Mare Do Well: Rebirth

by MagnetBolt

Shadow of the Mare, Part 2

Bon-Bon looked from the armored, shrouded figure at one end of the car to the slim mare that had just stepped in.

“Two of them?” she asked.

Mare Do Well, the one in the old, worn-out costume, rushed through the group while they were paralyzed with confusion, getting between the armored pony and her prey.

“I don’t know who you are, but I’m putting a stop to this,” Mare Do Well said. “You’ve hurt too many ponies.”

“I’m fighting for justice,” the larger pony said. “Black Valintino is a blight on this city.”

“Right now, you’re the bigger problem,” Mare Do Well said. She rushed forward, her body close to the ground like a cockroach skittering across the floor, but there was something wrong, like it lacked an edge that should have been there. The armored pony jumped out of the way before Mare Do Well could strike, hopping to the wall and latching on, bladed hooves leaving deep cuts in the monorail’s steel panels.

“I thought you’d be faster,” the armored fake said, before leaping like a tiger and tackling Mare Do Well, the two rolling to the other side of the monorail car, hitting hard enough to shake the entire train.

Mare Do Well bucked the pony on top of her, trying to throw her off, but her hooves just bounced off the tough metal armor.

“I thought you’d be stronger, too,” the fake continued. She raised a hoof. The razor-sharp blades gleamed in the shifting light as windows and neon signs streamed past the monorail’s windows, poised to strike.

Mare Do Well flinched, but the strike didn’t come. The armored pony hesitated. Mare Do Well swept her leg, knocking her off-balance while her hoof was in the air, rolling out from under her and throwing a lime-green magical blast at her armored almost-twin.

The fake reacted instantly, twisting to let her cape take the shot. The energy cascaded down the fabric, revealing glowing wiring for a moment as the magic was grounded and absorbed.

“You can’t beat me,” the armored pony said. “You’re a hero, but you’re out of date. I’m what the city needs.”

“The city doesn’t need muggers and burglars in comas,” Mare Do Well said. “Give yourself up. If you really want to help, this isn’t the way.”

“I don’t want to fight you,” the fake said. “So I won’t.”

She looked down, the red eyes in her mask glowing brighter for a moment. With a precise motion, she punched her hoof through the monorail’s floor. The lights overhead flickered, half of them not coming back on. The train lurched forward, accelerating.

“What did you do?” Mare Do Well demanded.

“I severed the pneumatic brake line,” the fake said. “You don’t have time to save everypony. Choose wisely!”

The armored pony jumped back, bouncing off the monorail’s wall and leaping through the window she’d broken with one of Black Valintino’s security guards. As the rushing wind outside caught her, her cape shifted shape, snapping into rigid bat-like wings and carrying her away, the mare vanishing as the train careened around a corner, almost derailing.

“Without those brakes, the monorail won’t be able to stop at the next station,” Black said. “If it’s running on schedule, the next train is supposed to leave at the same time we arrive, like a, a continuous flow! We’ll smash right into it before they even know anything’s wrong!”

“That’ll kill everypony on both trains,” Bon-Bon said. “Where’s the emergency brake?”

“There isn’t one!” Black shouted. “The normal brakes are automatic! It’s all supposed to be controlled from outside! There’s not even a driver on board!”

“You said you helped build the monorail, there has to be something!”

Black bit his lip and looked up. “I think… there’s a lock-out, on top of the train cars. It’s only supposed to be for maintenance and testing. There’s no way to get to it from inside!”

“Lyra, can you get it with telekinesis?” Bon-Bon asked.

“I can’t grab it with magic unless I know exactly where it is,” Lyra said. “I can move things, but I can’t feel anything. It’s working totally blind.”

“On top, right?” Mare Do Well asked. She didn’t wait for confirmation, running to the broken window and climbing outside. The wind and the city’s perpetual rain rushed around her, the sleek body of the monorail as slippery as ice.

“No way,” Whisper gasped, watching Mare Do Well scale the monorail, struggling against the torrent.

“She’ll never make it,” Black said. “There has to be something we can do… you, you’re a unicorn! Cast a slow-fall spell on us, and we’ll jump!”

Bon-Bon held up a hoof before Lyra could say something rude. “That won’t save the ponies in the next station.”

Black Valintino glared at her. “No, but it can save us. I’ll pay you anything you want!”

“We’re here to investigate Mare Do Well, Mister Valintino,” Bon-Bon said. “You didn’t want us to interfere. Where she goes, we go.”

“This is different!” he snapped. “Lives are at stake!”

“Yeah. So we better hope she gets that switch,” Lyra said, looking up at the roof.

---

Mare Do Well would swear if she could catch her breath enough to do it. The wind rushing past her made it almost impossible to breathe, even without the rain pouring down and trying to drown her. If she was just a pony it would have been impossible to keep a grip on the train - the aerodynamic shape left nothing to grab onto, it was moving too fast for a pegasus to fly alongside, and a unicorn that teleported on top would just get knocked off their hooves and find their way down to the ground.

She could see the station ahead and forced herself to move. How well would the brakes work when the rail was wet? Every second could mean disaster.

Mare Do Well got to the top of the trail, finally turning the soft corner to where she could stand. A gust of wind tried to steal her hat, and only a lucky grab kept it from being whipped away in the slipstream.

Thankfully, at least somepony had some common sense. The maintenance panel was clearly marked. Mare Do Well grabbed the handle, twisting it down, and the panel popped open with a hiss before it caught turbulence and flipped open, the hinges squealing. Mare Do Well had to duck out of the way as the light, cheap metal gave out and the bolts tore free, the hatch flying away, flipping end over end. Inside were a tangle of wires and switches.

And one big, red lever.

Mare Do Well grabbed it and pulled as hard as she could. She could feel the resistance on the other end. It felt like it was skipping and refusing to catch like it was actively fighting her. The air filled with the scream of steel on steel.

The station approached. Mare Do Well could see the other monorail ahead of them. Warning lights were flashing, but the ponies on the platform were watching instead of running.

“Come on!” Mare Do Well growled, putting all her strength into it. The brakes kept trying to slip out, gears clashing. She could smell the sparks and hot metal even from here.

The monorail slowed, inch by agonizing inch. From galloping, to trotting, to crawling.

The two trains collided with the sound of tin cans gently tapping against each other, finally coming to a halt.

Mare Do Well collapsed, panting and trying to catch her breath. A few minutes later, a ladder clattered against the side of the train and two ponies climbed up.

“You must be the real Mare Do Well,” Bon-Bon said, carefully making her way over. “It’s nice to meet you.”

Mare Do Well groaned and got to her hooves to greet her. “It’s a real rarity these days. I’m just out of retirement long enough to fix my own reputation.”

Whisper West rushed past Bon-Bon to shake Mare Do Well’s hoof. “It’s so amazing to meet you in person! I don’t know if you know this, but I’ve been writing about you and--”

“I know,” Mare Do Well said. She took off her mask. “I gave you half your ideas.”

“You’re the barista from the coffee shop!” Whisper gasped.

Loop d’Loop smiled. “And your first pre-reader. Let’s go somewhere else to talk.”

---

“Oh Celestia I love these things,” Lyra groaned, taking long sips of her Frappamochiato.

“I don’t see why we couldn’t go to the good coffee shop,” Bon-Bon grumbled, nursing her cup of black coffee, which had taken her several minutes to get from the teenager behind the counter who kept trying to offer her lattes and mochas.

“I don’t hang out at the same place I work,” Loop d’Loop said. “Though… I did just run out on my shift without permission to save your lives, so I might not have to worry about that so much anymore.”

“And you were Mare Do Well all along…” Whisper West mumbled. “No wonder you had so many good ideas!”

“And no wonder secret information ended up in your books,” Bon-Bon said. “She was feeding you classified information and you didn’t even know it.”

“I wanted to make sure she got the details right,” Loopy shrugged.

“But why work in a coffee shop?” Whisper asked.

“Because they didn’t ask for a background check. I’ve got bills to pay just like everypony else.”

“Any idea who the mare in the armor was?” Lyra asked, between slurps.

“Yeah,” Loopy sighed. “I’ve been letting Whisper have free book signings to try and draw them out. I figured she had to be a fan, you know? And I got a bite a few hours ago.”

“That mare,” Whisper said. “The one who was really excited!”

“Yeah, your biggest fan. I wasn’t sure until the train. They had the same…” Loopy grimaced. “Sickly-sweet feeling. Like pure sugar drenched in maple syrup. She’s a reformed changeling.”

“That’s a weird thing to say,” Lyra said. “Aren’t you a changeling?”

“The point is, reformed changelings don’t need to drain love,” Loopy explained. “All that emotional energy has nowhere to go, so it’s just bouncing around inside her. Imagine if all of your emotions were ten times stronger. What would happen?”

“...I’d go crazy,” Bon-Bon said. “Like manic-depression on overdrive.”

“I bet she doesn’t even realize it’s happening. I just need to figure out where she’s doing it.”

Whisper frowned. “Doing what?”

“Draining ponies takes time,” Loopy said. “It’s not an instant process. She has to get them somewhere quiet and hold them there for days.”

“The victims have been found all over,” Bon-Bon said. “I already thought about where she might be, but she hasn’t even been seen moving them.”

“So she has a way to get around town without being seen,” Whisper said. “Maybe she can teleport!”

“Nah,” Lyra dismissed. “Teleporting is tough. There aren’t even that many unicorns who can manage it. No way could a changeling with no training do it. No offense.”

Loopy shrugged. “None taken. I’m terrible with magic.”

“That’s it!” Whisper gasped. “On the monorail, Mister Valintino said it replaced an old subway system! That would go everywhere in the city, and nopony would go down there on their own!”

“It’s perfect,” Loopy said. “Dark, quiet. Plenty of space to stash ponies.”

“Great! Let’s go,” Lyra said, standing up. “I can finish this on the way.”

“You don’t have to come,” Loopy said.

“Yes we do,” Bon-Bon retorted. “We need to clear your name. Either we come with you, or we won’t be able to prove you’re not the one doing it.”

“I’m coming too!” Whisper said. She smiled shyly. “It’s perfect material for my books.”

Loopy sighed. “It’s going to be a long night.”

---

“...So you can smell her?” Whisper whispered, following close behind Mare Do Well.

The costumed hero groaned. “Don’t make it sound like I’m a dog. It’s just the easiest way to explain it. You don’t have the right words for it.”

“There’s light up ahead,” Bon-Bon said.

“I see it too,” Mare Do Well assured her. “Where are we?”

Lyra checked the map she’d brought with her, her horn providing just enough illumination to read it. “It looks like we’re right near the Park Row station,” she said.

“Okay. Just stay behind me,” Mare Do Well said.

They edged their way around the bend to the light.

“This place is like a Mare Do Well museum!” Whisper gasped, running out into the open before anypony could stop her. The station was huge, not just a little stop for a subway car but an art-deco design like Canterlot’s Grand Central Station, but tucked underground where nopony had seen it in years. Somepony had taken the time to drag shelves and display cases down there, filling them with books, posters, merchandise, all of it with Mare Do Well’s face.

Loopy shivered. It was strangely unsettling to see copies of herself everywhere.

She pointed to a glass case. “That’s one of the original costumes from Ponyville!” She jabbed a hoof another direction. “And that’s a complete collection of action figures! And look over there! It’s a reproduction of one of Blackout’s Null Rays!”

“Actually it’s original,” said a voice from the shadows along the ceiling.

A huge, angular shape detached itself from the concrete and dropped down, slamming into the ground. Philtrum stood up, her armor gleaming darkly in the limited light of the subway’s remaining bulbs.

“You wouldn’t believe how much I spent on it at the auction,” she said. “But it was worth it to have a real, original part of Mare Do Well’s legacy. I’m glad you like my collection!”

“It’s the only part of your collection I like,” Loopy said. She looked up at where Philtrum had come from. “The part up there isn’t as nice.”

Lyra narrowed her eyes and lit up her horn, casting a cone of light up at the roof of the subway station. Ponies hung in gelatinous pods like fruit, slowly bobbing in their sleep.

“It’s necessary,” Philtrum said. “It takes forever to punish them. Once I’m done, though, they’ll never hurt anypony again, and they’re not even really hurt! They’re just… not all there anymore.”

“Instead they’re totally drained of love and need a pony to lead them around and feed them like a pet,” Mare Do Well challenged. “I remember how Chrysalis used to just kick them out of the hive and let them wander away. They didn’t get far on their own.”

“They’re criminals. I tried just giving them to the police, but it isn’t fair. They hurt ponies! They needed to pay for it!”

“I’m only going to ask once,” Mare Do Well said. “Take off the armor, help me get these ponies outside. You’re sick. I can taste it.”

“I’m not sick. I feel amazing! And I won’t let you stop me. If you won’t be the hero the city needs, I will!” Philtrum widened her stance, fog pouring out of her armor in a protective shroud.

“You three work on getting those ponies down!” Mare Do Well shouted. “I’ll deal with her.” She lowered her stance and stepped forward into the growing cloud of mist.

Philtrum pounced at the shadow, and hit only air, almost slamming into a display case. She stopped herself short, backing up a step and looking around.

“Your tricks probably work really well against ponies,” Mare Do Well said. “Most ponies have never had to fight for anything. You never had to really fight either, so you need every advantage you can get.”

“I’ve been learning,” Philtrum said, tapping her cowl. The glowing eyes changed color as the vision mode changed, making the fog transparent. She looked around, trying to find Mare Do Well. “I studied all of your moves. The comics, the books, even the photos from Ponyville! I know that wasn’t you, but I wanted to capture that dynamic, the way the original Mare Do Well instantly became a hero!”

“It’s not instant,” Mare Do Well said. “It’s hard work.”

Philtrum spotted her, and raised up her armored hoof. “I know. But I think I’m getting better at it.” She launched a net at the crouching figure hiding next to a shelf of Mare Do Well action figures.

Mare Do Well ducked out of the way, the net only catching the edge of her cape before the strands stuck to the ground like spiderweb.

“Got you,” Philtrum said, stepping over. Mare Do Well grabbed at her cape, tugging it and trying to tear the fabric or pull it free. “Don’t worry. I’m just going to knock you out. I’ll put you in a pod, and eventually, you’ll see things my way!”

“You’re not putting me in a jar like the rest of your toys,” Mare Do Well said, undoing her clasp with one swift motion and jumping onto Philtrum’s back. “The real thing doesn’t stay mint in box!”

Philtrum tried to buck Mare Do Well free. Her cape suddenly shifted, a shock going through it as it snapped into rigid shape as a pair of bat wings. Mare Do Well jumped away just in time.

“I can see everything you’re thinking,” Mare Do Well said. “You’re not even trying to hide your emotions.”

“Why would I want to hide? This is the most fun I’ve ever had!” Philtrum charged, her head low like an angry bull, but Mare Do Well just rolled to the side.

“You need to calm down,” Mare Do Well warned. “You’re burning up.”

“No, this is amazing!” Philtrum gasped. “I feel like I can do anything!” She stumbled and coughed, almost falling over. Mare Do Well ran over, moving to catch her. Philtrum twisted, turning the fall into a headbutt that sent Mare Do Well reeling.

The armored fake stepped over the original, breathing heavily.

“Just calm down!” Mare Do Well rasped. “You’re about to--”

“I’m about to win!” Philtrum shouted, rearing up. There was a flash of black light from behind her, and the lights on Philtrum’s armor flickered and went out. She slowly fell over onto her side, landing heavily with no attempt to catch herself.

“I’m sorry! I had to do something!” Whisper West said from where she was standing in front of a shattered display case, trying to hold onto the Null Ray.

“It’s okay,” Loopy sighed, getting up and rubbing her head, grabbing her fallen hat and putting it back on. She knelt down next to Philtrum, who didn’t look like she was going to get up.

“Is she okay?” Whisper asked.

“She’s in bad shape,” Loopy said, feeling around Philtrum’s neck until she found the release, popping it and easing the intimidating helmet off of the changeling’s head. Under it, her shell was pale pink, almost the same shade as Princess Cadance. She twitched and moaned, spitting up green goo.

“Oh gosh, is this my fault?” Whisper asked, dropping the Null Ray.

“No. You just knocked her off her hooves. This is because she’s too full of love,” Loopy sighed. “Changelings don’t feel full. Ever. If you don’t know your limits… ever had a pet goldfish and overfeed it? Same thing, but a lot more tragic.”

“So what do we do?”

“I’ll have to drain some of it out,” Loopy said. She took off her mask, revealing smooth black chitin.

Whisper stumbled back in surprise. “You- you’re--”

“It’s complicated,” Loopy said, her voice raspy. She leaned closer to Philtrum and opened her mouth, breathing in deeply. A thin stream of energy connected them, pulsing as Loopy dragged the love out of the reformed changeling bit by bit. After a long, tense few seconds, she broke the connection and shook her head like she was fighting off a hangover.

“What’s wrong?” Bon-Bon asked.

“That’s all I can handle,” Loopy said weakly. “Much more and I’ll end up sick, too. It should be enough to stabilize her.”

“Let’s get out of here,” Bon-Bon said. “Lyra, make sure the way to the street is clear and flag down one of the local PD!”

“On it!” Lyra saluted and ran up the old station’s steps.

“Now we just have to figure out how to get the rest of these ponies out of here,” Bon-Bon said, looking around at the cocoons on the walls.

“Lift with your knees?” Loopy suggested.

---

Loopy stared out of the window at the rain. It was lighter than usual, just a drizzle that most ponies were ignoring instead of bothering with umbrellas or raincoats. That practically made it a beautiful day, even if she felt awful. The bruises were one thing, but not the only thing.

Bon-Bon sighed and slid into the booth across from Loopy while Lyra waited in line for whatever the newest and greatest novelty drink was. She put a heavy box on the table between them and sat back, looking exhausted.

“It took all day, but everything should be cleared up,” Bon-Bon sighed. “I’ve made my report, the culprit is on the way out of the city, and you are no longer a wanted mare. That last part required a lot of paperwork, so you should be thankful. There’s a lot of questions about, you know. The look.”

“You mean because I’m an unreformed changeling,” Loopy said, smiling a little and looking away.

“You’re going to have to explain that at some point. Especially to Miss West. She’s still a little freaked out.”

“She should be. I’m a monster.”

“You’re not a monster.”

“Neither was Philtrum. She was trying to be a hero,” Loopy said. “I feel sorry for her. Changelings, especially the young ones like her? They barely remember what it was like before they were reformed. They don’t know how to pace themselves. It’s like taking ponies that survived a famine and putting them in front of an all-you-can-eat buffet. They gorge themselves sick. In heart and body.”

“She’ll get the help she needs,” Bon-Bon promised. “I already spoke to my superiors about it. Philtrum is going to have to stay away from ponies for a while, and she’ll be getting therapy to learn when her emotions are getting out of control.”

“Yeah. Too bad she didn’t learn before she made mistakes.”

“That reminds me, she wanted you to have this.” Bon-Bon nudged the box next to her.

Loopy opened the lid, looking inside. Philtrum’s armored, intimidating costume was folded carefully inside, along with a note. She reached in and took the paper, carefully avoiding the sharp edges.

“I think she wanted to make sure it went to somepony who could use it,” Bon-Bon said. “What’s the note say?”

“It just says… ‘From your biggest fan,’” Loopy said.

“What are you going to do next?” Bon-Bon asked. “Have you thought about that job offer?”

“To work for SMILE?” Loopy closed the box. “I do need a new job. What’s the pay like?”

“It’s government work.”

“So it’s terrible.”

Bon-Bon nodded. “And the hours are awful.”

“Still better than working in a coffee shop. Let’s talk about benefits...”

Comments

[Thought Prism]

10512771
Hey, no worries. You were rather sick, after all.

[Thought Prism]

Interesting take on changeling reformation. No wonder they set up those feeling forums, if all their emotions were suddenly magnified. The two Mare Do Wells serve as exceptions to their respective rules. Meanwhile, where did Philtrum get her suit, I wonder?

[Genial Precis]

“I’m not sick. I feel amazing! And I won’t let you stop me. If you won’t be the hero the city needs, I will!” Philtrum widened her stance, fog pouring out of her armor in a protective shroud.

Oh boy. I had a friend who had manic episodes. The friend didn't hurt anyone, or even come close, but the energy is exactly like this. This passage was a gut punch. Because when I read this, I suddenly, viscerally understood that Philtrum, in her current state of mind, is angry and full of energy and she thinks all her ideas are good ideas. Maybe some of her targets even deserve what she's done. Most don't. I don't even regard any of this as Philtrum's fault, to be honest. It's a tragedy no one wants.

Or even if she goes after some of the right targets, she's a young person trying to throw her life away and it's been a while since she's been in a fit state of mind to make choices. It makes me want to stop her and makes me want to protect her.