The rocks were lovely in this part of the country. There Maud sat, in a comfortable seat within the Friendship Express, gazing out onto the countryside. The brisk wind brushed against her face, but it did not hold any particular significance to her. All that mattered to her... were the rocks.
She had just finished visiting her sister, Pinkie Pie, and all of her friends from Ponyville. The trip was an exhilarating experience, to be sure. Who would have thought there would be five other ponies that loved Pinkie as much as she did? She sighed. It was a shame.
A shame she didn’t have time to tell them of her other hobby. Maud placed her hoof on her forehead, seemingly as an expression of frustration, though her face showed a complete lack of any emotion at all.
‘Hobby isn’t the right word.’
The gray pony pulled a tiny gray rock out of her jacket pocket, and began to speak to it, much to the confusion of her fellow train passengers.
“Boulder, what word would accurately describe my other... hobby?”
The pony and the rock exchanged glances for several minutes; at least, from Maud’s point of view they did. From the perspective of the other passengers, however, it was simply another case of a slightly offbeat pony. If they had known she was Pinkie Pie’s sister, maybe they wouldn’t have been so surprised.
Maud gave a slight smile and dropped Boulder gently back into her pocket.
“Duty. That’s a better word.”
That’s right. This was her duty. It wasn’t a hobby that she chose to pursue on a whim; it was an obligation she had to fulfill. The train came to a grinding halt as it slowed down and arrived at Canterlot.
She had arrived. The 'enthusiastic' rock researcher had one last stop to make before she could begin her degree pursuit in earnest. One final duty she had to complete, in order to leave with peace of mind.
The House of Enchanted Comics. A run down, yet rugged building. It reminded her of the rocks she loved. Not only because of its appearance, but because of what resided within the building as well. Beyond the rough exterior was the proverbial gem.
The door creaked open, slowly, and the sound seemed as if it would go on forever. An elderly olive colored pony with a curly orange mane took a few steps outside of the shop and smiled at Maud.
“Ah, you’re back. I haven’t seen you in quite a while.”
“Yes. I’ve been busy.”
Silence surrounded them.
“Well, I have what you’re here for. It arrived just yesterday. Come on in.”
The elderly pony walked back into the shop, leaving the door open behind her. Maud cautiously looked to her right, then her left, and darted into the shop.
She quickly tossed a few bits from her pocket onto the rickety, nearly broken wooden counter directly to her right. The elderly pony hadn’t even made it behind the counter yet. She glanced at the bits and gave a curious expression.
“You sure are in a hurry, aren’t you?”
“Yes.”
Her tone betrayed her words. However, this pony had known Maud for quite some time. Months, in fact. She knew Maud’s answer was genuine. It just... didn’t really matter whether it was genuine or not. The elderly pony rolled her eyes.
“Of course, of course. You always are.”
The tired store owner pulled out a bright, mint cardboard box. Its healthy glow was completely out of place in this dark, claustrophobic room. She slowly pulled off the tape and opened up the box.
Maud was giddy with anticipation. Well, one would assume she would be, given the circumstances. Her expression said anything but that, however. She looked as if she couldn’t care less.
There it was. The pony gave the precious cargo to Maud, and walked behind the counter to collect the payment. Maud was holding a pristine, brand new copy of the latest issue of her favorite comic book series, Power Ponies. She glanced up at the store owner, who was still slowly picking up the bits off the counter.
“Thank you.”
Maud began to walk out the door.
“You’re welcome.”
Maud had decided to stay at a Canterlot suite for the night. She made her way to her room as quickly as she could, which is to say, incredibly slowly. After about two hours had passed, she was finally able to read her comic book issue.
She rested on her suite’s bed and laid her issue on the bed in front of her.
“It’s time, Boulder.”
Boulder was gently pulled from his resting spot in Maud’s pocket, and carefully placed on the bed next to her. She adjusted his position so that he would have good view of the comic book. Finally, she placed her hoof at the edge of the front cover, and turned the page.
This was the latest issue. Nopony knew what was coming. Mane-iac had been defeated in the last issue, but was she really gone? Just like that? Maud knew better. She knew Mane-iac better than anypony else.
The first page showed a quiet, peaceful scene in Maretropolis. Mares and stallions filled the sidewalks, not a crime in sight. Maud turned the page.
‘I knew it.’
She knew it was too good to be true. Mane-iac was there, taking up the entire page.
“I’M BAAAAACK!” Her jagged bubble read in large, red font.
The psychotic, green haired pony had just come careening from underground, bursting forth like a geyser. Her twisted, green hair creating a pillar in the sky like a burst of rushing water. It flowed downwards just as gracefully, and snatched up several civilians in the process.
The next several pages detailed the Mane-iac’s kidnapping of various civilians, and her public challenge of the Power Ponies.
“Oh, my precious Power Ponies! I hope you’re LISTENING! Ahahaha...”
The Mane-iac stood atop the largest building in Maretropolis, dangling her hostages off the building’s edge. Her maniacal laughing could be heard throughout the entire city. At least, that’s what the narrative bubbles were saying.
The next page showed members of Maretropolis’ police force, all gathered at a conference in City Hall. A large stallion with a red mane and mustache raised his hoof, indicating for them all to silence.
“Everypony, I have an important announcement to make.” He spoke with a thick Brooklyn accent.
“As you all know, the Power Ponies have been missing for the past several weeks. I believe we are all in agreement, when I say...”
Maud felt herself begin to tense up. She turned the page, slowly. The crisp sound of the paper moving seemed as if it would last an eternity.
It was another full page panel. It was of the police officer this time. He continued his statement.
“...We must call upon Iron Mare.”
The next page was blank, save for a few tiny, incoherent words scribbled at the bottom. Maud did not need a magnifying glass to decipher what it said. She knew full well what the words were. She looked at Boulder, closed her eyes for a few brief moments, and gently cradled him in both of her hooves.
“I’ll be right back. Wait for me.”
The seemingly insensitive pony placed Boulder down onto the bed once more, and began to pet him with her hoof, a small smile forming on her face.
It was time to fulfill her obligation; her duty. She glared at the scrawled, miniscule words, closed her eyes, and began to speak.
“You can return...”
The comic book began to light up, and a fleeting wind began to emanate throughout the room as Maud spoke.
“...when the Mane-iac is defeated...”
A bright pillar of light erupted from the comic book’s pages, but halted abruptly. The light had only risen to slightly above Maud’s head. Her eyes were still closed as she continued to chant.
“...join the adventure in this book.”
The light now seemingly burst, and began to wrap itself around Maud. She opened her eyes, and quickly glanced towards Boulder. The rock sat there, motionless. This wasn’t the first time they had been through this. He knew she would return. After all, this was her duty. She wasn’t capable of failing.
Maud smiled once more, before being completely engulfed by the light. The mass of light then whisked itself into the comic book’s empty pages, and the room was filled with silence. Only the sound of the howling wind outside could be heard, and even that died down after a few short moments.
Pitch black. All Maud could see was pitch black. Her eyes opened slightly. Hooves were visible, but they were not hers. They were of a cream color tone.
Maud opened her eyes fully and looked up at the pony standing above her. It was the police officer from earlier. The last pony she had seen among the issue’s pages.
“You made it just in time, Iron Mare.”
Maud carefully positioned her hooves against the ground, and pushed off. She managed to leap fifteen feet into the air, back flipped, and landed on all four hooves a short distance from the police officer.
She looked at her reflection in a nearby clothing store’s window. Everything was just as she remembered. Her body was covered in coarse, angular rocks. The rock on her chest was chiseled into the shape of an upside down triangle, while the rest were rectangular in shape and neatly covered every inch of her body. Only her eyes and tail were visible.
Her rock armor glinted in the sunlight. To the common civilian, the armor looked like glistening platinum that could melt at any minute. As Iron Mare, Maud’s strength was magnified a thousand-fold. Her speed was slightly hindered, but she knew just how to shift her weight in this suit to properly propel herself.
In truth, there was only one weakness her suit had. It was heat. If the rocks on her body were ever exposed to a sudden burst of heat, Iron Mare would be finished. Even just the sunlight posed a slight discomfort, but not one that would hinder her abilities. Nevertheless, Iron Mare never let down her guard. Mane-iac had tried countless times to toss her into an incinerator or oversized oven.
“Where is she?” Maud asked, her voice muffled by the silver hued helmet around her head.
The police officer pony pointed his hoof towards the top of a large skyscraper. It was across the street from their current location. Iron Mare looked upwards, the sunlight blocking her view. She held one hoof up to her forehead, and squinted.
The Mane-iac was there, laughing. She was tossing the civilians high into the air and catching them just before they fell out of her reach. Their screams of terror only made her laugh louder. Luckily, her inflated ego had hindered her foresight. Iron Mare knew she had to launch a surprise attack, and she had to launch it now.
The police officer was sweating buckets, the nervous look on his face speaking for him.
“Well?! Aren’t you going to save them?!”
Iron Mare turned her head towards him and stared at him for a few seconds, before looking back upwards at the skyscraper’s roof.
“Sure.”
Maud slowly bent her legs, and the ground beneath her began to rumble. The tremors were loud enough to give the police officer a headache, causing him to flee, but not loud enough to get the Mane-iac’s attention.
In an instant, Maud launched herself off the street, leaving a large crater beneath her. She raised one hoof and aimed directly for the Mane-iac. Iron Mare’s eyes suddenly widened. The super hero had underestimated the super villain.
Mane-iac was looking directly at Iron Mare, a devilish grin on her face more wicked than Iron Mare had ever seen before. The hysterical hair raiser used one of her tendrils to latch onto an enormous blow dryer she had hidden on the rooftop, and aimed it straight towards Iron Mare.
“Say goodbye, Iron Maaaaare! AHAHAHAHAAAAA!!!!!”
A hot, burning mist began to emanate from the blow dryer as its vent began to turn a burning red hue. Maud had to think fast. She remained in position, with one hoof in front, pointed towards the Mane-iac. She used her other front hoof to chip off a slight chunk of rock from her chest plate.
She grasped the chipped fragment in her hoof, now using her other hoof as a crosshair to aim for the Mane-iac. Iron Mare closed one eye to improve her aim, and hurdled the rock fragment up towards the rooftop, still closing in herself.
The Mane-iac was laughing at the top of her lungs, fully unaware of the strategic attack being executed below her. The fragment of rock smashed into the blow dryer’s vent, and sent it hurdling backwards onto the Mane-iac herself.
Iron Mare landed on the rooftop and wasted no time in securing the hostages. She zoomed around the rooftop, dealing swift karate chops to each of the Mane-iac’s hair tendrils and releasing the hostages. Each hostage was thrown onto her back promptly after being freed from their captivity.
Maud noticed a large protrusion of rock. It was the doorway that workers here used to access the rooftop when they needed to. She turned her attention towards the Mane-iac, who was still struggling underneath the blow dryer, wailing and screaming like a needy infant.
“Ahhh, get it off! Get it OFF ME! AHAHAHA!!!”
Iron Mare gave a brief sigh, and then galloped over to the rooftop entrance way. She dropped the hostages onto the ground next to her, and smashed both of her front hooves into the large chunk of rock.
The resulting reverberation sent shock waves extending for miles. Maud began to focus her eyesight on the rock as she pulled her hooves upward, ripping the stone from the ground. The screeching, explosive sound of Maud ripping the rock apart nearly deafened the hostages.
The Mane-iac heard this noise and looked to her right, after having finally tossed the blow dryer off her body. Her eyes widened.
“No, NO! MY HOSTAGES!!”
Iron Mare succeeded in removing the doorway from the roof and leaped over to the edge of the building, with the giant chunk of rock still in her hooves. She plunged it into the side of the building, and sighed. The sunlight was starting to get to her.
The sound of the Mane-iac’s slimy, slithering mane helped her regain her senses. She glanced behind her and saw the Mane-iac advancing on the hostages, who were frozen in place, lying in a pile on the ground.
Maud turned to face them and shifted her eyes around the entirety of the rooftop, analyzing its physical makeup. Her eyes grew wide with a sudden realization.
‘There.'
She slowly raised one hoof, and forcefully brought it down onto a specific spot a few centimeters to her right. From the look of her movements, it seemed as if a move like this would have made an enormous explosive noise. Instead, a barely audible hum began to travel out from the spot she had struck and rippled throughout the rooftop.
The Mane-iac stopped, her mouth agape, and turned to face Iron Mare. She looked at the ground below her and it began to fall apart. The demented, purple hued mare tumbled into the building below, piles of crumbling rocks falling beside her.
“Auuuugghhhhh!” She bellowed as her voice receded to nothing more than a distant echo.
Iron Mare was now breathing heavily, the exertion and sunlight weighing down on her and sapping her stamina. She galloped over to the hostages, who were still awe-struck, and carried them on her back to the rock platform she had created.
Maud slowly slid them from her back onto the platform, and then hopped on with them. The platform was firmly stuck into the building, and was a few feet below the rooftop’s edge. She placed both of her hooves onto the edge of the roof and pushed off with her back legs, sending the platform down the building like an elevator. The hostages were so terrified from the struggle that their current situation seemed like nothing.
Iron Mare slowly pulled herself up onto the rooftop, and collapsed. She was breathing heavily. Her heavy breathing soon ceased, however, as she felt the building shake. She looked towards the top of the bottomless pit she had created, and saw a single dark green tendril making its way out.
Maud hopped onto all four hooves and braced herself. The Mane-iac suddenly flew out from the hole, soaring high into the air, and coming down directly onto Maud’s position. Iron Mare quickly dodged and darted to her left, but she fumbled.
As the Mane-iac came crashing down, further battering and cracking the poor building apart, Iron Mare collapsed onto the ground once more. Her vision began to fade. The sunlight was too strong.
‘...Hot.’
The Mane-iac began to laugh as she confidently glided over to Iron Mare using her hair tentacles to carry herself. The villain wrapped her hair around Iron Mare’s throat and slowly hoisted her into the air.
“It was nice knowing you, Iron Mare.... HAHAHAHA!!!!”
The Mane-iac extended her hooves outwards in celebration and forcefully threw Iron Mare off the rooftop, sending her plummeting to the streets below.
Iron Mare had vague flashes, incoherent images passing through her mind as she fell. Her speed began to lessen, and she could feel herself drifting into unconsciousness. She remembered Boulder.
‘Boulder. I’ll be back soon.’
She remembered Pinkie.
‘Pinkie. I should have told you while I still had the chance. Now, it’s too late...’
Suddenly, she stopped in the middle of her fall. She felt her back pressing up against somepony else, their hooves wrapped around her torso.
“Hey there, Iron Mare. Thanks for keeping her busy for us!”
Iron Mare looked up above her and saw Zap’s face looking down at her. Zap’s smirking face covered the sun, and her rainbow hued mane provided enough shade to allow Maud to see her savior clearly.
Maud looked down at the streets below and saw the other members of the Power Ponies racing towards the building where the Mane-iac had been.
Zap and Iron Mare floated down to the sidewalk. There were no cheering fans, no celebrations, no streamers. After all, the Mane-iac was still on the loose. Maud didn’t mind.
The rambunctious blue pony placed her hooves on Iron Mare’s shoulders and brushed the dust and debris off of her.
“I don’t know what we would have done without you. You saved Maretropolis!”
“Sure.”
“No, really, you did! The Mane-iac had baited us into a trap, and we were stuck for a while. If you didn’t show up when you did, she would have totaled all of Maretropolis while we were trying to escape! You’re awesome, Iron Mare!”
They both stared at each other. Zap could only see Iron Mare’s eyes, but she knew the rock enthusiast had a smile on her face.
“Thank you.”
Zap saluted her fellow super hero and flew towards her comrades. Their battle had only just begun. Iron Mare turned around and watched as Zap disappeared from her sight. She closed her eyes, and tilted her head towards the ground.
‘My job is done.’
A white light began to form around her, like a bubble, and engulfed her. Before long, the bubble popped, and Iron Mare had vanished.
Pitch black. Maud opened her eyes. There was Boulder, staring right back at her.
“I did it.”
She stared at Boulder intently, as if he were silently responding.
“Yeah.”
Whatever Boulder had asked, it was lost on anypony else’s ears but Maud’s.
“I...”
Maud extended her hoof, and placed it on Boulder, caressing him gently. She placed him in his usual resting spot, looking down at him in her pocket.
“I’m back.”
Maud looked over at her issue of Power Ponies. She had her fill. It was time to return it to the shop.
Knock, knock
The elderly pony woke up from her early morning nap. She rubbed her eyes with her hooves while slowly making her way to the door. She laughed softly as she opened the door and saw who it was.
“Ah, here to return your comic again, eh? Don’t you ever want to keep them?”
“No.”
The elderly pony extended her hooves out. Maud pulled the comic out of her saddle bag and placed the issue back into the shopkeeper's possession.
“Would you like a refund?”
“No.”
Maud began to walk away from the shop. If she didn’t hurry, she would miss her train. She didn’t want to miss out on earning her degree.
“Just a moment!” exclaimed the elderly store owner.
The purple haired pony stopped.
“Did you enjoy reading it?”
Maud turned her head, looking back at the store owner. She smirked, ever so slightly.
“Sure.”
Author's Note
'Nuff said.
