My Little Investigations: Marehunter

by Metool Bard

Prologue: Introductions All Around (T)

Author's Note:

((OOC: Yeah, you all know the drill at this point. I won't be responding to comments as the characters unless you have something relevant to say, and please mark spoilers in spoilers tags, like so. Also, because I can't emphasize this enough, it is highly recommend that you check out the other stories in the series before reading this one. Lastly, please make note of the POV Codex in the long description, as I will make constant use of if throughout this tale.))

I just want to make something clear before we start. I understand that some of you may be excited or nervous (or nervo-cited, as Pinkie would call it) about me addressing you like this. To those who feel this way, I ask that you relax. I want to keep things as informal as possible, at least between us. If anything, it'll give all of us one less thing to worry about. Thank you.

Now then, allow me to introduce myself. For the very very very very few who don't know me (and no, that's not an exaggeration), I am Princess Twilight Sparkle. My formal title is the Princess of Friendship, and it is my royal duty to spread the magic of friendship all across Equestria. Of course, this role was not given to me by divine right. I had to earn it through many trials and tribulations. Heck, I wasn't even the most social pony in the world growing up; far from it as a matter of fact. It wasn't until I first came to Ponyville that I truly discovered what it really meant to have friends outside my family, and how much those friendships mean to me.

Now, I have a lot of friends. There are of course the five ponies who sit on my Royal Cabinet: Private Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Rarity, and Fluttershy. They are the ones who first taught me about the value of friendship. But over the years, I've become acquainted with many other ponies, as well. In fact, everypony in Ponyville knows my name (and no, it's not just because I'm a princess. Although that may be a factor in some cases). While these friendships aren't as strong as the one I share with my Royal Cabinet, I still consider these bonds to be friendships. I even have a chart showing how strong of a bond I share with everypony I know.

...

What? Don't look at me like that. I'm the Princess of Friendship. I have to keep my friendships organized, don't I?

Anyway, I digress. I want to focus on one friend in particular. A friend who is brave, noble, and modest to a fault. A friend who protects ponies who are in peril. A friend not just to me, but to Wonderbolts, musicians, and jewelers alike.

Her name is the Mysterious Mare-Do-Well. And I fear that she is in terrible danger right now.

I feel I should start at the beginning and give you all some background. Most good stories start at the beginning, after all (except those that start in media res, but again, I digress), and this story should be no exception. I first met Mare-Do-Well many moons ago; long before I earned my wings and my crown. I remember it like it was yesterday...

***
January 19, 11:19 PM
Ponyville
Golden Oak Library
***

I was sitting at my desk, sipping a hot cup of earl grey tea and brushing up on some new spells Princess Celestia had sent me a few days before. It was pretty late at night, but one thing you have to know about me is that I was never a pony who went to bed on time. I know it's not the healthiest habit in the world, but I can't help it. I've always enjoyed late-night reading ever since I was a foal. And besides, I knew Celestia wouldn't have sent me these books unless they were important, so I had to make sure I had each spell memorized. That's just the way I do things.

Anypony who knows me knows that when I read, I really get absorbed in what I'm reading. Once I dive into a book, that book is pretty much all I'm focusing on. I can't risk getting distracted and losing my place, after all. As such, I tend to tune out pretty much everything that's going on around me. Again, not a great habit to fall into, but when it's late at night, it's usually not a problem. But this particular night was an exception as my pet owl, Owlowicious, started hooting right in my ear to get my attention.

"Huh, wha?" I said, shaking myself as I was brought back to reality. "What is it, Owlowicious?"

Owlowicious said nothing, but instead pointed a wing towards the front door. It was then that I heard a light tap coming from it. I arched an eyebrow.

"Now who could that be at this hour?" I mused, getting up from my desk. As quietly as I could, I walked over to the door and opened it ever so slowly. When I saw who it was, I gasped.

Standing before me was a strange-looking pony. She was wearing a black, skintight outfit with a mask covering her face, a long, purple cape, and a wide-brimmed hat. I had not seen that costume for many moons. It was the costume of the Mysterious Mare-Do-Well; a creation made by my friend, Rarity. But I didn't know what to make of this new pony wearing that outfit.

See, many moons ago, my friend Rainbow Dash was a huge braggart. Well, technically, she still is, but there was once a time when it was just out of control. She performed these acts of heroism all over town and just got a swelled head about the whole thing. So to show her the error of her ways, my friends and I forged a new hero who would be modest and humble, thus teaching Rainbow Dash a lesson in humility. We called this hero the Mysterious Mare-Do-Well. However, that was a long time ago, and nopony had used the costumes since Rainbow Dash learned her lesson.

Then something clicked in my mind. A little over a week before, Rarity received an anonymous order for the Mare-Do-Well costume. She was paid for the commission, but up until this moment, there was no way of knowing who the client was. I had been investigating the matter along with a local weatherpony named Raindrops, and it seemed that I would finally get an answer.

"Um, can I help you?" I asked.

The stranger said nothing, instead opting to avert her eyes. I couldn't tell because of the mask obscuring her features, but she seemed a bit, nervous. I tried again.

"Are you the one who commissioned a Mare-Do-Well costume from Carousel Boutique a few days ago?" I inquired.

"No," said the stranger in a hoarse whisper.

I tilted my head. "Then, why are you wearing that costume? Only six costumes like that exist in Equestria, and five of them belong to me and my friends. The sixth was commissioned by an anonymous client. Ergo, by process of elimination, I deduce that the client could only have been you."

"Well, it wasn't," said the stranger. "Listen, I'm here because I have a favor to ask of you."

"Don't change the subject," I said brusquely. "I still don't know who you are."

"Oh, right. I apologize," said the stranger, clearing her throat. "You can simply refer to me as the Mysterious Mare-Do-Well."

I blinked in confusion. "Uh, what are you talking about? That can't be your real name. The Mysterious Mare-Do-Well isn't a real pony."

"It's the only name I know," said Mare-Do-Well with a shrug. "Look, somepony told me you could help me with something. You are Twilight Sparkle, correct?"

I furrowed my brow. This situation was getting weirder and weirder by the second, and I really didn't know what to make of it.

"Um, yes. That's me," I said as I braced myself for whatever was coming next. "What do you need me for?"

"Tell me, Twilight Sparkle. Do you know what a ponunculus is?"

The term sounded vaguely familiar, but I couldn't quite put my hoof on it.

"Just a moment," I said, turning to Owlowicious. "Owlowicious, would you mind bring a few books down?"

Owlowicious complied, bringing down books as quietly as he could so as not to wake up Spike, my number one assistant. One of Spike's biggest pet peeves is being woken up in the middle of the night, which is understandable. He's a baby dragon, after all, and he needs his rest. That's why I have Owlowicious helping me at night. I took the first book on the pile, The Principles of Alchemy, and started skimming through it. It wasn't long before I found what I was looking for.

"Ah, here we are," I said, reading from the passage. "'A ponunculus is an artificial pony created through alchemy. Alchemists mainly use ponunculi as a source of labor or companionship. This high-level spell requires the following ingredients...'"

"I think you get the picture," said Mare-Do-Well, cutting across me. "So, if you know about ponunculi, then you must know what this is."

She reached into her cloak and pulled out a vial hanging off of a necklace. The vial was generating a powerful illumination, and I couldn't quite make out what the contents were. After refreshing my memory, I knew what it was. That vial was a ponunculus core, which serves as its heart. The wheels in my head went into overdrive as I immediately made the connection.

"You mean, you're a ponunculus?" I asked.

"Indeed," said Mare-Do-Well, sounding a bit pained (I wasn't sure why). "And I need your help with this."

She pointed to her core. Shielding my eyes against the glare of the core, I took a closer look. The vial was covered with cracks and fractures of varying shapes and sizes. If something wasn't done soon, it would break. And when that happened...

At that moment, I knew what I had to do.

"There's no time to lose," I said, taking Mare-Do-Well by the hoof. "Owlowicious, go downstairs and prepare the laboratory. Mare-Do-Well, what type of pony is your structure based off of?"

"A, pegasus," said Mare-Do-Well, unfurling her wings.

"Right," I said, turning back to my book and looking up the ingredients. "Owlowicious, I'm gonna need a pegasus feather and my chemistry set, stat. Wake up Spike if you have to. This pony needs our help."

Owlowicious nodded and flew off as I led Mare-Do-Well down to the basement. I understand that it's weird for me to just help a pony I barely know, but if there's one thing I learned from my friend Fluttershy, it's that a little act of kindness can go a long way. Granted, I wouldn't exactly call saving somepony's life a little act of kindness, but you know what I mean.

***

As most ponies know, magic is a major passion of mine; right up there with reading. After all, it is my special talent, as well as the Element of Harmony I represent. As such, I know several different branches and disciplines of magic; far more than the average unicorn. And yes, that does include alchemy. But honestly, this was my first time repairing a ponunculus core. Mainly because Mare-Do-Well was the first ponunculus I ever came in contact with. Take it from me; creating new life from magic is very high-level stuff, and as such, you don't see a lot of ponunculi running around.

Alchemy in and of itself is very complex. Even simple recipes like the salve I had to create in order to repair Mare-Do-Well's core can blow up in your face if you're not careful. Which is why I made a checklist of all my ingredients before I started working. Luckily, I had just visited Ponyville's local witch doctor, Zecora, so I had pretty much everything on the checklist. The only thing missing was a pegasus feather.

While I arranged and rearranged the various elixirs in front of me, I saw Mare-Do-Well looking all fidgety out of the corner of my eye. She was sitting on a stool next to the prep table, where her core was restrained and stabilized. I decided to break the tension and strike up a conversation with her.

"So, why come to me? Couldn't your creator fix your core?" I asked, keeping an eye on my work.

Mare-Do-Well sighed and said nothing. Perhaps that question was a bit too personal.

"Um, you mentioned that a pony recommended me to you. Would I know this pony?"

Another sigh.

"You know, maybe you should lie down and conserve your energy while I repair your core," I said. "I have a bed upstairs where you could..."

"I'm fine, thank you," interrupted Mare-Do-Well, sounding quite anxious. "Just repair my core, and I'll be on my way."

I set down my flasks and turned to face her. "Uh, are you okay? You seem a bit apprehensive."

"Mmm? Oh, sorry," said Mare-Do-Well, obscuring her eyes with her hat. "I'm just, not used to this."

"Not used to what?"

"Sharing secrets."

I tilted my head. "You mean, the whole thing about you being a ponunculus was supposed to be a secret?"

"Yes," said Mare-Do-Well. "I came to you for repairs because I had no other choice."

"Well, what about your creator?"

Mare-Do-Well flinched, and the room suddenly felt colder.

"I, do not wish to discuss that," she said darkly.

"Oh, right. Sorry. I didn't mean to pry," I said, turning back to my work. "Just one question, though."

"What?"

"Was your creator the one who ordered your costume?"

There was a pause which was punctuated by a heavy sigh.

"Yes," Mare-Do-Well said as she exhaled.

"I see," said I. "I don't suppose you'd be willing to tell me any more than that, would you?"

"No, I would not," said Mare-Do-Well.

I turned my head and raised an eyebrow. "You're not very social, are you?"

Mare-Do-Well cast her eyes downward. "I, suppose you could say that," she said. "After all, I am the Mysterious Mare-Do-Well. I'm not supposed to reveal myself to others."

I had to wonder if she was designed that way, but seeing as her creation appeared to be a sensitive subject for her, I kept these thoughts to myself. Seeing as I wasn't going to get any answers that way, I changed the subject.

"So, how'd your core get damaged, anyway?" I asked. "Or, is that a personal question, too?"

"It is, somewhat," said Mare-Do-Well. "All I can say is that I was hurt in the line of duty."

Now we were getting somewhere. "The line of duty?" I parroted. "What do you mean?"

"I'm a vigilante by trade," said Mare-Do-Well. "I protect ponies who are in peril. That is my purpose."

I knitted my brow. "So, let me get this straight. Somepony heard about the original Mare-Do-Well, and wanted to make a pony just like her?"

"It's a bit more complicated than that," said Mare-Do-Well, rubbing the back of her head sheepishly. "Again, it's personal."

I sighed. "Okay then," I said, turning back to my work. Honestly, I was getting a bit frustrated. I had so many questions to ask this new Mare-Do-Well, but she didn't want to give me any answers. Was it because she was programmed to be mysterious for some reason, or was her past really painful for her to think about? At this point, either answer seemed plausible.

Just then, Owlowicious flew in, carrying a yellow pegasus feather in his beak. He landed on the table in front of me and set it down. Taking a closer look at it, I noticed that it was molted and uneven. It was probably discarded by somepony during their molting period. That was a relief. The last thing I needed during this delicate operation was an angry pony banging on my door demanding what the big idea was (not that Owlowicious would do something like that; he knows better). While I was concerned about how it would affect the salve, the book seemed to indicate that it would be fine. So, all I could do at this point was knock on wood and hope for the best.

"Thank you, Owlowicious. This'll do just fine," I said. "Alright, let's see here..."

Ever so carefully, I followed the recipe in my book step by step. No ingredient was missed, I stirred and mixed them properly, and I cooked the mixture for just the right amount of time. As the powder-blue contents of the flask began to generate their own illumination, I could tell that it was ready.

"Alright, I think this should help you," I said, levitating the flask over to the prep table. "Now, hold still. This might sting a little."

I undid the stopper in Mare-Do-Well's core before daintily pouring the contents of the flask into it. A shimmering sound came from the core as it accepted the new agent. The illumination from the core grew brighter and brighter, until it was almost like staring directly into the sun. I clamped my eyes shut and turned my head, hoping that it would work. Surprisingly, I didn't hear a single yelp of pain from Mare-Do-Well.

Finally, the light died down slightly, and the shimmering sound disappeared with it. I opened one tentative eye. Indeed, the core was still intact. Through the glare, I could already see the cracks in the vial begin to mend. The salve was a success. I let out a sigh of relief.

"There. That should do it," I said, taking the core out of the clamps and giving it to Mare-Do-Well. "It'll take a few days to mend entirely, so take it easy until then."

"I'll try," said Mare-Do-Well, placing the necklace back on. "Thank you, Ms. Sparkle."

"Don't mention it," I said as we made our way back upstairs. "Actually, you're more than welcome to stay here with me while you recover."

Mare-Do-Well obscured her eyes with her hat. "I appreciate the gesture, Ms. Sparkle. However, I must decline. I still have a job to do."

I arched an eyebrow. "Didn't you just say you'd take it easy until you fully recovered?"

"I said I'd try," Mare-Do-Well replied. "Believe me, Ms. Sparkle. I understand the risks of my profession perfectly well. But that is secondary to the safety of the innocent."

I couldn't help but remember a time when my friend Applejack had the same mentality. She wasn't playing a superhero like Mare-Do-Well was, but she prided herself in being a dependable pony that others could always count on, even when she herself needed help. So while I admired Mare-Do-Well's dedication to her purpose, I also worried that she could have the potential to overdo it like Applejack did. But unlike Applejack, I didn't feel comfortable giving her advice that she probably didn't want to hear. After all, we only just met, and she was reluctant to tell me anything about herself beyond a few details.

"Well, if that's the way you feel about it, I won't try to stop you," I said. "Just don't say I didn't warn you."

Mare-Do-Well chuckled. "I'll keep that in mind," she said. "Just, one more thing."

"What is it?"

"We may meet again. Like I said, I understand the dangers of my profession, and I expect my core to get damaged quite frequently. You don't mind, do you, Ms. Sparkle?"

I still wanted to know why she couldn't go to her creator for this kind of maintenance, but at this point, I was too tired to argue.

"Um, sure. I suppose that's okay," I said.

"Thank you," said Mare-Do-Well with a bow. "And you won't tell anypony about me, will you?"

"My lips are sealed," I said with a nod. Since I didn't find out anything about the identity of Rarity's anonymous client besides the fact that he (or she) is apparently an alchemist, there wasn't much to tell, anyway.

"Thank you again," said Mare-Do-Well. "I'm glad I can trust somepony else with my secret."

I assumed that she was talking about her creator, but given how little I knew about that, I wasn't so sure. Before I could ask her anything else, I heard a voice from upstairs.

"Twilight?"

I looked up and saw Spike at the top of the stairs, holding his blanket over his shoulder and rubbing the sleep from his eyes. I blushed and flattened my ears.

"Oh. Hi, Spike," I said sheepishly. "I woke you up, didn't I? I'm sorry."

"Yeah, you should be," Spike said groggily. "I was in the middle of the best ice cream dream I've ever had. Who were you talking to, anyway?"

"Oh, actually, I was talking to—"

I gestured with my hoof, but when I turned around, Mare-Do-Well was gone. This was very odd, seeing as I didn't even hear her leave. One moment she was there, and as soon as I turned my back, she just up and vanished. She really must be dedicated to living up to her name.

"Yes?" said Spike, tapping his foot.

I sighed. "Never mind. It's nothing," I said. "Just, go back to sleep. I'll be up in a moment."

"I'm holding you to that, Twi," said Spike with a yawn. "You shouldn't stay up so late. It's making you see things."

I knew deep down that this wasn't the case, but because of my promise to Mare-Do-Well, I simply shrugged and headed on upstairs. But all the while, I couldn't stop thinking about her.

***

Since that day, Mare-Do-Well had indeed become an occasional visitor of mine. She would always arrive in the dead of night, and her core would always be in desperate need of repair. What's more, I never saw her leave. Not once. I'd just be looking somewhere else for a moment, and when I turned around, she was gone. I grew used to it after a while, but I still had to question if it was absolutely necessary.

As I started to gain her trust through her visits, I learned more about her. At it turned out, her creator didn't want her to be a hero. She was initially designed as an assassin to kill the Wonderbolts. For reasons I don't quite understand, she found herself unable to follow her creator's orders and instead went to aid the Wonderbolts in fending off this threat. And thus, she's been a hero ever since. This might be the first time a ponunculus openly defied its creator. Nothing in my books has ever covered such a phenomenon.

I heard about many more of her exploits from the news, word of mouth, and occasionally the mare herself. The most noteworthy incidents that come to mind are the attempted sabotage of the Manehattan Music Festival and the protection racket that was set up right here in Ponyville. Of course, the news outlets never figured out the truth behind this vigilante. Sometimes, her involvement wasn't mentioned at all. All ponies knew was that she was a hero you could always rely on.

The last time she dropped in for a visit at my house was at the beginning of autumn, just before the Running of the Leaves. I didn't see her again until this year's Grand Galloping Gala, which is where our story really begins...

Comments

[Prophet]

FIRST COMMENT BITCHES!!!!! Haha, that wasn't my point, but great first chapter and I look forward to reading more this story. Good luck.

[Mystic Deadman]

Wait...I'm worried about one thing:
If this is a multi-POV story, is this the end of the MLI series?

[Metool Bard]

4448263 Indeed, this is the last case of the Mare-Do-Well Files. Don't worry, though. I'll make sure it ends on a strong note.

That being said, the possibility of another MLI series is not out of the question.

[theNDinspector]

It was pretty late at night, but one thing you have to know about me is that I was never a pony who went to bed on time. I know it's not the healthiest habit in the world, but I can't help it. I've always enjoyed late-night reading ever since I was a foal.

I know what you mean Twilight, considering I'm starting to read this well past midnight.

[Ri2]

Twilight, you should try not looking away when she leaves. Or maybe hang bells or rig the doors and windows so they'll go off when she tries to exit without saying goodbye.

[SilverDiamond]

This is the last one. And seeing that this is an old series - let me guess. You will give us different clues, but the real bad guy will be someone else? Ok, then.