The first hint of trouble was a flock of birds cawing and fleeing the Everfree Forest. The second sign was a deep roaring and the ground shaking in the rhythm of foot stomps. The third sign was a sound reminiscent of logging, that of giant trees snapping and crashing to the ground. A giant creature was coming.
The giant stood a head taller than the trees of the Everfree Forest. He made a path for himself by grabbed trees by their trunks, ripping them out of the ground, and tossing them casually back into the forest. Decaying soil sprayed from the roots of the uprooted trees, filling the air with a fetid miasma. With every tree he rent, the giant roared, and blew rocks, bushes, or other obstacles out of his path.
The bipedal dragon-hybrid pounded out of the Everfree Forest and turned toward the rural settlement of Ponyville. His massive arms hung past his knees, and ended in giant claws, each larger than a carriage. His jaws hinged like a snake’s, and his maw could, and would, open large enough to swallow a manticore whole.
The citizens of Ponyville heard the roars from the forest and panicked. Their resident Princess, and almost all of her heroic friends, were far away in the Crystal Empire.
The only one between the multi-story tall engine of destruction and the defenseless residents was a single white unicorn; fashionista by trade; known more for generosity, style, and cleverness, than for magical or physical prowess.
Rarity the unicorn scanned around her. When she was sure nopony was looking, she tossed a crimson cape over her shoulders, and fastened it around her neck with a clasp shaped like a small golden shield. The was a momentary glow on each of her flanks. Then she trotted, with great decorum, toward the giant, to intercept him before he got to the town.
The creature looked down with disdain at the solitary unicorn. “What! No army? No soldiers? No battalions of mages attempting to slow the rampage of the unstoppable Rangor, spawn of Tartarus?”
He reached a hand behind his back and pulled out a sword as long as his arm and as big around as a tree trunk. Rangor held the sword in his two giant claws and brandished it before him. “This weapon was forged in the lava pits of the lowest levels of Tartarus. It will take me but a moment to crush you with it where you stand. Then, I will leave your mangled remains and crush your town as well.”
“A few days ago that might have been true.” Rarity gave a small smile. “But recently I extended a helping hoof to an injured traveler. Turns out he was a strange visitor from another world. Before he left, he gave me this fetching cape and several generous gifts.
“You can see on the crimson cape a gold shield clasp and gold shield symbol. Each shield encloses three blue diamonds. When I wear the cape, my cutie-mark changes to match. The mark and cape indicate the fact that I am now, for lack of a better word… super!
“So it would be easier for both of us, if you were to just turn right around and throw yourself back into Tartarus.”
“Silly pony babbles too much! Rangor crush you now!” He raised the mighty sword high over his head and aimed a strike at the small unicorn.
Twin crimson beams shot from Rarity’s eyes and intersected at the base of the giant sword. In an instant the sword became red hot, then molten, and finally vaporized into a cloud of superheated gas.
“See…” Rarity giggled, touching a fore hoof to the golden shield clasp. “Super!”
“Argh!” Rangor clapped his claws together rapidly to rid himself of any molten remains. “Let's see how you like fire, puny pony!” Dragon fire flickered around his mouth. Rangor stood up to his full height and inhaled a great breath. He threw his head forward, opened his mouth, and aimed an inferno of magic flame at the caped equine.
Before the fire blast could begin to emerge from Rangor’s maw, Rarity drew in a quick breath, pursed her lips, and blew. An icy hurricane hit Rangor spot on between his fangs and flooded his open mouth, snuffing out the fire.
Rarity glanced at the golden shield and blue diamonds on her cape, then back at the giant.
“As I said... super!”
Rarity reared and pushed off with her hind legs, rising in the air with the grace of a ballerina. She had neither flapping wings nor glowing horn, but her perfectly coiffed purple mane and crimson cape rippled majestically in the wind as she rose. Rarity flew up and forward until her eyes were even with Rangor’s.
“I have given you two chances,” Rarity said.”Turn back now or I will have to be quite cross with you. Or perhaps an uppercut would be more appropriate. We shall see what happens when inspiration strikes.”
“I will end you!” Rangor roared. He grabbed a boulder, big as the Carousel Boutique, in his claws, raised it high, and slammed it down on the flying unicorn’s head.
The boulder shattered into a million pieces on impact. Rarity moved not an inch. She twisted her body and glanced at the golden shield with three diamonds on her flank.
“Still... super.” Rarity sighed.
“And that was number three.”
She looked over Rangor’s shoulder at the path he had trampled through the Everfree Forest. “Tartarus is that way, is it not?” She pointed a hoof in the direction that Rangor had come.
Stunned, Rangor nodded.
“Uppercut it is then. Have a nice trip!” Rarity cocked her right hoof back then punched out and up in the blink of an eye. The blow landed with a sound like thunder and Rangor rocketed into the sky. Rarity followed the arc of his flight for a full minute while Rangor flew all the way back across the Everfree Forest and landed with a crash that raised a giant cloud cloud of dirt and debris. She leant an ear to listen, and heard three dog barks in the far, far distance.
“Do try to make sure he doesn't get out of Tartarus again, will you Cerberus?”
Rarity surveyed the area. “I’d best clean up here before anypony spots the path Rangor made through the Everfree and gets any dangerous ideas.” She zoomed into the forest, scooped up the trees Rangor had downed, and tossed them back into their respective holes. With a tap here, and a shove there, she had the the forest whole again in moments.
Rarity floated lightly to the ground, wiping her fore hooves against each other to remove any dust or dirt. When she landed, Rarity unclasp the crimson cape and with quick movements folded it until it nearly disappeared. A shimmer on her flanks, and the golden shield disappeared from around her cutie-mark.
Rarity looked at her flank and realized it's transformation might not be enough to keep the residents of Ponyville from connecting the fashionista and her ‘super’ alter ego. She didn’t dislike attention, but the connection might make things socially... awkward... in the small town.
“What to do?” she thought. Then she remembered a suggestion from the strange visitor who had deeded her these gifts. Rarity pulled out the glasses she previously needed for close work. While her eyes could now see anything from spinning atoms to whirling galaxies with equal clarity, these glasses could still have a function. She popped them on and began a leisurely trot back toward Ponyville, calm in the knowledge that nopony would see through her disguise and uncover her super secret identity.
