his mask staring at her. He let go, and wiped his cloak out with a flourish. Twilight closed her eyes, bracing herself. She opened her eyes. She was no longer in the filthy alley way, but now stood above on the rooftops looming over head. She looked about, laying her eyes on the masked pony that saved her.

“You... You saved me!” She cried out.

“How ironic that a hero would be the one needing to be saved. I do hope your allrigh... My dear.” He said in a hushed voice.

“Who are you?”

“Who? Who is but the form following the function of what, and what I am is a mare in a mask.”

“Well, I can see that.”

“Of course you can. I'm not questioning your powers of observation, i'm merely remarking upon the paradox of asking a masked mare who he is.”

“Oh, right.”

“It does not matter who I am you see, as my tale is not as thrilling a read as yours might be. You are Mare Do Well, as you so boldly call yourself. You have never shown your self before, and that enough proves that this is your first night donning that costume, and choosing to, quote on quote, ‘clean the streets of Canterlot’ I am willing to venture. But, tonight is a special night. Nightmare Night. Perhaps you are just a mare from a party, who has had too much to drink, and thought that she herself could be a hero. Either choice is perfectly plausible. But tonight is just a mistake perhaps, something you will never venture again, the risk of saving others is that of your own life! Or perhaps, you will continue this adventure of yours. I am what your modern literature would call an ‘Anti-Hero’ saving the good with the purge of the evil. You may call me ‘K’ over other names you may hear, my dear.” K introduced himself with a flourish, pulling off his own hat in a curtsy. He replaced his hat, on top of a mop of a unnaturally straight mane. A porcelain mask covers his face, a wicked smile permanently fixed in the glass, with dark eyes that pierced even the night. He wore a simple black tunic, and a belt weighed down with knives, and a cloak that flapped about.

“You must be crazy or something.”

“I'm quite sure they would say so.”

Author's Note:

K, based off the character V by Alan Moore
Just to make sure i'm not plagiarizing anything