The Trials we endure
Prologue:
We all go through some tough horseapples in our lifetime. Whether we are young or old, we deal with our lives one way or another. Sometimes the best things come from our mistakes and fails. Sometimes… we endure pain and loss, just to get the real experience of life itself and live it to its full. Anypony living a life can say that they are happy with their lives, needing nothing more than their jobs, cutie marks, family and health.
I wish that for everypony, especially those that cannot have it all but that can have only one. I make sure that in this little town I call home, that a single pony can have some happiness. I endure pain, loss, humiliation, doubt and fear, just to make sure others don’t.
I took the mantle as Mare-Do-Well so that the ponies in Ponyville can have happiness. I may be young but that hasn’t slowed me down nor has it held me back from saving and caring for so many lives.
However, my time as Mare-Do-Well has been only recent. In six months of being the masked vigilante, I have been feared and respected by many ponies, many of whom are my family and my friends. But there are times where I wish I wasn’t her… the pony behind the mask. I wish that another can take my place and protect my fellow ponies like me. I wish to take a break and spend time with my family, with my friends and relax away.
But sadly… that won’t happen any time soon. Mare-Do-Well is never tired, she never quits, never backs down and is always seen saving ponies or stopping evil from happening. The pain won’t slow her down and she won’t show her weakness. She has endured her training and she will endure anything that she can receive. My time didn't start out as her, I spent my time preparing to become her.
I spent a year and a half under training to get where I am. I studied under the guard as well, formerly as a martial arts class. From the time I signed up from school, I learned how to fight and defend myself from anypony. It wasn’t till I finished my class did I take a private lesson from the Lunar Guards. Why the most ruthless, cunning and even deadly guards in Equestria even bothered with a 12 year old filly? Well… lets just say that I really had to endure… much, much pain and suffering before I even could speak to the Master.
A filly getting beaten down without consequences? Pfft! These freakin guards didn’t hold back, especially with their master and even Princess Luna watching. Why she let it happen? I begged them to let me learn their ways. I didn’t want to be a filly with a few moves and styles in all. I wanted to be a pony who can learn combat, agility, endure pain and show strength.
It wasn’t easy, I will say that. It took me a month to let me talk to them about training under their master and almost two weeks later to let them be merciless on me. A filly asking for a beat down? Yeah… Princess Luna would get a kick out of it… and she did. It took her awhile to get her mouth of the floor but she did speak to me on why I wanted to do this.
To be honest, I didn’t really know how or why I wanted to join the guard. Not because I was weak or because I like getting my flank kicked and anything else, but I felt like I needed to do something. I needed to feel protected, as well as protect others. I didn’t make sense at first to both of us, but Princess Luna understood.
“With all the trouble that Ponyville receives,” she spoke to me. “You feel that you want to protect yourself and others when trouble happens.” It’s true, that Ponyville get into trouble more often than other parts, especially like Manehattan. We have had swarms of bugs, Timberwolves, Deities of Legends, Ursa Minor, Dragons, and more come into that little town.
It got a bit better when Twilight became Princess along with her friends, who are the Elements of Harmony; they are often the ones who handling all the dangers. However, there are times when they are elsewhere and they can’t help us. And they certainly can’t always be protecting us forever.
It gets to a point that now, I actually fear secretly that I might not wake up tomorrow. Not because of gods, or creatures that will come and eat me and kill everypony, but because we all rely on six mares to handle it all.
My friends and I got attacked at Canterlot when the Changeling Evasion happened two years ago. We weren’t hit but we were tied and where about to have our love taken away. I didn’t want to feel helpless… not anymore.
It took a week to get a word from Princess Luna to let me do this. However, this had to be kept under the table, not to mention excuses on why I would be in Canterlot a lot. I got a trainer during the weekend and would stay there until they dropped me off at home, Monday morning to go to school.
But I think Luna really understood what I wanted. She warned me however, that unlike the Royal guard, her guards were trained under merciless, harsh and brutal training. They did that because the Lunar Guards deal with creatures of the night and its traditions to have always been stronger than the Solar Guards. Ever since the Night ponies or ‘Children of the Night’ as there often called, went nearly extinct at the fall of Nightmare Moon by the Solar Guards.
I was given a chance to back out and to never come again if I choose. To live a normal, preteen filly life with my friends and family. I could still have that but it won’t be the same, that Princess Luna could confirm.
Many of the Lunar Guards where chosen at young ages to practice and learn combat. Than they would be given chances to back out or continue their training. Those that backed out, where often seen as different but stable. Those that stayed in training were considered the Outcasts.
She gave me a single day and night to think it over. I would have to miss weekends, summer vacation and a lot of my time, just to train hard. I was not sure of myself that day. I would train under a single master and learn from him only. I would be given tests that will determine my strengths, weakness, and will push my body to its limit. However before she left, she did ask me something and it is something that I will never forget, because I will never say no to it.
“Is all of this worth it?”
The single question caught me off guard. I was about to answer yes, almost right away. I wanted to protect my family and friends. But I also knew there was going to be a price to pay.
My family would see me as a changed pony. A strong willed but scary looking pony. My friends would leave me, thinking that I abandon them, just to train myself to protect them from evils. But would they still even be friends if they saw me as a tough, uncaring, cold mare and not a sweet innocent little filly?
I had stayed locked in my room, staring blankly at my ceiling and wondering what should I do. I often questioned myself, a thousand of them running through my head like the Running of the Leaves races. Why should I continue this? Why should I endure pain just to protect myself? Why should I do all this to protect them?
I guess the biggest question is what will become of me when I start my training? What will change me so that I become an… Outcast or an alien to my family and friends?
Nothing would. I know that deep down; I would always remain as myself, no matter how much training or pain I would endure, I would always remain myself. I know I would have to hide this from my family and friends, and probably all of Ponyville but that was a burden I was willing to endure.
Luna had found that acceptable. And no sooner had she said that, did my training begin. With a single punch from one of her guards, I was knocked out cold.
For the next month on every weekend and sometimes weekdays, I got beaten. Not the ‘Parent beat their foals when they misbehave’ beaten. I got kicked, punched, bucked, tossed, and slammed on for about five straight hours.
Other guards who were just starting out received the same treatment. But they could handle it. Me? A 12 year old filly? No… I couldn’t nor did I held back the tears. I cried my heart out as the pain came. To them, it seemed to be music to their ears and that made them seem evil. Broken bones, concussions and blood loss… easily repaired thanks to modern medicine and magic.
That really sucks…
Luna believed that if her guards were beaten and understood pain, that they could understand what many can go through in a single lifetime. They could be taught that if you going to guard a Princess or protect the citizens of Equestria, you got to know what it would be like if another pony was being harmed. To feel their pain, you must feel it yourself. To take in all that punishment and learn to still fight back so that others didn’t have to, was part of the guard.
I learned what true pain was. I learned what it felt like to be attacked from all sides and have no hope of escape. I learned that sometimes, other ponies carry weapons and many won’t be afraid to use them. The guards weren’t afraid to use them on me, but they were careful not to aim at anything vital. Again medicine and magic.
Along with this, Luna spoke to me that out of the ten recruits that start training, six are sent to the hospital, three make out barely alive, passing their tests and one is always killed. One… is always killed.
How Princess Celestia allowed that was beyond me but… she probably doesn’t know. She probably doesn’t know that her sister has her guards beating up a little filly so she can learn how to be a guard. Isn’t that a bitch of a secret?
Again though… sometimes I wonder if it was to easy to enter and learn from the guards? Was it a plan to get me or other foals to join them or did they secretly get a kick out beating a filly? I didn’t see other foals enduring what I was going through… so I guess I am the reason.
One thing that the guards were told to never do is rape me. Though that goes for the rest of the guards, especially among the female cadets. I was supposed to endure pain but not sexual pain. They did teach me how to get males off of me when they try to force themselves upon me.
To be quite honest though, there were times when a few ‘fake mounted’ me and they were excited about it or I was a bit wet from the idea. I was reaching sexual maturity and that meant that males from all over would try to get me, especially if I entered my heat.
Of course, there were laws on that but there is always one asshole who wants to forget the laws and follow his dick. The guards were careful not to do anything stupid, so most of the time, they brought in a female Lunar Guard to teach me how to protect against this.
I did learn an embarrassing move from one of the female guards. Her name Flashwing and the move she showed me made me forget all the bruising I had endure for the day. You could use your heat against the male, if they were trying to force themselves on you.
Just shove your plot on their faces and get them hard and distracted. When they distracted, you strike them in the balls and knock em’ out.
To prove her point, she tackled a guard on his back, wrapped her legs around his head, and shoved her crouch forward. The guard instantly was caught off guard, grew hard, and was knocked out before he could speak a word. Who knew that your heat or marehood could be used as a weapon?
Anyways, so after the three months of beatings and training, I learned what life meant now. I learned that we protect others so that they can enjoy it, even if there are a few who don’t appreciate it. I learned that there will always be dumbasses who take everything for granted, children who skip out on school to cause havoc or ponies that are just too lazy to give a buck, but sometimes they will learn lessons later on in their lives. How?
By us protecting them and making sure that they live long enough to learn their lessons. I am to protect those who can’t protect themselves and to make sure that evil dosen’t always rule. You can’t protect everyone, that is a rule/lesson that every guard must know but it is your damn choice and your damn bucking job to try and save them, even if it means to sacrifice yourself for them.
It is a thankless job, but in the end it will pay off.
The months went by fast. My life had changed completely and it felt horrible. At first, my family and friends were used to seeing me leave so often. But time went on and they bought the lie that was given to them by the guards. However, every time I came back home, they didn’t look at me like they saw me before.
My friends… they saw a changed filly. Of course, I always had a smile to show them, but I guess they saw pain in my eyes. They saw that I was becoming something else.
Same with my family. My sister didn’t look at me like a little sister anymore. In fact, I think she is secretly afraid of me. With my ability to do magic and know some combat, I think she was scared of what I could do. My mother and father were a bit more oblivious at my change.
Princess Luna was right. Once you start your training, you become the Outcast. My friends stopped talking to me about their days and even about getting their Cutie Marks. The thing is... I had already gotten my Cutie Mark. The day I got my Cutie Mark is the day I was changed forever.
On the night of my first match, I was pitted against one of the guards. Now, others were being trained to fight against other opponents, including some bigger themselves. Me, I was to fight a regular solider in unarmed combat. To say that it would be the biggest fight of my life... well yeah, that is basically it. The biggest fight of my life and the worst one. One that will haunt me forever.
I was not allowed to use magic to fight, just my body. Being placed in a ring that stretched 6 feet long. Other guards and soldiers were outside the ring, waiting for us to fight. Since I was trained under the Lunar Guards, I fought in the night like them. I was still getting used to the darkness, so my vision at night wasn't that bad. However, they had perfect vision and that nearly made it impossible not to see me.
Princess Luna watched from a ledge, staring down at me as I entered the ring. My opponent named Black Flash, was one of the usual soldiers but that didn't mean he wasn't tough. He was know to be quick, arrogant but most of all, a tough S.O.B. I will say this... that old saying that goes “Never judge a book by its cover.'? Well, I did that, think he would go easy and I might have a chance. Oh, Luna, how I regretted so much.
The second the command to begin was said, I found my first punch come at me and I didn't even get a chance to flinch. The punch hurt, like really, really hurt and I was on the ground, almost knocked out cold from it.
My training should have told me to see it coming but I hesitated and it cost me a black eye and some energy. Small cheers arouse from Black Flash as he smiled at the simple punch I received. His cockiness was noted and I will be sure to exploit that but for now, dealing with the pain was first.
I slowly got back up, shaky on my hooves. I knew that my vision was blurry but I could still see his face and the smug look he carried. That was his weakness, as well as his quickness.
One thing I learned was to read my opponent before I fought but me being hesitant about fighting him didn't allow much time. But now, now I knew how to take him down and he probably knew how to do the same to me.
Back on my hooves, I glared at him and took my stance. He grinned and took his stance. A fraction of a second later, he shot off at me, hoof ready to strike me down.
I was ready. With my hooves still bent, I used them to propel my self up and over him. His speed was there but not his brakes. He missed my by an inch and that landed him on the floor crashing face first. I landed and turned, smiling my own victory. The other guards, suddenly went quiet.
There was a growl and from the floor, Black Flash rose. Now, I know that the rules are always to never let your opponents stand up or get a chance to recover, but I wanted to be fair. He gave me my chance, and I will give him his. With lightning quick reflexes, he turned and shot at me again, this time, wings spread. I couldn't jump so I was tackled and felt the air leave my body.
Then the punches came. No holding back, no remorse, just blind fury. His punches connected to my face and the pain only grew. I cried out at each punch, each hit that felt like a crack in my skull.
His arrogance once again saved me and without much thought, I brought my hind legs straight to his groin. Now, I know that was a cheap shot but I am always told to use my enemies weakness when I can.
The squeal that left him was that of a filly seeing a spider or a bit higher than that. All the guards around either 'oooed' or groaned at Black Flash's demise. I felt myself take in air, finally getting some in. I was panting and hurt but mostly panting. I rolled over on to my hooves and did my best to stand.
Black Flash had his hooves buried beneath his junk, groaning. Now I was pissed. I didn't let him back up, nor did I hold back. With a growl of my own, I jumped on him and started beating the snot out of him... and maybe more.
I yelled as my hooves punched at him, not wildly like him but I made sure that it hurt and I made sure, that he knew I was not to be bucked with. Each punch was controlled and marked a spot where I knew I could incapacitate him and keep him down.
Not ten seconds later, he was knocked out and bleeding from his mouth. His breath was labored but I knew that he would live. Not a lot of guards make it alive. Most would kill them to avoid any weakness in the guards or teams. Not me.
No pony should have to die. No pony should suffer when others can take the suffering for them. I would protect and fight those who cannot do it themselves and make sure that they should never harm anypony again.
Luna remained silent but her guards stomped their hooves on the pavement, showing signs of approval. I had won my first match, but I lost something else. My quest for my Cutie Mark was over.
A flash later, a black shield with a white belle appeared on my flank. I didn't realize later as Mare-Do-Well, did I fully understand what it had meant and what it would mean to me.
The shield meant protection in the dark, and the belle meant the sound of Justice and Peace for all. Huh... never knew my name could sound so close to my Cutie Mark.
Till that day, my life had changed. It would only continue to change as I went on with my training. My time after with the guards had left me with a mission in life. To protect those who cannot protect themselves and to make sure that the ones I care for live happy lives, even if it means sacrificing my own.
It is my Trials that I face everyday to keep them all save. I cannot do it as a filly, they would try and stop me or harm my friends and family.
No I had to hide from everypony. I had to hide who I was and to make sure that through a mask, I could still protect. Knowing the perfect one, I took a mantle and made it my own. As a normal filly, ponies would ignore me and leave me alone.. As Mare-Do-Well, I was a protector of Ponyville and it would be my destiny and my goal to do so.
I am Mare-Do-Well and this is my story.
Author's Note
I sorta had/ pulled out of my ass a few weeks ago. I didn't really look at it as I typed because I was in a rush trying to create a new story. I don't expect this one to be as good as my other ones but hopefully, it will help me keep me busy.
My other stories are on hold because my flashdrive burnt out and I had all my files there, including the new chapters.
While I find ways to recover the lost data, I will be doing other shorter stories. This I my first story with clopfic here on this site. I am sorry to keep you waiting for my other stories so I hope in the mean time you will enjoy this one.
Again no grammer check, or anything else was done to this, just typed out of my ass.
The Trials we Endure: Hero
A sigh escaped her lips... from her mask that is. Mare-Do-Well stood on top of the Town Hall Center building. From here, her eyes covered Ponyville from all around. From the edge of Sweet Apple Acres, to the Schoolhouse on top of the hill, to the train station that would leave off to anywhere in Equestria. And somewhere in the mountain distance, the light of Canterlot where seen from there.
The night was warm; it being summer time. The lights and activity would be somewhat low and it gave her a chance to really do some good. She knows that despite the bizarre things that happen in Ponyville, many are either blind or ignorant to what happens to the little town at night,
Many are in their home, sleeping away peacefully, unaware of the monsters that come out and play. This is where she comes in.
Right now... it’s been quiet. Too quiet. Not to say it was a bad thing but sometimes it meant that either the criminals were staying low or out of the way or... this would be the first time in a manner of years that it was truly quiet. Standing on top of here and doing nothing was boring her.
There was plenty of crime going around, that was for sure. The illegal activity of selling magic enhancers, large quantities of SALT-X (the baddest drug of all), rape, prostitution and finally... members of the Nightmare Fraternity. They were known as the Nightmare Children.
The Nightmare Fraternity was different from the Nightmare Worshippers and clubs. While others are non-violent and even religiousness about the return of Nightmare Moon, the Fraternity or 'Nightmare Children', are a bunch of cultist who are trying to resurrect Nightmare Moon, by either bloodshed or magic. Most of the magic is illegal, dark magic and it often requires a sacrifice or some magic from Princess Luna.
So far... those plans have failed in the end. They either get caught in their own crossfire with the magic, or they are found out by the guards. Their practices lied within Ponyville since she once arrived here. They believe that with her first arrival here, they would be able to bring her back the same way.
Bunch of idiots. SALT-X is and still the biggest drug out in the black market. Salt is legal here in Equestria... to a certain extent, but when it has illegal properties added to it, then it becomes a problem. The drug poses a problem because it causes violent lash outs, short-temper, hallucinations, and a bunch of other things. Manehattan has the worst of it.
Magic enhancers are other stories. The ability to enhance your magic without proper training or control can lead to some becoming fearful. If ponies like say a unicorn were to get their hooves on it, they could be able to cast spells without end or take out a small army. They wouldn't be able to control themselves and that could lead to chaos and casualties.
Pegasi could use it to escape guards, cheat their ways to competitions, or do dangerous maneuvers that can get themselves hurt or others.
Earth Ponies taking these things could crush any pony in their way, including guards or take out a number of ponies.
All of this, all this... harm being caused is happening right now... had to be stopped. That is why she was here. That is why she was where she is at now. Not because she wants to be here, but because she needs to be here. The Elements of Harmony can only do so much but they cannot protect all of Ponyville, let alone at night when they sleep.
That is why the criminals do their crimes at night. When the world sleeps away, their minds come to play. And when they come out to play, Mare-Do-Well is here to make them pay. She thought back about how this all came to be.
At first, it wasn't easy to don the mask and costume. She first had to find out if the Mane 6 had kept the original clothing from their charades with Rainbow Dash, or they discarded them. Once she found out that her sister had managed to keep the customs, either it being the real ones or one of many knock-offs that the town created for merchandise and all, she decided to take it.
Now, unlike the ones the six or... five, had used before, this one was made for a unicorn, so the situation made it easier for her to use. However, thanks to some lessons from her sister, she managed to make it better.
It took a month and a half to retrofit the costume to her specific needs. That included pockets, lightweight, yet durable materials, tech-goggles for different situations, and the hat and cape to hide what type of pony she was.
After that, she had to buy, from the allowance she got from her parents, her sister, and maybe a little from the guards, any other necessary extras to help her fight and to protect herself as well. She bought lightweight Kevlar, stainless steel bracelets, to block incoming knifes. She got goggles that fit nicely into the mask, without sticking out too much. Nearly an inch thick, the goggles provided night-vision, magic vision, which allowed the user to see where magic is or was at, at one point. It also provided Changeling-vision, which of course allowed the user to know when a changeling was in disguised.
Now all of this was only available to the Royal Guards or those who had a heavy sack of bits. Thankfully, Pinkie Pie got her own for some reason. She bought one from her, telling her that it would help her feel safe at night and... maybe it would have been my cutie-mark to be a Changeling-finder.
A half-lie to her. One, I did want to feel safe at night, knowing that I can see at night and still find changelings and two; I already had a cutie-mark that meant to protect ponies... from changelings. That meant finding them and taking them down.
With all of that costing her a nice back of bits, she finally had a suit worth fighting in. She had the means to stop those who would do harm or evil.
She also got the list of illegal activity from the guards, which also was easier. Flashwing, her mentor from the guards, helped her get all that she could and need to help her fight crime. She even kept her secret of becoming Mare-Do-Well.
It took a while before she gained any real courage to come out and reveal herself. It began with a few changelings where hiding about in Ponyville and she so happened to see the transformation when a changeling took on the shape of Ditzy Doo in a back alley from her room. Though she didn't have all of her equipment on, she did have the costume on and that was enough. She took off from her room, jumped into the alley, and beat the green, gooey snot from the changeling with her bare hooves. The commotion brought a lot of ponies nearby to witness the act.
When she was done, she was panting heavily. Ditzy was alive and unhurt, the changeling was knocked out cold, and she saw that ponies where staring at her. The mane 6 immediately came through to see the commotion. At first, Rainbow Dash was about to freak out, and even she saw that coming. But when she saw that all her friends, and most of Ponyville was there, they remained silent.
From there on, she knew that no matter what, her life would change. The way they all saw her defend a helpless, strange mare from a changeling. The way they saw her take on little more than a costume and take on trouble. She saw something that she wanted to see. She saw, for a few minutes, that there will be a hero here, whether it is permanent or short term, they would have a hero.
She saw fear leaving them and was replaced with hope.
She saw fillies and colts with joy, knowing that they had a hero to protect them.
She saw mares and stallions who no longer have to fear the night or for their children.
She saw her sister and the Elements of Harmony with confused but soft eyes, knowing that, no matter whom it was under there, it would now be her responsibility to take of that town like they did.
They saw Mare-Do-Well and that was all that they needed to see. Turning to her side, she picked up the unconscious changeling with her magic and threw it at the town's hooves.
Ditzy gave her a smile and a hug.
“Thanks Mare-Do-Well! You saved my life!” When she was done with the hug, she saw her turn into the crowd, and saw her daughter, Dinky Doo, jumps onto her mother and gave her mother a crying hug.
This got everypony to slowly starting stomping their hooves and began a cheer. The whole town whooped and cried out for her. She actually did something that made a difference.
That was two weeks ago....
With all that in her mind, she barely managed to catch the sound of air behind her. Her mind would have quickly reacted to it and attack or jumped at the sound, but she knew what it was... or in this case who it was.
“You know, if you’re going to be playing vigilante,” spoke a smooth, feminine voice, which carried a grin, despite not seeing her face. “That you would do your best to keep your appearances low, especially to a night guard.”
Mare-Do-Well sighed.
“Nice to see you too... Flashwing.” Her voice spoke out, almost to that of an older mare. She turned to see a black, Night Guard with a grin standing behind her.
She was a bit taller than Mare-Do-Well and had experiences to pass her as well. Her long dark silver mane flowed back from her head to her higher front legs. Her eyes were just like the other guards; the usual dragon-like slits with yellow eyes and snake like fangs. Her black coat almost blended to the black night behind her. If it weren't for her purple armor, it would be almost difficult to see her.
Her Cutie Mark was of course covered but that didn't do much when most of her body was less covered which included lower belly, lower legs, tail and neck. Flashwing liked to play dangerous and fast, but mostly fast.
If anything... her name did her status and her status made her one of the best.
Flashwing gave her usual grin and sat on her rump.
“So... 'Mare-Do-Well',” she said with a somewhat small, teasing tone. “How goes your hunt?”
Mare-Do-Well blinked, but Flashwing didn't know that. She didn't have to know that because she already knew who was behind the mask.
Flashwing then rolled her eyes.
“Before you speak, please remove that voice changing spell. It gets annoying when I am picturing a filly in there with an older mare's voice. Doesn’t do you good.”
Mare-Do-Well sighed. With a flash of her horn from within her hat, her voice returned and was soon back to a normal, teen filly.
“I hate it when you make me do that, you know?” she spoke an almost whinny teen-like voice. “I am trying to be serious!”
Flashwing couldn't help but giggle. This caused Mare-Do-Well to groan a bit in anger.
“Really? You being serious? I never knew!” Laughed Flashwing. “I thought that you just like playing super hero and get your hype up when you kick some flank.”
Mare-Do-Well, defender of the night, masked mare of fear, and most respected idol of all of Ponyville, dropped onto her stomach and groaned.
“How can I be taken seriously if you keep coming here just to ruin it for me?”
Another giggle rang out.
“Well for one thing... you’re standing here doing nothing. You’re just waiting. Usually when somepony is doing a stakeout or searching for crime, they go looking around the area to see if they are moving behind your back. What? You’re expecting crime to pass in front of you?”
MDW slumped even further and finally gave in. Flashwing dropped her grin a bit and gave a reassuring smile. She walked over and sat by her side, letting her head rest by her legs.
Despite the odd sense between the two, Flashwing was more of a second sister or cousin to Mare-Do-Well than a mentor. Sure, she had her ass kicked by Flashwing and had a few names called on her, but that was part of the training. Otherwise, when she wasn't training her, Flashwing to the side, was a pretty chill pony. She took her out whenever they could. They went out to late night movies, parties, eating out or just hanging out with other guards.
At first, the others were skeptical about a filly joining or even hanging with them, but after her first few practice match-ups, they gained her noticed and a few, respect.
But Flashwing is the only one she truly felt comfortable with and even now, she bonded with her once-mentor. The two of them were great friends, and often enough, rivals. It wasn't true rivalry but neither was it friendly. Flashwing often came to teach her more new tricks and even fight crime with her. Being the second-in-command of the Night Guard did give her a lot of benefits after all.
That is why when the filly revealed her plans to become Mare-Do-Well, she approved. Not right away, but after she saw the dedication that the teenage pony went through, she approved of her actions and remained quiet about her being Mare-Do-Well
With not much else, the two were great with each other.
“Come on squirt, you really gonna stop playing hard ball?”
Flashwing was about to puller mask before an electric shock ran through her hoof and she issued and…
“OW! BUCK!” she shouted.
This got the filly to laugh. A true, genuine laugh... something she hasn't been able to do in months.
“What the buck!?” she half-yelled.
This got Mare-Do-Well to laugh full on and was rolling on her stomach and holding to her sides. Once the shock cleared with a shake of her hoof, Flashwing glared down at her.
Almost ten seconds later, Mare-Do-Well calmed down. Even through the mask, the outline of her smile was still seen.
“What the buck was that?!” she said an angry tone.
With still the same grin, she spoke. “Sorry about that, but that prevents anypony but me from removing my mask but me. Lucky for you, you slowly reached for it. If you went a bit faster to pull it off, it would stun you’re flank. For a unicorn, they would get the shock and their magic stopped for a bit.”
A small giggled escaped from her, as she remembered her face. Flashwing held her hoof, looking at it before giving a small smirk.
“Smart idea, kid. Let's the bad guys know you ain't bucking around. But where did you learn that from?”
“Princess Twilight Sparkle. She may be a bookworm, even as a princess, but she knows some pretty advance magic for defensive and offensive magic. Not to mention, right after I stopped training with the guard, I become her student.” She paused before continuing. “I still am her student and I am still trying to get her to teach me more.”
Flashwing stared at the mare wanting to reach for it again, but hesitate.
“Can I remove it now?”
“Sure,” she said all too quickly.
Flashwing gave a small glare; she easily saw the smile on the mask.
“I swear to Luna, that I will give you a Charley-Horse so hard, that your grand-children will feel it!”
A giggle escaped through the costume.
“Fine... You know, you used to be funnier with these type of things?”
Flashwing gave a small grin.
“Yeah... when I was doing it to you.”
As MDW began to remove her mask, the sound of glass breaking caused both of them to spin around. At the floor below them, two forms, ponies in this case with masks and black covering, have jumped out of the broken windows, leading it to be the Quills and Sofa's shops. They both quickly looked at each other before running east, past the MDW and Flashwing unnoticed.
MDW and Flashwing looked at each other, quickly getting ready.
“Want to take ‘em on? For old time sake?” Asked Flashwing with a grin.
MDW gave a grin back.
“You know it! But you might need your to cloak yourself if you don't want your guards to know you've been ditching work.”
With that, she took a run and then a leap, before flipping in the air and landing on another building and galloped after the no-gooders. Flashwing smiled and did a massive jump before disappearing in the night sky.
MDW quickly caught up to the two crooks and saw them running towards the edge of town. Quickly using her magic, she teleported to the side of them, and before they could glance at her, she ram her body with both of them. Both crashed with cries and into a wall.
Quickly recovering from her stunt, she quickly stood on her legs, used her magic to alter her voice and eyed the crooks.
The two slowly stood up on shaky legs, with one of them growling at the other.
“You idiot! Watch where your bucking going!”
The other quickly looked at the other.
“It wasn't me, boss! I swear!”
Clearing her throat, the two quickly shot their eyes towards her.
“Yeah, uh that would be me who did that, and if I where you two, I would surrender now before your flanks will hurt more than they do now.”
“M-Mare-Do-Well!” feared the second one, while the other one just growled.
“You don't scare me, Mare-to-slow! I fought bigger stallions then me and you!”
MDW glanced behind them, seeing as Flashwing suddenly appeared behind them, without making a sound. She smiled.
“Then where going to have to change that.”
With that said, the second stallion cried out as he was suddenly dragged into the shadows with a terrifying scream. The other quickly turned to see his partner disappearing into the shadows with yellow eyes.
He quickly did a 180, making sure he wasn't next, and checking on Mare-Do-Well.
“What the bucking Tartars was that?!” He turned his head back to her. “What did you do to him?!” he yelled half angrily, half terrified.
MDW slowly began to approach him.
“The same thing I’m going to do to you if you don't surrender.”
The crook, looking beyond terrified, still had some back bone. Desperate to get out, he quickly pulled out a large knife from his side pocket and held it with his maw.
“Don't make me use this!” he yelled, though it sounded more... whisperer.
MDW stopped. She saw the knife and it took her a moment before she started laughing, out loud. The stallion only held on tightly.
Gaining her composure, she looked up at the stallion.
“Really?” she asked? “You've taken on stallions bigger than you, yet you use a knife to fight?”
He stood shakily on his legs and the knife in maw started to shake with his body. His anger was slowly dissipating but he remained defiant.
With a sigh, she ripped the knife from his maw with her magic. The stallion, or colt in this situation, let out a coltish scream and fell to the floor, rubbing his maw. MDW saw that a single tooth was stuck on the knife. She gave a disgusted look before turning to the stallion.
He laid whimpering, pathetically in fetal position. From the shadows, Flashwing appeared, with a smile.
“Nice job! You made this tough guy look like a baby colt.”
MDW nodded.
“Did you take care of the other one?”
Flashwing nodded. She was about to comment more, before the Police Ponies, as well as several residences begun coming over.
“I gotta go, can't let the folks know that a Night Guards out here. Maybe next time we can hang out more?”
MDW nodded.
“Of course. Hopefully we can catch a movie together or at least beat the crap out of crooks again.”
Flashwing grinned.
“Yep and next time I will be the one to take the glory.” With a quick hoof-bump, the mare flared her wings and took a massive leap, disappearing into the night. MDW saw her leave, before the wave of ponies came to the scene of the crime.
Instantly, she was bombarded with lights, cameras, yells, questions and more. Yep... another day, another crime stopped, all thanks to Mare-Do-Well.
And it was late, really late, which meant that she would have to wake up in a few hours and begin her life once more as a normal teenaged filly. Her work for the night was done. With a flash of her magic, she teleported, leaving the crowd to see the two crooks on the floor. A job well done in deed.
Author's Note
Sorry it took so freckin long to do this but ... well the usual. Lifes a bitch, school, work, bla, bla, bla.... Anyways, no clop in this one but maybe in the next. Will have to see. I start school this week so, it might help me get back in track.
Thanks to Sirius_Face, for helping me edit, though I quickly did only a few edits here and there. I blame myself for not taking much of his advice. but still, thanks to him.
