• Published 13th Mar 2014
  • 3,351 Views, 69 Comments

Mare-Do-Well Strikes! - Magenta Cat



A new Mare-Do-Well rises from the shadows, but who is under the mask? Just a lunatic running around in a costume? Or a truthful guardian angel protecting the innocent and punishing the guilty?

  • ...
5
 69
 3,351

Mare-Do-Well Strikes! #1. She's back!

-Cover concept:

Exterior, Ponyville's entrance, night and raining, there's a shot of Mare-Do-Well right side with her hat covering her face and holding the mask in one of her hooves standing in front of the sign 'Welcome to Ponyville'.

***

-Ponyville, right that moment in the night when you don't know if it's too late or too early to be awake.

It was a dark and stormy night.

Yeah right, I'm not gonna fall on that cliché. Okay here's the actual story and pay attention, this is gonna be one hell of a ride, now where was I?... Oh yeah, that night, okay here we go.

It was a dark and quiet night, new moon in the sky, perfect to go around without being noticed and it seemed that somepony decided to take advantage of that. Three stallions wearing full bodysuits with biker's helmets walked down the streets to the shopping district in complete silence. They stopped in front of a building with a sign that read 'Sparkling Stars' over a window that showed some elegant pieces of jewelry. One of the stallions drew from a pocket on his suit a glass cutter as the other two looked to both sides of the street to ensure that there were no witnesses, with the skill of experience the first one cut a perfect circle in the glass so they could retrieve the species from the counter and put them into a pair of bags. When the counter was finally empty, the three of them ran away with what easily was ten thousand bits in jewelry.

They climbed an apartment building through its fire escape to the rooftop so they could rest for a while and also count the profit of their crime, one of them took off his helmet and suit to show a dark brown coat and a light cream mane, the others did the same, one was orange with brown mane and the other gray with black respectively, the three of them were pegasi.

"Didn't I tell you?" The brown one said. "Now we fly back to Cloudsdale and we won't need to worry about money for a while."

"I still can't believe how easy it was." The orange one replied chuckling.

"Too bad for you that the easy part ends here."

***

FIMFiction (not so) proudly presents:
Welcome to modern-day Ponyville, where a mare believes in the right of society to be protected from those who want to break them, with no regard for restraint or the law. Now, the entire city wants to know who she is. Just a lunatic running around in a costume? Or a truthful guardian angel protecting the innocent and punishing the guilty? The only thing sure is that...

Mare-Do-Well Strikes!
in
The beginning of tomorrow.

Written by Wave 'finally starting this story' Blaster.
Proofread by 5thWriter 'being a good friend'.
Creative consult by JB 'how did I get here?' von Herb.
Edited by TheInvincibleIronBrony 'doesn't know how he was dragged here neither'.
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic created by Lauren Faust (and others I suppose).
High Hopes's name by Chad 'CR' Rocco and used with permission (I hope he likes it).
Based on concepts from DC, Marve-- who I'm kidding? Based on concepts from almost everywhere but mostly comics and movies.
Copyrights lololol.

***

The three of them turned to the left to see a figure standing in front of them, it was wearing a mauve suit with a purple cape, gloves and hat. The orange pony was the first to react, smiling in amusement as he approached the mystery pony.

"What are you supposed to be?" He asked as he pulled out a knife. "Go away and we won't hurt you." The other two finally snapped out of their confusion and walked next to their boss.

"It's funny." It said clearly sounding like a mare. "When I put on this costume I was sure that everypony in Ponyville already knew who I was." Not showing the slightest sign of fear she jumped at the pony in front of her, punching his knife out of his hoof and kicking him in the chest making him go back in pain coughing.

"*pant* get *coff* her." Immediately the other two ran to attack the mysterious pony.

"Wanna attack me, seriously?" The caped pony taunted as she dodged their hooves without moving from her spot. "At least try to put up a fight. It looks like you're not even trying." The grey pegasus took flight to charge at her from above. "Now that's a little better." She jumped using his brown companion as supporting point to deliver a devastating kick to the flying pony's face, knocking him out. "One less, two left." The orange one finally caught his breath just in time to witness how the mare landed on his companion's back forcing him to hit the floor and knocking him unconscious too. He grabbed one of the bags and flew as fast a he could.

"Trying to escape? Now that's smarter." The masked pony said as she reached for her belt drawing an object that looked like a modified crossbow and shot it at the stallion, the arrow was pointless, instead it had a sphere that opened in midair to spread a net that trapped the pegasus and made him fall back on the rooftop. When the trapped pony was back on reach the mare took him by the shoulders and forced him against a wall, glaring him. He tried to make out a face under that mask but the only thing he could see was a pair of goggles looking at him as if they could see his very soul behind his eyes.

"What do you want?" He asked terrified.

"I am every innocent you have ever hurt before." He could feel ice in his veins as she spoke. "I am that nightmare that awakes you in sheer terror."

"P-please, let me go." Tears started to flow from the stallions eyes and he was trembling with fear.

"I am." She raised her voice. "Quite convincing, don't you think?" She said in a more relaxed tone.

And there goes the atmosphere.

"Don't be so scared, I'm not gonna hurt ya." He dared to open his eyes again just to find those same goggles but this time they looked completely different, like 'Kind?'

"But I can't let you steal from an honest working pony neither, now can I? After all I'm a hero." The mask moved at the mouth level in what looked like a smile. "Now I'm gonna leave you and your friends here for the PPD's and you will pay your debt to society so maybe one day you can be productive members of it again."

But she was interrupted by a door being kicked open. "Freeze!" A yellow and cyan pegasus wearing a blue vest with a golden badge entered shouting followed by two other ponies. The three of them had their guns in their hooves and pointed to the pegasi and the masked pony in front of them.

"Nice to see some good timing." She nodded putting a hoof on her hat . "Detective Raindrops, officers, failed thieves." Her other hoof kicked the ground of the rooftop and a smokescreen covered the mare. When the smoke dissipated she was already gone leaving only a presentation card, Raindrops lifted the small card from the ground, it was white on one side and black on the other, on the white was written.

'Lightning can illuminate a hope for the innocent...'

And on the black side. ''...and can give the guilty something to fear."

A bulky white pegasus wearing the same vest and badge at her right asked. "What the hell was that?" Raindrops simply replied. "A lot of paperwork if you ask me."

***

-The next day in the morning.

SHE'S BACK!
Mysterious Mare-Do-Well strikes again.

Twilight and her friends were completely shocked when they came back from Canterlot just to see the name 'Mare-Do-Well' in almost every front page they saw. After buying a copy of The Beacon, Twilight went to the page of the full article to find out about various sightings of a pony using the Mare-Do-Well identity running around Ponyville last night.

"According to various witnesses last night a mysterious pony, presumably a mare, assaulted in various activities of questionable legality in different places around the commercial district of Ponyville. The police refused to confirm or deny the presence of a vigilante." Twilight read for her friends, all of them reacting with awe at the news, especially Rainbow Dash.

"Hold a sec, yer tellin' me that while we're outta town some crazy pony was doin' the Mare-Do-Well stuff again?" Applejack was surprised to say the least. Rarity, Fluttershy and Twilight seemed just as confused, however Rainbow showed a completely different expression. Anger.

"Who the buck is doing this?!." All of her friends looked back at her as well as other ponies nearby, she noticed this and calmed down as Pinkie put a hoof over her shoulder.

"Did I do something wrong?" Whispered the rainbow maned pegasus.

"Beg your pardon darling?"

"The last time you did that Mare-Do-Well thing, it was to teach me a lesson." They looked down, none of them liked to remember that situation again. "Did I make another mistake?" Some tears pouring from her cheeks, not sad or angry tears but tears of complete fear, the fear of letting down her friends.

Twilight walked next to her to offer comfort. "No Rainbow, we're the ones who made a huge mistake doing that. That very same night we all promised to never do something like this again." The cyan pony looked at her friends, they all nodded at the same time, Pinkie even doing the steps of the Pinkie Promise. That didn't calm her but gave her another focus to direct her anger.

"What kind of mad pony would be doing this anyways?" Twilight put a hoof under her chin to think before saying.

"I don't know, but I promise you that I will find out."

***

-Ponyville Gazette's offices, afternoon.

The Ponyville Gazette was one of the towns first buildings and also the first to be meant only for business. Since it's construction the newspaper survived almost unchanged through Ponyville's 'uncommon' history but that didn't concern only the physical place, every pony and the additional non equine employees worked hard not only to deliver the news to the ponies but also to keep them honest as true fighters for the truth. Sometimes the occasional businesspony tried to buy the Gazette to make it his own personal propaganda machinery or some amoral ponies tried to sell rumors without proof to gain easy money, but every time the different editors said the paper's motto. 'Veritas Prima.' "Truth first."

But one thing was to tell the truth and another completely different was to find it. In the meeting room a stallion was talking to the main news team.

"Well, let see what headline our distinguished competition has this morning..." While holding a copy of a newspaper in his grayish green coated hoof, it was The Beacon showing the headline 'SHE'S BACK!' with the subheading 'Mysterious Mare-Do-Well strikes again' followed by a hoofmade sketch of a pony wearing a set of cape, hat and mask, he put down the copy and raised another paper.

"Ah. Let see what The Journal has this morning?" This time it was The Pony Journal with the letters. 'MASKED PRODIGY AMAZES TOWN.' With a black and white photo instead of subheading, it was long distance shot of a caped figure in a rooftop but completely covered in shadow leaving only the silhouette to be seen.

"And what did The Ponyville Gazette decided to publish this morning?" Asked the stallion with as he showed the ponies gathered in the room a copy of their own paper using both hooves, the paper had the headline. 'PONYVILLE, FROM TOWN TO CITY.' Accompanied by the subheading. 'Equestrian Urbanization Program include expanding the town into a full city.' Followed by a photo of the town hall. He took a whiff of a half-finished cigar before continuing.

"A lame story." A trail of smoke escaped from his mouth. "A lame story and we didn't even had a decent picture to put along with it." Taking a moment to look at the staff in front of him. "So my question is..." He threw the copy of the Gazette over his shoulder with his right hoof, smashed the table with the left one and shouted. "What is our front page today?!"

After a while, Green Loch calmed himself rubbing his dark blue mane with a hoof before talking again. "Very well everypony, listen. I want to know everything, quick." He pointed a hoof at one of the ponies near to him. "Action Shot, I want to see photos of her everywhere, no! I want a great photo. Society, how are ponies reacting to this? Fashion, is the cape and hat a new trend? Economy, will this affect the market? short and long term. Politics, does she stand for love, tolerance and harmony or something else." He stopped for a moment, everpony in the room was already taking notes or planning how to fill their boss's requests. "Ponies, Mare-Do-Well is back." Everypony went dead silent to look at him, his face showed a total disbelief of what he just said, he snapped out of it to shout again. "What are you waiting for? A raise? Go go go!" Everypony stormed out of the room to their respective workplaces, Loch calmly walked behind them exiting the office to the newsroom. "*Sniff sniff* Ahhh, I love the smell of fear in a newsroom."

***

-Somewhere else, near sunset.

Grey.

No, not the color, the feeling. That was how High Hopes was feeling recently.

She was always a filly well known for always looking on the bright side of life, as her name suggested, she usually had great expectations for the world around her and was common for the ponies around her to be in a better mood after finding her cheerful and bright personality, that was how most ponies saw her. Butthe filly, a few months younger than twelve, already knew a feeling that was mostly reserved for the older and wiser grown ups.

Disappointing.

It happened around a year ago, in the same day she learned what a hero was, how does it looks and finally that there's no such thing.

The first two things came from a pony who saved her without asking for anything back neither bragging about doing it. The rest of the day she witnessed more heroics actions from her savior. Rainbow Dash rousing personality and her heroism captivated the filly's mind. She wanted to know about more heroes. That thought made her went to the library, first looking for historical books in the search for more heroes but her ability to concentrate wasn't in the tone of searching for endless pages of text so it was easy to lose focus every one or two paragraphs.

Twilight was there discussing with her friends about Rainbow Dash. that name caught her ear, so she asked them how to be more like her.

"Ah don't know kid, but ya don't need to be like Dash to be a good pony." Was the first respond.

"Indeed, she's good but you can be as good as her by your own." Added that white unicorn that made that beautiful dress for her mother last month. Those answers made her rethink about being like Rainbow Dash but not about being a hero. After a while she finally asked the question that she really wanted to do.

"What does it takes to be a hero?" An innocent question from an innocent child who just wanted to reach an impossible dream.

The older mares looked at each other, then at her and finally answered. To be a hero one has to be honest, do always the right thing, stand for those who can't stand by themselves, to wear nice costumes? Well, that's what you get for asking Pinkie Pie. After that she went to her home, thinking very deep about what she was just told. In the road home she heard someone calling for help.

It was a pony falling from the sky in a balloon. At first it seemed like nopony was listening till the last second when Hopes could saw Rainbow Dash flying at full speed to save the falling mare but also in the last second somepony else did it.

The masked pony, later named Mare-Do-Well, captivated the filly as much as Rainbow Dash did. Where the rainbow flyer inspired her to be a better pony, the masked one ignited her imagination to a level only a full innocent and idealistic pony would ever go. The next day she even wrote a school report about growing up to be a super hero to help other just like Mare-Do-Well, also her room was now filled with posters and other stuff related to the masked pony. She was living the dream of having an ideal hero in the real world.

And then, it happened.

During the thank you parade for Mare-Do-Well she was in the very first row watching in awe for her hero to appear. But instead she saw how Rainbow Dash, her other hero, chased Mare-Do-Well out of the stage. Instead of just standing dumbfounded like the rest of the town, High Hopes ran behind her two heroines expecting to see how they just shrugged their differences and teamed up just like in those comic books she liked to read. When she finally catch up with them she saw something completely different.

It turned out that all that Mare-Do-Well thing was just a very complicated stunt to teach Rainbow Dash a lesson in humility. There was never a Mare-Do-Well, just different ponies taking a role for the show. She never felt so cheated in her short life, it was all a lie.

Now, one year later, she still couldn't forget that sensation. This has made her more quiet and less idealistic, making her friends not calling her Hopes anymore but instead using only her middle name, Aura. She never complained about it.


-Ponyville park, nightfall.

Aura and Dinky were walking back home after attending at Pinkie's "Cutie Mark Crusaders national heroes" party. These days only Dinky had enough patience to take Aura out of her usual quietness.

After crossing the main park they turned south to the building where they apartments were one next to the other when a group of young stallions started to walk behind them. At first it seemed just like a coincidence but Dinky felt that something was off so she nudged Aura to make her go faster, the same did they. The fillies started to run and they chased them. They tried to lose them turning at random direction in every corner but they were faster so it didn't took that much before they could catch with them and stopping right in front the fillies making both to stop dead in their tracks.

"Well, well, well, what have we here?" The one right in front of them said. "Say, what are couple of fillies doing out this late?" The rest of the group just laughed at that, they were five stallion no older than twenty, all of them were wearing the same leather jacket like being part of a gang. The one speaking had piercings on his ears and nose giving him a completely terrifying aspect for a couple of eleven years old fillies making them to cover their heads and shut down their eyes. He raised one hoof to step closer to them.

But he never made that step.

Instead, a figure covered in shadows tackled him to the ground and stomped a hoof on his head. The double impact of hoof-pavement was too much for the pony's head and he went unconscious. When his companions finally reacted the shadow was already gone.

"What-- What the hell was that?" Said one of them as all retrieved a gun from their jackets, the classic beretta 22, and pointed them in every direction. An arrow flew from nowhere and hit one of the 22's in the barrel, knocking it out of it's owner hooves.

"It should be obvious." Another arrow, another gun. "All the newspapers but one put my return to town on the front page after all." Two more shots could be heard as the last two guns felt far away from the group of ponies. The shadowy figure from before now landed in front of them

"Okay, I can stand some greedy robbers trying to make some easy money the wrong way." Everypony stood still by the surprise of seeing a pony silhouette raising from the shadows. "But attacking a pair of fillies? That's just asking for it." She throwed her cape aside letting the light of a nearby streetlight to reveal a mauve and purple costume.

The stallions simultaneously charged at her. The first one tried to tackle but she simply evaded him and kicked him in the side making him to trip and fall. "Wrong move." The next two tried to kick her at the same time but she ducked. "Heads up!" She used the momentum to take their hooves and forced them to follow the kick till losing their balance and falling too. The last one, instead of directly attacking her, took Aura in his forelegs with a butterfly knife near the filly's neck with Dinky petrified next to them. He didn't say anything but the message is clear.

"Whoa, calm down there." She stopped right where she was. "We don't want it to be worse than it already is."

"Shut up!" He barked. "I'm out of here, and if you even try to follow us the filly pays." Both ponies stood still.

"Okay, okay, you got me. Just let the fillies go and I will surrender." In the criminal's mind that was just a trick he wasn't going to fall for. The other raised from the floor, retrieved their guns and surrounded the caped crusader pointing three 22's at her stomach, chest and head. With the confidence that grants having a charged gun, the one holding Aura hostage released his grip on the filly and that was all the mare needed.

"That's it!" The sound of two hooves hitting the ground preceded a smokescreen that quickly expanded covering all the ponies present.Three guns fired at once but there wasn't any indication that they hit anything but the floor. From the cover that the smoke offered a gloved hoof appeared and knocked out on of the stallions, then one of them heard a whisper calling. "Here." He kicked with all his strength hitting something. He came closer to see what he hit only to discover his companion knocked down in the ground, he never saw the pair of hooves that smashed together against his ears. Finally, before the smoke could dissipate, the masked figure jumped at the pony holding the knife.

That was the last thing he could remember when he regained consciousness, jailed with his gang inside the police station.

Aura and Dinky finally opened their eyes to see something that they would remember the rest of their lives, because in front of them was a fantasy come true.

"Are you two alright?" The two of them nodded, still trying to understand what just happened. "Are you mute?" Again they responded at the same time without speaking but simply shaking their heads, Dinky had her mouth opened and Aura's eyes were threatening to pop out at any second. "So, what do you say if I take you home?" They both nodded. "Great, just wait for me to tie these guys for the police and we are leaving." She used her crossbow to shoot a net arrow that secured the knocked down ponies to the ground, then charged another one and shot it at the sky. The arrow exploded in mid air like a firework, casting an azure light that illuminated the night sky for a moments before dissipating. "Trick arrows, never leave home without them."

They walked through the empty streets of Ponyfille, after some minutes of complete silence, the masked pony broke it. "You never told me you names by the way." They looked at each other, both fillies felt like telling her savior their names.

"My-- My name is Dinky, Dinky Hooves miss." The young unicorn answered, she never expected the mare's reaction.

"So you're the daughter of Ditzy, don't you?" Dinky barely nodded. "You mother is a good mare, I hope that you are good filly with her." Dinky was too surprised that she knew about her mother to respond but the masked pony simply smirked at this. "And you little one?" Turning her head to Aura.

"I'm." She paused to think for a moment. "It's really you? Are you really her?"

Behind her mask the mystery mare raised an eyebrow, but also smiled. "Of course it's me sweetheart. Why else I would saved you if I wasn't me.?" They finally reached the apartment building where two mares were waiting outside it completely worried. When they finally stepped into the light Aura, instead of heading to her mother, hugged her savior.

"My name is High Hopes. Welcome back, Mare-Do-Well."

Author's Note:

Next issue, on Mare-DoWell Strikes!
"They call her a hero, don't they? Then you can call us the villains."

"I interviewed her like an hour ago. Everything is here. You really inspired me when I came here before, so I thought of giving the Gazette the premise."

Rainbow looked at her and said. "You!"

Mare-Do-Well Strikes! #2. The mask.

Thanks for reading, I would like to reiterate my thanks toward all those who helped me with this, from a simple commentary to a complete edition.
And don't forget to comment, questions will be answered as long as they aren't about MDW's identity, because I already told you who she is.