The Legend of Mare-Do-Well

by JD2K

Rating: teen
Tags: Original Character, Mare Do Well, Random, Adventure, Pinkie Pie, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Alternate Universe
Length: 120592

Pinkie Pie chooses to stay as Mare-Do-Well. For a good reason, too.

Who knows what disaster is about to strike Ponyville and its innocent citizens? Who strikes fear in the heart of evildoers who bring harm to the quaint quirky town? The Mysterious Mare-Do-Well knows...

When Pinkie Pie decides to remain the sole Mare-Do-Well, her choice ends up having both positive and negative repercussions for herself and for her town. An ongoing series about her challenges in keeping both her regular life as well as her hero alter ego.

UPDATE: After a two-year hiatus, I have returned with the next chapter. To not keep the readers waiting, I have divided it into small sections and posting them as I finish. Due to obvious reasons with so many things that have happened in the canon universe of FiM, this story is now under "Alternate Universe". Some pieces of the current canon will be included but others will be left out. Please bear with me, yes?

Published 2011-11-29 13:14:33 UTC
Last updated 2014-07-21 01:31:10 UTC

Chapter 1

The Legend of Mare-Do-Well

Part 1: The Mysterious Mare

by JD2K

Ponyville at night. The stars sparkle in the sky as the moon shines brightly over the sleepy town. Most of its citizens are fast asleep in their beds with the occasional lights still coming from some well-known nocturnal establishments such as the bowling alley's 24-hour admittance tourney, the Retirement Village's bingo night, and of course the Library with its main occupant doing some studying as is her usual activity.

However, there is one establishment that is uncharacteristically active that time of the night. Closed to patrons until the morning hours, the Spa has some of its lights on from within. Upon closer inspection, however, it's anything but a routine inventory check.

"I tell you, Razor. Coming to this place was a great idea!"

The scruffy unicorn with a dirty mustard coat, an uneven-cut dark green mane and tail, and a cutie mark of an open bag with spilled bits was using his meager magic skills to grab as many toiletries, lotions, salves, shampoos, aromatherapy blends and any other artifacts that look remotely expensive or valuable he can find.

"We could have hit that town hall, that swanky boutique or even got some well deserved grub at that crazy gingerbread house bakery! But no, you wanted to hit this dive instead, Small Change!"

Razor, a sturdy earth pony stallion with a chiseled jaw, dark magenta coat, short cropped black mane, and twin razor blades for a cutie mark stood there with his saddlebags filling to the brim of the stolen loot Small Change levitates over to them.

"Don't be such a nag! This stuff's all made from pure Everfree plants. All this loot would sell for a lot among those rich fillies and mares back in Manehatten! I mean, just look at these two's faces. All this is worth at least a hundred thousand bits or more!" Small Change smirks as he points his hoof at the subjects he described.

On the floor, bound by their legs and fitted with bridles with ball-gag centerpieces on, are the twin Spa pony proprietors, whimpering and trying their best to scream through their tight gags. When they heard the door knocking, they thought it was a late-night delivery. By the time they realized their mistake, the large stallion broke in as the skinnier unicorn tied them up and fitted those bridles on them. They are powerless to do anything but watch in horror.

"Yeah well, let's just get out of here and get as far away as possible. This town gives me the creeps," his bigger yet more level-headed cohort muses as he looks around from side to side in caution. "I mean, this place is practically overlooked by the Big Alli's themselves up in their castle at the side of the mountain!"

"Stop being a scaredy-filly, 'Stud'. Both Celestia and Luna can kiss our flanks for all I care!" the unicorn chuckles, "Almost done here, and... All right! We got everything here. We're going to be swimming in bits and all those honey fillies over at Prancer's Paradise in no time!"

He then turns his eyes to see the frightened stare of the spa twins. He licks his chops as a thought goes through his head. Razor, however snaps him out of its with a loud snort. "No way in Celestia's name am I going to be holding this stuff like a damn pack mule while you do that, bub! Let's scram, already!"

Small Change snorts back as his eyes turn back to the twins. Lowering his gaze, he blows them both a kiss followed by a wink as the two thieves trot outside. As they did, the smug unicorn stomps on the lantern to snuff out its light and closes the door behind him. Only the feeble screams and wails of the helpless occupants inside is all that is heard.

"Salt-lick bricks, locoweed joints, fancy platinum-plated shin guards, all those beautiful flanks!" the giddy unicorn jabbers on as they slowly break off into a gallop towards the town outskirts and all points beyond. "We're going to party hard when we get back. Why, I'll even let you try some nightshade!"

The earth stallion's eyes open wide. "Nightshade?! That stuff's poison, bub! I like salt and locoweed like any other stallion, but nightshade's a death warrant!"

Small Change sneers at him. "What are you, huh? A gelding? You haven't truly lived until you tried some ni-what the BUCK?!"

Both robbers screech to a halt as a figure jumps in front of them. Something, or somepony, covered in a long dark grayish-blue cloth and a stylish-looking purple hat with a broad brim and a dark grayish-blue ribbon on the top. Suddenly, the strange figure gets up to reveal an equine shape covered in a tight purple bodysuit and dark grayish-blue bandages on its four hooves. What they thought of originally as a long cloth was actually a flowing cape that blows and extends itself in the nighttime breeze, held in place by a brooch placed in the center of its chest monogrammed with an "M" against a collar folded out from the same purple bodysuit.

Suddenly, the figure looks up and the hoods can see this stranger's face is covered in a full head cloth mask the same color as the cape and two large blue patches where the eyes are supposed to be, which looks up at them somehow showing a fearsome scowl. The mask has no opening for a mouth or nose, but clearly by the shape of the snout, it's most definitely a mare.

Despite the foreboding presence, this mare is quite small and just reaches Small Change to his neck. In fact, she is only able to meet the lower part of Razor's chest.

Small Change takes a couple of deep breaths to get over the initial scare as he looks down at the still frowning pony slightly shorter than him. "Hey there, squirt. Wow, that's some nice Nightmare Night get-up you got there. Aren't you a little early for it though? Now why are you out here scaring, uh... upstanding equine citizens such as ourselves, eh?" The mare just stands there silently, never flinching or moving. The scowl never leaving her gaze.

"Rrrright. Well, we must be on our way then. So excuuuuuuuuse us!" Small Change proclaims as he took his front hoof and shoves the mare aside. Strangely, she simply slides across the ground without even moving a single muscle by the force of his push. Her head slowly moved to the side as the hateful glare became more pronounced. With that, the two ruffians walk past her and continue on their way.

The unicorn looks back and sees the mare still standing in the same pose with her head turned to the side as she lays an angry eye on him. Shuddering slowly, he looks at his cohort who holds a smirk on his face.

"And what's so funny, huh?" Small Change mutters angrily.

"Oh nothing. I was just surprised that the all-mighty Small Change, who stared at the boss of the Griffin Syndicate in the eye and didn't even flinch, got spooked like a baby foal by some silly pony in some fancy Nightmare Night costume!" Razor says with a low chuckle.

Trying to maintain his image, the unicorn protests, "Hey! She got the drop on me that's all! I swear if I had seen her coming a mile away, I would have stared her down so well that even a cockatrice would run home to Mommy after I'm done with it! I mean, just look at her back there staring at me as if I ju-huh?!"

Small Change's words stop as he turned back to point a hoof at the mare only to see she's gone! They only turned their backs for a few seconds and she vanished. To top it off, they are in a wide path with the closest structures being a couple of tent stands some feet away and some buildings built with adjacent walls with no alleys between them for somepony to hide. How could she have moved so fast without them even noticing her?

"Buddy, let's get out of here. This place is really starti-AAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!!!!" Small Change turns back to face the road only to see the mare standing right in front of them again! Once more, she glowers just as strongly as before at them.

The unicorn's patience has left him. "That's it, shorty! Mare or no mare, you've made me mad so make like a parasprite and buzz off!"

He then rears up his body to come down with a crushing blow at the strange pony. Without a second to spare, the mare swings her cape around and manages to snag Small Change. She begins to gallop around him with great speed, becoming a miniature whirlwind as she goes around and around him. Razor could just stand there shocked as the pony stops galloping, showing his unicorn cohort wound up tightly in the pony's cape. With one forceful tug, she quickly unravels him and he spins out like a tornado until he crashes into an empty bushel basket and goes down for the count.

Razor looks down at the costumed pony staring up at him. "You little runt! When I'm done with you, you'll be nothing but Diamond Dog kibble!"

He then unloads his saddlebags and prepares himself. He starts off by swinging his hooves out at the mare and the smaller opponent merely hops from one incoming jab to another. The earth stallion then holds his ground and launches a powerful roundhouse buck with both hind legs towards her and she ducks in the nick of time. Despite her head avoiding the blow, her hat was hit by the impact and falls to the floor. She turns to stare at her crumpled hat and immediately looks back at Razor with rage in her eyes.

The stallion again starts with a jab only for the pony to grab her hat and toss it at his face, causing him to stumble around blindly with unconcentrated swings. She blocks his closest strikes with ease and manages to land one of her own on his chest, not enough to hit him hard but enough to knock some wind out of him. She then follows it by jumping up and clapping her front hooves together at the sides of his head to further dizzy him.

Razor feels a stinging pain and ringing from his head by the mare's impact as he finally shakes the hat off his face. Fuming, he lowers his thick head ready to swing upward to try and aim for the pony's jawbone. The mare immediately counters by placing both her front hooves forward just as he lifts his heavy head, allowing her to shoot upwards into the air by the force.

Staring up while maintaining his balance from the earlier ear-ringing, Razor looks up to see the mare do a gymnastic flip in mid air and aims both her hind legs forward in a powerful drill kick that hits him directly on the top of his head. The blow is more than enough to make him stumble and crash on the floor, unconscious.

The mare walks back where Razor tossed her hat earlier and places it back on her head. She then stands up in alert and swiftly rolls to the side. A magical aura-enhanced cart just misses her by inches as it breaks into splinters on the ground she stood on. Looking back in direction of the cart's flight, Small Change is there with a black eye and a lump over his snout. His horn glows fiercely as he picks up another cart from nearby and tosses it at her. The mare once again dodges with ease.

By now, the unicorn had just about enough as he starts to grab whatever is around nearby. Bushes, wooden wheels, empty crates, hay carts, a kitchen sink, and anything else that isn't firmly planted on the floor are flinged at the mare. Lowering her eyes carefully, she leaps into the air and lands nimbly on one of the tossed hay carts. Maintaining balance, she jumps from item to item as she approaches her target. Small Change just stands there in shock and fear. Who is this mysterious mare? Why is she so good?!

Finally, she jumps off the spokes of one wooden wheel thrown at her, spreads her legs out, and belly-flops right on top of Small Change, putting an end to his attacks. Lying hurt on the ground, he looks up with his remaining good eye and sees the mare standing over him, her cold blue eyes staring at him. Small Change finally is unable to take it anymore.

"No...No...NO!!! Please...Somepony! ANYPONY! GET THIS WEIRD MARE AWAY FROM ME! PLEASE!"

With that, he crosses his front legs over his face and begins to weep. Soon, he begins to hear voices and looks up to see that not only the mare has vanished, but some of the townsponies start to wake as lights turn on everywhere and they come out to see what the ruckus is all about.

Small Change didn't care for whatever the Royal Courts would throw at him. Anything is better than staying in Ponyville and meeting that scary costumed pony again. He immediately confesses to his crime, tells them he tied the spa twins up, reveals all the stolen loot, and even starts to confess to a variety crimes throughout Equestria committed by both him and Razor that spanned from Manehatten to Trottingham. The townspeople were all shocked but have a feeling what happened just now.

"It’s Mare-Do-Well! Mare-Do-Well saved us all again!" the Flower Trio proclaim in unison as everypony begins to cheer.

Soon enough, word is sent to Canterlot and right on time, some Royal Guard Pegasi arrive with a prison cart. They haul Small Change and the unconscious Razor inside and fly back to Canterlot. All the while, the unicorn keeps shouting and confessing crimes in fear the “weird mare” would return, including the time he once stole an extra cookie from the pantry without his mother’s knowledge.

Other ponies take the saddlebags with the stolen items back to the spa ponies, who are later untied, told about what happened and they give a silent thank you to "Mare-Do-Well" for saving their business. They then are taken to the hospital for any trauma from the ordeal.

As all this occured, Mare-Do-Well looks down silently at her grateful populace from her vantage point on top of a nearby roof, cape flapping against the night breeze. Another disaster averted.

Nodding once, she turns around and hops away nimbly from rooftop to rooftop.

*************************************

Twilight Sparkle heard the commotion happening outside but didn't even see fit to venture out, knowing whatever disaster occured, it would be quickly taken care of. With a soft reddish aura, she flips the next page in the tome she is currently studying and writes down notes with a quill and scroll nearby.

Suddenly, the door to the library creaks open, spooking Owlowiscious from his perch. Twilight doesn't bother turning around as she knows exactly who it is.

"So what was it tonight? Drunk carting? Mugging? Burglary? Robbery? The Crusaders again on one of their midnight cutie mark quests?" Twilight muses as she moves on to the next page.

Silence. The prized unicorn pupil sighs and turns around seeing Mare-Do-Well stand there silently. Eyes just fixed on her with no emotion. "Wow. I really am impressed. You really take this whole business seriously. It would make it harder for me to communicate with you despite you being the Ponyville Charades Champ as you said so. Relax. You can go back to being you here."

Mare-Do-Well nods once as she takes off her hat and reaches down to her neck to reveal a secret seam. Softly pulling up, her mask crumples towards the cape to the cape it's attached to and reveals the sweat-soaked but still smiling expression of Pinkie Pie.

"Oooh, you should have seen my slick moves out there, Twilight! I was all waaaaaaaah hi-yah! and managed to leap in the air and smacked a huge stallion that would make Big MacIntosh look like a colt and even when he was Little Mac he was quite the scrapper as he singlehandedly managed to knock out a crazy bald bull that trespassed on Sweet Apple Acres one time with one good buck to the stomach according to a story Applejack told me when she was a little filly and <GASP> that reminds me that I really should thank her for giving me her training shoes she used growing up to fortify Bucky McGillicutty...or was it Kicks McGee? But it really really helped me out! Oh, and then this really big meanypants unicorn came out and started throwing everything at me. Shoom! Shoom! Shoom! Shoom! I jumped on each one as my twitchy-tail went mad, but how can it be mad if it's just my tail? I like it being happy and what make me happy are parties with chocolate cake and muffins and cupcakes and sarsaparilla and dancing to my jam and playing Pin-The-Tail-On-The-Pon..."

Twilight quickly grabs the Mare-Do-Well mask with her magic and pulls it back over Pinkie Pie's face, causing her to finally stop talking. At least she is gracious to keep that rule that while in costume with the mask on she never has to talk. Twilight sighs in relief and finally looks at her costumed friend. "Pinkie, I don't know what motivates you. After what we did to Rainbow Dash, you insisted on keeping your costume while Applejack, Fluttershy and I threw ours away much to Rarity's fit and then told us you wanted to stay as her. Do you... really enjoy being a hero?" Mare-Do-Well lowers her head a bit and gives a small nod.

The purple unicorn and the rest of her friends have asked her why she does what she does. Being both Ponyville Premier Party Planner and Assistant Baker in Sugar Cube Corner as well as Mare-Do-Well would be tiring for any regular pony, but not Pinkie. She just seems to have extra energy to spare. Sure, the ponies all wonder why Mare-Do-Well doesn't use magic anymore like she did when she fixed the dam or uses wings like when she flew by after that deed, but they are still happy to have her around.

After observing her from a careful distance while remembering the last time she tried to question Pinkie's abilities all too painfully, Twilight simply deduced that the ponies of Ponyville have hope in their hearts having a hero who never backs down like Mare-Do-Well and protecting them in times where asking for aid from Cantelot nearby took too long. Pinkie, being the embodiment of the Element of Laughter, must feed off the joy felt by others and that gives her strength. How else could her Pinkie Sense and strange interactions of the natural world seem to help her all the time? She was practically born to be a supermare. Hence, why she and the rest of the girls decided to simply let her continue with the mantle of Mare-Do-Well. Any other pony would have burned out by now from having such an exhausting double life that Pinkie Pie the party hostess/bakery helper and Mare-Do-Well the mysterious heroine embody, but she does it just fine.

With a satisfied sigh, she places a front hoof on her costumed friend's side. "Please never change. You are both Laughter and now Hope. Never lose those ideals which both the Elements of Harmony and the ponies of Ponyville bestow upon you. You are welcome to visit me anytime in case you need to read more books on Far East martial arts whenever you desire, ok?"

Mare-Do-Well, despite not being able to show any facial expression, has her blue cloth suddenly turn moist patch as a small tear manages to seep out from the mask and land on the floor as she gives her purple unicorn friend a silent hug. After releasing her, she puts her hat back on, flings her cape around and softly moves up the stairs towards the open window. Twilight turns around and uses her magic to once again pick up the quill.

"Don't be a stranger now," she calls out only to know she was long gone. The prize pupil merely smiles. How long she wishes to send a friendship report about this to Princess Celestia but decides not to for fear somepony or other would read it and find out Mare-Do-Well's secret identity. All she, the rest of her friends and Spike who know that identity can do is cheer silently from the sidelines.

The Legend of Mare-Do-Well trots along.

Chapter 2

The Legend of Mare-Do-Well
Chapter 2: Origin of the Hero
by JD2K

"Pinkie Pie, can you go and see if the walnut crisp cookies are done? I bet they're all ready to be cooled down." Mr. Cake asks as he helps his wife display their latest batch of fresh cornbread on a table.

The pink pony smiles and gives him a one-hoof salute with a sweet smile. "Okey dokey lokey, Mr. Cake! I'm right on it!" With those words, she hops away towards the kitchen in the back.

She then grabs a flame-retardant cloth with her mouth, nudges open the oven door with a hoof, and sticks her head in, clamping down on the hot cooking tray with the cloth over her teeth. The rich heavenly smell of the cookies makes Pinkie Pie sigh dreamily. However, she had to maintain what little focus she usually has to prevent herself from eating every last cookie in that tray and decides to place it on the table to cool.

She starts to hum a tune when suddenly she feels a powerful electric jolt running down her spine, followed by her pupils shrinking to near invisibility and a loud gasp. The force of the gasp made her drop the entire tray of cookies on the floor with a loud bang. At that, both Mr. and Mrs. Cake come running into the kitchen.

"Good heavens, Pinkie dear! What happened?" Mrs. Cake asks with worry as they are more interested in their
apprentice's well-being than the ruined cookies on the floor.

Pinkie shakes her head a few times. That spine tingle could only mean one thing. She looks up at the Cakes with a sincere smile. "Um, I'm not feeling very well right now. I'm going to go lie down now, if that's ok?" she says softly.

Mr. Cake shows her a warm smile in return. "Sure thing, Pinkie. Just come on back down once you're feeling better, you hear?"

"Thank you so much!" the pink pony responds as she slowly walks away with a worried smile and beads of sweat running down her brow. As soon as she's out of their sight, she shoots up the stairs to her room.

Closing the door, she bolts it right behind her. Normally she would never do that since there was nothing to fear in Ponyville, but things change and it's the only way to protect her secret that not even the Cakes have to know.

Humming once more, she hops her way to a bookcase filled with all sorts of books of jokes, silly stories and
party catalogs. Her eyes dart across the books in front of her until she finds the one she's looking for. The book itself was unassuming with a crisp binder with letters in simple ink reading The Equestrian Gourmand's Guide to Candies and Confectionaries . Grabbing the edge of the book, she pulls it out only to show it was actually a cleverly-disguised latch that clicks against the book case. Just like that, the bookcase slowly and silently slides to the side to reveal a hidden room.

Pinkie originally had this room nopony else knew about built as a secret hideaway where she could sneak off to snack on some leftovers that the Cakes later wondered about their disapperance. However, her new "part-time job" gives it a whole different purpose. Turning on a well hidden lantern at the base of the hidden chamber, she reveals what is her newest and most secret possession. A ponyquin given by Rarity which holds the bodysuit, cape, mask and hat of the Mysterious Mare-Do-Well. It's time for her to act once more. Pinkie hums as she hopped into the hidden chamber as the bookcase slid back into place. She then starts to recall that day when she declared her new lease on life.

************************************

"I already made up my mind. I'm going to stay as her! It was so much fun and I want to do it again!" Pinkie Pie proclaimed as she and her friends had a secret meeting in the dark basement of the Library. She called them all together to make an important announcement. Naturally, the Five were shocked at this turn of events.

"Now, now, sugar cube. Don'cha think yer going way over yer li'l pink head over thehs?" Applejack mused as she looked at the center of the room just behind Pinkie where the Mare-Do-Well costume was placed on one of Rarity's spare ponyquins.

"Applejack's right, Pinkie. What we did could only be accomplished by all of us working together," Twilight Sparkle explained, "Her strength, your Pinkie Sense, my magic, Fluttershy's wings. We couldn't have helped Rainbow see the error of her ways if we weren't united. There is just no way 'Mare-Do-Well' could work with just you."

Pinkie shook her head in shock as her eyes opened wide. "But Twilight, what will the ponies say when they find out Mare-Do-Well isn't even real? That she was just something we baked in our noodles to show Rainbow to not be just a big, inflated, super-ego, grumpy-pants, extra-topping, spoilered, rott-"

"PINKIE PIE! " Rainbow Dash snapped before she could continue as she remained hovering above them. "We all get the point about me. That I'd end up with a bigger swelled head than that showmare Trixie if Mare-Do-Well didn't show up. I. Get. It."

Rarity nodded in agreement with Twilight. "She is absolutely correct, Darling. Have you not given thought to how your life will change? It would positively be a disaster! Being the number-one party planner of Ponyville, helping the Cakes run Sugar Cube Corner, and you still want to push yourself further by going out as our sham of a supermare? Oh, the horrid reminder of biting off more than I can chew!"

Rainbow Dash grumbled and crossed her front hooves. "Saddle up, girls. It'll be a long one..."

The fashionista looked up at the ceiling as though she was staring at the sky and wrung her hooves in despair. "That awful, dreadful week where not only did I have to design the original outfits we had for the Grand Galloping Gala only to create an additional set by your specifications! And to top that unspeakable moment in my life, I had to make a DOZEN of each of our dresses for Hoity-Toity! That is over seventy dresses! And to gather all the extra bolts of fabric, the accessories, the yards of fabric! It was only unrivaled by the time that uncouth ruffian Discord enchanted me to cherish... A ROCK! A dumb giant rock! Oh, the HUMILIATION! It was THE! WORST! POSSIBLE! THING!!!" With those words, she fell back on her couch she just slid into place with her magic and went into a sobbing fit.

"Where in tarnation does she even get those dang couches anyway?" Applejack whispered into Twilight's ear to which the purple unicorn replied with a shrug of her shoulders.

"Um, Pinkie?" Fluttershy piped up as she dragged one of her front hooves in circles as she looked up with shame and concern. "I, well, I don't want to offend, but... um... You really shouldn't overwork yourself just because we don't want to be Mare-Do-Well anymore. I-I-I mean... I-i-it's just that..." She then crouched down with a whimper unsure of what else to say.

Rainbow Dash placed a hoof over her face and sighed annoyingly, finally speaking, "What she WANTS to say is that the joke is over, ok? You all had a good laugh at me and helped plant my hooves firmly on the ground."

"But aren't you still hovering in the air?" Pinkie wondered as she leaned her head to the side.

The multicolor-maned pegasus stopped for a second and groaned again. "You know what I'm talking about! Why are you so interested in keeping this stupid charade-"

"Oooh! Charades! I love Charades!" Pinkie intrrupted with a happy hop. "I've been the Ponyville Charades Champ for a while too! Ok, here's the first one!" She then stood on her hind legs as she did a few motions with her front hooves.

"Pinkie..." Twilight groused.

The pink pony remained silent as she shook her head and did the motions again with more feeling.

"Pinkie," the unicorn said with increasing annoyance.

Pinkie shook her head again and made the motions once more with more urgency as she grit her teeth.

"PINKIE!" Twilight finally snapped at her.

The earth pony sighed as she got back on four legs and shook her head, "You're such a lousy charades player. I've got to teach you how to play."

"And YOU have got to realize you can't be Mare-Do-Well! She won't be able to work unless we all are in together and we can't! Just get it over your head already. Please..." Twilight pleaded.

To their collective concern, Pinkie's smile faded as she got down on her haunches and looked at the ponyquin with the costume. "You know, I never told you girls what I did when you were all over at Sugar Cube Corner with Rainbow Dash as you were praising Mare-Do-Well," she said in a half-stern tone as her frizzy mane and hair went limp. Her color remained though, meaning she was still of sound mind but being very serious. Everyone stopped what they were doing to listen at this sudden change in tone. This was no mere event she was about to say.

"I was out as Mare-Do-Well just jumping from rooftop to rooftop when I got a pinchy knee," she began.

"Something scary. I remember you told me that when I was in the tub and first met Gummy," Twilight responded.

"I could feel the pinching getting stronger as I approached an alley and saw some strange stallion I never met before walk right in. He was scary, wearing some ugly saddlebags, and being angry-looking. At first I thought about later inviting this newcomer for a party like I always do with new arrivals but then I saw a colt walk in after him. It was a young colt I often saw entering Sugar Cube Corner to do some errands. I never saw him with a smile on his face and that made me feel sad. I also didn't know where he lived so it was hard for me to actually plan a party for him to make him feel really welcome and..."

She then cleared her throat. "Sorry, everypony. I got carried away." Now they were all very worried for her. To actually excuse herself for doing one of her regular thought derailments, this was far more serious than they all thought.

"I then heard them talk. I...I... I can't go on. Please it's too horrible to remember." With those words, she hung her head down and could see a single tear fall down on the ground.

"Oh my gosh, Pinkie, Ah'm just, well, we're sorry we didn' know what happened wit' ya." Applejack said as her ears fell as well as everypony else's.

"Please tell us, dear. What was that riffraff doing to that sweet colt?" Rarity asked with a hint of concern but looking more as if she wanted new gossip scoops.

Pinkie turned aside still with a sad frown. "I don't want to say anything. Please. I just don't want to remember..."

"Aw, come on, Pinkie. How can we help you if you don't tell us? We're all your friends. We've beaten Nightmare Moon and Discord! Nothing would ever come between us, so why don't you just-"

"Rainbow Dash, hush!" an uncharacteristically cross Fluttershy silenced her on the spot. Now the others were concerned to see two of their friends so out of their Elements.

The yellow pegasus walked to the still-solemn Pinkie and looked at her with her sweet motherly gaze "It's all right, Pinkie Pie. If you don't want to tell us, you don't need to. You'll can do it when you're finally ready. Please, continue and tell us what happened after that."

The straight-haired Pinkie just gave her a weak smile and giggled a bit. "You're really a year older than me."

"After I managed to get rid of that horrible stallion, I went back to the colt and I was glad he wasn't hurt. He then apologized to 'Mare-Do-Well' and was scared to go home. 'Mare-Do-Well' decided to take the little guy home. I didn't know he lived in the opposite side of the town in a small hut near the dam. When I went in, I saw he lived alone with only his 'Aunty'. She was very old, older than Granny Smith and most of the Retirement Village's mares, but also blind. The little nephew was basically the dear old mare's source of life as he fed her, cleaned her and took care of her. I wanted so hard to ask them why didn't they live closer to town but I made a Pinkie Swear to you all that I would never speak while I was Mare-Do-Well. So I stayed silent.

The colt told his Aunty what I did for him and at first she was very upset that he got mixed up with that nasty stallion but was glad to know 'Mare-Do-Well' set him on the right path again. She then asked her nephew to take my hoof and had me stand before her. I was curious what she wanted and told me to raise my hoof. I did and she took it after finding it and... she gave a small kiss on it. Told me it was a gift for good luck. I knew when my back started to itch that it was true. Luckily her little nephew scratched it away from me and then he told me he wanted to show me something.

I walked to the bedroom both share and I actually had my heart stop for a few seconds. On top of his bed was a poster of Mare-Do-Well. It was one of those posters the Mayor made for the celebration which the colt found earlier. He then picked up a piece of paper on a table and showed it to me. I tried hard to hold back my tears as I saw a drawing he did of Mare-Do-Well along with the words #1 Ponyvill Hero! He then apologized for lying to me by saying he was scared. He was really wanting Mare-Do-Well to come to his little house and see the picture and asked me if I like it. He said he...he..."

Her tears began to fall even more as she looked up at them.

"He wanted to be a powerful hero when he grew up. He said a lot of fillies, colts and ponies all saw Mare-Do-Well as the most wonderful supermare in the entire world that only the Princesses themselves were greater. Then...he hugged my front hoof. I didn't know what to say or do. I tried to move but I was frozen in shock. I could not believe I...we managed to do all this. This had gone beyond a simple prank. This was far more important than anypony could imagine.

I finally managed to regain control of my body and I knew I had to leave before I broke down from all the combos I felt, even more than my Pinkie Sense could handle. It was that which made me decide that I want to be Mare-Do-Well. For. Ever." She then dragged a hoof slowly only to stomp it in place as she looked at them sternly.

Everypony in the room was silent. Nobody dared speak on account of what they could tell her after everything she explained to them. However, the same thing went through all their minds: She was really bent on really taking the mantle of Mare-Do-Well and it looked like she was very driven towards that goal with the spirit and willingness the pink pony was famous for. They could never say no.

"Pinkie Pie," Twilight Sparkle finally spoke as she broke the silence. "When I first arrived in Ponyville, all I could think of you was a smiling embodiment of positive energy and joy without a care in the world except seeing others smile. What you just showed me here, right now, to us all, was a spark unlike the one I felt back when I first encountered Nightmare Moon and realized the magic of friendship. You quite possibly have the most unique gift of any earth pony I have ever met in my life outside of their strength and connection to the land. Rest assured that my Magic will always help you whenever you need it." She then placed her hoof over Pinkie's on the floor.

Applejack then said, "Well now, sugar cube. This here's a side of you Ah never thought ya had. Even after all the time we shared, you keep pullin' surprises on me left an' right. Ah can tell a gosh-darn honest action when Ah see them, an' ye managed to impress even me! As long as Ah have a breath of lahfe in this here heart o' mine, Ah shall always have mah Honesty ready to help ya." Her own hoof joined Twilight's soon after.

It was Rarity's turn next. "Really, my dear, you seem to always surpass my expectations every time we talk. My mother once told me a pony is tied down to their special talent dictated by his or her cutie mark. Despite the balloons on your flank which cements your every waking moment towards your joyful soirees and songs, I now realize there is much more. I am shamed to admit you have shown far more Generosity than I could ever hope to attain, however my fabulosity is always at your beck and call, dear lady." She placed her hoof down as well.

Rainbow Dash chuckled once before finally landing on the ground. "Well, what do you know? You really got some awesomeness, radicalness and spectacularness in you, Pinkie! I'll admit you were really a huge help when I got so stuffy during the whole construction site thing. If you weren't there to help me out, I guess some ponies would have ended up badly hurt or worse. Really, you are quite the pal. Besides, how could I not stick with you if I wasn't Loyalty? It would be so not cool of me if I didn't. If you need speed, I'm the pegasus for the job!" With flourish, she placed her hoof alongside the rest.

"Pinkie," Fluttershy finally said, "I'm not, you know, good at confidence speeches but here goes..." She then took a deep breath and finally blurted out. "I've never met a much nicer and wonderful pony in all my life. You always look out for me and cheer me up whenever I feel down and I am very grateful for that. You're always considerate and never do anything to make me feel awful which helps boost my confidence only a tad. You like to make other ponies smile and be happy. You put everypony else above yourself all the time and for that I consider you as brave and honorable as any Royal Guard can be. I don't know how much my Kindness will help you, but I will try my very best to support you at all times."

She finally let out a tiny gasp and placed the final hoof in the small pile. Rainbow Dash couldn't suppress a snicker while Twilight, Applejack and Rarity rolled their eyes but maintained a warm smile. Pinkie just looked at the pile of hooves over her own offering her their support.

"You have shown us the true spirit of heroism whereas we only used it as a tool to teach lessons. We are unable to be in the same level as you are, Pinkie Pie," Twilight spoke as she and the rest blushed in agreement. "That is why we officially dub you the one and only true Mare-Do-Well. You have our confidence that you will do just fine."

At this, Pinkie lowered her head again and tears ran down her cheek. At first, everypony thought they hurt her further. To their immediate shock, her mane and tail immediately frizzled and she gave them all an ear-to-ear smile as she grabbed them all in a group hug and openly wept tears of joy.

"Ohthankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou!!!! I will promise to be the very best Mare-Do-Well there ever was in the entire world!" Her tears stopped briefly as she gave a puzzled look. "No wait! We all created her and there's just me now!" At that, everypony broke out in laughter and huddled closer in the hug.

When they broke the hug, Twilight began to pace around. "Ok, Pinkie. If you're going take up this job, you must be prepared for everything. You don't have the magic Rarity and myself wield, the physical strength Applejack holds and the wings for flight Rainbow and Fluttershy were born with. You therefore must be-"

"Twilight, don't worry your silly little head off," the pink pony interrupted. "I got everything under control!" She suddenly bent her head behind her bare back and somehow pulled a scroll out from somewhere and held it in her mouth. Everything was dumbstruck but realized Pinkie was just being Pinkie.

"I have here a list of several things that will help me out and prepare myself for my supermare days! Isn't it exciting? I know it's exciting and I've never been so excited, but I mean really, how can I not be excited and..."

"Yeah yeah, we heard you already! Sheesh!" Rainbow groaned rolling her eyes while she and the other Elements read the scroll. Some were furrowing their brows, others had them raised in surprise, and a few tapped their hooves against the floor in thought.

"Well, I guess I could dig up all the books I can find on Neighponese and other Far Eastern martial arts. If it will help you use your natural speed to become a better offensive tactician, I got no argument from that!" Twilight nodded.

"Ya want mah ol' training steel shoes Ah used to strengthen Bucky an' Kicks? If'n gonna help ya have more bang for yer buckin', then Ah'll give 'em to ya," Applejack replied.

"Hmm. You wish to keep this particular ponyquin, now? Oh, darling, you don't need to request it. It's officially yours as it holds your uniform. Just be sure to keep it clean and free of damage, yes? But who am I to complain? Should it need a bit of repairs, especially in your line of work, my boutique is always open for you, my dear."

"Heh. So you want the ol' Master to teach you all about her slick fighting moves those boring old books don't teach, huh? No prob! If there's something I'm good at aside from speed and agility and guts and coolness, it's beating the odds!" Rainbow Dash said proudly.

"Oh my. You want to borrow my aromatherapy candles and incense? I guess that's all right with me... They are good for centering the mind and meditation. I'm sure you can put them to good use." Fluttershy whispered.

"So, sugarcube, have ya given thought on how exactly ya will act?" the farm pony thought aloud.

"Well, duh! I can even recite them right now while I get ready!", Pinkie said peppily.

"What? You are going out already? But you are just not ready, darling. At least wait a few days," pleaded Rarity.

"Aw, don't worry about me. I just want to let Ponyville know that Mare-Do-Well is still around and if there are any disasters to help prevent, I'll do just fine and dandy like sugar candy! Mmm, so delish!" Pinkie said as she giggled with a snort. She grabbed the ponyquin with her costume by its stand and went to a hidden corner of the basement.

"All righty! Here's my creed. Rule number one..."

************************************

...never speak while on the job. My voice is wonderful but so easy to tell it's me. So total hush-hush!

The bodysuit is finally fully on, hiding her coat color and her tail. Rarity is a genius to have made a special compartment to hide it. Originally to make sure Rainbow never knew who was in the costume by looking at the tail, it now serves the purpose of preventing her tail to be snagged or grabbed by anything.

Rule number two. If I ever have to fight, I will never ever never take anypony's life. Only attack to leave them sleeping. The Big Sleep itself is a huge no-no!

With that, the hoof wraps are finally in place.

Rule number three. My Pinkie Sense is my bestest best friend only after the girls. Listening to it is the difference between a lot of ouchies and being Pinkie keen!

The cape is now flowing behind her back and latched on with the monogrammed brooch.

Rule number four. When I finally wear the mask, I'm no longer Pinkie Pie. She is a friend inside my mind. I will only be the Mysterious Mare-Do-Well, the champion of Ponyville.

She grabs her mask firmly connected to the cape and sighs as she recalls the simple design. It is very lightweight, allowing her to breathe through and hide the color of her eyes behind special fabric lenses that allow her to view everything but doesn't allow a single bit of her eyes to be seen. A perfect way to hide her face. Its sole drawback was that its mouth was also covered which meant she was unable to grab anything. But it is of little consequence as she is very resourceful.

Closing her eyes, she grabs the back of the mask with what little traction she can get with her hooves and pulls it over her frizzled pink mane, over her eyes, down her snout until her neck is now covered. Once again, her face is featureless. Only the outline of a female snout can be seen and her eyes are once again the large blue discs that can channel each eye expression flawlessly.

The last rule which I never told the girls. I fight for the hope in ponies' hearts. Hope gives them reason to smile and laugh, both crucial to why I was chosen to be the Element of Laughter and find my true purpose.

I am Hope.

I am Faith.

I am Mare-Do-Well!

She then picks up the hat resting on the head of the ponyquin and fits it snugly over her head. Pinkie Pie is no more. Now, only the Mysterious Mare-Do-Well stands in her place. Softly removing all of her former thoughts, Mare-Do-Well was ready to find the cause of her new electric jolt and solve it. The ponies will be happy. They will have faith. They depend on her and she will never fail them. It was time for action.

Opening the secret compartment again, she softly peeks out and finds nothing amiss. She sees her secret identity's faithful pet alligator looking up at her as he gives her a content growl. Mare-Do-Well softly pets him on the head as she prepares to go out the window like always. Making sure the street below Sugar Cube Corner is clear, she scrambles on top and starts her routine of jumping across rooftop to rooftop.

As expected, several ponies below manage to see her and they point up in wonder as they try to figure out where she will be next. Mare-Do-Well merely looks at them as she continues to gallop and jump across roofs towards the area her Pinkie Sense dictates her where the disturbance is. A hero's work is never done.

The Legend of Mare-Do-Well trots along.

Chapter 3

The Legend of Mare-Do-Well
Chapter 3: Of Stingers and Serums
by JD2K

"Pinkie's been actin' mighty strangely this week," Applejack mused, only to tap a hoof against her cheek and wrinkle her brow for a second. "Well, even more strangely than usual fer her, Ah mean."

"Do tell, Darling. Well, I have heard 'Mare-Do-Well' managed to put down an incident over at the bowling alley the other night," Rarity added. "Apparently some bearded stallion with tinted glasses was positively livid about a score his team got against the Gutter Gals after their nice blue-maned unicorn pony managed to help them win the game. He was so irate he then pulled out a crowbar at her and ordered the score changed back! The poor soul was obviously soused from too much salt, they say."

"Oh yeah! Then Mare-Do-Well came in, stared that guy down, he lunged at her and she disarmed him with one good throw towards one of the lanes and hit a strike! Heh-heh. I taught her that move!" Rainbow Dash beamed with pride as she hovers over their heads.

"Quite right. Mr. Kingpin banned him from the alley, they say. I give that ban around 2 weeks tops. After all, dear little Scootaloo was allowed to return after doing some community service there. Did she, my sister and Apple Bloom really think cleaning bowling balls and waxing the alleys would earn them their cutie marks? Preposterous!" the fashionista scoffed.

With those words, she finishes eating her steamed yucca stalks and downs the remainder of her berry juice glass through a straw. Applejack meanwhile is nearly done with a stew of carrots, potatoes and lentils and her apple cider, while Rainbow Dash already finished her hay fries with extra gravy appetizer, tofu burger with cheese entree, a chocolate mousse-flavored cheesecake dessert, and her neapolitan ice-cream milkshake long ago and just hovers over them out of boredom.

"So we know Pinkie's busy now, but whah didn' Twahlight an' Fluttershy join us for our li'l get-together?" the farm pony asks.

"Fluttershy is supposedly at the Everfree Forest giving her 'chiropractic massage therapy' to that fearsome manticore we met over a year ago." Rarity says with an eye twitch, remembering how the same beast messed up her mane that nearly-everlasting night.

"And the egghead and Spike were called up to Canterlot at the Princess's request. Something really huge. Guess she'll tell us all when we get back," the cyan pegasus mutters and blows her upper lip on instinct.

"If she doesn't, well, you know what to do, Rarity!"

"You know how persuasive I can be, dear. It will be easier than a cross stich," the white unicorn responded with a glint in her eye.

"Mademoiselles, zee check," the waiter of the open-air restaurant they are all eating at announces as he drops the aforementioned item from his mouth and leaves to attend other patrons.

Applejack flips it over the side, reads the amount, and grunts angrily at Rainbow Dash above her. "Now, lookee here, sugar cube. There's a new rule whenever we go out. Each of us pays our own meal now, y'hear? Since y'ate the most outta all of us, y'gotta fork over 13 bits fer yer vittles!"

The pegasus gulps as she looks to the side, "Oh, that reminds me! Seems the Mayor wants me to inform the weather team to haul in some clouds to give some much-needed rain to the farmlands, so I guess I better get out there before stuff starts drying up. OKnowbye!"

She quickly prepares to zoom off before Applejack leaps up and bites her on the tail to haul her back in.

"Mmmo wei, fugah cue! Pey yoh foo now!" she demands through a mouth still clamping down on the multicolor tail.

Annoyed, Rainbow Dash mutters some words under her breath as she drops the bits on the table. "Ya happy?!" she says with a snort.

"Ye bacha," Applejack said as she spit out Rainbow's tail and the pegasus finally flies off, grumbling a variety of expletives as the two remaining ponies simply laughed.

Before they could pay, they hear a far-off crash followed by a stampede of ponies running towards the source of the noise. Applejack and Rarity look at each other, place their own bits on the table and gallop towards the disturbance.

A group of ponies murmuring and talking amongst themselves block the view as soon as the two Element wielders arrive on the scene. Fortunately, they manage to nudge close to the front of the group and gasp to their surprise. A large house, which had recently been condemned and was close to a date to be torn down, is now in shambles as wood, mortar and hay clumps are everywhere. The site itself looks as if a tornado touched down there. If anypony was inside when the whole structure fell, they wouldn't even be alive now.

However, to the gasps of everypony present, out from in front of the wreck came a sooty, dust-covered Mare-Do-Well, hat missing and cape slightly shredded, with two familiar troublemaking colts she placed on her back. Snips and Snails are both slightly dazed but otherwise still alive. Lying down to shake the two colts off her back with a hint of a sharp jerking forward, Mare-Do-Well once again stands triumphantly in front of her grateful townsponies, who immediately go wild with their cheers.

Applejack and Rarity look at each other and then back to their friend as they give her a small smile. Mare-Do-Well sees them and gives them one silent nod before she stands up to attention for a few seconds and looks in direction of the Everfree Forest. Without a second to spare, she hops on a nearby cart, up to an awning for receiving altitude to jump on a rooftop, and makes her departure.

With her gone, Applejack goes towards Snips and Snails and demands, "Now whut in tarnation were you two boys doin' inside that old house? Didn'ja realize you could've gotten mighty injured or worse?!"

The shorter, plumper member of the duo immediately apologizes, "We're sorry, Miss Applejack! It's just that we... it's that... Tell 'em, Snails!" He then pushes his taller friend forward as he runs off.

Snails looks around in confusion. "Huh? Well, we wanted to find some treasure we heard was hidden there. But when we began to dig, we sorta kinda knocked over some big wooden board and the entire place shook."

Applejack sighed, "So Mare-Do-Well showed up, hauled you two up and tried to find a safe spot when the whole place went down. Dang it... You two are gonna be grounded. Wait till we tell yer parents..."

The farm pony looked to the side as two ponies nodded once and went after Snips. Another pair crowded around Snails as they marched him home. With the crisis done, the crowd disperses and only the Element holders remain.

"Ah guess Ah'll go back to the farm an' make sure all's well," the earth pony said as she leaves. She then turns her head around and mentions, "An' Ah wager yer gettin' a special visitor soon to ask for repairs, if ye get mah drift."

Rarity sighed in response. "I'll go make a new hat in the meantime..." She then stops and wonders to herself, "But why is she heading in direction of the Forest?"

*************************************

"Huuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuh.......yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!!!"

One good neck twist later and the manticore goes down. Fluttershy pants as sweat runs down her forehead and she wipes it off. The bear was one thing, but this was a far more unwilling customer and she had to pull all the stops to pinpoint the exact trouble spots in her friend's body. It took well over an hour with him being very unwilling to subject himself to her hooves-on approach, but it is done. She flutters up to his back and softly places her hooves over his back as she massages him, much to his content purring.

"You really should have come seen me sooner. All that stress on your back and tail must have been so troubling," she says sweetly as the manticore suddenly turns around, causing her to yelp and jump down. She then giggles softly seeing he exposes his tummy at her.

"Oh, you big silly!" she responds with a smile as she gets on his stomach and softly scratches it. The manticore purrs even louder as he waves his paws and scorpion tail around like a newborn kitten. "Who's a big strong manticore? Yes you are! Yes you are!" she baby-talks at him.

The manticore keeps purring happily until an ear starts to flick. His smile vanished as he turned to stand on his legs, causing Fluttershy to yelp again. He then puts himself in a battle stance and starts to growl angrily.The yellow pegasus becomes worried over the sudden mood swing of her friend until she too begins to hear a low buzzing sound and her pupils shrink in horror.

"Oh my... I thought they were already full, but they're coming... Oh dear... Oh my goodness..." she whimpers nervously and she hides behind her big friend.

Just as she feared, the buzzing grows louder and louder until a group of shadows appear in the sky. A flock of 10 strange flying creatures that looked like giant mosquitos with more reptilian heads, a set of four leathery wings that flap with such speed it produces the buzzing sound, extremely sharp long pointy proboscises, and the size of an average foal. Ponies learn they should be careful if they hear that familiar haunting buzzing as it belongs to a creature that is able to suck the blood off any creature, killing it slowly and painfully, worse if they hunt in flocks or storms as she now witnesses.

"Stirges!" Fluttershy cries out as she huddles into a ball.

The manticore roars loudly in response at the airborne bloodsucking predators as they immediately swoop down to feed. The beast manages to stab the first incoming stirge with its tail, killing it with his deadly venom and tossing the lifeless body aside, and smacks another with a paw which merely stuns it. The manticore takes to the air as he goes after the rest of the flock, as the stirges themselves go on the offensive as well. Seperating its concentrated group, the bloodsucking vermin fly past their larger foe, beating their scaly but speedy wings close to the manticore's body.

The beast roars in pain everytime they do due to their spines, despite being small, become dangerous at close range due to the speed in which they flap them. Nevertheless, he will protect Fluttershy even if he ends up dying. His undying loyalty to the small dainty pegasus will always go before anything else.

Despite limited intelligence, the stirge flock decides to change targets and zero in on Fluttershy still huddling in the small ball, shaking nervously on the ground below, sensing easier prey. The manticore roars angrily at their brazen cowardice to attack his defenseless friend and swoops down, managing to grab the first stirge about to plunge its proboscis into her back, landing with a tremor on the ground and crushing it upon impact. Tossing what remains of the body away, he places his body over Fluttershy's as a shield. 8 left.

So preoccupied is the manticore protecting Fluttershy as he swats his paws and swings his tail to prevent the stirges from attacking in front, that he never realized a couple of them away from the central flock noted a break in his defense and went in for the feed. A loud thunk and painful roar later, both stirges plunged their beaks into the manticore's back and latch on with their sharp legs and pincers as they begin to suck the manticore's blood. The mighty beast tried to swing its tail to detach them but it was impossible with even more stirges flying about and he fears exposing Fluttershy. Starting to grow weaker and weaker by the second having its blood drained, he eventually gives up and hopes that his blood will be more than enough to quench the entire flock and leave his friend alone.

Fluttershy finally snaps out of her shock seeing how the manticore was willing to sacrifice itself to keep her safe from harm.

"You...will...not...hurt! MY! FRIEEEENNNND!!!!!" she screams with increasing intensity.

Her fear suddenly giving way to anger as she grits her teeth, knocking some stirges out of the way and giving the duo sucking up her beast friend's blood a good buck with her hooves. The blow is strong enough to send them flying into a nearby tree trunk and knock them out on the sudden impact. 6 left.

This however got the attention of the remaining flock as they dived at her. Fluttershy's initial bravery soon faded as she realizes she can't stand against a whole group of the deadly bloodsuckers and simply hovered there as she covered her eyes with her hooves and whimpers in fear. The six remaining members of the flock aimed their proboscises directly at her and the comatose manticore. There is no way out.

Suddenly, a figure jumps ahead of Fluttershy causing her to open her eyes and sees Mare-Do-Well tuck her body into a ball while in the air and throws herself towards the stirge flock, causing them to scatter on impact. One stirge lying on the floor after the blow got a kick out of her newly-strengthened hind hooves and was sent flying off the area. 5 left.

Fluttershy lands next to Mare-Do-Well, flustered and frightened. "Th-thank you, Pin...I-I mean, Mare-Do-Well. Please save the manticore. I don't want him to die. You have to save him for me, please..."

Mare-Do-Well nods her head once and points at the side, informing her to escape. Just then, the flock finally regain their senses and counterattack, making Mare-Do-Well leave her friend's side and attack as well. Fluttershy bit her lip and her hooves begin to shake in nervousness. What can she do? It's too far away to return to Ponyville and Mare-Do-Well looks too injured by the lack of hat, torn cape and slightly teetering body movements. Finally she gasps as she gets an idea. Without a second to spare, she flies away from the stirge swarm towards the only other soul who can help them.

Mare-Do-Well didn't even notice Fluttershy go further into the forest as she's too busy fighting off the stirge flock. The supermare deals with her aggresors with ease with some good well-placed bucks, but finds it hard to catch with all of them when they aim for the beast next to her. It didn't help matters she already had slight injuries she received earlier on after pulling a back muscle carrying Snips and Snails as the condemened house was going down. She was lucky she stuffed them and herself into the open fireplace which was the only item left standing long enough after the house fell and pushed them out before the chimney followed suit. During both phases, though, she was raked with deep scratches against certain rocks the fireplace interior was built with which were slightly jagged. Both these two injuries affected her fighting heavily.

Energy she knows she can never run out of, but telling that to her body as these injuries from before are added with the rapid wing slashes and beak stabs from the stirge flock and she knows she is outclassed. Brute strength just isn't enough to help her here. If only she had other resources...

Finally, one good fly-by slash provides a stirge to sneak up on Mare-Do-Well and plunge its sharp proboscis into her back, causing her to shriek in pain and make noise for the first time since donning the mantle of the hero. She tried hard to shake off the stirge on her back but the filthy insect was latched on tightly which hurt her back even more. Suddenly, her never-ending energy started to falter and she starts to grow dizzy. The loss of blood is rapid and painful. She then sees the four stirges finally land on the manticore and they too start to feed.

Pinkie Pie rapidly loses consciousness. As her energy is slowly sapped away, several thoughts quickly go through her head. How her friends will mourn her death, how the ponies of Ponyville will grieve over their fallen hero, how she would look cute in her burial shroud and how she wishes she could have given her friends instructions on how her "wake" should be celebrated in her memory.

Finally, everything starts to get black. Just as her other senses begin to fade, she thinks she hears a gallop of hoofbeats, feels something powdery land on her nose and the buzzing of the stirges grow loud only to fade slowly. A simple hoof nudge is the last sensation she feels before she fully faints away.

******************************

Her eyes slowly open and the first thing she feels is a sweet soothing aroma to her side. Nudging her eyes sideways, she notes a beautiful tribal-marked clay pot filled with several unknown roots and leaves seeping in a strange liquid over a small small fire. The fumes off this weird blend is what she's smelling and soon starts feeling relaxed as she lets off a content sigh.

"Ah, I see you finally awaken. I feared your life you had forsaken," said a familiar voice to her ears.

Standing up right, only to wince in pain, she catches sight of Zecora the zebra and finds she is inside her hut in the Forest. The mysterious herbalist immediately frowns.

"Now now, you mustn't stir. Your body is just healing as it were," she warns with concern.

She quickly lies back down and Zecora walks off. As she does, she resumes talking. "You are truly fortunate I was home, for I was here reading a nature tome. Then suddenly, through the door to my awestruck eye, came the frightened desperate form of Fluttershy. She informs me of a most horrible event, so I gathered my things and off we went. We arrived as the dastardly stirges were in their meal, fortunately I knew the proper way to deal. A powder mixture I had cooked, flung in the air and off they booked! We inspected you and the unfortunate beast, we were relieved you were both alive at least. The pegasus stayed to nurse her friend, while I brought you here so I could tend."

No sound. Zecora poked her head in with worry. "What is this? Not a peep? Silence is not good to keep. Mare-Do-Well, you must not be shy..." Then she lowered her eye with a comforting smile "...or perhaps shall I call you 'Pinkie Pie'?"

At that, Pinkie gets up with a gasp, only to again wince in pain. She then realized her Mare-Do-Well costume was gone. All she sees on her body are tightly bound bandages on her back and waist, and several smaller ones adorning her hooves and other parts of her body where the stirges cut her.

"Ze-zecora, you know who I am but how..." Pinkie says nervously.

"Be at ease, my dear. There is nothing to fear as there is nopony else here. I admit I was very surprised, when I removed the mask and saw you disguised. Fluttershy then told me your story, how you fight for right and not for glory. I swear on my life and I decree, your secret identity will be safe with me."

"But where is my uniform? Where is Fluttershy? How long have I been here? Do the Cakes know where I am?" Her nervous inquiry ends however as her tummy began to growl, and she looks up at her sheepishly. "And do you have anything to eat?"

Zecora laughs softly and shakes her head. Despite her acts of heroism, she is still deep down the same old pink party pony she has known for a year. "Your curiosity I will comply and your questions I shall reply. Let me first fetch you a homecooked treat, so you can have something tasty to eat."

Nothing could have prepared the zebra for the truth behind the tales of Pinkie Pie's legendary appetite. No sooner had she put down a bowl of the root stew she prepared for both of them that the pink earth pony downed it in one gulp and asked for seconds. By now this was the eleventh and she was STILL hungry! Zecora at least was thankful the pot was empty so she couldn't eat anymore but that meant she had nothing to eat and that made her a bit upset.

"That mushy stuff is so tasty! Just as good as the one the Buffalo Tribe near Appleloosa make! So yummy, delicious and good to eat!" Pinkie giggles. "So, um, just what happened after you found me?"

The zebra begins her recollection of the past events as she closes her eyes. "After I brought you here to heal and rest, there soon came many an unexpected guest. It was your friends who came here fast, after Fluttershy's problem was long past. To you they were all just worried sick, but I told them my treatments will do the trick. They then decided the way to explain your absence, to keep their wits and stay on balance."

Zecora opens her eyes and is surprised to see Pinkie balancing the bowl she ate out of on her nose as she hums joyfully. The zebra was stunned. How could she act so aloof and carefree one second but become focused and a force of justice the next? She shook her head once and resumed.

"Rarity took the uniform with her to repair, while Twilight went to the baker to deal with the affair. She had to stretch quite bit the truth, but the plausible lie in fact went smooth. They believe to a far-away party you went unattended, and decided to leave you a vacation extended. As for the time you spent here with me? I believe two weeks have passed, going on three."

"Three whole weeks?!" Pinkie gasps as the bowl lands on her face with her focus having been disturbed from balancing it.

"You were quite a wreck from that attack, you were filled with cuts and broke your back. I then employed many a cure, for your back a panacea salve most pure. For the cuts many ointments and bandages were wrapped, and I placed a special aroma pot aside while you napped. And now I see you here all firm and fit, quite healthy and happy as well, I admit. Despite not moving and eating in the three weeks you have rested, your bones are strong and muscles firm, I feel they need not be tested. I guess with this you must depart, but rest assured, your secret's safe in my heart."

Pinkie grinned from ear to ear. "Thanks very muchily, Zecora. I feel oodles and doodles better now. Guess I'd better go back and pick up my costume from Rarity and head to Sugar Cube Corner." She then gets up and skips towards the door.

Zecora nods once and responds, "Farewell, my dear. You're always welcome here."

Before she opens the door, Pinkie immediately starts to think. "You know, Pinkie. Zecora sure does have a lot of cool stuff. After all, if she gave Fluttershy's rooster his crow and healed Apple Bloom from her Cutie Pox, she could help Mare-Do-Well out a lot!"

Then a second voice same as the first speaks, "Yeah, that's the ticket! Zecora can also be my own private doctor! She sure seems so nice and after everything I once thought of her. Evil enchantress, my fanny!"

A third then adds, "Fanny? Is her baby going to have her first birthday soon? I wonder what sort of party I can plan for her?"

The first two voices in her head immediately shout, "Quiet, you!"

The third eeps and whispers, "Sorry!"

Then they all speak in unison, "It's decided! Let's ask her!"

"Um, Zecora?" Pinkie says as she turns her head around to see the zebra picking up the pot by its handle to clean it.

"Yeth, sumthin botheth yu? Is theth anythin I can du?" she replies with her teeth biting down on the pot's handle.

"I was thinking, since you know I am Mare-Do-Well. I was wondering if you could help me with two things," she replies while draggin her front hoof on the floor.

"Speak, I am all ears. Relax and quell your fears." the zebra answers after setting the pot down again.

"You see it's like this..."

**********************************

"Are you sure it's a good idea to return here? We're supposed to be grounded!" Snails says with worry as he looks around in the darkness of the night for anyone showing up.

"That treasure just has to be here. With the whole house gone, we can dig around with nothing to distract us!" Snips answers back as he digs into the ground inside the area the house once stood and with all the debris having been cleared in the last three weeks.

Before they continue, they were immediately enveloped in a thick odorless plume of smoke. The two colts begin to cough.

"Wha-? What is this smoke? Where did it come from?" Snips yells out.

"We should get out of here! I don't want to eat brussels sprouts for a whole month!!" Snails wails as he start to run away only to collide against something hard.

The smoke quickly dissipates and the two colts look up and see Mare-Do-Well stand there. Her hat back on her head and her bodysuit and cape fixed once more. She shakes her head at the two young ponies as if she was silently scolding them.

"Oh no! Mare-Do-Well! Run for it!" Snips screams as both he and Snails gallop away as fast as they could.

"Snips, why are we running? She is going to find us and we're gonna be in more trouble!" Snails protests as they run.

"Think about it, dummy! Mare-Do-Well can't harm us as we're kids! She can't hit us or do anything about it! How else is she going to stop us, huh?" Snips answers with a sly smile.

The two didn't notice a pair of small pellets being thrown and land in front of them exploding and releasing a different cloud of smoke which the two absorb. They start to cough again until they begin to move with groggy steps and finally lose consciousness.

Atop another rooftop, Mare-Do-Well stands there holding one of the pellets she threw before in her hoof before slipping it back in a pocket in her new utility saddle bags each monogrammed with the familiar grayish blue "M" hidden under her cape. Rarity was all too happy to create a brand new accessory for Mare-Do-Well which she later filled with a variety of pellets and powders she personally asked Zecora, her new private healer, to make for her.

The smoke screen pellets for making her entrances and exits (as well as attacking foes as they try to find her in the thick mist) and her knockout smoke pellets work like a charm. With these and other tools at her disposal hidden in her bags, she is now prepared for almost anything offensively. Things are going to get a lot smoother for her from now on.

The Legend of Mare-Do-Well trots along.

Chapter 4

The Legend of Mare-Do-Well
Chapter 4: The New Law & Order
by JD2K

It was half-past midnight when Pinkie Pie returned to Ponyville. Three weeks seemed like such a short time but that's what Zecora said how long she was out. The first thing she had to do before heading to Sugar Cube Corner was to pick up her Mare-Do-Well outfit from Rarity. It would have been all patched up by now and a good idea to wear it now; rather than try and find excuses as to why she was carrying such a strange box with her at night. On her back was a small sack of items she was now going to use in her rounds when it comes to fighting foes.

Before she left the hut, Pinkie asked Zecora if she had any items that could help her out in her fight against crime. The ever resourceful zebra mentioned she had something that may aid her and gave her two different types of pellets that produce different effects. One type creates a blinding odorless smoke and the other powerful sleeping gas, both she used to blind or stun predators for a quick getaway back to her hut. While the smokescreen bomb pellets were plentiful, the sleeping gas was made from a rare plant in Everfree and many such flowers had to be used to create enough powder for one single pellet. Other such powders and mixtures she would have ready in due time so all she could give were those two items. Placing them in a bag, Zecora wished Pinkie good luck on her quest for right.

Pinkie's first stop on arrival was Carousel Boutique, which was closed at the time. Knocking on the door softly, Rarity soon answered the door and was elated to see her up and about. As expected, she did have her Mare-Do-Well costume all mended and repaired, along with a new hat to replace the one she lost in the wreck. Pinkie then asked if she had something she could use to place her new tools and as luck would have it, Rarity showed her a set of small pocket saddlebags that would go attached and latched around her waist. The fashionista explained that this was made for her own possible Mare-Do-Well costume because it looks good to accessorize. Instead, she kept it around after all the hard work she did, and now thankfully it was going to be put to use.

Right then and there, Pinkie Pie excused herself to one of Rarity's dressing closets and quickly got into the outfit. Soon, Mare-Do-Well came out, ready to go back in action. Placing the smoke screen and sleeping gas pellets in two seperate pockets after latching the utility saddlebags on, she was finally ready to head back to "homebase". As she left, Mare-Do-Well could swear she saw an extra set of locks on the Boutique door.

As she jumped from rooftop to rooftop, she once again sees Snips and Snails at the once-condemend house lot and decided to put her new toys to work, passing their first tests with flying colors. Now, having jumped back down to ground level, she softly picked the boys up and walked back to their respective homes to then later call it a night.

At least, that's what she thought until she heard a low hum of magic aura being turned on along with a rough
shout of "FREEZE!"

Mare-Do-Well turns around and her eyes open wide looking at a curious newcomer. This unicorn wore a dark-blue suit jacket with a white formal shirt underneath and a black tie on his neck. Right atop his horn is a simple dark-blue cap with black trim topped in the center by a shiny yellow badge with the initials PVPD on it. His dark indigo eyes look at her sternly as his horn is lit with a pale brown aura to offset his dark tan coat and platinum-silver mane and tail. His flanks are adorned with the cutie mark of a judge's gavel.

"Looks like I caught myself a foalnapper! Put the young ones down, lie down on the ground and extend your hooves, and I do mean all four of them!" he barks at her. Mare-Do-Well can't understand what is happening to her. Who is this stranger and does he really think she is a foalnapper? Now more than ever she wished she could break Rule 1 and explain herself.

Before she is able to, another figure runs up to him and gasps. Yet another unicorn dressed in the same uniform as the first, however this was a filly with a bright cream coat, cherry red mane and tail with white highlights, and rose-hued eyes. A cutie mark of a pair of lollipops colored red and white are on her flank.

"Officer Booker, hold your fire!" she pleads as she steps closer, "Can't you see? This is Mare-Do-Well!" She then gives her a friendly smile. "How are you? Wow, we haven't seen you here in Ponyville in a while now!"

Booker arches his brow as his magic aura dissipates. "Mare-Do-Well? You mean that masked hero you folks here in Ponyville have been talking about all this time, Officer Peppermint Pops?"

The candy unicorn nods. "The one and the same. Listen, Mare-Do-Well, we don't know what you're doing with those... Snips? Snails?!" Peppermint grunts with annoyance. "Did these two break their mandated curfew again?!"

Mare-Do-Well knows Peppermint Pops from many parties her other self had made with her invited in the past, but the other one, the one she calls Booker, is a complete stranger to her. Did he arrive during the three week absence? Something tells her she needs to find out what happened during that time and only Twilight Sparkle can help. Nevertheless, she has to get home and let know the Cakes she is all right.

"Listen here, Miss...Mare-Do-Well, we here of the Ponyville Police Department has made it our sworn duty to investigate and solve crimes, as well as apprehend and incarcerate felons and lawbreakers within the jurisdiction of Ponyville and all points close," Booker informs her. "While we appreciate the gesture, it is our duty to take these colts home to their families so they are properly punished there."

With those words, Booker uses his magic to lift Snips and Snails off Mare-Do-Well's back and place each on his and Peppermint's backs. Then suddenly a loud sound of static was heard in the air. Mare-Do-Well's eyes land on a small device placed at the side of Peppermint's shoulder which the cream-coated filly tapped once with her hoof.

A cracked voice then speaks out of the machine, "Officer 12, status report. Over."

Peppermint then directs her voice to the gadget. "Officer 12, Peppermint Pops, reporting. We just apprehended two offenders who broke mandatory curfew. Names are Snips and Snails. Also, reporting we encountered Ponyville national hero, Mare-Do-Well. Hero captured the offenders when we arrived and is turning jurisdiction to us. Over."

Static began crack once more and the voice returns, "Copy that. Welcome Mare-Do-Well from all of us here at the station. Return to your patrol. Over and out."

Booker rolls his eyes. "I don't understand you Ponyville ponies once bit. Why, back in San Prancisco, we didn't have any weird vigilantes out to keep the peace! Police ponies were all we needed!" The tan unicorn however looks at Mare-Do-Well as she shoots him an angry scowl. "No offense, Ma'am."

The native Ponyvillian however shows more happiness. "I don't know where you were, Mare-Do-Well, but I guess most of us are here because you inspired us. When the Police Department first came, many of us signed on the spot hoping we could be able to make a difference in others' lives just like you do. That's why I thank you on behalf of all Ponyville-born officers like me. Please, keep up the good work and we'll see each other around!"

Mare-Do-Well's expression changes to one of comfort hearing those words of encouragement. She indeed helps make a difference and she will never stop. The mere thought gives her a warm fuzzy feeling beneath her outfit. Peppermint Pops then taps the side of her cap in salute as Booker nods once, and they make their exit.

Mare-Do-Well ponders this sudden turn of events. There is now a police department in Ponyville. During all her time being here, she thought of Ponyville as being so safe that everyone could sleep without fear or worry. Just what happened here that now requires police presence? These and other answers she would get soon enough from Twilight after she gets some sleep back at Sugar Cube Corner.

Sleep, however, becomes the last thing on her mind when her eyes open wide in surprise as Sugar Cube Corner is...open for business? At half past one in the morning? Instead of seeing the usual assortment of fillies and colts, however, Mare-Do-Well sees about a dozen of the police officers and some other late night revelers who need to satisfy their sweet tooth. Mare-Do-Well furrows her brow. She originally was to sneak up to her open window, get out of her costume, and wait until tomorrow to let the Cakes know she came in during the night so as not to disturb them. This plan however is done for. She begins to pace around the rooftop she is on until finally inspiration hits her.

*******************************

"Officer Hotshot, I agree."

A coral red-coated unicorn police mare with a slight-curly burnt-orange mane and tail nods softly and professionaly at her companion. The mare was definitely older than most of the rookies of Ponyville but also one of the commanding officers judging by the far more elaborate suit jacket she wears with epaulettes placed on the shoulders. Her flanks are emblazoned with a cutie mark of a perfectly-round golden shield emblazoned with a set of scales. Despite looking rather rough, her soft vivid teal eyes denoted friendliness.

The senior policemare resumes, "This establishment indeed bests the donut shops back home with no equal. I think I've never eaten a crueller as crunchy and sweet as this in all my years of service."

The vermillion-coated pegasus stallion merely blushes as he fixes his cap over his short orange mane with a yellow center. His cutie mark is a fireball with flames shooting from behind. "Well, Lieutenant Buckler, when you've lived here in Ponyville as much as us locals, you appreciate what you got and we'd never trade Sugar Cube Corner for any of those donut shops you tell us about for all the bits in Equestria."

"Quite right, Lieutenant," a gray-coated earth pony officer with a dark cinnamon handlebar moustache, mane and tail with a thick Trottinghamite accent interrupted. "I have never in me life eaten tastier scones than those made by Missus Cake. Cheers for Sugar Cuber Corner, indeed!" Just like that, several patrons, both local members of the new police force and late-night customers taking advantage of the new 24-hour service, voice and cheer their agreements for the bakery.

Lt. Buckler merely takes a sip of her levitated coffee cup and smiles. At first she thought moving from the hustle and bustle of Fillydelphia to be one of the exchange officers assigned to the new police force in a backwater town like Ponyville was beneath her. A week or so later having met many of the locals and learning that Princess Celestia's personal disciple currently heads the Library, she has grown to think of the little town as a home away from home.

"Morth coffee, Woothenanth?" A young bespectacled earth pony with a brown nearly-cylindrical cake as a cutie mark, says through a coffee pot in her teeth as she appears to the side of the policemare. Lt. Buckler nods as she grabs the coffee pot with her magic, pours some into the cup and holds it out for the pony to grab it with her teeth again before she goes back to the counter.

"That Bundt Cake is quite helpful, isn't she?" the lieutenant muses.

"Well, thing is, she's not really the Cake's regular assistant," Hotshot replies, "The real assistant and apprentice of the Cakes is one of the nicest, friendliest and downright most fun ponies you could ever meet! Shame she's away on that party excursion she went off to since three weeks ago when the old Coltron house went down."

"Yeah, she's truly the best. Why she would've given the entire police department a welcome party that they'd never forget!" an earth pony stallion officer adds in. "You haven't been in a party until you've experienced a 'Pinkie Pie Super-Duper Extra Fabuloussal Triple-Decker-Cherry-on-Top Mega Party'!"

The policemare rubbed her chin with a hoof. "So the young pony's name is Pinkie Pie, is it? I wonder how she is li..."

"WOOOOOOOOOOOW!!"

Lt. Buckler was startled immediately by the shrill yet cheerful yell. She looks to the door and spots an interesting pink earth pony with a frizzy mane and triple-balloon cutie mark carrying heavily-packed saddlebags and pulling via a harness a colorful-looking cannon with a flower on the wheel center.

"Oh wow, oh wow, oh wow! I can't believe Sugar Cube Corner is open right now! But I thought Sugar Cube Corner is closed at night? Is it nighttime or just an eclipse? I remember Princess Celestia accidentally placed both the sun and the moon at the same spot and everything was so dark! It was so very spooky as I made a super-scary eclipse party and everyone had lots of fun and ate cookies and drank punch and played all sorts of cool games and told ghosty stories and..."

As Pinkie kept jabbering, Lt. Buckler maintains an uneasy smile on her face as does the rest of the non-native police officers. "I say, Lieutenant, that filly has quite a gift of gab, wouldn't you agree?" the Trottinghamite muses in a whisper. The policemare was far too confused and amazed at how the pony just keeps talking and talking without break.

"...when Granny Pie baked us a wonderful cherry pie, I ate almost two pieces but I was far too sleepy so I went night-night right there on the plate and had cherries and jelly goo all over my face and mane, so they all laughed and it was fun!" Pinkie finally looks around and asks, "So, why is Sugar Cube Corner open?"

"Hey, Pinkie!" the glasses-wearing pony shouts at her from the counter.

The party pony gasps as she shoots off like a rocket, leaving her saddlebags and cannon harness suspended in the air only to fall without their owner maintaining a grip. "BUNDT CAKE! How are you? When did you get here? Is everything ok in Maredale? Why are you here? Is Gummy ok? I miss him! Whe-"

The fuchsia-colored pony with a light brown mane tied in twin braids places a hoof over her friend's mouth. "Uncle Carrot and Aunt Cup had me come help out while you were on leave to organize the bash over at Veneighce. Wow. Inviting you to plan their Carnivale! What an honor!"

Pinkie gulped without letting Bundt or anyone else notice. Just what kind of lie did Twilight cook up?! "Oh y-yeah, Veneighce! Well, when they needed the best party pony ever, I guess I'm the pony for the job!"

Bundt fixed her glasses and resumes, "Anyways, didn't you see all the new ponies around here in uniform? Ponyville has its own police department now! Here! Ponyville! And well, since these police ponies love their sweets, Uncle Carrot and Aunt Cup decided to keep it open all the time just for them. Though I guess other ponies who want some late-night desserts are also allowed to come in too."

Pinkie arches her brow as she sees the police ponies all wave at her. She finally says, "Ohhhhhhhhh! So that's why they're dressed like that. Hee hee! I thought they were all going to a masquerade later on! Silly-filly me!"

Then she let out another gasp. "Wait! Did they get an official greeting when they arrived?"

Bundt bit her lip as she tries to talk. "Well...uh... You see..."

"No, we didn't, Pinkie! Since you're the expert at that!" Hotshot called out and every native police officer and customer voiced their agreement.

"Aw, that's no good! Nuh-uh! Something must be done and Pinkie Pie is just the one to fix it! You know what this calls for?" she then grins and so did every Ponyville native as the non-native officers looked at each in puzzlement.

Pinkie and all the natives then shout in unison, "A PARTY!!!"

With that, the pink pony returns to her party cannon and jams the button everywhere. Colorful explosions of confetti, balloons and party favors shoot out and start decorating the entire bakery as the patrons and Ponyville-born officers whoop in loud cheers. Bundt looks extremely worried while the non-native officers look flabbergasted. Deciding to make the best of it, they join in on the festivities.

The party started to attract more and more patrolling officers and curious gawkers as Pinkie insisted they join the party. The pastries were plentiful, the music from the phonograph was lively and the guests and officers were all happy to finally unwind. Pinkie got to meet plenty of new ponies and that made her smile.

There was one police pony Pinkie noticed that didn't join the rest of the officers. Lt. Buckler remained quietly where she was, sippping a cup of coffee as she looked at the revelry without a word. Pinkie's expression saddened as she wondered why the mare didn't partake of the celebration. Her mood grew jolly once more as she decided to greet her personally.

Buckler calmly took her time with her coffee when Pinkie decided to poke her head out from the side of the table with lightning speed, causing her to drop the coffee cup loudly on the saucer below her.

"Hi! My name's Pinkie Pie. Who are you?" the pink pony greeted with pep.

"Pleased to meet you, Pinkie Pie," the coral-red unicorn replies, "I am Buckler, Lieutenant and second-in-command of the Ponyville Police Department. A pleasure finally meeting you."

Pinkie giggles. "I didn't know I was that famous! Well, I'm no celeb-pony or anything like that. Just a cheerful pony who likes nothing more than to see a smile on everypony's faces! A grin can suffice, and also an upside-down frown! But those can hurt if you try to twist your head around to show them but I heard the spa has some masseuse ponies who can make all the bones and neck muscles feeling awesome, but that's only because Rarity and Fluttershy tell me so because I never really go in there. Oooh! Except for that one time when we gave Cherry Berry a surprise birthday party in there and wow! She jumped so high she hung on to the ceiling after we yelled 'Surprise!' It was so much fun! But I guess I should be more careful about surprise parties since my friends wanted to do the same and kept me out of it that I actually thought they didn't like my parties and didn't want to be my friends anymore! I mean, can you believe I actually thought that?"

Lt. Buckler gave a low chuckle. "You're a most unusual pony to meet, Miss Pie. It's ponies like you who make Ponyville an interesting place."

"Aw, I'm just Pinkie! Miss Pie makes it sound like you long to eat pie and Mrs. Cake bakes the most delicious pies I know! Oooh, but if you want a true tasty pie, you should go visit Sweet Apple Acres. Applejack and Granny Smith makes the most delicious apple pie in the entire world! I just love to eat them! Well I also like to eat cakes, donuts, cupcakes, muffins, danish, candies, chocolates, ice cream, parfaits, apple fritters, caramel candied apples, apple brown betty..."

Pinkie just kept naming different sweets and baked goods for an entire five minutes. Lt. Buckler could only stand there amazed by how much the pony can talk without pause. All she could do was smile. She really was an interesting pony to listen to indeed, albeit if she is a bit on the chatterbox side.

Before Pinkie could ask why she was there all alone, a shrill whistle was then heard above the noise which immediately made everyone quiet. Two more earth pony police officers, a colt and filly, appeared and stood in attention at the sides of the main door. "Atteeeeeeeeeeen-TION!" the filly called out, causing the rest of the officers to put their caps back on and scrambled to form two orderly lines at the sides of the door. Lt. Buckler sighed as she gets up and walks up to the center of the two lines, standing firm. Pinkie looked on in confusion and wondering what caused the officers to line up like that. That was when she finally heard slow steady hoofbeats approach and she soon came face-to-face with the source of the party's abrupt end.

The unicorn had a body as big as Big MacIntosh and strong as it to boot. His coat was a dark khaki shade with a black buzzcut-styled mane and tail which offset his mark of a pair of crossed poleaxes with a glint on their blades. Aside from a far more elaborate suit jacket and epaulettes, he also wore several medals and a large badge to denote this was the cheif of the Ponyville police dept. His last distinguishing characteristic was that his horn was far pointier than other unicorns, which means he was forged primarily for active combat like some of the Royal Guard and the Army. His navy blue eyes scoured the room with an intent gaze as he walked forward with a strong stride towards Buckler.

"Captain Halberd! Sir!" Lt. Buckler said as she clicked her hooves together with a stern expression.

"Lieutenant Buckler, may I inquire as to why nearly all patrolling police officers are this establishment instead of being outside scouring the streets for any ruffians and possible lawbreakers?!" he snapped with a cross look on his face.

"Sir, a grateful citizen who is known around the area as a party planner and merrymaker took it upon herself to formally welcome our department with an impromptu housewarming celebration. I was here to prevent this celebration from escalating to dangerous levels. The celebration itself would have ended soon and we would be all returning to our posts," she responded which made the commanding officer even more cross.

"What?! A travesty of justice, that's what it is! Who would dare initiate a party in after-midnight hours where most felons would be out in full force?! I demand to know who this pony is!" Capt. Halberd shouted.

Everypony immediately points a hoof at Pinkie Pie. All she could do was smile and wave as she blew a party favor. Halberd's eyes became more focused and sullen as he walked towards the smiling pink pony and looked down at her.

"So, you're the one who is wasting the time of my officers with some silly party? Just who are you supposed to be?" he finally said sharply.

"My name's Pinkie Pie and I threw this housewarming party for all these nice police ponies! Wanna join in?" she responded with pep.

The captain answered with a snort, "Have you any idea how many felons, lawbreakers and other assorted scum that will terrorize, destroy and completely blanket this peaceful town in a wave of chaos, anarchy and destruction would be coming in just because you decided to give these brave ponies who would give their lives for all civilians a stupid party?!"

Pinkie's tail shot up. "Oooh! Oooh! A guessing game! 5? No! 8! Nononono. I got it! A baker's dozen! Do I get a prize?"

Halberd's patience reached a boiling point as his teeth gritted in rage. Pinkie took note of that and looked at him with concern. "Aww, look at you! You're all Mr. Grumpy McGrump-A-Lot! Here, have a balloon to cheer you up!" She quickly grabbed a balloon off the floor and tossed it at his face.

The captain responded by grabbing the balloon with his dark green magic aura and everyone in the room looked on as the balloon was squeezed tightly by some psychic force somehow clutching it in the middle. The balloon exploded in a loud bang that made everyone jump. Halberd wasn't finished as his eyes darted around the room as he took notice of all the balloons and used a powerful magic pulse to burst them all in a continous bang. As soon as he finished, he turned his head to Buckler.

"Lieutenant, make sure that all active forces that were at this...diversion, be given a 25% bit reduction this month for disobeying orders to be on patrol at all times when out in the field!" he snapped at her, which caused all the officers to gasp in shock. One hard stare that would rival even Fluttershy's from Halberd silenced them as he walked outside. The two officers that arrived with him sneered at them before accompanying him.

Sighing sadly, Buckler looks at Pinkie Pie. "Sorry, my dear. I hope we will see each other again soon under a more positive departure," she finally tells her as she walks outside, turning around and moving her head forward to signal the officers to leave.

All the police ponies turned to glare at Pinkie as she gulped and gave a shaky wave. The foreign-born officers left grumbling angrily at their pay cut. The Ponyville native ones quickly loosened up and sighed sadly with their tails hung low as they took exit, knowing Pinkie isn't to blame. The other partygoers just looked sad and followed suit. Soon the entire Sugar Cube Corner was empty except for Pinkie Pie and Bundt Cake.

Pinkie sighed sadly as her frizzled mane and tail went straight and looked down at the assorted burst balloons on the floor. She felt a hoof on her shoulder, making her look up to see the bright bespectacled smile of the Cakes' niece.

"Don't let it get you down, Pinkie. Captain Halberd's just not known for his social skills so that's why Lieutenant Buckler is often the one who deals with everyone since she's much nicer. This isn't your fault. You just wanted to bring them smiles and I'm sure they'll get over this."

Pinkie's mane quickly frizzled back and gave her friend a slow smile. "Guess I'd better clean up before going to bed."

The fuchsia earth pony shook her head. "No. You had a long way to go from Veneighce. I'll clean up and put away your cannon. Just take your saddlebags upstairs. Relax."

Pinkie gave her another smile as she grabs and hoists her bags on her back, and skips up the stairs. Bundt clutches the cannon's harness and pulls the cannon away. As she did so she looked at the stairs and whispered, "Welcome back."

Pinkie quickly went to her room and locked it. Turning a lantern on she placed the saddlebags on a table nearby. She sighed relief. It wasn't easy for Mare-Do-Well to quickly slip up to the roof, unlock the closed window of her room, get undressed and revert to Pinkie Pie, hitch up her saddlebags, manage to find her surplus party cannon she hides away from the Cakes stashed away where she could use it later, and somehow get it down to the floor without any noise so she can make her entrance. She did it without a problem and no one was wiser.

The party itself may have ended on a sour note but she wanted to meet every single police officer and that was her plan all the time. The party itself being a cover for her to recon and learn the names of every new officer so Mare-Do-Well would be ready was a rare stroke of pure tactical genius and even she was scared by it. The more foreign officers joining in, the better it was to record them in her memory. She smiles as she places Lt. Buckler in her own little mind's super-duper nice list and frowns as she puts Capt. Halberd in her personal ultra meanypants list alongside a certain griffon.

She yawns softly as she realizes it was two hours before daybreak. She'd greet the Cakes when she's finally all freshened up, followed by looking for Gummy and then going to Twilight's to find out how the police department came about. As she put away her mental quill and furled up her mental to-do list, she blew out the lantern's light, hopped into bed, and pulled the sheets over her. Pretty soon, she was snoring peacefully away.

The Legend of Mare-Do-Well trots along.

Chapter 5

The Legend of Mare-Do-Well
Chapter 5: The Juggling Act
by JD2K

Pinkie's last dreams were about dancing in a land made entirely of baked goods. The rich smell of cakes, cookies and muffins were everywhere, and she had to employ a lot of willpower to prevent herself from eating it all in one bite. She then laid eyes on the biggest muffin she ever saw and her willpower burst as she pounced on it like a hungry manticore. The second she bit it was when she woke up and realized she was biting a pillow.

Spitting it out along with several feathers, she sniffs the air and feels the aroma of muffins hasn't left her since the dream. She looks at the foot of her bed and sees a tray with two freshly-made muffins there. Her pupils dilate with delight as she lunged forward and scarfed down the muffins with due speed. Upon wiping the crumbs from her mouth, she realized there was only one way those muffins were there. After taking a soothing soak in the tub and combing her mane before poofing back up, she headed downstairs.

Sugarcube Corner had plenty of customers already at this time. She was fortunate some of the police officers currently ordering some confectionaries were not at the party last night, and even then they would never hold it against her. However, the real treat for her was right behind the counter, where she saw Mr. and Mrs. Cake hard at work. The baker couple worked in tandem as they moved from the kitchen to make and carried both the recently baked orders and handed them out to their waiting customers. They stopped, however, when they noticed the bright smile of Pinkie as she hopped down the stairs and gave them a great hug.

"Pinkie Pie! It's good to see you again, dearie. Oh, we were so worried when you left for Veneighce without telling us! I know you didn't want to worry us, but let us know if there's anything we can do, please?" the stout blue mare said with a smile.

"You bet, Mrs. Cake!" Pinkie replied with glee. She then looked around and saw Bundt wasn't around. "Where's Bundt Cake? I want to thank her for cleaning up yesterday! Oooh! And why is she here? If I knew she was coming, I'd have planned a party!"

"Oh, Bundt has been helping us for the last 2 or so weeks running our new 24-hour work day. We work during the mornings and afternoons, while she takes all the night shift," Mr. Cake explained as he lifted and balanced a tray of muffins on his head.

Pinkie Pie looked alarmed. "Wait a sec. You mean Bundt works all night? All by herself?!"

"Thee doeth indeeth. Withouth ooo heath, we hath tho teath her all thee proper tethnithes thee hath tauth you (She does indeed. Without you here, we had to teach her all the the proper tecniques we have taught you)," Mrs. Cake said while carrying a coffeepot in her teeth to serve the police ponies. "And well, you have been having these strange absences as of late so we figure we could have her as a secondary apprentice," she adds as she sets the pot down.

"Oh yeah, my...<gulp>... absences." Pinkie replied with nervousness.

Mr. Cake rubbed a hoof against his chin and added, "Bundt is sleeping in our room at the moment since we thought it unjust to have her sleep in yours during your time off. Now that you’re here, we want to tell you that since we want her to stay permanently as the night-shift baker, it would be best to have her share your room with you and have yourself a roommate upstairs."

Pinkie Pie closed her eyes and nodded with agreement until her eyes shot open wide and her pupils shrunk. Sweat started to pour out of her forehead and her teeth gnashed together in worry.

A roommate?! Upstairs?! Oh no. Nononononono! This is bad. No, this beyond bad, this is worse! No worse than worse! It's a super-horrific mane-raising worsest of worsests!!! How can I defend Ponyville with someone in my room? "Hi Bundt! Say can you look the other way while I get dressed as Mare-Do-Well? Gotta go fight crime!" No, this is not good! Like the time I ate that cornbread! And those leftover crepes! And the pineapple upside-down cake! And the baked bads! Gotta think, Pinkie. Thinkthinkthinkthinkthinkthinkthinkthi-

Her tail stands up on end with an imaginary ding.

I got it!

"Aw, she doesn't need to stay anymore now that Pinkie Pie is here! I can take care of the night shift, easy-peasy!" she finally said with a grin only for it to turn nervous as she tried to figure out where did that thought come from.

"Pinkie, are you sure about that, dear?" Mrs. Cake questioned her. "I mean you are our apprentice and the number one party-planner in all Ponyville. It just doesn't seem fair you should take the night shift."

"Oh, pshaw, Mrs. Cake! Don’t worry about it! This will be a piece of cake. Or pie. Or pizza, even!" Pinkie answered with a lick of her lips. "Mmmm, yummy!!"

"Well, we are not the types to say 'no', Pinkie. But sure, you can take the night shift starting tonight," Mr. Cake replied with a smile, only for it to fade as he rubbed his hoof against his chin once more. "We still need someone for the day shift since it would be bad of you to be working all night. Guess we still need Bundt for that..."

Pinkie whirled her head around to see him and snapped, "NO!" She then gasps, clears her throat and says, "I-I mean, don't worry. I'll take both shifts! Day shift and night shift! I got tons of energy to burn! I'm Pinkie Pie!"

The two Cakes looked at each other and then back to Pinkie with worried frowns. Pinkie responded by giving them the biggest eyes she could muster and quivering her lips as she places her forehooves together in pleading formation. Sighing and then smiling, they nodded.

"Very well, Pinkie. You've convinced us. We'll tell Bundt that she can go back to Martingdale today and you take over her shift from now on," Mr. Cake replied.

Pinkie finally let out a content sigh. She was that close to having her cover blown. It wouldn't be a problem. She can balance parties, baking, being the 24-hour server and Mare-Do-Well crime-fighting with no worries! However, first things first she had to locate Gummy and talk with Twilight about the new police department and how it came about.

"If I can have just a teeny-tiny little favor if that's ok," she told them, "Do you know where Gummy is? I miss him so much! And um, can I go and have a little visit to the Library? I want to thank Twilight for being such a wonderful super friend to me for telling you where I was!"

Mr. Cake arched his brow. "Didn't you tell Fluttershy to come pick Gummy up and have him stay over at her cottage while you were gone?"

"I did?" Pinkie asked incredulously only to dissolve it to a quick smile. "Oh yeah, I did! Silly Pinkie! All that fun in Veneighce and you forgot you told Fluttershy to take care of Gummy! I'll go to her now and then to Twilight's!" She ended with a nervous laugh which worried her employers.

"Don't be late, dearie! We want to prepare you for the night shift when you get back!" Mrs. Cake says as she and her husband leave her to take care of the customers.

Pinkie nodded until she walked out of Sugarcube Corner and ran off to Fluttershy's cottage. When she left, Mrs. Cake wondered aloud to her mate, “All this for just a few extra bits. I imagine she’s probably saving up for a dowry.” They both looked at each other and laughed while shaking their heads.

****************************

"Ugh, all these books are in disarray!" Twilight Sparkle moans aloud as mountains of books were everywhere in the library except the shelves. "We've never let it get this bad before! Never!"

Spike shook his head as he picked up a stack of books placed next to the front door. "Well, if you could only remember to put them on the shelves after you're done with 'em instead of leaving them on the floor after you study, things would be much easier!" he answered with a hint of annoyance.

"Well, don't worry. I intend to have a good day eventually dedicated solely for inventory and reshelving the books in their proper order," she replied as she tapped a half-written scroll she has on her lectern. "I've been practicing a new spell I learned to manipulate hundreds of small items that will be very useful for when that happens."

Spike nodded in response. "Hopefully it can be done before my birthday. It's coming real soon and have I got a great gift for myse- YEOW!!!"

Without a moment to react, Spike was thrown up in the air by the impact of the front door opening without warning as all the books he was carrying went flying in all directions. Twilight gasped as she immediately used her purplish-red magic aura to stop and set the books down as well as placing a pillow on the spot Spike would land. Looking up, the purple unicorn saw the impatient form of Pinkie Pie stand there with her pet Gummy hanging on to her tail.

Twilight smiled in joy finally seeing her friend up and about since her recovery period at Zecora's hut. "Pinkie! You're back! Oh, I'm so glad to see you and-"

Pinkie immediately interrupted, "Hi Twilight! Hi Spike! Wow, it’s been over 3 weeks! Three whole weeks! That’s like nearly 21 days! Nearly a month! So much stuff to see and do! I heard I missed Shoeshine’s birthday and Mr. Breezy’s anniversary and Rivets’ retirement party from the construction company, and I really really ought to make it up to all of them! Oooo! I know maybe I can have all 3 parties at once in the same room and the cake would read ‘Happy Birthanniveretirement, All You Three!’! It would be so much fun! Not as much fun as that super-spectacular house-warming party I did for all those nice ponies working in the police station! Hotshot can still drink his weight in sarsaparilla but he has yet to beat me! And boy, did Cloudkicker look so cute with that uniform on! Hee hee hee. <snort> Oh, and I met all sorts of wonderful new ponies too! Lieutenant Buckler from Fillydelphia, Sergeant Trot Fuzz from Trottingham, Officers Smokey and Bear-Down from Cloudsdale, and… Ooh! Ooh! Deputy Tinstar from Appleloosa told me Braeburn and Little Strongheart are really opening relations with the Appleloosans and the Buffalo! Can you believe it? <GASP> That reminds me, Twilight, since when does Ponyville even have a police department?!"

With that, the excitement turned to seriousness. "Oh, them..." Twilight responded as she closed the door and puts an iron deadbolt on it with her aura. Pinkie was aghast at this. Since when did Twilight have a deadbolt on her door? Come to think of it, she finally remembered Carousel Boutique having a deadbolt, Sugarcube Corner having a set of hooks to hold a lowering bar over the entrance and even Fluttershy's cottage, with all its locks and deadbolts, had twice as many as before. Just happened during the 3 weeks she was gone?

"I'm sure you recall the trip to Canterlot I took before your time off to heal from the stirge attack. Princess Celestia wanted to see me with utmost importance as I was the only link to Ponyville she had but also because she confides in me as her personal student. What I'm about to tell you I've only told the other girls as they are the Elements of Harmony. Spike also knows since he was there when the Princess summoned us." Twilight explained.

Spike then got up from his pillow with a gasp. "Oh no! Nononono! Please don't let them get me, Twilight!" he yelled as he ran up the stairs and dove under Twilight's bed, shivering in fear. Pinkie got even more worried.

Twilight sighed as she then levitated a scroll she summoned from a hidden crevasse underneath a bookcase near her bed. She unfurled it in front of Pinkie Pie's eyes as the earth pony darted all around to read everything.

The unicorn resumed, "Apparently she received word from a hidden informant she deployed some time ago that the Griffon Syndicate was going to make leeway into expanding their operations here in Ponyville."

Pinkie Pie looked up as she arched her brow while trying to remember something. She finally gasped as she does. "Wait a sec! Those two stallions that broke into the Spa mentioned something about one of them meeting the boss of the Griffon Syndicate! Who are they, Twilight?"

Twilight looked hesistantly upstairs as her bed shook even more due to Spike's increasing alarm but continued. "The Griffon Syndicate is a powerful and dangerous group whose goal is achieving total rule over Equestria through their various crimes and illegal endeavours. They are also the largest producers and distributors of botagens in all of Equestria and the surrounding lands."

Pinkie stopped cold at the mere word of botagens. Her father at the rock farm warned her about the dangers of botagens. Extremely deadly plants which cause severe harm to ponies who eat or absorb the essences of them. The least a botagen can do is severely sicken a pony. The worst? Death. Celestia announced that the penalties pertaining to botagens, from cultivating them to selling them to even using them accidentally, are severe and swift. To have her use her own Royal Canterlot Voice and looking extremely menacing with the flames of the sun at her back as she made the decree showed she was not lying. Botagens are not be trifled with.

This however, did not stop certain individuals from partaking of them as they believed using botagens in small dozes gave a feeling of power and euphoria on one hoof and an ego trip in one-upping authority and the Princesses on the other. Hence, why someponies turned to growing, selling and distributing botagens as a source of quick income. Some botagens are made in their natural state, but there are some blends of botagens created by unscrupulous alchemists who decided to increase the emotional and strength-enhancing effects of natural botagens without the toxins involved. This hadn't stopped certain ponies who chose to take more of these blends than prescribed and ending up sickened for life or, worse, "put to pasture" as the term is used.

"Which botagens do they cultivate, Twilight?" Pinkie asked with sterness.

Twilight looks to the side as she thinks with her eyes closed. "From the report I read on their activities, almost all the big ones. Locoweed, glowcap mushrooms, saplloons, bronco horsetails, Pox Pollen and, Night's Embrace, the absolute worst of the lot where just the smell of it will sicken the hardiest stallion and kill the rest. It’s the only botagen where long incarceration periods is the immediate punishment."

She kept talking as her eyes remain closed. "Pinkie, these aren't your run-of-the-mill lawbreakers. They are a fearsome, merciless, unscrupulous organization who will commit robbery, blackmail, assault and even the forbidden crime of murder to reach their goals of total conquest. They don't care who their victims are: Peasants, innocents, old stallions and mares, young colts and fillies, and even little foals. Nopony is safe from them."

Twilight opened her eyes and gasped seeing Pinkie's new demeanor. Her face was scowling and she growled as her snout blasted out loud snorts. The last time she sported such a look was after her momentary stop to drink some last minute chocolate milk after they used the Elements of Harmony on Discord, but this anger was far more pronounced. Even the enchanted Rainbow Dash before Twilight worked her magic on her didn’t show such levels of hatred. The unicorn was stunned seeing Pinkie's comical demeanor change so suddenly but chalked it up to hearing about a group dedicated to hurt others for profit. If anything, these were the type of ponies Pinkie would never forgive.

She went on, "Princess Celestia's informant warned her and Princess Luna that the Syndicate wanted nothing more than to overthrow their rule and place themselves as the sole governing force in Equestria, but to do that in Canterlot which is overrun with Royal Guards would be a mission doomed to failure. Instead, they will move in to the closest area nearby to plan their strategies on how to overthrow them. The only closest population near Canterlot is here: Ponyville. She therefore ordered a police department to be built here under the excuse to give Ponyville its own law enforcement in case Canterlot was too far away to call upon. Nopony knows the truth except the Princesses, Spike, the other girls, myself, and now you."

At once, the pink pony's rage began to dissipate as she sighed with sorrow. "So that's why we have police now. Yesterday I felt excited to be able to work alongside them as Mare-Do-Well, but now knowing the real threat, I don't know if I will be of any help..."

"Pinkie..." Twilight said as she walked over to her friend. "You are a special pony. I told you that before when you chose to stay as Mare-Do-Well. You have more guts and spirit than anypony else I know. You won't hinder them. In fact you can go beyond them. Celestia may have ordered them to obey the laws, but you can go where the law can't enter. You can go beyond it. You can bring more ponies to justice that what the police can. They are a force, but you are you. Mare-Do-Well is a hero and she will stay a hero to all of us."

With those words of encouragement Pinkie's sad frown slowly turned to a small smile, then a larger one, then a grin and then a pure display of Joy that made her hug Twilight. "Yeah, you're right! I'm a super mare! I can go over, above, beyond and even hitchike a few miles the boundaries of where the police can go! Griffon Syndicate or no Griffon Syndicate, all evil badponies will learn not to mess with the Mare." She then pauses only to blink once. "Do-Well!"

Twilight chuckled under her breath as her friend giggled happily. "So how is Bundt? I'm glad the Cakes brought her over to help with the night shift as they are open all day and all night now," the unicorn inquired.

The giggle left Pinkie's mouth as she gave a solemn yet guilty smile. "Um, about that, Twilight. You see..."

Pinkie then explained everything that happened that morning. Twilight listened to every word with her mouth hung open and finally facehoofed with an annoyed grunt. "Pinkie Pie, how could you do this?! You can't work in Sugar Cube all day and night, plan parties and still be Mare-Do-Well! You're not just biting off more than you chew, you're going to choke on it and not even the Haymlich Maneuver would save you!"

Pinkie Pie responded with a giggle-snort. "Oh, you silly filly! I'm Pinkie Pie. I got energy to burn and spare! I even got everything all planned out. I work tonight, take breaks for Mare-Do-Well if my Pinkie Sense activates, return, work until Mr. and Mrs. Cake wake up, take a 3 hour nap then get back to baking and serving, lather, rinse, hang to dry and repeat! I know what I'm talking about!"

"The problem is if your brain knows what your mouth is saying..." the purple unicorn muttered under her breath. She then protested, "But can't you explain to the Cakes that maybe Bundt could sleep elsewhere that isn't your room? I mean, what would happen if something came and blew the top off Sugar Cube Corner? You'd lose your room, your secret chamber and everything else! Can't you reason with the Cakes?"

"Twilight, can't you see? The Cakes are more than my bosses! They're, like, my second family after my first family!" Pinkie exclaimed as she stood close to Twilight seeing her eye to eye so that only a few inches separated their eyeballs from touching. "I owe them a lot for taking me in! I just can't tell them 'Nope!' and think everything will be honky-dory! They are getting suspicious about my disappearances and if they find out I'm Mare-Do-Well..."

She moves to the side as she whimpered in fear. "...I will no longer be their apprentice! And if I'm no longer the apprentice, they'll make me move out! And where will I go?!"

Twilight gave her a comforting smile and says, "Don't worry about that Pinkie. Me and the girls would probably give you..."

Her voice stopped as images began to pop into her mind. She herself tossing and turning in bed as she drilled her pillows into her ears using her magic as Pinkie held a dance party in the Library. Rarity's mane starting to curl in many places and eyes twitch nervously as Pinkie plays messy and raucous games with Sweetie Belle inside Carousel Boutique. Fluttershy running around ragged keeping all her animals in her cottage under control as Pinkie hopped everywhere trying to play with them all. Rainbow Dash becoming increasingly annoyed as she flew Pinkie up and down from her cloud abode to bring up and down many different errands the pink pony decided to do at inopportune times. Applejack and the rest of her family watching in horror as Pinkie used all of Sweet Apple Acres as a raucous concert zone while the attendants decimated the landscape. All those thought clouds immediately burst and Twilight looked at Pinkie with a sheepish grin.

"I-I-I mean, I'm sure Mr. and Mrs. Cake are pretty reasonable ponies. Just sit down and talk to them. They will understand. Eh heh heh..." she said with a nervous chuckle as she tried to keep those crazy thoughts she had a few moments ago out of her head.

Pinkie groaned angrily. "You don't get it! None of you get it. Not you!"

She pointed up at the bed. "Not him!"

She then pointed at Gummy, busy chasing his own tail. "Not even him!"

She finally pointed at the wooden unicorn bust on the table. "And certainly not that!"

Lowering her tail so Gummy can latch on again, she trotted off in a huff. Blinking for a few seconds, Twilight wondered why she had that outburst.

Is her job, both of them, really that important to her?

Spike finally peeked out from under the bed. "A-a-are you going to talk more about that mean nasty syndicate?"

The unicorn sighed, "No Spike. I'm more worried about Pinkie. I hope she'll be all right..."

****************************

"I say, that was quite a sticky wicket we all were in over that fanciful soiree yesterday, wouldn't you agree?" Sergeant Trot Fuzz mused as he twirled the end of his moustache.

"Right, Sarge. I can't believe Halberd docked us 20% of our bits this month for it! If it wasn't Pinkie Pie responsible for the party and that we really had lots of fun, I'd be steamed!" a brownish gold-hued earth pony officer with 3 whistles as his mark answered.

"Quite," the Trottinghamite offered back. "I do agree I had a jolly good time and I do hope I get invited to one of those shindigs she prepares once I am off-duty, eh, Constable Gold Whistler?"

"I believe we use the term 'Officer' in Ponyville, Sergeant," Gold Whistler corrected. He then spied Sugarcube Corner to his left and licked his lips. "Since we're in the sector, why don't we go grab a donut and a scone for you from Bundt Cake? We can't patrol on an empty stomach!"

Trot Fuzz smiled and nodded. "You read me mind, 'Officer'. Let us sally forth, then!"

Gold Whistler and his immediate superior entered the bakery, sat down at a table and were just about to greet Bundt Cake when a pink form popped from the side, causing them to rear back in surprise.

"Hi-eeeeee! Welcome to Sugar Cube Corner! Again, hee hee!" Pinkie Pie greeted with her usual pep as she wore a small side cap and an apron with an image of the gingerbread house bakery and its name in fanciful writing.

"Pinkie?" Gold Whistler asked incredulously, only to clear his throat and change his tone. "I mean, Miss Pie, where are the whereabouts of Miss Bundt Cake? We ask for service of the establishment."

Pinkie giggled once more as he pinched his cheek. "Awww, aren't you cute trying to act all big and tough, Goldie!"

The beleaguered officer tried his hardest not to blush but it was too late as Trot Fuzz chuckled. "'Goldie', is it? I say, there appears to be some hidden skeletons in the closet with you that I have yet to hear about!" the Sergeant said.

Pinkie stopped pinching Gold Whistler's cheek as she turned to face Trot Fuzz. "Oh yeah! Like one time,when he was a little coltsy, he had such a special talent that nopony else had!"

Gold Whistler began to grow nervous. "Uh, Pinkie, I don't think the Sarge needs to know that."

Trot Fuzz, however, had none of that. "You don't say, Miss Pinkie! Do carry on!"

"Why, he even decided to enter the school talent contest and show everyone that talent! First, he decided to whistle the Equestrian Anthem and everyone stomped their hooves loudly in cheer at the rendition! That's why he has those whistle cutie marks!"

The officer's forehead dripped with sweat. "Y-y-you know, Pinkie, why don't you find Bundt Cake so she can take our order?"

"Is that all? Why I see nothing amiss with that and no reason for you to be a Nervous Nellie, says I." the Trottinghamite responded with a shrug of his shoulders. Gold Whistler breathed a sigh of relief hoping that got the Sergeant from prying further.

"But that was the first act! His second one was the best!" Pinkie added which renewed both Trot Fuzz's eager attention and Gold Whistler's sweat drops.

"He went up to the microphone..."

"Don't do it, Pinkie..."

"...cleared his throat..."

"I'm begging you, Pinkie. Don't say it!"

"...opened his mouth..."

"Pinkie Pie, stop for Celestia's sake!!"

"...he belched out the entire anthem again! Every single last note and lyric! It was so much fun!!!"

Gold Whistler let out a long wailful "Noooooooooooooooooooooooo!" as Trot Fuzz laughed long and loudly. The earth pony hung his head down as his face became beet red. His superior wiped a tear from his eye as his laughter ceased.

"I do enjoy a smashing anecdote like that. Really, I do." Trot Fuzz said as he regained composure. "Now then, all fun aside, is young Miss Bundt Cake available? We need her to take an order. She knows our usual."

"Two honey-glazed donuts with extra syrup, a tomato-basil scone with butter, coffee with a dash of cream and two sugar cubes, and chamomille tea with a spoonful of honey and a lime twist! Coming right up!" Pinkie said as she zoomed off to the kitchen as both Trot Fuzz and Gold Whistler stood there with mouths open wide, only for the pink pony to return with a tray holding their order in her mouth.

Setting the tray down in front of them, she smiled and said, "Here's your order! Leave a nice tip for your super awesome server, 'k?" With that, she zoomed off to take the next orders.

Pinkie was lucky tonight was quite slow, what with being the end of the weekend and ponies getting ready to work tomorrow. The only stable customers she had seen were the assortment of police ponies who by now were less sour in mood due to knowing she is not solely responsible of their reduced pay. Either way, Pinkie found chatting with the officers interesting, but when it was her turn to talk, most officers regret listening to one of her usual spiels, which can last up to an hour or more.

All of a sudden, Pinkie had a brief body spasm as though her back had a jolt of electricity run through it. She turned to her side and frowned slightly. Before any police officer could ask her what happened, she turned to everyone and said with a smile, "Um, I need to go to...the little fillies' room. I'll be back soon, so if you finish, please leave your bits and tips on the table. Bye-bye!" With that, she zoomed up the stairs.

Before the officers present could wonder about Pinkie's sudden departure, each and every shoulder receiver came to life, filling Sugarcube Corner with the noise of static.

"Attention all units! Attention all units!" the police dispatcher announced through their receivers. "All available units converge to Sector 1-4-3-Alpha. Hostage situation in progress. Send all available units. Repeat, send all available units! Over and out!"

With this announcement, all the officers got up, placed their bits on the tables and stampeded out toward the source of the disturbance. A shadowy form then made her way downstairs without making a single sound. A single dark blue-bandaged forehoof softly closed the front door, locked it tight, and put up a "CLOSED" sign for all to see. Nodding once with a flip of her cape, Mare-Do-Well was finally ready. It was time for action.

****************************

"And then Mare-Do-Well thwooped down from the roof, landed right on that nathty thtallion that grabbed me and knocked him out! Thhe'th a true thupermare!" Twist announced with glee the next morning as she, Snails and the Cutie Mark Crusaders passed in front of Sugarcube Corner on their way to school.

"Wow-ee! That sure is some story, Twist! Imagine, Mare-Do-Well savin' yer life!" Apple Bloom added with wonder.

"Uh, well, she's not really that super if she's responsible for me eating brussels sprouts until next season..." Snails moaned.

"Aw, you brought that on yourself and Snips too! I can't believe you still thought there was treasure hidden in the O'Neighram house after she saved both of you before!" Scootaloo shot back.

"Yeah that's... um, not right!" Sweetie Belle added. "You should know Mare-Do-Well is a great hero pony for everypony!"

"Did I <yawn> hear someone talk about... Mare-Do-Well?" a voice above them said with a hint of sleepiness.The four fillies and the young colt looked up and saw Pinkie Pie in her server uniform there. However, her cap was slightly askew on her head, her mane was slightly messy and the apron was wrinkled. Her eyes didn't fare any better as they began to have slight bags underneath them.

"Howdy, Pinkie. Gosh, why are ya awake so early?" asked the bow-wearing earth filly.

"Awake early? Nuh-uh... I'm just finishing the night shift. Just waiting for Mr. and Mrs. <yawn> Cake to wake up and then take a three-hour nap so I could get back to work in the day shift and night shift again," Pinkie said with a slight smile.

"You mean you're working all day and all night?! That's awesome!" the pegasus filly complimented.

"But, ithn't it bad to thtay awake all night?" the red curly-maned filly asked. "Getting enough thleep is very important. That'th what my dad told me."

"Don't worry your little heads off, girls. I'm perfectly...<yawwwwwwwwwn> fine..." Pinkie managed to utter before she nodded off to sleep standing up. The school ponies looked at each other in confusion and decided to leave her be.

"Hey Pinkie!" a voice called out to no avail as the pink earth pony remained sleeping on her feet.

"Pinkie!!" the voice called louder. Still she didn't wake up.

"PIIIIINKIIIIIIIIIIE PIIIIIIIIIIIIIE!!!!!!!!!" the voice yelled causing the pink filly to jump in the air as her eyes opened wide in shock.

"Aaaaah!!! The three types are igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic, Papa!" she immediately said as she stood to attention.

"Huh? What are you talking about?"

Pinkie shook her head a few times and looked to her side to see Rainbow Dash stand there. The cyan pegasus was tapping one of her hind hooves impatiently.

"So you're finally back, huh? Heard the latest stuff you did from Hotshot on my way here. You did an awesome job saving Twist and her folks!" she complimented.

Pinkie yawned and smacked her lips together. "Oh hi, Dashie. Heh heh, thanks a bunch! So why are you here?"

"The Mayor ordered the weather team to gather some clouds from the west for a scheduled shower this afternoon, so I figured I'd get my daily fix and get some coffee. Thought I'd see Bundt Cake, but I find you here! What happened to her?"

Pinkie explained just like she did with Twilight, and just like the unicorn reacted, Rainbow also facehoofed.

"You... you dummy! You just can't be the server for both shifts, plan parties and be Mare-Do-Well at the same time!" she snapped at her. "I know you've done some pretty dumb stuff in the past, but this takes the cake!"

"Huh? What? Someone's taking a cake? Where to? Is there a party? Let me get the cannon..." Pinkie mumbled as she looks around her surroundings with her eyes glazed over approaching another sleep cycle.

Rainbow Dash lets off an annoyed grunt. "Just serve me some coffee so I can get to work, ok?"

"Okey...do...key......" Before Pinkie could walk towards the perking coffee pot, she falls asleep once more on her feet. By now, the pegasus has had enough of her.

"PINKIE!!!" she snaps furiously at her.

"LOKEY!" the pony finally said with a start as she approached the coffee pot. Carefully taking it in her teeth, she wobbled it a tad before she dropped it back on the table. Letting off a slightly miffed grumble, Pinkie grabs the pot in her teeth and pours the coffee in the cup nearby. However, she poured too much and the cup overflowed and tipped over its contents just inches from Dash's left forehoof.

The multi-color maned pegasus looks warily at this and finally says with a nervous stammer. "Y-y-ya know, I don't really feel like drinking coffee at this sec. I'll just come back later when the Cakes arrive. See ya, Pink!" With that, she zoomed off and never looked back.

Pinkie Pie notices the spill she caused and lets out a forlorn sigh. Finding a rag nearby, she lets it drop on the floor as it soaks the brown liquid. She places her hoof down on the wet rag, only to shoot back in pain over how hot the spill is. Growling, she drops more rags to absorb the heat and starts scrubbing the coffee with more force. She was so focused on the spill that she didn't hear the door open.

"Pinkie Pie!" a sweet voice called out.

The pony turned around and snapped, "WHAT?!" She then gasped as she realized she just sniped Mrs. Cake whose eyes were open in surprise. Her husband was behind her equally as flabbergasted.

"Oh no! Mrs. Cake, I'm so sorry, I, um, oh..." Pinkie fumbled around for words until she looked down in worry.

"Relax, dearie. I can tell you've had a rough night and morning." the robust mare replied as she placed her snout over Pinkie's back in a comfort hug. "Just get some sleep right now and come back when you feel better."

"No! I can't sleep! How will you handle all the baking? You always need me around to help you! I can't go to sleep yet!" she protested.

Mr. Cake shook his head and answered, "Nothing doing, Pinkie. Go grab some sleep right now. Go on! We'll take it from here."

Pinkie bit her lip as she eyes them with their warm smiles and then upstairs to her waiting bed. She finally replied solemnly, "All right..."

With that, she stumbled upstairs, catching a glimpse as they finished cleaning up her coffee spill before heading into the kitchen. She didn't even make it to her bed when she finally slumped down and took a well-deserved nap.

With a loud snort, Pinkie Pie shot back up and saw the sun at a different position in the sky. Looking up at her clock, she noticed she slept for 3 hours on the mark; exactly the amount she wanted. Nevertheless, her subconscious demanded more sleep as her body felt weak for the first time in her spunky life. Shaking her head a few times, she realized it was either this or having Bundt as a roommate and kissing her days as Mare-Do-Well good-bye forever.

Her resolve reinforced, she went to her bath and turnedthe cold water at full blast before jumping in. Ponyville wasn't ready for one of the loudest shrieks everheard that it even reached Canterlot with its decibel level.

Suddenly, several police ponies burst in through the bathroom door and Pinkie screamed with less magnitude as she covered herself up with a towel. "Haven't you ponies heard of privacy?!" she said very annoyed.

Most of the male officers quickly moved away while blushing, allowing one of the fillies forward as she said, "We're sorry, Miss Pinkie, but we heard that super loud scream and..."

"And you're all spying on me! Now if you'll excuse me, I'll take my bath now!", she snapped as she pushed them outside the bathroom and slammed the door on them. The officers could only mutter as they all headed back downstairs to resume eating and drinking their orders.

After finishing her cold-water bubble bath, Pinkie faced the mirror and saw her straight mane looking back.

Ok, now. Get poofy! You got a big day ahead of you!

She smiled as her mane and tail became its usual poofy selves and she smiled from ear to ear. However her eyelids began to close and the frizzled mane slowly reverted back to the straight-type as the smile vanished from her lips.

You brought this upon yourself, you know.

Pinkie gasped. Did her reflection actually talk back to her?

"Oh, I know! I was such a stupid silly filly! Why did I even agree to take two shifts?!"

The reflection rolled her eyes. Um, let me see. One: You didn't want Bundt Cake to learn you're Mare-Do-Well. B: It would make it even harder for you to plan entrances and exits if she's here during the day shifts. Finally, number Z: I'm just one of your starting hallucinations from not sleeping enough. That little Twist is a smart cookie after all.

"But we can't dunk her in milk! She'd get wet, not soft!" Pinkie giggled only to turn dour again.

Anyways, Miss Pie, you made your bed, now sleep in it!

"Bed... sleep...so want to sleep..." Her eyelids became heavy once more as she started to doze off. One loud snort and she was again alert and seeing her reflection back to normal. Channeling all her inner joy, her mane and tail again went puffy and she was ready. She placed the cap and apron back on and headed downstairs for another work shift.

****************************

"I dunno, Shady..." an orange unicorn muttered as she held a candelabra with her magic, trying to keep some illumination steady as the indigo earth pony wearing a balaclava worked the dial on the old wall safe hidden behind a simple painting of Rarity and her family at a younger age with her as a filly and Sweetie Belle as a newborn foal.

"I mean, Ponyville's got its own cop department now. You really think this is a good idea?"

"Shut it, Citrus Squeeze! Just keep the light on me and I'll have this old thing open in no time!" he snapped back with a soft voice as he kept his ear against the side of the safe, listening to the clicks inside.

The curvy-spike maned unicorn looked uneasy at her sides while maintaining the candelabra up high. She finally heard a chuckle from her partner as the safe opened up.

"Score!" he whispered with enthusiasm as he beckoned her to move the candles closer as he nosed through the various objects inside. "Now to find that Sun Star that prissy unicorn must keep in here..."

"Shady, hurry up! I got a really bad feeling!" Citrus Squeeze pleaded.

"Gimme a sec!" Shady talked back only for him to let out a soft whoop of joy as he saw a circular orange gemstone with multiple spikes growing naturally from it, making it look like a small sun. "Here it is! We're gonna be rich!"

"Swell!" the orange unicorn smiled in response only for it to shrink away. "Now can we get out of here?"

Shady shrugged as he grabbed the Sun Star and dumped it into his saddlebag. "Ok, you cryfoal, let's get out of here!" He slowly walked to the entrance as Citrus closed the safe door, replaced the painting and put the candelabra back on the table where she found it.

The two have been staking out Carousel Boutique for weeks seeing all the different jewels the fashion designer kept around and were surprised to see a rare Sun Star among her wares. That jewel was worth exactly a hundred pounds of pure Night's Embrace and would sell for even more among the Manehatten and Canterlot elite. It was only a matter of time before they were going to pull off the heist.

Earlier that evening, they found the unicorn locked all her doors tightly making them impossible to breach and her windows were magically reinforced with glass that would never shatter from the outside. Their solution came from climbing to the second floor of the carousel structure and entering through one of the windows up there that wasn't reinforced.

When they finally got inside, however, they didn't expect the proprietor to have a cat around the premises, which pounced on them with a screech. Citrus Squeeze used her magic to grab the ferocious feline, throw her into a closet filled with fabrics that softened her landing, and closed it behind her. Even with all the angry yowling and scratching, the door held on and the designer was still asleep.

It took some work to find the wall safe hidden behind a painting and they went to work. Finding the safe's combination, stealing the Sun Star and quickly making their exit through the doors they now unlocked to escape were the easiest part of their job.

After eyeing nopony around, they quickly broke off into a sprint as they left Carousel Boutique far behind. The way became problematic, however, as Shady and Citrus Squeeze saw several officers milling about the empty marketplace area near the bakery.

"What do we do now? We can't just go through them! They'll catch us!" Citrus whimpered as she scooted back in fear.

The indigo colt snarled under his breath and chided, "Stop acting like a foal! If they patrol the ground, then we'll take the high road! There!" He spots a haycart which he gets up on and maneuvers up to the rooftops. Citrus lets off a soft cry before doing the same and joined Shady up top as they resumed their run.

Before they could go any further, a figure leaped out of the shadows and landed in front of them. They screeched to a halt as they realized they were standing in front of the Mysterious Mare-Do-Well, light blue eyes shining with a frown.

Citrus shrieked as she was consumed by fear at the sight of her. "It's HER! We're finished, Shady! Finished! Just give her that Sun Star and let's run before she catches us!"

"Will you shut up?!" Shady shouted at his companion. "Supermare or not, she's still a pony! She won't beat us! You want the Sun Star, Mare-Do-Well? Then come and get it!"

Shady then bumped Citrus hard, causing her to move towards the plank-like extension in front of the house's roof and promptly fell down. She clamped on to the end of the plank with her front hooves before she could fall completely but knew she would not hold out long. Should she let go, the drop to the ground was going to be hard and she might be seriously injured. The cowardly Shady then smirked as he ran off.

Mare-Do-Well was faced with a choice. Go after the thief who more than likely has something of value in his bag but leave the unicorn to fall and receive some nasty injuries, or rescue the accomplice but allow the craven earth pony to get away. She looked in the direction Shady was fleeing and then down to where Citrus Squeeze squealed and whimpered as she began to lose her grip on the roof's edge.

The vigilante realized what she had to do and walked to the front of the facade where the unicorn was hanging by the plank. Turning herself around, she placed her cape near Citrus's head where she was grabbing on the roof. Mare-Do-Well motioned her to grab the cape. Citrus whimpered and shook her head in fear. The heroine stomped her front hoof once in anger as she scowled even harder. Citrus closed her eyes for a few seconds until she opened her mouth and clamped down on the cape and let go of the roof. All her weight was soon transferred to holding onto the long dark-blue cloth and Mare-Do-Well felt the tremedous force pulling back on her cape. Holding all that weight by her cape caused her slight strangulation, but her spirit willing to save the accomplice was strong.

To her luck, this cape was far stronger than the one she had before. Rarity told her the other evening that she reinforced the cloth of both the bodysuit and the cape with a secret blend of liquids made from Everfree plants Zecora recommended to further strengthen the fabric and prevent it from tearing as easily as it did after the stirge attack and the O'Neighram house falling on her. Therefore, Citrus's bite did little to tear her cape as Mare-Do-Well began to slowly walk up to the back of the roof, pulling the frightened unicorn away from the empty air and back on the solid area. Her neck was a tad sore from the weight she had to pull, but she at least rescued the unicorn.

"Oh thank you, Mare-Do-Well. Thank you, thank you, thank you. I don't care if they toss me in jail! I'd rather serve my time and be a good pony of the community after this!" she wept as she hugged Mare-Do-Well's hoof. She then wiped the tears away and said, "I'll go turn myself in but you must catch Shady! He must pay!"

Mare-Do-Well didn't say a word as Citrus found a safe way down the roof and went straight to the nearest officers. They began to talk and the police ponies looked in direction of Carousel Boutique. Then quickly had her lie down as they snapped on the restraints on her and they led her away to the station jail. Nodding in relief as she kept her word, the vigilante knew she had a lot of ground to cover and catch the poltroon pony thief. As she kept running from rooftop to rooftop, she felt her energy starting to give out as her eyesight became blurry.

It's been four days since the moment she chose to take the dual shifts and it's taken its toll on her. She found it harder and harder to stay focused and found herself speaking non sequiturs, noticed her lack of coordination and balance as she dropped more and more baked good trays than before, and realized it was difficult now to remember all the parties she had to plan. She shuddered as she recalled earlier that day when she prepared a house with balloons, games, streamers and a charming cake for a filly's birthday party only to later learn she was actually hosting a foal shower. Imagine her chagrin, being dressed up as a clown among all the grown-up mares with one expecting a future newborn. To fix up the snafu came out of her own pocket and that made her even more surly than usual, and the fact a spineless pony like Shady sacrificed his own accomplice to get away was the last straw.

She fast approached another gap between rooftops and was ready to jump it only for her eyes to instead register it double. Shaking her head and narrowing her gaze closer, she tried to refocus the two landing spots on the rooftops until they were one again. She took a grand leap and instead of landing right on the next roof, she missed it by a few inches and managed to grab on with her hooves. Now she was in the exact same predicament Citrus Squeeze was in earlier. Luckily for her, a hay bale was placed beneath her, allowing her to let go and land with a soft thud in the hay.

Picking herself up, she silenlty cursed herself for allowing Shady to get away. Now all she hoped was for the incarcerated accomplice to confess and point the police to where they were hiding out. She was done fighting for justice for that evening. It was time to head back to serving at Sugarcube Corner. She hoped she would not mess up another order again or things would get bad for her.

****************************

Rarity bawled her eyes out as she, Twilight Sparkle, Applejack and Fluttershy made their way to Sugarcube Corner that evening to see how Pinkie was doing. As always, Rainbow Dash flew overhead at a slow steady space to keep up with their walking speed. A whole week had passed since she was robbed and her rare Sun Star, a once-in-a-lifetime treasure she found buried while hunting for gems a year before Twilight arrived in Ponyville, was stolen. To make matters worse, all her wonderful fabrics and cloth she had stored away in a particular closet were scratched up beyond proper use after the thieves locked Opalescence inside and she tore them all up in her fury to get out. Rarity hasn't stopped crying since.

"And that Sun Star was so rare! I was so tempted to make a dress for the Gala with it as the centerpiece but I knew it would end up getting stolen! And...and...and...WAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!!!" she cried out.

Applejack rolled her eyes at this. "We heard ya already, Rarity! Lan'sakes, the police are doin' everythin' they can to find it so quit cryin' like a spoiled showmare!"

Rainbow Dash added in a huff, "Well if a certain pony vigilante we all know about would be getting a good night sleep instead of working herself crazy, she'd have taught that thief a thing or two!"

Twilight looked up with a cross look. "Rainbow, stop it! It's not completely Pinkie's fault! She just worries if Bundt Cake was still around, she thinks she'll share upstairs with her and she won't be able to become Mare-Do-Well anymore!"

The orange farmpony turned to face her. "Nothin' doin', sugarcube! This is all Pinkie's doin'! Ah heard it all from Dash and we both agree Pinkie shoulda talked with the Cakes about all this and got proper help! Ah'll admit Ah was being a stubborn mule when Ah didn' accept any help from anypony that applebuck season a while back, but all Pinkie needs to do is have a long talk an' all her problems are over!"

All the ponies then began to argue amongst themselves with Twilight trying to act as Pinkie's advocate while Applejack, Dash and Rarity went on the offensive over her failure to act. The bickering continued until Fluttershy broke the silence with a concerned gasp.

"Oh my goodness! What is... happening there?"

The rest of the friends stopped arguing as they all looked with incredulous eyes at the sheer amount of ponies crowding Sugarcube Corner. Many of them were shouting, but all of them were angry. The five friends rushed over to Sugarcube Corner to see what was the matter.

"You silly pony! You forgot my little Summer Breeze's birthday!"

"I ordered a strawberry shortcake! Not a cranberry shortcake! STRAW-BERRY!"

"You nearly spilled my coffee on my hooves! What kind of service do they got here anyway?!"

"I told you! It was his tenth anniversary party, not the eleventh! The TENTH!"

"Why is there pink hair all over my cupcakes?! I demand to see the owners right now!"

"This bread is all burnt! What kind of heating oven you got in there? A volcano?!"

"We rented this bakery for my filly's cuteceañera! Why was there a birthday party here already?!"

The chorus of complaints just kept coming and it was hard for the girls to call out for Pinkie Pie amidst the mob. Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy flew overhead and eventually found her in direction of the crowd's gaze in a corner of the bakery.

Upon nudging their way close, the three non-pegasi Elements were in shock over their pink friend's appearance. Pinkie Pie was an absolute fashion disaster as her face was covered in white makeup, a large red clown nose was on her snout and lips were covered in bright cherry-red lipstick. Her frizzy mane and tail were more ragged and messy-looking as though Rainbow Dash administered a Rain-blow Dry on her at full speed. Her outfit was a compelte mess with the server's cap scrunched up on top of her head and the apron was dirty and splotched with various kinds of stains.

Her behavior was even more chaotic than her apperance. Sitting down on her haunches, her blue eyes swirled around their sockets and she ran her hoof up and down her outstretched lips blowing and making strange noises and her body trembled all over as the shouts kept on coming.

Finally, she left off a shriek that put the one after jumping in the cold water to shame as everypony stopped talking. Pinkie began to giggle crazily as nervous tics exploded throughout her face and body as her eyes darted around looking for something.

"We. Need. A. PARTAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!!!!!!!!!!!" she screamed at the top of her lungs as she zoomed off like a rocket, knocking part of the mob out of her way as she found her Party Cannon nearby. Her mad giggles didn't stop as she jammed the button continously setting off shots of party favors projectiles from the barrel. The screams of complaints turned to screams of fright as the mob began to stampede out of the bakery, leaving it devoid of life. Everyone was gone, that is, except the rest of the girls.

"Pinkie Pie! What are you doing? Stop this right now!" Twilight pleaded.

"Oh, Twilight! So nice to see you!" Pinkie exclaimed with an enormous grin. "Did you come to the party? But I didn't send out any invitations! Oh, does that mean you have a Twilight Sense now? Whoo-hoo! Now you will never complain about how my Pinkie Sense works ever again! Not that it ever fails me. This is so cool! Now we can write about each of our combos and keep a list of them for our future reference. I mean, you're the librarian after all! I love books! Well, not as much as you do but you get the idea and I really love to read books on parties and jokes and all kinds of food-"

"Stop this right now, Pinkie! Yer going plumb crazy!" Applejack retorted.

"Plums? I don't have plums! However I do have some prunes Mr. Cake was saving to make juice from! Yummy prunes! He said they're good for the digestive system! Oooh, maybe if we plant some prune seeds, plum trees will grow. I bet it will be a great seller for clearing out the digestive system like Mr. Cake says! Why, you can rename it to Sweet Apple Plum Acres! Sounds so much super-duper awesome fun!" Pinkie burst out in crazed glee.

Applejack muttered as she grabbed the edges of her hat and pulled down in anger over how crazier Pinkie has become.

Pinkie then looked around and gasped, "Nopony is here! Is nopony going to my party?! Well, if they won't come to the party..." She then giggled with a low tone that made everyone shiver. "...then the party...will go to THEM!!!" She then retrieved a bugle from who-knows-where, sounded a charge to battle, and wheeled the cannon out of Sugarcube Corner as she whooped and hollered maniacally. The other ponies looked at each other and realized somepony would end up being hurt in Pinkie's insane state of mind. They quickly rushed out to stop her.

The scene before them could only be described as being worse when Discord was set loose. Every single building along the way Pinkie must have journeyed was blasted and decorated with streamers, balloons, and severely spooked-out ponies holding party horns and party hats on their shocked faces. The girls never saw Pinkie go out of control like this and if she wasn't stopped, all Ponyville would be turned upside-down.

Eventually they found the source of the biggest chaos in the middle of the town square as Pinkie shot out ready-made cream pies from her cannon as she hummed a silly tune to herself, filling in a mad giggle at every break. Pretty soon the entire area was surrounded by piles of cream pies ready to be eaten.

"Pinkie Pie, stop this now!" Twilight commanded. "Stop making those pies and come here before you get hurt!"

"Twilight, I'm surprised at you!" Pinkie Pie chided. "Why are you always such a stick in the mud? Don't you know the ponies of Ponyville need to unwind from their tight schedules and learned to have fun?! Let's party and eat some pie!" She then grabbed a cream pie from the large pile nearby and munched on it. However, she didn't notice some spilled cream on the ground nearby and she slipped on it, causing her to fall face down on the pie she was currently eating. She then lifted her cream-covered face and mane for all to see. This was enough to make Rainbow Dash lose her composure.

"Bwa ha ha ha ha!!! Pinkie Pie, you are so random!" she chortled. The pink pony however didn't see anything funny.

"So, Rainbow Dash, you throw the first strike by hitting me with a pie!" she said with mock seriousness. "Of course you know, this means WAR!"

"Huh? No no! Wait! Pinkie, I didn't mean to...I mean... Hold on a sec!" the cyan pegasus protested as Pinkie grabbed a pie and tossed it right at her. Rainbow was quick to dodge the pie, but the throwing arc quickly made the flying confectionary land right on Rarity's face.

The other Elements looked in abject horror as the designer unicorn's face was covered by the pie tin which then fell to the ground with a clang. Cream and filling were everywhere and her facial features were unrecognizeable. Suddenly, two ferocious eyes opened as they went red with rage. "Oh...." she seethed.

"It. Is. ON!!"

Using her magic, she lifted 5 pies from the pile beside her and launched them right at Pinkie Pie. The maniacal party pony got on her hind legs and did a few ballet spins and pirouettes as she weaved around the thrown pies which instead struck several bystanders nearby. These ponies decided to join the fracas as they picked up pies with their teeth and magic and began to toss them at Pinkie. These baked goods, however, also missed their mark as Pinkie dodged them with ease and eventually hit even more innocents. The war had begun. Ponies everywhere began to converge in the square, grabbing pies and tossing them everywhere.

"Oh dear! Oh my! Oh my goodness!" Fluttershy exclaimed. She then flew everywhere as she tried to convince everyone to stop. "Please... I mean, it's not nice... This is really not good for you... Um, think of all the wasted cream and filling... oh dear... we could use these pies to feed everypony...and I...um..."

Her speech was cut short as she had one fresh pie land on her head. She then gasped in horror seeing her pink mane covered in sticky, hard-to-clean cream and looked in direction of the one who threw it. Rainbow Dash had several pies around her that she was simply throwing everywhere no matter who or what was her targets. All she cared for was creaming as many ponies as possible.

Fluttershy's worried gaze turned to a scowl and she gritted her teeth. "You MEANIE!!" she shouted as she dove into the pile and began to throw pies everywhere as well.

Throughout all this, Twilight pleaded for everyone to stop but she soon got covered under a mountain of cream and pie tins. Applejack simply got into the spirit of things and began to buck whole stacks of pies launching them everywhere and hitting even the most skyward pegasi. Rarity was still using her magic to toss loads of pies toward Pinkie, who was still devoid of any damage as the pie war raged on.

Eventually, about a dozen shrill police whistles blasted through the air, silencing the shouts and stopping the pie throwing in their tracks. Every single last officer of the Ponyville Police Department with Captain Halberd, Lieutenant Buckler and the Mayor herself in front of the group arrived to end the disturbance. The mob stopped what they were doing and slowly stepped back. Everypony that is, except Pinkie who was still shouting and hollering in her addled state.

"Aw come on! The party will never stop! Here, have some pie!" she shouted as she grabbed one pie and tossed it right on the face of Captain Halberd with a loud splat.

Silence.

Nopony dared move or even react as the tin slid off and Halberd's pie-covered face shook in rage. Using his green magic aura, he grabbed a set of hoofcuff chains and managed to snap them with precision on the mad dancing pony, causing Pinkie Pie to lose balance and strike her head on the ground. That was more than enough to knock her out and silence her for good. The police commander then gave an angry glare to Lt. Buckler as he walked away with his two subordinates in tow as they tried to wipe off the cream and filling from his face and horn.

Every former pie fighter could only look on without making a noise as Buckler and other officers dragging a jail cart approached the downed form of Pinkie Pie. The lieutenant sighed sadly and said, "Pinkamena Diane Pie, I place you under arrest for public disturbance and assaulting a commanding officer of the Ponyville Police Department..."

She then turned around as the two officers managed to place Pinkie's comatose body on the jail cart and wheeled her away to jail. Twilight managed to get out from under the pile of cream and pie tins as she saw them drag her friend away. The rest of the Elements of Harmony soon huddled close to her as they realized they didn't make things any better by getting caught up in the moment of chaos themselves. They could do nothing but hang their heads low in shame.

****************************

The morose, straight-maned, darkened-hued pink pony shook as she laid down on the cold bench of her jail cell. She had been sleeping for five straight days and finally regaining all the lost energy she had before her hectic work schedule. When she finally woke up, all she could remember before she woke up to the chilly metallic jail bench was finally losing control and instigating one of the craziest pie fights Ponyville had ever born witness to. Never in her life had she felt so ashamed of her actions than at that moment.

She sighed sadly to herself. This was it. She had crossed the point of no return. She was bound to stay locked up for many years for she knew she pasted the primary police's presiding pony on the puss with a pie. By the time she gets out, if she gets out, she would never be welcomed again in Sugarcube Corner. The Cakes would have more than likely tossed her stuff out from upstairs now as she no longer would work there. But, she was positive enough to deduce Twilight would have more than likely kept her belongings safe for her while Gummy would be in the dependable hands of Fluttershy.

Even then it was all over for her. Nopony would want her face around in Ponyville ever again. Everypony hated her and despised her for what she did to their lives and their homes. She was an outcast. A branded filly destined to be ostracized. And in a town as close-knit as Ponyville, she was better off being put to pasture. All this because of her fear of Mare-Do-Well's identity being found out. If it wasn't for that, Bundt Cake would have stayed and been the night server like she was for the 3 weeks she was absent.

Mare-Do-Well. A foolish notion. It should have just remained a light-hearted prank to knock sense into Rainbow Dash's swell-headedness and nothing more. What has she done that was for the good of the ponies? Sure, she rescued Twist but she was immediately chewed out by Captain Halberd who warned her that he wouldn't tolerate vigilantes under his jurisdiction. Then there's the fact of the thief who got away with Rarity's precious Sun Star because she decided to rescue a unicorn who didn't even know where the hideout is because he kept her out of the loop. She was a mockery of justice. She was careless, useless and worthless. The second she ever got free, she'd go straight to Sugarcube Corner, find the Mare-Do-Well outfit and throw it in the trash and forget her foolish crusade.

She was so drowned in her misery that she didn't hear the door open and an officer step inside until she spoke to her. "Miss Pie, you have been pardoned for your crime by our Royal Majesty, Princess Celestia of Equestria. You are free to go. Come right this way."

Pinkamena tries to move her numb legs and heard the tinkling sound of chains. That's when she realized she was still wearing the hoofcuff chains. These chains allow a pony the ability to walk, but not to run or gallop as they have been tied in such manner that any forward movement beyond a shuffle would cause a pony to trip and fall. This also means pegasi would be unable to fly correctly without the momentum given by their extended legs even if the wings aren't bound. Nevertheless, the feeling soon returned to her legs and managed to slide down from the frosty bench and shuffled out the cell door and climbed the stairs leading up to the police station's main floor one step at a time.

Upon reaching the top, she kept her head down as she shambled across the area, hearing voices of the officers at their desks, reports being written, suspects being interrogated and victims filing their complaints. She didn't care about anything one single bit. She finally reached the station's vestibule and saw the officer removing the hoofcuff chains allowing her to walk freely again.

Pinkamena looked up and saw the face of Twilight Sparkle smiling radiantly to see her friend once more. The unicorn then approached her with a hug but Pinkamena stood motionless. She was ashamed for her actions and that would take a long time to heal.

"Pinkie, I'm so glad you're ok. Thank Celestia my actions were for naught," the purple unicorn said to her darkened coat friend who remained silent. She then led her outside the police station and off into the starry night.

As they walked, Twilight looked at Pinkamena who still walked with her head hung low. Biting her lip, she finally spoke, "You may be wondering how I managed to get you out of there..." Silence.

She continued, "Actually you have to thank the Princess. After you got taken away, I sent a letter immediately to her to help find a way to release you. She finally replied an hour later with both the reply and an official Royal Pardon, claiming that due to your service for the safety of Equestria, as well as knowing about your schedule after I explained it to her in my letter, you were granted a full pardon as the crime wasn't too offensive. We would have released you out that day but Captain Halberd raised such a ruckus because a Royal Pardon wouldn't excuse a lawbreaker like her who nearly placed Ponyville in a full-fledged riot. Honestly? I thought he was still sore about being hit with a pie. I mean, where's the harm in that? Heh heh..." Pinkamena stayed quiet.

Clearing her throat, Twilight resumed, "So we had to take your case all the way to the Lunar Court, presided by Princess Luna herself. After a few days of deliberation, Luna decreed that the Pardon was binding and valid since you are the Element of Laughter and being among the Elements of Harmony responsible for saving Equestria from both Discord's reign of chaos and her dark side's eternal night. It really helped that she used her Royal Canterlot Voice for this decree that blew even that stuffedshirt's cap off. She further warned that if you were not freed, she'd personally demote him to, get this, an Officer for insubordination to a royal command! You should have seen the look on his face!"

Pinkamena didn't even lift her head at these news. The purple unicorn sighed. "I'm really sorry for what happened, Pinkie. I really am. Isn't there anything you wish to do right now?"

"My things... before I leave..." she finally uttered in a voice that was quite raspy at since she had not spoken a word during her entire incarceration.

"Your things? Why, they are at Sugarcube Corner, of course! And leave why are you-" Twilight began before Pinkamena shot her head up and looked at her with anger.

"What?! You mean my things are still up there in my old room?! Why didn't you take them out? Don't you know that the Cakes probably fired me over what I did?! How could you do this to me, Twilight Sparkle?!" she spoke in agitation.

Twilight raised her brow in confusion. Then she gave a slow nod as the realization finally set in. "Oh, I get it. You think everypony hates you for what you did and plan on leaving us. Just where do you plan to go?" she asked.

"Home. Papa must need an extra hoof to till the rocks... There's nothing left for me here. I guess I should just go back to my old job and stay miserable for the rest of my life..." she answered sadly.

"Pinkie, please... You mustn't. You shouldn't! What about..." Twilight stopped and looked everywhere making sure nopony was eavesdropping. She lowered her head and whispered to her friend's ear. "What about Mare-Do-Well?"

At this, Pinkamena exploded as she stared at Twilight with rage-burning eyes. "WHAT ABOUT HER?! She's the reason I did what I did and I paid for it with my job and my dignity! I can't believe what an idiot I was to change my happy life for that worthless nag! Being hope? Hah! That joke is so pathetically feeble, I can't even laugh at it! I just want to go away and forget all about her and Ponyville! Now, take me back to Sugarcube and collect my stuff so I can close this chapter of my life. For. EVER!"

With that, she picked up her pace and galloped towards her old workplace. Twilight's eyes turned serious and worried that Pinkie was to make yet another mistake. She quickly broke off into a sprint and went after her.

Twilight was able to catch and wrestle Pinkamena down when they finally reached the entrance to Sugarcube Corner which, for once since the new schedule was implemented, was closed and no lights inside. Pinkie managed to get out of Twilight's grasp and stormed inside as she ran upstairs in the blinding darkness.

Twilight frantically called out as she ran behind her, "Pinkie, stop it! You don't understand! You're not..."

Pinkamena snapped back. "Zip it, Professor Four-Eyes! Now where is my lantern? Why is it so dark?!"

At that, a bright flash of light blinded Pinkamena causing her to shut her eyes. Rubbing them to get rid of the initial blindness, she opened them up and gasped in horror. There, sitting on her bed were Mr. and Mrs. Cake looking sad at her. Beside the bed was the ponyquin with her Mare-Do-Well costume still in its place. Nearby were her other four friends also looking sad which were then joined by Twilight Sparkle.

"Mr. Cake? Mrs. Cake? Girls?! I...<gasp> oh no..." Her rage turned to fear as she then jumped on the ponyquin to knock it down and prevent the Cakes from seeing it. A moot point since her employers clearly saw it for who knows how long before she arrived.

"Please... Just lemme explain... I... I..." Pinkamena began. Only for the Cakes to get off the bed and walked over to her.

"Pinkie, are you really... Mare-Do-Well?" the robust matron asked.

The straight-maned earth pony gritted her teeth as a whimper formed on her mouth, until she finally couldn't take it anymore as her tears started to flow. "Yes! Yes! I am Mare-Do-Well! I'm so sorry I kept this secret from you! I was stupid to keep it hidden from you all and I'm sorry I caused you both so much pain and anguish with my absences and odd behavior! I'm so so so so sorry!!" she blurted out amidst weeping.

As she cried, she felt the hooves of her kindly employers hugging her. "Now, now Pinkie. Why should you apologize to us? Heck, we are downright proud of you!" Mr. Cake said warmly. "Imagine. Ponyville's heroic mare who has saved many grateful citizens, patched up a dam, and Celestia knows what else is nothing but our beloved apprentice and all-around wonderful employee!"

"Uh, actually Ah was the one who stopped that there carriage from fallin' off the cliff an' Twahlight was the one who patched up the dam. But yeah, everythin' else was pure Pinkie Pie!" Applejack commented which made the other girls nod in agreement.

Pinkamena sniffled her tears and asked, "So... you aren't ashamed of me? And I'm sorry about Bundt Cake, I was worried if you had her stay with me, she'd..."

"Pinkie, don't worry. After you were sent to jail, the first thing your friends did was tell us everything. We then discovered that secret room you had your costume placed in, and that's how we finally realized after thinking over how your absences happened at the same time Mare-Do-Well did something that you and her were one and the same," Mrs. Cake explained.

"So they told you didn't they?" Pinkamena commented as she gave her friends a cold eye. The five ponies laughed nervously as four moved aside to signal out Twilight as the one responsible for ratting her out.

"Well, um, you didn't really Pinkie swear me to tell anyone else, didn't you? Heh heh heh.." she said nervously.

The pink pony smiled wickedly as she chuckled once in mock anger. "oh, I'll get you for this one, Sparkle. Count on it." This made everypony laugh except Twilight as she gulped and sweated nervously.

"Pinkie. We have decided to help you in your 'alternate job'. You are now allowed to leave whenever you wish to go into action. Don't worry if ponies start suspecting, we'll handle the excuses now," Mr. Cake explained.

"You can still work as our apprentice baker and daytime server. Bundt Cake will again take the night shift, but we will now give her a room to sleep in and not stay up here. If you told us all this earlier, we would have never done it in the first place!" added Mrs. Cake.

Twilight finally spoke up as she walked to Pinkamena. "You see, Pinkie? If you did what I tried to tell-"

"And don't forget me!" interrupted Rainbow Dash as she and the others likewise approached her.

The purple unicorn chuckled once. "Well, as all of us tried to tell you, you could have saved yourself a lot of worry and grief if you just simply talked things over. See? Keeping it hidden under the fears of losing everything you hold dear will only compound those worries until they explode. You can never keep your problems hidden. You have to talk and reach agreements so that everyone ends up winning in the end. That's what friendships are all about."

With that everypony in the room hugged Pinkamena tightly. The pony looked down once again as she started to shiver. They turned to face her wondering if she was able going to be ok. A return to her original bright pink coat along with her mane and tail poofing back into place with a big grin on her face was the reply as Pinkie Pie hugged them all.

"Oh thank you, girls! Thank you, Mr. and Mrs. Cake! I'm so sorry for being so worried about all this. I promise I'll never keep secrets from you all ever again! This removes a ton of weight off my back and I feel oodles and noodles better!" she cried happily.

The hug kept on going until Pinkie shot up in the air in a spasm as electricity arched down her spine. She then faced the window with a stern gaze. Everypony wondered what was wrong with her until she turned to face them.

"It's time to go to work," she said with a smile and a glint in her eye.

"Good luck, Pinkie. We'll be rooting for you!" Mr. Cake said as he got up along with his wife.

"Don't forget to lock up when you leave, ok?" Mrs. Cake added as Pinkie got quickly dressed in her outfit and cape.

"Don't worry. We'll do it for her as we leave as well," Twilight responded as they all walked downstairs and headed for the door.

Pinkie sighed happily. The juggling act was finally over. Now she was refocused and ready to fight. By the extra tingle she felt on her spine that moment, she grinned fiercely knowing what was happening. The strong gaze didn't leave her face as she slipped the mask on and placed her hat on her head.

Back on the street, the seven ponies watched Mare-Do-Well leap out Pinkie's window and went jumping from rooftop to rooftop to her target. Twilight saw the Cakes look at the slowly fading form of their heroic employee and caught them shedding a single tear. They were never any more prouder than this very moment.

****************************

Shady grumbled angrily as he tried to unlock this new safe. Without an expendable accomplice like Citrus Squeeze, it was harder for him to see the dial's numbers so he had to work it even more slowly than usual to not go past the clicks before turning the mechanism. He finally managed to open the safe and was ready to grab a blue diamond necklace the Mayor kept hidden in there when the door slammed on him and nearly chopped off part of his hoof.

Looking back, he saw the angry-gazing form of Mare-Do-Well. Shady grumbled angrily. "So it's you again! This time I'm ready for you! Die, nag!" he then whipped out a knife from his saddlebag and clenched it with his teeth before rushing at her.

Mare-Do-Well stood ready as the balaclava-clad pony swung his knife at her. She dodged the first blow just fine followed by the followed three blows. Obviously, he was a complete novice at using that weapon and the vigilante decided to end this fight quickly and easily. With the next swing as his head turned sideways, she quickly swung a front hoof up at his unprotected jaw to land a quick jab causing him to lose the knife. She quickly followed the strike, by jumping up in the air using his body as a stepstool and landed right on his back that caused him to buckle under and fall. She ended the fight by landing her rump over his head with tremendous force, knocking him unconscious instantly.

Getting off from him, she quickly made her way to where the Mayor was sleeping and pounded on the door enough times to get the sleeping official to wake her up. Hearing her panicked hoofbeats approaching, she quickly jumped out the nearby window to escape.

She stood there on a rooftop overlooking the Mayor's residence as lights started to turn on, followed by several officers along with a jail cart arriving. The officers went in and came out seconds later with Shady in custody, placed his unconscious body on the cart and took him to jail. No doubt he'd soon confess and Rarity's Sun Star would be hopefully returned to her. Her last mistake finally has been corrected.

With a whip of her cape, she went on towards her next point of interest that evening.

****************************

Dear Princess Celestia:

How are you? This is me, Pinkie Pie! Or rather, my words Spike is writing in this scroll to you! These days, I learned a really super-neat lesson about Friendship. Sometimes, mean old worries can get the better of you, making you think crazy silly-dilly thoughts and causing you to do a bunch of a lot of things that could all have taken a detour to No-Town by a road called 'Understanding' if you just talk things over. But is the road really called 'Understanding' or 'By-Way # 5'? I always forget that!

Um, what I'm trying to say is that you shouldn't jump to crazy conclusions about things just because the mean ol' worry monsters look and sound scary, sometimes talking and explaining things is the best way to scare those bad monsters away and you don't even need a night light! Twilight and the rest of my friends showed me just how super-duper fabulous this lesson is and that I should always keep it locked up in my heart, dig a hole, drop the key and forget all about where I buried it! And that's the truth!

Also, a hundred million billion trillion zillion thanks for helping me out when I was in jail. I will never ever break the law ever again if it means lying in that windigo-cold empty cell!

Your faithful funny subject,

Pinkie Pie

The Legend of Mare-Do-Well trots along.

To Be Continued

Chapter 5 BONUS

Note from the Author: This was originally part of Chapter 5 but seeing as though it was nearing an outrageously long word count, I decided to cut it from the chapter. However, seeing as it explains some data that left readers perplexed, I include it as a "bonus chapter". Enjoy.

Nearly thirty-so police ponies surrounded the normally quiant house in one of the suburban sections of town. Pegasi officers flew overhead making sure all available entrances and exits were monitored while the unicorns have their horns lit up ready to shoot the permitted stun-magic shots to bring down offenders when the order is given.

Lt. Buckler stood sternly as she levitated a megaphone to her snout and called out, "Felon! This is the Ponyville Police! We have the house surrounded. Release the hostages and vacate the premises or we will be forced to subdue you under harsher penalties!"

Inside, the panicked viridian-coated earth stallion tried to keep his nerves under control. It was not easy as his teeth chattered while trying to keep the sharp butterfly knife he held in mouth from falling off. It all started when he was kicked out of the dance club for being too rowdy after taking more salt that any stallion could muster. His fillyfriend chided him for being such a brute and he decided to teach her some manners.

That unfortunately got the attention of the two police ponies nearby. They frisked his saddlebags and found the small pouch of locoweed in one pocket. That right there would give him a year or two in jail and he didn't want that. He attacked them with his knife and wounded them severely. Now, he was looking at a long prison sentence for assulating and most likely horse-slaughtering police ponies. He would never be free in this life again. That is, of course, if he was caught. He forced his way into the nearest house, dragged the two wounded officers with his unwilling nervous fillyfriend inside, rounded up the family who lived there and held them at knifepoint. If he was going down, he wasn't going alone.

The nervous rose-coated earth pony was in a whirlwind of emotion. Her coltfriend has gone too far. However, all she could do was assist the kindly pediatrician whose house her coltfriend broke into in stopping Peppermint Pops and Booker's bleeding and wrap the wounds tightly. The doctor maintained his cool through the ordeal, but it was obvious to the rose filly that his mate and their red curly-maned daughter were too scared to even talk as they hugged each other.

"Young stallion, I am a pediatrician, not a surgeon!" the doctor protested. "These police ponies requiere immediate medical attention at the clinic. If you do not let them go, they will go into shock and perish!"
"Shut up, you nag! Don't tell me what to do!" the attacker snapped back with a wild look in his eyes. "If those two die, then everypony else here will die, starting with that four-eyes there!"
Twist whimpered even more as her mother looked at him with rage.
"Please, Summer Dew! Stop this! You're hurting a lot of innocent ponies. Just please accept responsibilities for once and give yourself in," the rose-coated filly pleaded.
"Zip your lips, Merry Weather!" Summer Dew barked at her, "This is all your fault if you learned to behave like a good filly! Now keep helping that muffinhead doctor and heal those ponies!"

"We repeat: Give up the hostages or you will be severely punished!" Lt. Buckler called out again.
"I want to negotiate, broodmare! My conditions for the lives of these worthless ponies!" Summer Dew yelled out. "I want a dirigible out here in an hour! I want it to take me as far away from here as possible with no pegasi tailing me! And if you all think of arresting me, I'm taking one of the hostages with me and I will only return her once I am far away from here!" With that, he grabs Twist from her mother and holds her up to the window for all to see as she cries and wails.
"You got one hour! Get to it, broodmare!"

Buckler grunted angrily under her breath. She really hated hostage negotiations for it was never quite clear if they would end up peaceful or with casualities. She couldn't get a dirigible from Canterlot on such sort notice and the offender sounded extremely agitated. He would not hold back on his word and kill the hostages if his demands were not met. She was worried over what to do. Send in the unicorns and pegasi to capture him and risk him killing all the hostages? Or try effortlessly at negotiating another agreement seeing full well he already grabbed a young filly and would kill her if he got too nervous? Time wasn't on her side.

However, an unlikely answer came from Hotshot who whistled and pointed to the rooftops nearby as he hovered in the air. Buckler squinted her gaze and managed to make out a figure with a long cape. Before alerting anyone, she saw the figure creep up to the rooftop of the house and slip in through an upstairs window. At this point, she'd order all her officers to storm in but she had a feeling this stranger would set things right.

Mare-Do-Well found herself in a little filly's room. By the smell of candy and a nearby hoof-drawn picture of various school-age ponies with a certain amberish gray pony with glasses and red curls for mane and tail with the word "ME" underneath, she deduced this was Twist's room and her own house. Now more than ever she had to save her and her parents. Slowly making her way to the top of the stairs, she could hear weeping and grunts of displeasure. The conflict area was just below her.

Peeking from the side of the stairwell, she assessed the situation. At the foot of the stairwell were Merry Weather and the pediatrician who were currently trying to keep both the nearly-conscious Peppermint Pops and Booker from not dying even though they were rapidly losing a lot of blood. A few feet from them, leaning against the windowsill, was Summer Dew who held a knife in his teeth and the shivering form of Twist in his forehoof. The point of the blade was aiming right at the back of her neck where one false stab would sever her spinal cord. Lying on the floor, shivering more than Twist, was the doctor's wife and Twist's mother who could only stare in unblinking terror at her daughter hoping nothing bad happens.

This was going to be tricky. How to subdue the assailant without him noticing her? Smoke bombs and sleeping gas would be out of the question as he would have enough time to react and would end up killing Twist in his panic. Creeping down would be not wise for as soon as the pediatrician or the filly saw her, they would inadvertedly alert the perp to her presence and he would kill her. She was running out of options.

Her eyes darted everywhere trying to find a solution and that's when she saw next to her on the stairs the support beams of the first floor's roof holding the second floor above. Mare-Do-Well slowly squeezed in and managed to fit above a beam and slowly began to scoot above it. Soon, she was able to move more freely above the beams but going at a tiptoe pace to prevent any sudden movement from alerting anypony to her presence. She moved around the maze of beams for a few seconds until she was directly above the colt and Twist. As expected, he was still nervously staring out the window for him to pay any attention to her. Mare-Do-Well's resolve hardened as she aimed directly for the colt and leaped off the beams above.

Holding her back hooves out in a drill kick, she landed squarely on the colt's back, causing him to buckle under and spit out the knife by the force of the blow. Twist saw her chance and trotted away to her mother's loving embrace. With the wind knocked out of him but still lucid, Mare-Do-Well grabbed the viridian colt's head in her forehooves and slammed it down hard against the floor, knocking him out.

At this point, an entire platoon of police ponies burst into the house and quickly surrounded the area."Everypony, hold your position!" the coral-red second-in-command mare ordered as she made her way to the front. A sigh of relief escaped her lips as she saw the perp lying unconscious on the floor and the hostages freed as Twist and her mother hugged each other and cried. Mare-Do-Well simply stood there with a stern look as she looked down at the perp in case he came to.

Buckler gasped when she saw the two officers bleeding profusely despite the best efforts of the pediatrician and the felon's accomplice. Without a moment to lose, she ordered an officer to activate his receiver.

"Attention, dispatcher! Officer Beta requesting immediate ambulance to Sector 1-4-3-Alpha! Officers down! Repeat, send an ambulance to Sector 1-4-3-Alpha immediately! Officers down!" she called in.

A few seconds of static later and the response came through. "Copy that, Beta. Ambulance on the way. Over and out."

The police then got busy cleaning up the scene. Merry Weather was taken into custody without resistance as the hoofcuff chains were placed on her and was led outside. Two unicorn officers used their auras to pick up the comatose Summer Dew and levitated him out of the house and into the jail cart where his sorrowful fillyfriend was already in. The cart then left to the station jail.

The pediatrician and his family were quickly given a checkup, especially with the father making sure his daughter didn't suffer too much trauma from the ordeal. That was when the ambulance finally arrived. The orderlies soon entered the house bringing the stretchers for Peppermint Pops and Booker with them. The unicorn officers used their magic once more to levitate the injured officers and placed them on the stretchers which the orderlies took outside to the ambulance cart and the drivers quickly galloped off towards the clinic.

Lt. Buckler finally relaxed knowing everything was firmly under control. She looked by the corner of her eye and saw Mare-Do-Well head back upstairs. Nodding once with certainly, she quickly went up after her.

"Please, wait!" she called out as she saw Mare-Do-Well have a hoof outside the window in Twist's room as she was making her exit.

The mare cleared her throat and approached her. "You must be... Mare-Do-Well, are you not?" The vigilante took her hoof from the window and back on the floor. She simply stared silently at the officer.

"I guess talking isn't one of the things you're supposed to do in your line of work, I imagine." Buckler said as she extended a hoof at her. "I am Buckler. Lieutenant and second-in-command of the Ponyville Police Department."

Mare-Do-Well looked down at the outstreched hoof and then back towards the police mare's kind face and eyes. She softly approached her and lifted her own dark-blue bandaged hoof and softly pressed it against her coral-red one. Buckler merely smiled in response as Mare-Do-Well quickly took her hoof away and stepped back a few inches, eyes still trained on the officer.

"I must thank you for all you have done tonight. If you did not show up when you did, Celestia knows how things would have ended up. That colt was beyond hysterics and might have hurt that little foal or worse, and those officers might have not lived for long. You are a true hero to Ponyville," she finally said and ended with a formal bow to her.

"MITH MARE-DO-WELL! MITH MARE-DO-WELL!" a sweet yet lispy voice called out as Twist entered her room with her parents right behind her. "Oh thank you, Mith Mare-Do-Well! I wath tho thcared! Thank you ever tho much for thaving me..." the little foal said as she hugged her hoof.

"Yes, Mare-Do-Well. Thank you for saving my little Twist. I couldn't bear to imagine what life would be like without her. You are forever in our gratitude," the pediatrician added. His mate merely sniffed and nodded in agreement.

Seeing all these words of acclaim gave Mare-Do-Well the same warm fuzzy feeling as before. Underneath her mask, she was straining to keep her alter-ego from bawling but managed to hold it in and smile. That, however, soon faded when she heard another familiar voice.

"Where is she?! I demand to know where this vigilante is!!"

At that, the same earth pony colt and filly officers who blew the whistle on the party showed up at the front of the room.

The shifty-eyed maize colt grinned as he turned to his partner. "It appears we have found them, Lock Down."
His chartreuse-coated filly partner met him with an equally devious gaze. "The Captain at once we must inform, Lock Up."
"We should and we will, Lock Down."
"We will and we should, Lock Up."

With that, Lock Up and Lock Down leaned their heads down and blew on their whistles and yelled, "CAPTAIN, HERE THEY ARE!" "THEY ARE HERE, CAPTAIN!"

Buckler looked at the two lackeys with a cross expression as they moved to the sides of the door as thunderous hoofbeats went up the stairs. Soon enough, Halberd appeared and spared no time as he walked up to Mare-Do-Well and leaned down with a scornful look.

"Listen to me and listen well, you good-for-nothing hooligan! Your half-witted heroics could have put these law-abiding civilians and my own ponies in danger! Who asked you to barge in and wage your own one-horse war and risk everypony's lives?! Answer me!" he snapped at her so forcefully that Mare-Do-Well winced to prevent from smelling his stale alfalfa breath.

"You can't thay that about Mith Mare-Do-Well! Thhe thaved uth all!" Twist piped up angrily only to be shushed by her mother.
"Captain Halberd, Sir, with all due respect, Mare-Do-Well has been a part of Ponyville before you arrived and has done a good job," the doctor replied with concern.
"Which is why the vigilante must step down and allow true ponies who were born and bred to fight justice to do their jobs! Mare-Do-Well is nothing but a nuisance and an insult to the law!" the stern commanding officer answered back with force.
"Please, Captain. You must understand that nothing will succeed unless we work together with previous law-enforcers here. We must keep Mare-Do-Well close for she can help us in more ways than any conventional officer can do so," Lt. Buckler counseled.

Captain Halberd took a deep breath almost as he was trying to maintain patience. Finally he replied in a soft tone hiding contempt, "My dear Lieutenant Buckler, if you truly wish to keep your position here and not be sent back to Fillydelphia to your previous desk job, I suggest you follow my rules or I will ask you to turn in your badge at once..."
The coral-red mare let off a soft gasp and tried to hide her boiling anger at the callous remarks the khaki stallion gave her.

Halberd then said, "As for you, Mare-Do... what?!" The commander stopped in mid-sentence as he realized Mare-Do-Well was no longer there. Everypony present looked everywhere and found out she was gone.

Lock Up stood to attention and asked, "Sir, What should we do?"
Lock Down then added, "An APB to find her shall we call in?"
Halberd shook his head. "No. Hopefully she will get through that thick skull to never bother the police again. Come. We must return to the station. Justice beckons."
The twin police lackeys bowed in response. "Sir, at once!" "At once, Sir!"

Halberd bowed once and tipped his hat at the family as he walked away with hard heavy hoofsteps. Lock Up and Lock Down gave Buckler a smirk as they followed behind. Twist saw them leave and stuck her tongue out at them. The coral-red policemare twitched her eyebrow as she two bade the family good night as she too took her leave.

From a rooftop close by, Mare-Do-Well saw the Captain walk out of the house with Lock Up and Lock Down right behind him as they galloped away to the police station. A few seconds later, a saddened Lieutenant Buckler left the house and closed the door behind her as she went on her way elsewhere. The purple-clad pony could not believe how Halberd hated and mistrusted her. He most definitely earned his place in the "List" aside from Gilda. However, she could feel Halberd was a friendly soul and in need of cheering up. Maybe one day she'll make a special cupcake or donut just for her. She just needs to figure out her specific tastes.

Suddenly, Mare-Do-Well gave a long yawn and smacked her lips together. Her eyesight became slightly unfocused. She had never been up this late before and she knew the night was not over. Daybreak would come in a few hours and her other self must be ready to open the door for the Cakes when they come in for the day. Juggling this would be hard work but it was her choice. With no time to lose, she hopped from roof to roof and headed back to Sugarcube Corner.

Chapter 6

The Legend of Mare-Do-Well
Chapter 6: Night of the Game Marester, Part 1
by JD2K

The green pony looked carefully at the table in front of him. Which should he choose? He never saw a pony, let alone as crazily dressed as this one, move those cups that fast. Why did he agree? He was merely passing by and was headed home after a visit to the local watering hole where he caught up with his other friends. Now he was out this month's bit pay and was now playing all-or-nothing to get it back. It came down to one final choice.

"I choose..." His shaky hoof wandered around each of the three glittery blue top hats in front of him. Finally, he pointed at the rightmost one. "...that one! That's where it is!"

The golden-yellow unicorn grinned widely as she slid one of her hooves down her spiky platinum-blond mane with light yellow streaks. "Is this one your final choice, my friend? Be thankful I am generous enough to give you one final chance to change your mind..." she purred in a mock-soothing voice.

The pony merely bit his lip. It didn't help matters out that she stared right at him and couldn't tell what kind of eyes were behind those strange sunglasses she wears. Just what kind of pony was this? Where would a gold-coated pony wearing such a gaudy blue tuxedo coat which glittered all over appear from? He mistook this stranger for some circus performer who got lost but now he was about to make the biggest choice of his life.

"Yes, I'm sure of it! Don't play mind games with me!" he snapped back.
"Oh, but those are the best kind of games they are, my friend..." the strange filly cooed back. “And you should have heeded my words." With a light yellow aura from her horn she levitated the rightmost hat.

All the color of the stallion's face drained as he stared at the empty space underneath the hat. "Oh, too bad, my friend!" the filly chuckled as she lifted the leftmost hat to reveal a bit coin. "Here is where it was! You lost the game, and now I’ll collect my prize!"
The green pony took a few steps back in shock. "But-but-but-but... But I have no more money! You took every single last bit I have in my possession!"
From behind her strange glasses, the filly scowled with a wicked smile. "Money? Oh that’s just some worthless benefit to me. My real prize is much more valuable than some stupid bits…”

The stallion shook his head fearfully. "You're crazy! Utterly insane!" With that, he turned around and broke into a gallop to get away.

The filly shook her head a few times as her horn started to glow. "From my games you did partake, now my prize you must forsake!" she chanted as a blast of magic shot out of her horn and hit the stallion head-on. A few screams of anguish and horror were heard and then silence as a tiny thump was heard landing on the ground.

"Another one to add..."
She then lifted the middle hat as it turned around and magically expanded as some strange vortex began to form inside the glittering blue haberdashery. It engulfed the table, the other two top hats and attracted a small figure from the ground and swallowed them all into the inky darkness inside the hat itself. Soon the vortex came to a stop, the hat went back to its original shape, and the filly placed it back on top of her head, hiding her golden horn.

"I grow weary with these unworthy losers. It is time to go after challengers befitting my time," she said to herself as she looked at the road ahead of her. An arrow sign nearby read "PONYVILLE". She smiled softly once more and she trotted off to her next challenge.

*************************************

"...the three of Apples!"
Fluttershy looked down at her card and then to the side, unsure how to respond. "Uh... that is... um, not correct..." she finally mumbled.
Pinkie Pie gasped as she tapped her forehead with both forehooves. "Hmmmm. How about the five of Shields?" she responded.
The yellow pegasus looked and weakly shook her head at her.
The pink earth pony wrinkled her brow. "Eight of Shoes? Princess of Diamonds? Sire of Shields? Foal of Apples? Six of Diamonds? Nine of..."
Pinkie kept naming cards and Fluttershy could only meekly shake her head. The others nearby sighed in defeat.

"See? I told you she's no good at this stupid trick! Why does she even want to add a magic act to her party routine?!" Rainbow Dash grumbled.
"Aw, give'er a break, sugarcube. She's doin' her best an' Ah never seen a pony so determined to master it." Applejack cut her off with a frown.
"I will admit this is already the fourth time she's gotten this wrong, darling. Maybe adding simple parlor tricks isn't her forte," Rarity mused.
"Girls, we have to do everything to help her," Twilight Sparkle added as she patted a book next to her hoof. "Besides, I owe her this after I went and told the Cakes about you-know-who while she was in jail."

"This has got to be it!" Pinkie said as she gasped for breath. "Huff...huff... This is the... last card I know I haven't said... The Ten ...of... huff... Shields!" With that she finally slumped down in a tired daze.

Fluttershy gave her a sad frown and finally uttered, "Sorry, Pinkie... It's the Joker card. Please forgive me... I know I should've said something but it would spoil the purpose of this trick..."

Pinkie finally let off an annoyed grunt. "Why? Why? Why? Can't I get a single trick right?"

The purple unicorn finally walked up to her pink friend and helped her back on her hooves. "Pinkie, the way to be a good parlor trick magician is to keep your focus. A steady eye paired with great reflexes can help make any trick easy. Come on, let's try the old cup game.”

With a glow of her horn, Twilight levitated a small table with 3 cups between Pinkie and herself. “The trick here is to keep an eye on the ball. Look at it carefully.” Celestia’s protégé then showed her a tiny white ball which she placed under one of the overturned cups on the table. Concentrating hard, she used her aura to shuffle the cups, increasing speed as time passed. Everypony in the room tried to keep their eyes on the initial cup that held the ball, until Rainbow Dash and Rarity shook their heads as they grew dizzy and gave up. The rest tried to keep going until finally the reddish glow disappeared.

“Now then Pinkie, tell me, where do you think the ball is?” asked the purple unicorn.

Pinkie tapped her chin with a hoof for a few seconds until she gasped with glee. “Ooo, ooo! I know! It’s under this one!” She pointed to the middle cup on the table.
“And the rest of you?” Twilight asked her friends.
“Hmmm. Ah say the middle one,” Applejack said after some seconds of thinking.
“Um… I think I saw it under the left cup…” Fluttershy managed to say.
“Meh, I go with Pinkie. Middle. I got bored watching all that shuffling anyway,” Rainbow Dash replied with a wave of her hoof.
“I kept my eye on it as much as I could, but I go with Fluttershy. The left, darling.” Rarity answered.

“Ok, the ball is under…” Twilight then levitated both the left and middle cups at once. The middle one held nothing, but the left one had the tiny ball underneath.
The cowpony tipped the brim of her hat down over her eyes in defeat. “Aw shoot...”
The meek yellow Pegasus drew a couple of circles on the floor with her hoof. “Did I guess correctly? Oh, I’m sorry…”
The cyan pegasus face-hoofed and muttered angrily "Stupid ball..."
Rarity smiled with pride. "I have a keen eye, darling. I can't lose like that."

Pinkie, however was aghast. The momentary stun soon disappeared and she tapped the table once more. “Again, Twilight! I have to at least get this trick right!” Pinkie said with a hint of readiness.

The unicorn was ready to shuffle the cups again when Pinkie suddenly felt an itch in her hooves. “Ooo! Crusadermobile coming!” she announced gleefully. Rainbow Dash groaned loudly as Applejack and Rarity looked at each other and shook their heads.

Just as Pinkie predicted, a loud buzz echoed through the air. The six ponies recognized the sound and looked towards the door expecting the Cutie Mark Crusaders on yet another quest for their special talents. The door burst open but the ponies were surprised to see only Scootaloo on her scooter hurrying inside. The wagon where Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle usually sit down on was absent.

However, the curiosity as to why the wagon was missing was outclassed by the disconcerting state of the young pegasus filly. Her wings buzzed even louder and faster than usual even though her scooter came to a full stop, her brow was breaking in a cold sweat and her pupils shrunk to near-nonexistent pinpricks. Her face showed nothing but pure terror.

“Oh, Rainbow Dash! Thank Celestia you’re here! It’s awful! It’s terrible! It’s…it’s…” The spooked filly wasted no time as she galloped towards her and hugged her tightly.
The cyan speedster could feel her ever trembling body huddled close to her and looked up at her friends as they all shared a look of concern. “Scoot, what happened? Why are you shaking so much? And where’s AB and Sweetie?”
Looking up with her horror-stricken eyes, she squealed out. “The others… The others! She’s got ‘em! And she wants me too! Please… HELP ME!!” With that she finally broke down and sobbed loudly.

“Whaddya say?! Somepony’s got Apple Bloom?!” Applejack said with a start only to frown seconds later. “Scootaloo, where is mah baby sis? You gotta tell us!”
Rarity nodded as her calm poise started to crack by the start of a wrinkled curve in her mane. “Oh, no! My dear Sweetie Belle! Young lady, you must inform us of this. You must!”

Scootaloo looked up at them with a shaking sway of her head and had just opened her mouth to explain what happened, when all of a sudden, a powerful blast of golden-yellow magic rushed through the door. The orange Pegasus filly screamed in fright. “IT FOUND ME!”

The Elements were trying to make sense of where this powerful magic force came from when it formed a crude shape of a strange fingered palm and grabbed Scootaloo, enveloping her within its ethereal form. It then started to recede back as though it finally found what it was looking for and retreated. Pinkie frowned at this new development and quickly retreated to Twilight’s basement. The others were also not taking this lightly.

“You’re not gonna take away my Number One Fan from me!” Rainbow Dash proclaimed as she spread her wings and flew into the cloud. Upon entering, loud peals of thunder boomed out followed by a lightning bolt as a cyan-colored form was catapulted out of the mist and crashed into one of the bookcases, sending the books tumbling everywhere.

Applejack went up to bat next as she started to form a lasso and swung it by her tail. “Jes where’d ya think yer goin’? Come back here an’ bring back mah sister!” she shouted at the golden cloud and swung her lasso out at it.
Instead of pulling it in, however, the cloud somehow was able to grab the rope and yanked Applejack into the air as she still had it tied on her tail. The vapor began to swing the farmpony around and around in circles until it let go of the rope. Applejack was instantly flung against another bookcase where the books flew off in all directions upon impact.
Her green eyes became swirled spirals as she then chuckled slowly. “Boy howdy… Ah ain’t afraid o’ them loop-de-loops no more…”

Twilight gritted her teeth as she activated her magic aura and shot a beam of her magic out into another misty cloud colored magenta. Her magic was soon joined it by Rarity's crystal blue one as both unicorns sent their respective clouds to grab Scootaloo from inside the intruding magic. The golden cloud however, morphed into the shape of a funnel and absorbed the clouds right out of the two incredulous unicorns’ horns. It changed its shape one more into a cannon muzzle and shot a ball formed of both magenta and crystal blue colors straight at them. The blow knocked them off their hooves and they landed on the pile of books underneath. With painful moans, they quickly passed out.

Fluttershy whimpered as the cloud somehow faced her and the yellow pegasus got down on her knees, closing her eyes as she shook all over. “Please, don’t hurt me…” The cloud instead ignored her as it picked up speed and rushed outside carrying the now-unconscious orange Pegasus foal in its form.

The library became quiet with only the soft stirring of the beaten four ponies lying around the disarray of the library floor. It was at that moment when the basement door opened with a bang as Mare-Do-Well leaped out, ready for action as her cape flapped up in the breeze.

She quickly surveyed the situation. Rainbow Dash’s twitching wings poking out from a pile of books, Applejack still dazed against a pile of books and babbling about proper etiquette in Manehatten high society, Twilight and Rarity slumped against another pile of book completely knocked out, Fluttershy shivering behind a large pile as her whimpers were heard, and the golden cloud of magic mist which grabbed Scootaloo was nowhere to be found.

The vigilante stared at the open door with a frown. There was no time to waste. Hopefully her alter ego’s Sense would still be strong and help her locate her target before it could no longer feel its presence. With a wave of her cape, she galloped away from the tree house to parts unknown.

***************************************

Twilight Sparkle woke up with a start. She was in her bed but her head was throbbing fiercely. That magic sphere that blasted her appeared to combine both Rarity’s magical powers as well as her own and added most likely the force of whatever created the golden magic cloud to begin with. She raised her head up and saw Fluttershy place a wet cloth on her forehead around her horn.

“Stay calm, Twilight. That was quite a blow you both took. You need to rest,” she spoke softly as she moved to the side. That’s when she saw Spike stand behind her, eyes looking like he was going to cry but trying hard not to.

“Twilight! Oh, thank Celestia you’ve awakened! I just came back from community service over at the police station when I found the place a mess and you were all hurt!” the young dragon wrung his hands together and smiled hopefully. “I’m just glad to see you still with us.”

“Spike, where are the others? I don’t see them anywhere,” she asked with concern.

Fluttershy hovered over her and responded, “After that nasty magic cloud left, Pin... I-I-I mean Mare-Do-Well appeared and she raced off after it. Rainbow Dash quickly recovered and Applejack regained her senses soon after that and they also left. I stayed her to take care of you and Rarity. Spike came in a while ago and helped me take care of you both. Then just before night fell, Rarity startled me by waking up just like that, said something about going to look for Sweetie Belle and left before I could tell her she needed to recover. ”

Twilight looked at the clock and noticed it was half past midnight. Her eyes looked uneasily at her pegasus friend and her assistant. “You mean to tell me neither Applejack, Rainbow, Rarity and Mare-Do-Well haven’t returned?”

Both the companions shook their heads. The unease turned to full-fledged worry as she used her magic to toss the cloth from her horn, while neatly folding it before setting it down, and got up from her bed and walked down the steps.

“Twilight! You are still not ready to get up! Where are you going?” Fluttershy questioned her with apprehension.
“Fluttershy, you told me to stay put, but we can’t! I got a really bad feeling about all this! Let’s go search for them!” The purple unicorn commanded as she turned to face the door.

Just before she could plant her hooves on the main level’s floor, the door was thrown open and a flash of light blinded everyone, causing the three to covers their eyes. The flash dissipated allowing Twilight, Spike and Fluttershy to gaze upon a strange pony.

The unicorn mare had a golden yellow coat and both her mane and tail were colored platinum-blonde with streaks of light yellow running down, jutting out in spikes from her head and flank. Her outfit was also unusual as she was dressed in a blue tuxedo jacket which glittered rather gaudily, worn over a white dress shirt and topped with a loud purple bow tie. On her head she wore a top hat also made of the same blue glittery fabric as the tuxedo with a purple hat band colored like the bowtie. On her forehooves, she wore a pair of cuffs held mysteriously in place while her back hooves had a pair of glittery blue soft shoes with white spats. None of the trio could tell what color eyes this filly had due to the fact she wore strange silver-framed glasses with jet-black square lenses. Each lens was dappled with tiny diamonds, with four arranged on each corner of the leftmost lens and 3 in a diagonal formation on the rightmost one. Her curious cutie mark looked like a white ivory queen chess piece leaning at a left angle, and what appeared to be a cloud of wind in an arc with a pair of white dice with black pips as though the wind was throwing the dice out. The numbers on the dice was a 4 and a 3, the Lucky Seven. Twilight then realized the diamonds on her glasses made her gaze also look like a pair of dice over the stranger’s eyes.

The strange filly looked deep in thought as she rubbed her chin with a hoof as she walked inside. The purple unicorn could only watch as this newcomer walked in slow circles around her, bending her head around to inspect her all over as she softly hummed in contempt. Finally, she stared Twilight straight in the eyes and the royal disciple looked back nervously at the strange diamond-pocked gaze and her crude reflection on the surface of the glasses.
Finally, the stranger grinned. “You must be that Twilight Sparkle that prissy designer, hot-headed pegasus and all-brawn-no-brain farm pony talked to me about.”
The student gasped at the descriptions and her expression quickly turned harsh. “Where are my friends? Did you do something to them?”
Chuckling softly under her breath, the gold unicorn turned around and averted Twilight’s stern gaze. “I grew bored with their feeble competition. Speed? Strength? Eyes? Child’s Play! I thought for sure this town was filled with the most incompetent of challengers. Once again, I won my own mental wager as I always do...” she said as she whipped her tail right at the disciple’s snout.
“Who are you?! How dare you mock my friends in that manner?! They are the most wonderful, magnificent and talented friends anypony can have! You take back every single last insult you…you…” Twilight seethed as the stranger placed a hoof over her mouth.
“Did I hit a nerve? So sorry, my dear. I keep forgetting yokels have such weak constitutions towards superiority. As for me…”

The pony removed the top hat from her head and leaped back as a strange yellow smoke blew from the interior of the glittering gaudy headgear. Twilight and the others closed their eyes and coughed as they tried to see through the thick magic plume. When they opened it again, they were stunned to find the Library was gone. In its place was a dark open area filled with flashing neon-lights and signs with all colors of the rainbow everywhere. The ground itself was made of white ceramic with images of playing cards and dice in various pip positions everywhere, looking slightly like the way the ground of Ponyville appeared after Discord took over briefly.

Before they could make sense of the situation a spotlight switched on from some unknown part of the sky, followed by another. The twin lights weaved around the area as a drumroll was heard. Before too long, the lights landed on a staircase that magically appeared out of nowhere and shone brightly at the top and stopped there as the drumroll stopped with a loud cymbal crash. Loud fanfare began to blare as the mysterious filly appeared with a poof of her golden smoke.

“I am the filly of festivity and frolic! The pony persistently in pursuit of the perfect pastime!” she announced as a stream of strange orbs of lights lit up from the bottom of the stairwell going all the way up the flight of steps with another drumroll solo, then finally surrounding the stranger in a circle behind her as the cymbal crashed again as images of neon dice, chess pieces, bits, game tokens, horseshoes and other tools of recreation shone behind her.

“I am… THE GAME MARESTER!!!” she proclaimed to a thunderous ovation of applause coming from a non-existent audience. Twilight looked down at Spike who pointed an index finger as the side of his head and circled it around. Fluttershy could only shake in worry as she got in yet another fetal position.

With another puff of smoke, the “Game Marester” as she called herself disappeared from the top of the stairwell, where the neon signs and lights went automatically dark, as the spotlights shone at the bottom where another smoke plume appeared and she once again reappeared.

“Welcome to my world, my little pony. Here I reign supreme as its one and only master!” Game Marester said as she magically levitated through the use of her golden magic aura from her glowing horn. “It plays by my rules and so should you, if you ever want to leave that is!”

“Why did you bring us here?” Twilight demanded as she stood her ground. “And where are my friends?!”

Game Marester chuckled again. “Your ‘friends’. Such unworthy losers the whole lot of them! I remember both the buck-happy brute and the short-fused speedster came looking for that trio of half-pints that lost to me. That little orange one managed to get away on that little scooter of hers but my magic was able to find her and bring her back to me. Then a few hours ago that fastidious fashionista came looking for me and demanded her sister brought back. The nerve!”

At this both Twilight and Spike scowled whereas Fluttershy stood up straight but the least she could manage was a soft frown. “It was you! You were the one who kidnapped them! Give them all back this instant!” Twilight demanded forcefully.
“Give back Rarity as well, you… you…” Spike added while trying to suppress his rage.
“Um…please?” Fluttershy added softly as her frown dissipated again.

The magical filly yawned as she looked down at her hoof in boredom. “Please. I don’t take orders from peons. Besides, I won them fair and square after they all lost my games. Besides, they make such charming additions to my little prize collection.”

The purple unicorn and her assistant froze. “What… ‘collection’?” she finally answered with confusion.

The strange unicorn grinned and each diamond stud in her glasses shone with an evil glint. “Let me introduce you to my prize gallery, Twilight Sparkle. Marvel at the assortment of failures that disappointed my expectations. Never will you will a group of wretches, losers and all-around flops! Behold!”

A spotlight came to life above Game Marester as it panned away to what appeared to be a large wall-like structure appearing out of nowhere and outlined by the neon lights flickering everywhere. The spotlight then shone on the wall and revealed it to be an enormous display case with holes built into it to hold things. Twilight and her companions were amazed to see in nearly every hole was a tiny gold figurine in the shape of a pony. Some were plain figurines of earth ponies, but there were also several unicorns and pegasi in the collection judging by horns and wings respectively. Each pony was in its own special pose ranging from standing upright to sitting on haunches to rearing up to lying down to even posing with spread wings for some pegasi and concentrated expressions for unicorns. Each looked so majestically carved that they seemed almost alive.

The amazement however, turned to horror as they began to hear it. A multitude of voices began to call out; most were scared, others were upset, but all were clearly saddened. That’s when Twilight felt it. Breaking out from the group and shoving Game Marester aside, she ran to a far-off section of the enormous fall and instantly her expression went pale.

All collected neatly in a row was a figurine of Applejack, recognizable by her cowboy hat, in her familiar bucking stance, Rainbow Dash is a majestic flying pose with wings spread out, and Rarity in a prim and proper runway model stance. Just below them to Twilight’s increasing shock were the figurines of the three Cutie Mark Crusaders. Apple Bloom looking up innocently with a smile, Sweetie Belle sitting down on her haunches staring at the side and Scootaloo racing in a small version of her scooter. Twilight’s pupils shrank to near-nothingness and her lips quivering as she tried making sense of things.

“…t…w…i…l…i…g…h…t…”

The unicorn’s ears twitched as she tried to speak. “A-A-Applejack?”

Her gaze met the figurine of the farmpony. That’s when the figurine somehow managed to turn around on its own and, despite her head bent down since she was in the middle of a buck, the eyes were staring right up at her.

“…h…e…l…p…u…s…”

Twilight was able to gather enough strength to shake her head as she tried to tell herself it was not her imagination. That was the voice of her earth pony friend. There was no mistaking it. Then other voices joined in as the small statuettes of Rainbow Dash, Rarity and the Cutie Mark Crusaders turned to also face her despite being frozen in their poses.

“…m…a…k…e…h…e…r…p…a…y…”
“…s…a…v…e…u…s…a…l…l…p…l…e…a…s…e...”

The weak voices of the two frozen Elements of Loyalty and Generosity were then drowned out by the collective sobbing and wailing noises of the smaller fillies below them. Twilight was blank as a slate hearing and seeing the fates of her friends and quite possibly the other unfortunate victims judging by the sheer number of trapped souls residing in the figurines.

Spike and Fluttershy eventually joined her and both were equally alarmed. Spike tried holding back his tears as he stared solemnly at the figure of his crush. Fluttershy was so frozen in fear and shock that only her own tears streaming down her eyes was her only reaction.

“Marvelous, don’t you think?” the upbeat voice of the golden unicorn said as she stood behind them. “My collection of beaten challengers is quite a marvel of assembly! I got losers from Hoofington, Trottingham, Stalliongrad, San Prancisco, Rio de Hayneiro, Neighpon and beyond. It will grow and grow until I find that one worthy being! One worth of my time!”

Twilight Sparkle’s head hung down as her entire body shook. “You…”

Turning out with such speed to cause Game Marester to rear back in surprise, Twilight stared daggers in her direction. Her teeth were clench in hatred and snorted out a blast of hot air.

“MONSTER!!!” she finally screamed at the top of her voice.

Game Marester arched her eyebrow. “Oh please, my dear, obviously you lack good sportsponyship. I gave each of these… ‘competitors’ a chance to fulfill their desire.”
She pointed to a pegasus filly on one hole. “This charming dear wanted a chance to win back the engagement ring she recently received from her coltfriend and ended up putting for collateral. She lost both the ring and my game.”
Her hoof then traced to an earth stallion. “This gent put up his monthly bits thinking he could win them back and more to surprise his mare with a fat bonus. Not anymore, it seems.”
Finally, nudging Spike out of the way, she slowly slid her hoof over the Cutie Mark Crusaders. “As for these three, they came up to me and begged me to play against them and find a way to earn their cutie marks. They even believed winning would give them their desire! Instead, they earned the honor of being part of my collection. Ah the sweet innocence of youth…”

“Give them back!” Twilight snapped at her. “Give them back as well as my friends, or by Celestia’s wrath you will never see her Sun rise as long as you live!”

At these words, the golden unicorn smiled. “Is that so? Is it your desire to have your friends back? I could part with them. One or two I lose won’t matter to me. Unfortunately, my spells can’t change them back just like that. It is, how you say, a matter of balance.” She then turned and waved her tail at Twilight’s snout. “You must challenge me and win against me. Succeed and I will be forced to go through with your desire. Your friends and those three fillies shall no longer be part of my collection as you request.”

She then somehow manipulated her tail in a way that it gripped both sides of Twilight’s snout with force. Twilight winced in slight pain in response. Game Marester turned to face her once more and sneered. “But should you lose, dear, you will join them in my collection!” With that, she unwrapped her tail and Twilight looked even angrier at her.

“What game do you have in mind?” the purple unicorn asked quizzingly through her teeth.

Game Marester chuckled under her breath and waved her forehoof in the air. “Name it, my dear. The object is that my challenger chooses the game we will play. It’s the least I can give them before I claim victory over what they say is their strongest talents.”

This immediately got Twilight suspicious. How could her friends, with such talents such as strength, speed and keen eyes, were able to lose? This was either a very good competitor or an outright cheater.

“What about the rules?” the pupil asked her.

“That’s the fun part. My competitors make up the rules. As many as they want and even give themselves the advantage if they wish. In the end, I will still win. I will always win...” She nudged the side of her hat and gave her a cocky smile. “Well, I don’t have all night, my dear. Choose your game and your rules wisely. This is the last taste of freedom you will have should you lose…because I never lose.”

Looking back at Spike and Fluttershy who looked at her with trust, Twilight stared at Game Marester again and closed her eyes in deep concentration. A few minutes later, she opened them again. As expected, the arrogant filly was reading a book she was levitating before her out of boredom.

“I challenge you to a test of knowledge,” she explained. “Subjects can be anything. From classical Equestrian History to Graduate-level Magic Philosophy, there is no limit to the categories. There is no question that can be rejected. First one to not answer a question correctly loses.”

Making the book disappear, Game Marester turned to face her. “Game of knowledge, is it? You are so naïve, dear girl. You will not last long.”

“I’ll have you know I have read every single tome in the Books & Branches over 5 times, made dozens of reports about them and have read every known literary paperback, hardback, magazine and beyond in the Canterlot Royal Library being the prized student of our Royal Highness, Princess Celestia. You will see who will not last long,” Twilight responded smugly.

“You’re feisty. I like that kind of competitor. It makes wiping that smile off your silly face all the more gratifying. Very well. Let the game begin!” Game Marester said as she stomped her hooves twice as another cloud of smoke enveloped them all.

After the cloud dissipated, the trio found themselves in what appeared to be a brightly lit room with colorful walls decked with neon-light questions marks everywhere. Twilight found herself inside a small box with a large dunce cap painted in. Directly opposite her was Game Marester also in a similar box, except hers had a mortarboard and closed scroll painted on its front. To her side was a set of bleachers with various cut-outs of different unknown ponies posed in various cheering stances. In the first row were Spike and Fluttershy, surrounded by these creepy cut-outs and looked unnerved by their presence.

A spotlight shone on Game Marester as she began, “Welcome to ‘Stump the Chump’! I’m your champion, the Game Marester!”

At that, a loud holler of cheers emanated from the static cardboard audience, making the dragon and meek Pegasus even more unsettled.

The showfilly continued, “I will now prove beyond a shadow of a doubt I’m far more smarter than the so-called prized student of Celestia. All the way from Canterlot, let’s give a warm welcome to Miss Twilight Sparkle!”

The “audience” responded with mocking laughter, jeers and a couple boos. Only Spike and Fluttershy managed to clap at her name, but it was very quiet and nervous.

“Our chump has set the rules. No limit to the subject of questions. Anything goes! The first to not answer a question correctly loses!” Game Marester proclaimed to her fake audience’s applause and cheers. She then motioned her hooves as to quiet her crowd. “Now then, Miss Sparkle, since you’re the challenger, you can go first. Go ahead. Give it your best shot. Stump me!”

Twilight muttered under her breath at this filly’s bravado but tried her hardest to recall the longest, hardest and most obscure knowledge she had ever learned. Finally an imaginary bell went off in her head and her expression became smug.

“Very well, Miss ‘Game Marester’. My first question to you is of the subject of Advanced Magic Placement Theorems of Pre-Equestrian Enchantment Physics… What is the Linear Auto-Spheric Interstellar Formulaic Theorem, who were the 20 known magic scholars who formed it and what does it state?”

Spike gulped at the mention of the question. Fluttershy turned to face him and whispered, “Uh, Spike? What’s wrong?”

“Twilight made her graduate thesis on that theorem! She had to sleepover at the Royal Library for weeks to go through every single last old tome to gather enough information about it to present to Celestia! I know because I was the one who had to dictate every single quill stroke as she talked! I still got nightmares about it!”

Fluttershy gasped but also smiled at the same time. “Spike, don’t you know what that means? It means only Twilight knows all that! She is going to win on the first question!”

Spike’s eyes went wide as he too realized it and a big smile spread across his face. He took Fluttershy's hoof and held it tight with the joy all their friends would be freed.

The purple unicorn looked complacent at Game Marester whose face remained still like stone. She knew only those with credentials to view the Royal Canterlot Library could find all the information to that theorem. Only the Princess, the royal Librarian and herself were the only ones. Nopony could know that. Her victory was assured.

Finally, Game Marester snorted once as her mouth twitched into a smile. “I thought you’d ask something harder…”

Twilight looked shocked but then composed herself. This was all a bluff. She had to say basically everything she explained in her thesis to the Princess and only she had the known copy. There was no way anypony else knew it.

Clearing her throat, the golden unicorn began to talk. The formerly smug purple pony could merely stand there slack-jawed as Game Marester practically repeated and improved every single last point of her thesis, naming the 20 scholars along with little-known trivia of their lives only the most studious would know, along with the various conflicting points the scholars had before arriving to the final published edition. The answer lasted over two hours and Game Marester didn’t even show a sign of being out of breath. Nopony could believe her stamina. Even Twilight had to excuse herself to drink some water as she lectured the Princess. Who was this strange pony?

“…and might I add that was such a foolish question to ask someone of higher intellect such as I. I pity your feeble choice of a question, dear filly.” Game Marester concluded to a loud victory bell and the thunderous praise of her cardboard audience.

Twilight hung her head down as her confidence vanished. Game Marester stood up straight as her demeanor turned cross. “Now it’s my turn, my dear.”

Shaking her head a few times, the purple unicorn stood proudly on her feet. “I fear none of your questions! I am the student of Celestia. I know everything known to ponykind! Give me your question! I will answer it!”

With a tug on her dice sunglasses, Game Marester finally said, “The subject is… Food!”

“My studies of all culinary arts are vast. Though I may not have cooked a single meal in my life, I know every sort of food type, origins of dishes and beyond. You have no way to beat me,” Twilight proclaimed.

“Oh really, my dear?” Game Marester replied as she grinned showing her bright smile. “My question is… What did I eat for breakfast this morning?”

Twilight was stunned. “What?! That’s impossible! I never met you in my life! That is not even a real…”

“Let me repeat your rules,” Game Marester interrupted as she clapped her hooves together. A cloud appeared over her head. Everypony looked into it and saw the image of Twilight herself talking.

“Subjects can be anything. From classical Equestrian History to Graduate-level Magic Philosophy, there is no limit to the categories. There is no question that can be rejected. First one to not answer a question correctly loses,” spoke the astral image of Twilight in the past. The magic pony clapped her hooves again as the image and cloud vanished. She then turned to face her challenger.

Twilight’s lip quivered as she tried to search for an answer. “But…but…but…”

“No question can be rejected. You said so yourself. You made the rules. Now follow them!” Game Marester said impatiently. “Tell me what I ate for breakfast this morning!”

Twilight’s brow began to sweat heavily. Her eyes turned to her friends who looked at her with hope. There are over a hundred possible answers for a pony’s breakfast. She was grasping at straws now. All hope of getting her friends back was lost.

“Was it… apple pancakes with honey?” Twilight finally answered in dismay.

A loud razzing buzzer was heard everywhere as the fake crowd began to loudly boo her. “So sorry, my dear. The answer was… Maple Syrup-Cinnamon Oatmeal!”

At that, the boxes, bleachers and the entire room disappeared in a cloud of smoke, revealing the neon-lit dimension once more. Game Marester walked with slow pounding steps towards the broken Twilight Sparkle, who just had her head lowered in defeat and sitting on her haunches.

“You have lost. Now to claim my reward…” she said coldly as her horn began to glow. Spike and Fluttershy could only stare in horror at what was to happen.

"From my games you did partake, now my prize you must forsake!" she chanted as a blast of magic shot out of her horn and hit Twilight. The unicorn screamed in pain at the force and power of the magic blast.

As the two friends could look on in horror, they saw Twilight get on her feet as she began to pose in a simple stance with one forehoof up as though she was ready to trot. The yells of pain stopped as her face froze in a calm smile and her eyes opened up into a warm gaze. Her body soon changed to a metallic gold color starting from the hooves and going all the way up her body, tail, snout, mane and finally enveloping the horn in the same gold color. No longer was she flesh and blood but a life-sized gold statue. The magic didn’t stop as she then started to change size as she shrunk smaller and smaller with each second. Pretty soon, the glow disappeared and a Twilight Sparkle gold figurine fell to the floor with a soft clang.

Game Marester smiled proudly as she lifted the statuette in the air. Looking to the side, her gallery wall erupted from the floor once more. A spotlight switched on once more and revealed a never-before seen hole now placed to the left of Applejack’s figurine and Twilight’s own was levitated and placed softly in it. The gallery wall sank back into the ground soon after.

“Ah what a day. So many new additions! I am on a roll now!” Game Marester proclaimed as she began to laugh. She moved her head aside and that’s when she saw Spike and Fluttershy. The dragon and Pegasus were holding each other, shaking in fear with tears running down. Both too afraid to move or say anything. All was now lost.

Game Marester looked down at them. “You two are still here? Would any of you care to try your own luck and see if you can free them as well?”

That immediately struck a nerve in Fluttershy’s mind. She was scared of being turned into a figurine, that was true, but the fear of being alone along with the shame and guilt of living without her friends when she had a chance to save them was far greater. She had to do it or else she could not call herself a friend.

“You nasty filly!” Fluttershy shouted as she stood up. “How dare you treat my friends like objects to be stashed in some crazy collection? You will let them all go right now, young lady, or I will tell your parents!”

Game Marester didn’t even bat an eyelash, even if it could be seen behind her strange glasses. “Idle threats won’t hurt me. Only losing will. You want those losers back? Beat me in a game. Choose your competition and your rules, carefully I may add, and I’ll give them all back.”

The yellow Pegasus thought for a few seconds. She then looked up with an unnaturally-confident smile. “The game is ‘Shhhh’. Whoever is the first to make a noise –any kind of noise– loses.”

Game Marester smiled in response. “Very well. A game of silence? Sounds like child’s play. You tell us when the game officially starts.”

“I’m the world champ, you know. I will win back my friends, you’ll see!” Fluttershy replied.

Spike then tugged on her tail. “Please, Fluttershy. Don’t do this! I don’t want to lose all my friends… I don’t want to be alone…” He then started to sniffle as he wiped a tear away.

Fluttershy looked down at him with her comforting eyes. “Don’t worry, Spike. I will win this and we will all be back in Ponyville. Please have faith.”

“Are you done with the final words? Shall we start?” the unicorn said impatiently.

The motherly Pegasus turned back and frowned. “Yes. We begin…now.”

With that, both Game Marester and Fluttershy became still like statues. Neither of them made a movement or sound. The pegasus looked at the gaudily-dressed unicorn carefully without making any sudden noise. She was a champion and there was no way her title would be lost. All she could do was merely gaze forward unflinching.

Hours passed and neither of them was any close to winning. For once in her time as a champion in silence, Fluttershy started growing weary. She couldn’t hold out any longer. Her knees felt weak and she had to sit down, but the thump of her flank hitting the floor would make noise and she’d lose. She tried to gulp to get rid of the lump in her throat, but that too would create sound. There was no way she could keep this up unless…

Her mind was in silent debate. Should she use her greatest weapon or refrain from it? She would never use it on another pony. She wouldn’t and she couldn’t! That was when the mere realization that her friends’ freedom were at stake finally won out and unlocked the ethic restraints in her mind.

Channeling all her power, she opened her eyes wide and used The Stare. Game Marester was frozen in fear. Never had she beared witness to such a chilling glare and she felt powerless, ready to sit down.

No!

If she sat down, she would make noise and she would lose! The fear of The Stare was replaced much quickly by the fear of losing and that redoubled her efforts. Once again, she built up her mental defenses and resumed standing still.

Fluttershy thought for sure she was winning until she realized a fatal flaw. Game Marester’s sunglasses, despite the diamond studs in them, made the lenses act like mirrors which reflected her Stare right back at her with a face on each lens. Coupled with the diamonds which made her reflections look like they had small pustules and boils on the surface, the fear of sickness was added to the Stare and Fluttershy faced the full brunt of her own secret weapon.

On instinct, she let out a soft whimper and that’s when the loud buzzer began to razz. Game Marester smiled triumphantly.

“You lost, little pegasus! I have proven myself the winner! Now, I claim my prize!” she proclaimed as her horn began to glow. Fluttershy merely stood there, scared for what was going to happen.

“NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!” Spike yelled as he ran towards Game Marester and threw himself before her, grabbing on to a hoof. “Please! Don’t take her away from me! She’s my only friend left! Please, take me instead! Take me!”

Game Marester scowled as she kicked Spike away. “Your dedication is touching but my spell works on the one who loses against me. She lost, so my magic will only affect her. Besides, I don’t want dragons in my collection. Filthy reptiles!”

Turning back to face her victim, she chanted, "From my games you did partake, now my prize you must forsake!" A stream of magic light then blasted Fluttershy head on and the Pegasus screamed in agony.

Spike looked up, his reptilian pupils shrank seeing Fluttershy being turned into a figurine and being powerless to stop it. Eventually, a small statuette of a Pegasus lying down on the floor looking to her side in a motherly gaze and smile clattered to the floor. The gallery wall materialized once more and Game Marester placed the Fluttershy figurine between Rainbow Dash and Rarity, only to lower once more.

“There. All done. No more challengers here.” Game Master mused with arrogant pride as her dimension began to fade away and both her and Spike found themselves back in the Books & Branches Library. The clock was just chiming one o'clock. For all the time they all spent in Game Marester's dimension, time practically moved to a crawl despite the length silence competition that took place.

Game Marester flipped her hat a couple of times on a hoof before slipping it back on her head.“As I have no dealing with dragons, I shall take my leave now.” she said as she faced the door but looked back to stare at the sobbing baby dragon. Tipping her hat once she said, “Farewell, dragon. Your friends made wonderful additions to my collect-AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!”

Game Marester was stopped short by a force that threw itself at her, tackling her to the ground. Trying to regain her bearings, the unicorn looked straight up and saw the irate eyes of Mare-Do-Well staring down on her.

The game wasn’t over yet.

The Legend of Mare-Do-Well will resume…

Chapter 7

The Legend of Mare-Do-Well
Chapter 7: Night of the Game Marester, Part 2
by JD2K

Game Marester coughed as she tried to move only to realize she was pinned under the new stranger’s hooves. “How dare you! Do you even know who I am?!”

Mare-Do-Well didn’t even budge. She was looking everywhere for this strange pony’s presence ever since she lost the trail after reaching the outskirts of Sweet Apple Acres and the Crusaders’ clubhouse. Since then, it was a mad chase around all Ponyville, hoping to find clues. She eventually felt her presence once more and found her with Applejack back at Sweet Apple Acres. Before Mare-Do-Well could interrogate her to the whereabouts of the Cutie Mark Crusaders, she vanished with the farmpony along with her lead.

Not giving up, she eventually received the jolt to her back that led her to a field close to Rainbow Dash’s cloud home where the Pegasus stood there with the gold unicorn. Again they both disappeared under the thick yellow smoke before the vigilante could catch her. Finally as the sun began to set, Mare-Do-Well found the pony once more with Rarity this time, but again she was too late to jump at them. Having failed at capturing her, she decided it was time for her to return to the library and wait for the stranger there as she was certain to strike at Twilight Sparkle and Fluttershy there.

That was, of course, when she received a different combo and felt it as she thought about the Cakes. She quickly made her way to their current location as Sugarcube Corner was being rebuilt after Spike’s greed-induced growth and rampage. It was also that same incident which caused her room to be destroyed and currently stay in Twilight’s basement until it was finally reconstructed. Hopefully she will have a much larger hidden room being constructed according to the Cakes’ wishes so she stayed put at the library in the meantime.

When she arrived to Sugarcube Corner, Mrs. Cake immediately began to have labor pains. Even after working herself to the point of mental and physical exhaustion, she put customers above her own expecting foal. This night however was when the pains reached stronger levels and that meant the foal would soon be born. Mare-Do-Well immediately postponed her current investigation, reverted to Pinkie Pie after getting out of her costume and hailed a taxi cart to take her, Mr. Cake and Mrs. Cake to the hospital on Ponyville’s outskirts. Once settled in, Pinkie left Mr. Cake to take care of his wife and returned to her mission.

Once redressed in her outfit, Mare-Do-Well went back to the library twenty minutes to one and found it empty. She was too late again. This time, however, she decided to stay put. No matter what, the stranger would come looking for her. For some reason, she was after the Elements of Harmony and now she was the remaining one. Her patience was eventually rewarded when a cloud of smoke appeared inside the room and from within came the strange pony and an emotionally-broken crying Spike who pounded the ground beneath him in anguish. This was the chance she was waiting for all day. Without any other thought, she leaped right at the pony and tackled her to the ground. She was pinned down hard and she would finally get some answers on where her friends and the Crusaders were now.

“Pin…Pin, pin, pin my tail to the ground, it’s Mare-Do-Well!” Spike exclaimed lucky to correct himself as he got up and hugged her. “Thank Celestia you’re here! I thought this monster got you too!”

“Agh! You slimy little reptile! How dare you refer to me as a monster?” scoffed Game Marester. “And besides, I never met this… fashion victim in all my life! Tell her to let me go!”

“No! Not until you release Twilight and the others!” the small drake demanded while Mare-Do-Well arched a brow at him wondering what just happened.

Spike then explained everything to her, and when she heard what became of her friends, her head whipped forward as she faced Game Marester again with a gaze that would put The Stare to shame. With renewed strength, she slammed her hooves against the sides of the floored unicorn with such force that all the books in the library fell off their shelves by the shockwave. Game Marester, however, was unnerved by this display.

“What do you care? If you want to say something to me, then say it! What’s the matter? Too afraid to talk, you so-called hero?” the unicorn responded arrogantly.

The vigilante began to shake as she lowered her head. How could she explain or even threaten her to let her friends go? She can’t break her no-talking rule no matter how much she wanted. She was at a loss for words, in more ways than one.

The resourceful Spike however could tell what was going on and poked at her to get her attention. “Um, Miss Mare-Do-Well, do you by any chance know ‘Horse Code’?” he asked her.

Mare-Do-Well’s eyes immediately lit up. That’s it! Horse Code! She was a tad rusty at it but she was thankful her father taught her how to use it when they went to the telegraph office to deliver some messages to some rock farmers across Equestria. It was the only way she could talk and she decided to use it.

The purple-clad pony began to tap one of her hind hoofs in rhythm as Spike took out a scroll and quill and quickly translated her words.

“ ‘Young…dragon…stop…please…be…my…interpreter…so…I…can…defeat…this…villain…stop…’ ” Spike dictated. He then looked up and gave an affirmative nod. “You can count on me, Miss Mare-Do-Well! I’ll do my best. Start when ready.”

Turning to face Game Marester again, she again tapped her hooves and Spike translated.

ALL RIGHT, YOU EVIL MONSTER. RELEASE THE STUDENT OF CELESTIA AND THE OTHERS YOU HAVE CAPTURED THIS INSTANT!

Game Marester again looked at her smugly. “So forceful. I wonder if your spirit of competition is just as strong as your sense of justice. How about it? Care to play a game with them on the line?”

Spike looked at her vigilante/friend in worry. She, in turn, merely lowered her gaze and started to tap again.

FOR THE CITIZENS OF PONYVILLE AND THE INNOCENTS YOU HAVE CAPTURED, I WILL NEVER LOSE. I AM READY.

“Excellent! Let’s get this started!” Game Marester chuckled as her gold smoke enveloped them both. Luckily, due to her eye covers, Mare-Do-Well didn’t even need to keep her eyes closed as she saw the Library vanish and replace itself with the neon light-strewn dimension Game Marester called home.

Before Mare-Do-Well’s alter ego could be impressed with how colorful this new world was, she realized Game Marester vanished from beneath her grip. Looking around everywhere, she saw a spotlight switch on above her. The vigilante saw the gold unicorn lying on top of the area the spotlight focused on while reclining against several gold and silver-glittery pillows.

“Ho-hum… Very well, the same as before,” Game Marester yawned. “Choose the game and the rules. Make it interesting, hero. I want to be given a good challenge for once in my life.”

Mare-Do-Well gave a long pause. From what Spike told her, this outsider was a spirit of pastime and contest. Maybe there was a way for it to work to her advantage. If Game Marester could see under the mask, she would have seen the pony beneath smirk in pride. She began to tap.

YOU CLAIM TO BE THE BEST OF THE BEST WHEN IT COMES TO GAMES AND CONTESTS, DO YOU?

Game Marester laughed haughtily. “I don’t claim, dear hero. I am the best!”

MY OH MY. YOU PLAY JUST ONE LITTLE GAME AGAINST AN OPPONENT AND YOU CROWN YOURSELF THE QUEEN. OBVIOUSLY YOU PRIDE YOURSELF ON BEATING LITTLE FOALS AND LAME NAGS. HA. HA. HA.

The way the dragon child read the laughs aloud though made it sound more like sarcasm, and that’s what Mare-Do-Well wanted. Game Marester got up from her pillows and gazed down at the vigilante with scorn.

“I can beat you in as many games as there are drops of water in the ocean! I will prove to you I can win against you in every single game you can think up, super zero!”

THEN IT’S SETTLED. WE WILL HAVE A COMPETITION OF GAMES. THE ONLY IRON RULE IS THIS ONE. IF YOU LOSE ONCE DURING THIS COMPETITION, YOU WILL RELEASE ALL THE PONIES YOU CAPTURED TODAY. THE THREE FILLIES, THE ORANGE FARMER, THE CYAN PEGASUS, THE WHITE UNICORN, THE STUDENT OF CELESTIA, AND THE YELLOW PEGASUS. ARE WE CLEAR?”

“You make this so simple. Very well. I lose once, I release those following losers from my gallery. What’s there to lose? Oh right. I never lose!”

Spike seethed as she turned and faced Mare-Do-Well, whispering into her ear, “Pinkie, wipe that grin off her face. Twilight and the others are counting you!” The costumed pink pony merely nodded once.

With a tap of her forehoof, Game Marester teleported from her perch above and was back on the ground. “So let’s begin this feeble tournament of yours. Choose your first game, my dear.”

After closing her eyes to think, the heroine finally tapped her answer.

OUR FIRST GAME IS A TEST OF REFLEXES. WE WILL PLAY JUMP ROPE.

“Jump Rope, eh? You should have thought more carefully.” Game Marester sneered. “Very well. Let’s begin!”

Using her magic, Game Marester conjured up what looked to be faint shadowy creatures in the shapes of young schoolfillies. Upon closer inspection, Mare-Do-Well was aghast to see the outline of the familiar red bow of Apple Bloom in one of the shades and the curved front mane style and tiny wings of Scootaloo in the other. The two shadowy doppelgangers had no eyes or mouths with which to see or talk, they only had their shapes. What they did have, however, was a long strand of what appeared to be a rope between what normally would be the location of their mouths and teeth.

“I’ll have you know this is the game I beat that little pastel-pink-and-purple maned unicorn yesterday. I figure I’d have her friends swing the rope for us as well,” the gamer pony gloated. The vigilante merely remained silent. She wasn’t about to lose considering how better her alter ego was at jumping rope. The two competitors walked up to the rope held by the shade fillies and stood ready to jump. On cue, the Apple Bloom and Scootaloo shadow clones started to swing the rope around. The game was on.

Spike kept time as he watched in amazement over how both Mare-Do-Well and Game Marester were able to jump the rope so many times. At first the swings were slow, next becoming faster, then alternating between both speeds until finally the two fake Cutie Mark Crusaders began to walk up and down, changing the angle from which the rope was safe to jump to trip them. The challengers just kept jumping without a break even as they moved their legs to keep up with the alternating central angle for successful jumps.

Game Marester was getting more and more annoyed. The little filly she beat at this game didn’t even last 50 jumps due to getting exhausted quickly and now this strange mare was already topping 200 jumps! She had to stop her and she knew the only way how.

With sly intention, the gold unicorn moved forward just as the rope passed and shoved Mare-Do-Well slightly as the jump rope was coming back in a rapid swing. The vigilante was startled by this sudden change since she was comfortably in an area both could jump with ease and was not ready for the next swing. She was tripped up and landed hard on the floor. Victory bells began to ring as the two shadows and the rope vanished while the cocky Game Marester reveled in her victory.

“You cheated! You pushed Mare-Do-Well before the next swing!” Spike snapped at her.

The pony merely snorted a blast of hot air in disdain. “I was trying to keep up the pace of the swing as the rope swingers were moving forward. It’s not my fault the super zero couldn’t keep up. How abysmal.” An angry scowl from Mare-Do-Well said otherwise. She has never lost a game of jump rope in her life. Now it was personal.

“Let’s get on with my display of my superior abilities. Choose the next game, NE’ER-Do-Well,” Game Marester yawned with boredom as she marveled at one of her front hooves. The heroine was seething but kept her cool as walked up to the cocky unicorn and began to horse-code with her hooves.

THE NEXT GAME WILL LAST TEN MINUTES. YOUNG SPIKE WILL KEEP COUNT.

“10 minutes? Very well. What shabby game have you chosen then?”

FIRST MAKE A RECREATION OF CANTERLOT CASTLE. MAKE IT AS REALISTIC AS POSSIBLE. THE THRONE ROOM, THE LIBRARY, THE GARDENS, AND EVERYTHING ELSE.

With a shrug, Game Marester’s horn lit up and in just a few seconds the area around then came to life with various objects popping up over the landscape. There, in the middle of the dark neon-lit realm of the Game Marester was the majestic castle of the Princesses in full glory. If she didn’t know any better, she’d say this was the actual one brought straight from Canterlot itself. The competitive pony began to understand what was going on as a smile formed on her lips.

“Let me guess, Hide and Seek? What a joke. You obviously have no chance to win.”

Mare-Do-Well responded by shaking her head, causing the unicorn to wrinkle her brow. Raising the tip of a hoof, the vigilante pony softly touched the tip of the befuddled unicorn’s snout. She then began to stomp out horse code. As soon as she finished the message, she took off towards the conjured-up castle.

The angry Game Marester then turned to face Spike. “So? What did she say?” The dragon chuckled as he gave her a toothy grin and cleared his throat.

“Ahem… ‘Tag. You’re it.’”

The golden pony gasped as she realized what the masked pony did. Growling softly, she made her way into the building to find Mare-Do-Well and make her “it” before the ten minutes were up.

As the ten minutes ticked down, Mare-Do-Well tried to maintain her focus despite her alter ego enjoying the game. In fact, she couldn’t help but playfully bounce as she went from one place to another as she stayed one step ahead of the furious unicorn. Game Marester, however, was at the end of her rope. She never faced an opponent as bizarre and unpredictable as her. Just when she thought she managed to catch her as they both rounded a corner in the gardens, the unicorn was confused to see her gone only to see her competitor scramble across a stairwell leading into one of the towers. Game Marester growled loudly at this and took chase again. Spike couldn’t help but chuckle happily as two minutes remained.

Her patience was running short. Game Marester suddenly realized that if she wasn’t going to catch Mare-Do-Well, then Mare-Do-Well would have to come to her instead. With a sly grin, her horn began to glow and she suddenly vanished.

The vigilante enjoyed this game far too much than she realized and thanked her unique powers for helping her evade Game Marester for as long as she was doing. Once she would free them, her alternate self would throw a huge welcome back party for all of them. But then, she remembered all the other unfortunate souls still kept in the villain’s grasp. She would have to figure out a way to keep playing against her and win back their freedom to finish her off for good. It was the right and just thing to do.

However, she was too preoccupied thinking on how to save the other ponies that she failed to heed a sudden combo running through her body. Without warning, she collided against something hard that was mysteriously in her way. Mare-Do-Well looked up and saw nothing. Just what did she hit? The answer soon came as a puff of smoke appeared and Game Marester stood directly in front of her.

“Oh my. You really should have watched the road ahead, my dear Mare-Do-Nothing-Well,” the cocky pony said as he pressed her hoof on her rival’s snout. “Tag. Now you’re it.” She then let out a whoop of laughter as she took off in the opposite direction. Mare-Do-Well quickly got back on her hooves and galloped off in pursuit.

Only thirty seconds remained and Mare-Do-Well was “it”. She had to find her opponent and touch her. She approached the edge of a small parapet and peered down to see Game Marester stand there tapping her hoof impatiently. Within her mask, Pinkie Pie grinned as she readied herself and jumped down ready to land on her foe. With merely touching her, she would pass the status to her and win for sure. There was no way for her to miss.

Nevertheless, the tuxedo-clad unicorn looked up and smirked at her. Her horn started to glow and in seconds, she disappeared. Mare-Do-Well’s eyes opened wide in shock as she landed on a bush that luckily softened her fall.

Game Marester reappeared out of nowhere and shook her head. “You are quite the clumsy pony, my dear. Time for you to hang up your mask and cape. And speaking of time...”

A buzzer sounded to signal the end of the game of tag. “You’re still ‘it’ and that means I win! Ha! Ha!”

The masked pony got up and scowled at her as she stomped her feet hard. The small drake caught up with the two and quickly translated for them.

YOU CHEATED! HOW COULD YOU USE MAGIC TO MAKE YOURSELF VANISH? THAT IS BREAKING THE RULES OF TAG!

Shaking her head in arrogance, the gold pony replied, “Where in the rules you set out for this game did you say no magic was permitted? You said five minutes. I merely used my inane unicorn abilities to prevent myself from being ‘it’ again. Be more specific next time, simpleton.” She blew on her hoof followed by rubbing it against her tuxedo jacket. “Now, do you wish to give up now and become a lovely part of my collection or keep going and show how feeble you are at my games?”

Mare-Do-Well looked down at her companion and the dragon child stared at her with hope. That was more than enough to keep going. She tapped her hoof once more.

LEAVE THE CASTLE WHERE IT IS. WE WILL NOW PLAY HIDE AND SEEK. FIRST, WE COUNT TO TWENTY AND THEN START SEARCHING. WHOEVER FINDS THE OTHER IN THE FASTEST TIME POSSIBLE WINS. AND YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO USE YOUR MAGIC TO TELEPORT YOURSELF OR HIDE ELSEWHERE IF I AM CLOSE TO FINDING YOU. IS THAT CLEAR?

The unicorn sighed in disdain. “And I shall add another... Allow me.” She then materialized a blindfold and placed it over Spike’s eyes.

“What in the-? Hey! Why did you do this?” he demanded as he dropped his quill and scroll as he tried to remove the blindfold only to find it stuck tightly around his head.

“Simple, reptile. So you don’t help your super zero out by telling her which direction I take. You’ll be able to see once this game is done.” Ignoring Spike’s growls of anger, she turned back to face her masked adversary. “Now that’s out of the way, the loser starts first. Go ahead, dearie, count to twenty. I assure you that you’ll never find me…”

Mare-Do-Well did as she was told as she turned around, closed her eyes and counted to twenty. When she was done she did another turn and galloped off. Spike stayed put where he was, arms crossed and muttering angrily with the blindfold around his eyes.

As she stood in front of the main castle foyer, she eyed all the doorways and hallways leading to various areas of the structure. Nopony would be able to find anypony else in such a vast area in record time, but then again anypony was not Mare-Do-Well.

She closed her eyes and allowed her power to come forth. Seconds later, her eyes shot open and she galloped towards one of the towers and opened the door. She was inside of the Observatory within Canterlot Castle with an enormous telescope taking up most of the space within the room. Various books on the stars and meteor showers Princess Luna herself set out to create were placed in several shelves on the walls. An array of instruments of measurement, including a worn-out old abacus, was placed on a table next to the telescope. Various maps personally hoof-written by Luna herself was placed on the surface of walls not covered by bookcases.

Her sense began to tingle. She was inside this room and her eyes landed on a particular map. She approached the faded old parchment and could see one edge was slightly bent just recently. Grabbing it, she tore the map clean off the wall to reveal a small hiding place hewn into the stone of the wall and huddled inside an incredulous Game Marester stared back at her.

“You… YOU! How could you find me so easily?! Aw, ponyfeathers... How many seconds was that?” the unicorn seethed angrily as she got out of her hiding spot. Her adversary tapped the floor 12 times in response.

“Twel… TWELVE SECONDS?!” she gasped only to quickly regain her composure by coughing and fixing her glasses in place. “Uh, I mean. I can beat that easily. Ok. Now it’s my turn to count to twenty. Start hiding. I will find you before too long. Count on that!” Mare-Do-Well turned around and sprinted off the moment she heard Game Marester count “one”. She knew just where the place to go and she hoped Game Marester made an accurate copy of her best hiding place.

As soon as she in front of the maze in the royal gardens, she zoomed through the twisting, turning passages until she reached the center of the labyrinth where the statue of Discord was now placed. She timed herself at 15 seconds on the dot. Game Marester made the maze just as she said and she was glad.

The tired pony sat on her haunches and placed her hat on the ground, but refrained from removing her mask as she stared at the statue of the spirit of chaos now with a shocked expression forever frozen on his stone form. Princess Celestia herself personally made sure the statue would be as far away from anyone quarreling or fighting in its presence and the center of the confounding maze was the best place. Still, Pinkie Pie herself liked coming to visit the old draconequus’s statue and having a picnic all by herself at his feet whenever she has the chance to visit Canterlot. She did this because despite him turning her and her friends into cruel mockeries of themselves, she really enjoyed the chocolate rain clouds while they lasted.

There was no way Game Marester would find her deep within the labyrinth and she was four seconds away from the 12 seconds she wasted finding her before. Her friends would be free for sure. That was, however, until she felt something tap the back of her neck. She turned around and her eyes open wide in shock seeing the grinning face of Game Marester staring back at her.

“Ten. Seconds. Flat. I win, dearie.”

Just like that, a cloud of gold smoke formed around them and in seconds they were back in front of Spike whose blindfold magically vanished, as did the entire recreation of Canterlot Castle. Mare-Do-Well however was dumbstruck. How could anyone actually go through the maze in less than ten seconds while making sure the unicorn didn’t use magic? How did she ever find her? She began to stomp the floor in fury as the baby dragon quickly grabbed the quill and scroll beneath him and translated.

YOU CHEATED! ONLY I CAN GO THROUGH THAT MAZE IN RECORD TIME WITHOUT CHEATING! YOU USED YOUR MAGIC! ADMIT IT!

Shaking her head, the gold pony replied, “You said I had to count to twenty, dearie. You never said I had to turn around and stay still. All I did was follow you once you turned around and went into the maze taking each turn you did. Next time, specify you have to stay where you are while counting.”

Even though she couldn’t do so, Spike growled for the both of them. “This is crazy! You cheat at every single thing! You’re not a champion! You’re a phony!”

“Cheat? I merely stretch the rules within the boundaries, scaly. It’s not my fault my competitors don’t specify what things can or can’t be done,” she jeered with a quick raspberry at him. “I’m getting bored now. How about one last game? I win it and you will be my newest piece of my collection. Make it fast. I got a place just for you.

The vigilante thought for a while. Obviously she enjoyed “cheating” at the expense of bending the rules. This made choosing a good game difficult considering how Game Marester acts. After a few minutes of pacing around, she finally stopped as an idea came to her mind. It was time for the pompous unicorn to learn how bending the rules will work against her. She tapped her hoof to speak.

LET’S SEE HOW YOU LIKE BEING AT THE MERCY OF SOMEONE ELSE FOR A CHANGE. WE WILL PLAY RED FLAG, GREEN FLAG. MY DRAGON FRIEND SHALL BE THE ONE HOLDING THE FLAGS.

“…Me? Hold flags?” Spike was puzzled at this when he finished writing. That was when the scroll and quill in his hands were replaced by a small red flag and green flag respectively. “So, uh, what do I do?”

Game Marester mumbled some words under her breath but finally explained, “The rules are so simple, scaly. Either the masked moron or I have to reach you and touch you to win. However, we move in accordance to which flag you raise. Raise the green flag and we move. Raise the red one and we have to be still. If no flag is raised we can't do anything until you lift one up. If anyone moves while the red flag is raised or when the green flag isn't, she loses and the other wins by default. These instructions simple enough for you to understand, lizard?”

“Don’t call me that! My name is Spike!” he snapped back as the two of them walked towards a starting line that materialized out of nowhere. When both participants were ready, the young drake called out, “Are you ready? Get set! GO!”

He lifted the red flag first hoping to catch the blowhard unicorn by surprise but she didn’t budge an inch and neither did Mare-Do-Well. He shrugged as he raised the green flag only for both to gallop straight at him. Jumping up with fluster, he quickly raised the red flag and both froze in place in mid-gallop.

Spike looked at the green flag held at his side and the red one lifted up high and let out a gasp of wonder. That gasp however led to a giggle of mischief and a wiggle of his eyebrows as he realized he had a way to help tip the scales in favor of Mare-Do-Well, which was just what the vigilante wanted from the start.

From that moment, the young dragon began to formulate different patterns in hopes he could trip Game Marester up or take advantage of Mare-Do-Well’s alter-ego’s “Sense”. Sometimes he lifted both flags at once only to lower one forcing the two to move or remain frozen, at other times he lifted a green flag only to raise the red one to give them a second to stop and then raise the green one again for them to move. His patterns became erratic and unpredictable and the vigilante’s secret identity couldn’t help but be impressed. She would definitely ask Spike out as the flag waver for a grand tournament of Red Flag, Green Flag when she frees her friends, and she will free them!

Game Marester, however, was impatient. She cursed herself for allowing the vigilante pony to choose the lizard as the flag waver and she couldn’t keep up with all his crazy patterns. It didn’t help matter that the second she was close to him, he raised the red flag which forced her to stop her movements only for him to move farther away. She never felt as livid as she was at right now.

Walking towards her, Spike stood in front of Game Marester who looked down at him in contempt but didn’t move an inch. Unless the green flag was raised, he couldn’t touch him and win. Having him right in front of her nose was an insult to her prowess.

“You know, I don’t like the way you’ve been calling me names and insulting me ever since I came here with Twilight. Why? Don’t you like dragons? Why is that?” he mused matter-of-factly. The unicorn didn’t dare talk on account that she could only move when the green flag was up.

“Is it because of our… eyes?!” He then looked up at her with his green reptilian-slit eyes and that seemed to unnerve her as a small bead of sweat formed beneath her forehead above her horn.

“Or maybe our… tongues?!” He stuck out his slit tongue and softly tickled the bottom of her chin. Game Marester didn’t budge. The second she laughed she was done for. She did her best to not move.

“Or perhaps it’s because we….breathe fire?!” He then blew out a tiny flicker of green flame which quickly vanished and became a small plume of black smoke. The foul-smelling vapor billowed out of the drake’s mouth and managed to enter Game Marester’s nostrils. Her eyes began to water and her teeth gnashed within her closed mouth. She really hated dragon fire and its smoke! She couldn’t hold it in any longer and she let out a loud allergic sneeze. That was the second Spike raised the red flag again and a loud buzzer sounded.

“You moved your mouth when the red flag was raised! Mare-Do-Well wins!” the dragon announced triumphantly with wild cheering.

Game Marester screamed out, “WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT?! I LOST?! NO! NO! THAT’S IMPOSSIBLE! I COULDN’T LOSE! I’M THE CHAMPION OF GAMES! THIS WAS A MISTAKE! IT HAS TO BE!”

Mare-Do-Well stood in front of her and tapped her hooves in victory.

IT WAS NO MISTAKE. NOW FULFILL YOUR END OF THE BARGAIN. RELEASE THOSE PONIES RIGHT THIS INSTANT!

Spike couldn’t help but announce those words in glee as he couldn’t wait to hug his friends once more.

Game Marester however looked down as she shook her head slowly. “No. This is not over. I am still the champion of this realm. I will never admit defeat!” She then looked up at her with her glasses shimmering in an unnatural light. “We will play one last game. All or nothing! I myself will choose it! If you can beat me at this, then I will release those ponies! How about it? Do you agree?”

Spike stamped his foot on the ground. “Mare-Do-Well will not accept it! You lost fair and square! Now release Twilight and the others or else she will make you suffer!”

The masked heroine, however, was ready for this turn of events and she calmly stamped her hooves. Spike calmed down as he translated what she said. As he finished writing, he gasped and then smiled.

“Well? What did she say, lizard spawn?” Game Marester demanded.

Spike grinned up and read the words.

IF THIS IS ALL OR NOTHING, I DEMAND A STRONGER PRIZE FOR WINNING. INSTEAD OF JUST THE PONIES YOU CAPTURED TODAY, YOU WILL NOW RELEASE EVERY SINGLE LAST SOUL YOU HAVE TRAPPED IN YOUR PRISON. I MEAN EVERY SINGLE PONY. PERIOD. DO YOU AGREE TO MY CONDITION?

“WHAT?! Give up all my Gallery of Losers?!” Game Marester recoiled as her glasses shook off in shock, only for her to grab them out of the air and slip them back on. “You are out of your little pony mind if I’m going to put up my entire collection on the line!”

Mare-Do-Well merely lowered her head and tipped her hat forward as she arched a brow and tapped again. Spike smirked as he read what she said.

HOW SHAMEFUL. I CONSIDERED YOU A WORTHY COMPETITOR. BUT ALL YOU ARE IS SOME SCARED LITTLE FILLY WHO IS AS YELLOW AS HER COAT. IF YOU ARE A SO-CALLED CHAMPION OF GAMES, YOU HAVE NOTHING TO FEAR IN RISKING THAT SO-CALLED GALLERY OF YOURS. GO AHEAD. I. DARE. YOU.

The angry snarl coming from Game Marester was heard throughout her entire realm as she stormed up in front of Mare-Do-Well and pressed her snout against hers.

“Oh, you are so on, sister! I will place my collection as collateral as you demand, but mark my words. Making you part of my gallery will not even begin to fathom the torture I got planned in store for you for mocking me!” she seethed. She then looked down at Spike and added, “I will also take that little beast as well. I got several plans for it as I hate dragons and will make it suffer as much as you!”

Spike felt a bit unnerved by the remark but his ally stood firm. Mare-Do-Well countered the snout press with an even stronger one that managed to bend back the conceited unicorn a bit. Her eyes lowered in defiance.

“Enough idle chatter. Time for you to lose!” the impatient unicorn groused as she stepped back and used her magic.

In front of them a small table appeared. Rather unassuming, the table had a large smiling face of Game Marester herself right in the center of it. Using her horn, the sore-losing pony then lifted her top hat in the air and it softly began to stir only to split into two more hats as they landed on the table.

“Let’s see how good your eyesight can be!” she declared with hatred as a small gold ball materialized in front of the hats. With a glow of yellow magic, one of the hats lifted itself up and the ball rolled to the spot below the hat as it landed back on the table. In a flurry of magic, the hats then began to shuffle across the table with blinding speed. Spike lost sight of the hat with the ball beneath in one second. Only Mare-Do-Well stared down with unblinking cloth-covered eyes at the flurry of hats moving on the table. Just before she could finally blink, the hats stopped moving and lined up in a row.

“Choose… Choose the hat the ball is under. Find the correct hat and I will release my collection. Lose and you and that despicable reptile are mine to punish for all eternity…” she whispered in tone of pure malice.

Mare-Do-Well frowned. She was walking right into a trap. She could tell Game Marester was a sore loser and would make sure whatever hat she picked will end up empty. Even if she ended up picking the hat that the ball would be under, she could make it vanish and appear in another hat just to spite her. She then tapped her hoof on the table as Spike translated.

I PICK ONE HAT. THAT HAT IS AND WILL BE MY CHOICE IN THE END. AM I RIGHT?

“Yes…yes… Once you select a hat, it will be your final choice. Any others will be invalid,” she replied with evil relish.

That was what she wanted to hear. She tapped a hoof again for Spike to write down the code. As soon as he did, his eyes opened wide in surprise once more. Game Marester didn’t like that. Whenever that happened it was to be trouble for her, but there was nothing her opponent could do. One selection. Just any selection and she would magically make the ball appear in another hat and she would keep her title. There was no way she could lose now.

Spike approached the table as he set the quill and scroll down. Mare-Do-Well quickly sprang her strategy. She moved aside and placed her hoof above the leftmost hat. The overly confident unicorn grinned madly. “So you selected the left hat? Good! Let’s see if you’re ri… HEY!”

Game Marester was cut short when she saw the dragon child grab the middle and right hat off the table and stepped back. “There is no rule that says the other choices can't be removed! And there are no balls underneath these hats! How about showing the ball under Mare-Do-Well’s choice and showing she’s right?” Spike sneered with glee.

At this, the gold pony was at a loss for words. Her lips began to quiver and her eyes, even if they could be seen behind her glasses, lost all their shimmer. A pounding of the vigilante’s hoof on the table as she pointed at the left hat brought her back to reality. She lit up her horn as her face remained the epitome of gloom as the hat lifted up and revealed the gold ball.

Just like that, loud trumpets began to blare and bells began to ring to announce the new victor. Spike threw the hats in the way and began to whoop with success. Mare-Do-Well stood up straight as she stared down in defiance towards the ever-shrinking former champion of games.

“No…” the unicorn said softly.

“No… No. No! NO! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” she finally screamed as her entire realm began to shake with the force of her yell. Spike ran up to the triumphant vigilante and hugged her as she just stared at her fallen foe.

Spike finally stopped as he stomped towards the shell-shocked Game Marester and demanded, “You lost! Release them! Release them all! That was the agreement!”

The unicorn huddled down on her hooves as her cape magically covered up her form. The dragon lost his patience as he grabbed the cape only to see she vanished under the glittery cloth. Then, the cape itself disappeared in a puff of smoke.

“What? No! She has to release them! It was the agreement!” he protested and turned towards Mare-Do-Well who just stood there staring down at him with stern eyes.

That was when the realm again started to shake, even more than before. Spike huddled close to his friend wondering what was about to happen. The neon signs began to fall and shattered on the floor as the dice and card suit tiles started to crack and disintegrate in the ensuing earthquake. The Game Marester’s realm was falling apart right in front of them. With no magic power between the two of them, it was only a matter of time before they would be destroyed by the realm’s incoming destruction.

Then something started to appear in front of them. It was the wall where all the trapped pony soul figurines were placed. One particular statuette started to glow faintly only to finally radiate in full splendor. Soon another figurine began to shine, then another close by, followed by another bunch, until finally every last one was glowing with the intensity of Celestia’s Sun. As they radiated, they began to levitate out of their holes in the wall and streaked across the room amongst the forthcoming annihilation of the magic plane. Eventually, all the small spheres of light vanished out of sight, but eight of them stayed flying around the heads of the duo until they united in one single enormous ball of magic light and landed on the floor with a flash that caused the dragon and masked pony to shield their eyes.

When the flash dissipated, the two looked at the spot the light was and were surprised to see Twilight Sparkle, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Rarity, Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo standing there looking a bit disoriented. Spike couldn’t hold it any longer and ran up to the purple unicorn and threw himself at her in a long hug.

“Twilight! Oh Twilight! Thank Celestia you’re back to normal! I was so worried about you and the others!”

“Cut the chitchat, little guy. We’ve got more problems to worry ‘bout right now!” Applejack as she regained her bearing.

“AJ, Ah’m scared… What’ll we do?” the little earth filly trembled as she huddled close to her sister as did Sweetie Belle to Rarity and Scootaloo to her idol.

“Nuts! That sore loser left us here to push up the daisies and I’m not in the mood to chow down right now!” Rainbow Dash grumbled as her devotee stayed by her side.

Twilight nodded as she closed her eyes, gritted her teeth and channeling all her energy into her horn. It then began to glow with an even greater intensity than the one last seen when she faced the Ursa Minor a year ago. “Everyone, get close to me! I’m going to attempt something I never tried before, but anything is better than staying here before it goes down!” she commanded as every pony in the small group along with Spike huddled as close as possible to her.

She then managed to open an eye as she saw Mare-Do-Well stand there before. “Come on! Hurry! I don’t have much power left!” The vigilante nodded once as she leaped into the air and was about to land on the pony pile the second the teleport spell was cast and they vanished in a flash, seconds before the realm was about to disintegrate.

When they reappeared, they were all bowled over by the impact of Mare-Do-Well crashing down on them.

“Oww... Hey, did we make it?” Rainbow Dash managed to utter out. Twilight shook her head a few times and realized they were all back at the Books & Branches. “Yes. We’re back. All thanks to Mare-Do-Well.”

“YOU’RE BACK!!!” a shrill shriek of joy broke the silence of the library as a familiar pink pony burst out from the basement door. Pinkie Pie bounded up to the entire group and hugged them all tightly.

“Oh, I was so very very very worried about you all! I came here a while ago from the hospital where Mrs. Cake is right now but nobody was around. I went to Carousel Boutique, Sweet Apple Acres, Fluttershy’s cottage and shouted up to Dashie’s home but nopony answered! I talked to everypony and they all said you all vanished and I got so very very very sad and I thought no one wanted to be my friend anymore but I shouldn’t jump to those conclusions! I mean, conclusions can’t be jumped! I can jump stones and bushes and small walls because I’m good at jumping! I’m also good at baking. It’s so tasty and Mrs. Cake always allowed me to sample the newest batch of goods she makes! Why this morning, I…”

The five ponies and Spike allowed her to ramble on since the Cutie Mark Crusaders were there and they didn’t want to accidentally reveal her secret. However, they wondered how she was able to quickly get out of her costume and get back up to meet them all in a span of just five seconds after she crashed on top of them. Then again, they chalked it up to Pinkie Pie just being Pinkie Pie.

Eventually they managed to get her back to the main subject of them being finally back and she gave them all one big hug again. The clock then chimed two and they realized time flew much slower in the real world than the amount of time they all spent in Game Marester’s domain. That was when the Cutie Mark Crusaders and Spike all started getting drowsy as sleep finally was able to hit them.

Saying their good-byes, four ponies with the 3 fillies left the library and headed back to their respective homes. Only Twilight and Pinkie stayed behind. Twilight lifted Spike up with her magenta aura as she took him to his basket to sleep. As she neared the top of the stairs, the purple unicorn turned around and looked down at her pink pony “roommate” at the foot of the steps.

“Pinkie Pie. Thank you. You not only saved us, but you also saved every other pony that Game Marester had imprisoned in her realm. Somewhere out there, there are many happy families who are overjoyed to see their loved ones back. You really did good,” she stated with a warm smile.

The pink filly beamed from ear to ear. “Thanks oodles, Twilight. I admit that big meanie really cheated but I beat her at her own rule-bending game!” she giggled with a snort. One content sigh later, she finally spoke a bit more seriously, “I would have done anything to save not just you but all those poor ponies trapped there. I was going to play against her forever to release them all even if it ended up costing my freedom. I thank Celestia it never happened and managed to free everypony in that last challenge. I would give anything to be everywhere and see the smiles of those families when the freed ponies return to their homes. The thought itself is my only reward.”

Twilight quickly placed Spike on his bed and walked down the stairs to where Pinkie Pie stood. “Mare-Do-Well is a heroine to all. I’m sure all those you rescued will tell everypony that. Soon, your name will be known throughout all Equestria instead of just here in Ponyville. That is why we will always be proud of both Mare-Do-Well and you, Pinkamena,” the unicorn disciple replied as she placed her head over her friend’s back and nuzzled with a hug.

Pinkie shed a small tear as she realized her friend was right. Soon everypony will know about her and she will become a hero not just to Ponyville but all of Equestria now. A challenge she is willing to take. Deep down in her mind, she knew this was the start of something big, but where it would take her she didn’t know and she didn’t care. She would take this task as everything else in her life: With a smile.

*********************************

Under the blanket of the starry night with a full moon hanging overhead, a lone figure stood at the edge of a lonely mountain overlooking Ponyville. She stared with rage at the sleeping town below.

“Mare-Do-Well. You are a cheater. I lost my gallery, my world and my reputation… Mark my words. I will make it the goal of my existence to see you cower in defeat at my hooves. Soon. Very soon. You will see that I am truly the Game Marester!”

The Legend of Mare-Do-Well trots along.

Chapter 9

The Legend of Mare-Do-Well
Chapter 9: My Little PWNy
by JD2K

“…and that’s why I’m no longer allowed in the bowling alley. But it was totally worth it!” Rainbow Dash said with a laugh. “I mean, Mr. Kingpin needed somepony to liven up that stuffy place!”

“Hee hee hee hee! That’s a riot, Dashie!” Pinkie Pie giggled as she served the multicolor-maned pegasus a cup of cocoa before she heads out for the night. “And here I was wondering why they went overboard with the floor wax! It looked more like a skating rink than a bowling alley with everypony slipping and sliding around. It was so much fun!”

“That is why, my dear Pinkie Pie, I am the High Queen of all Pranksters! Nopony is better than me. No! Po! Ny!” Rainbow Dash gloated as she beat her chest with a hoof with each syllable.

The pink pony server raised an eyebrow and a smile formed. “So you consider yourself the best of the pranksters, eh?”
“Yup! I’m the best! Nopony can compare with the great Rainbow Dash when it comes to practical jokes and pranks!” she beamed in arrogant pride.
“Rainbow Dash, remember what happened the last time you considered yourself to be the best…” Pinkie Pie cautioned as she wiggled her eyebrows once.

The smile left the pegasus’s lips as she pouted. “Oh yeah. That…” She cleared her throat. “Well this is different! I’m not pretending to some big hero! I’m just showing I’m the best at one of my hobbies!”

“Oh, I know you are, Dashie. But remember, I also like a good prank as well,” Pinkie responded with a half-eyed gaze and a small smile.

Dash raised an eyebrow. “Oh really? I bet there are some ponies you can’t prank!”

“Name one!” Pinkie shot back.

Now it was the pegasus’s turn to smile and give her a half-eyed gaze. “Fluttershy.”

That caused the pink earth pony to freeze in place and gulp. Her eyes darted all around the bakery trying to find a way out but her friend played her trump card and she walked right into it.

“Well…um…” Pinkie Pie stammered as sweat ran down her brow.

“Yeeeeeessssssssssssssss?” Rainbow Dash cooed softly.

“Oh, I can give her a prank that wouldn’t hurt her! Yea, that’s it! Last time we did that was just a set-up for you to fall for the black eye special!” the earth pony retorted with a smug grin.

“Is that so? Well, I wanna make a bet with you. I will make a list of ponies that I’ve never been able to prank, would be too crazy to prank or that are downright smart enough to not fall for one. If you manage to prank all of them tomorrow, then I will admit you’re better than me.” Rainbow Dash began, only to again lower her gaze and grin. “But if you fail, I get free snacks at Sugarcube for a whole week!”

Pinkie tapped her chin with her hoof as she pondered this. She finally extended it out to her. “You got yourself a deal!” Rainbow Dash tapped her hoof with her own and the deal was struck.

The cyan Pegasus called out to Officer Peppermint Pops nearby. “Hey, Pepper! Wanna help me out here for a sec?”

The unicorn police filly excused herself from Officer Booker as she walked over to the duo. “Hey Rainbow. Hey Pinkie. What’s the problem?”

“Oh nothing much. You think you can help me write a list of ponies? Me and Pinkie got a bet going on and well…” Dash said sheepishly as she lifted her blunt hooves.

“Oh, gotcha.” The candy-colored unicorn officer replied with a giggle as she used her magic to lift a quill and paper nearby.

“Ok, here’s the list:” Dash began as Pinkie listened intently. “The egghead, as in Twilight Sparkle, Rarity, Big Macintosh, Granny Smith, Applejack, Derpy, the Cutie Mark Crusaders, the Retirement Village residents …”

She then gazed at Pinkie with a cold expression followed by a sly smirk. “The Mayor, Captain Halberd, Cranky Donkey and Fluttershy!”

Pinkie gulped. Pranking her friends was one thing, but pranking law officials, her newest friend and then Fluttershy?! Suddenly, she was feeling not as confident as before.

“And last but certainly not least: ME!” Rainbow Dash finally said as she handed the paper to a visibly-shaking Pinkie Pie while Peppermint Pops went back to her table. The Pegasus was quick to notice it. “Ooooh, getting scared, aren’t ya? You know, tomorrow I think I’ll be taking a couple cupcakes with my cocoa. Free. Of. Charge.” She punctuated every word with a poke on Pinkie’s chest.

The earth pony snapped out of her shock and scowled. “You’ll see who’s the best and who’s the rest!” She snatched the paper in her teeth only to jump up as a surge coursed through her back. She looked to the side with a serious expression as soon as she landed.

“And with that, you-know-who is needed again,” she responded as she took of her server’s cap and gave the Cakes a knowing nod. The pony couple nodded back knowing what their employee was to do now. She then turned her head back to Rainbow Dash.

“See you tomorrow, Dashie. You’ll enjoy the little surprise I got cooking up for you.” She then clamped her mouth shut. “Oopsie! That’s supposed to be a secret! Bye-eee!”

With those last words, Pinkie Pie rushed up the stairs and towards her new room to “change”. Rainbow Dash felt uneasy. Would she really go through and prank every single name on the list? She shook her head twice.

“What am I thinking of? Pinkie Pie? Being a better prankster than me? Ha! That’ll be the day!” she scoffed as she downed the rest of her cocoa, set some bits on the table and left.

As she took off into the night sky, Rainbow Dash saw the form of Mare-Do-Well leaping from rooftop to rooftop a few feet below her. Before she could give her a knowing nod of departure, Mare-Do-Well looked up and just stared silently at her and merely tugged the front of her hat before leaping away. Again, the uneasy feeling crept up on the rainbow-maned pony as looked at the vigilante vanish from sight in the distance. The worried expression was still on her face as she arrived home.

*********************

Rainbow Dash walked around Ponyville and found it strangely quiet. The streets were empty and devoid of ponies and not a sound was heard. She started to grit her teeth nervously and pushed on. She took one step and that’s when she heard it.

Giggling.

Very familiar giggling.

“P-P-P-Pinkie Pie?” the pegasus managed to stammer out. Her fear was quickly replaced with coolness as she stood firm. “Ok, Pinkie Pie! I know you’re out there! What did you do to Ponyville? What did you do to everypony?”

“You know, Rainbow Dash, I was quite the prankster before you came to Ponyville from Cloudsdale.”

She turned around seeing nopony stand there. She wasn’t imagining the soft yet cold voice of the pink earth pony whispering into her ear.

“The ‘High Queen of Pranksters’? Seriously?”

She whipped her head in direction of the voice only to find nothing. Her calm demeanor was starting to crack as she began to sweat.

“Well, ‘Queen’, you’re about to get usurped.”

A cold hoof grabbed her shoulder and Rainbow Dash spun to see Pinkie Pie stand there. Only she wasn’t like she normally was. The first time she saw her like this was when she was fetching her to her surprise party last year while she was in her room throwing another party with those creepy “guests” she made up. The last time was when she, the rest of the girls and the Cakes were waiting for her to show up after she was released from jail after her freak-out. Both times sent shivers up her spine with her straight mane and tail and the darkened hue to her pink coat. But one thing this Pinkie had which the other times didn’t was the expression on her face.

She was smiling. A large grin from ear to ear. An unnerving otherworldly grin. Rainbow Dash never felt fear in her entire life, but this form of Pinkie with her dour expression and darkened hues and straight hair sent a shiver up her spine. Seeing her with a giant grin however made it even worse.
“Here, Dashie. Have a sniff of my beautiful flower!” the unnatural Pinkie said as a daisy magically appeared on her chest which squirted her with water.

Rainbow Dash took a few steps back as she sat down to wipe the water from her face only to hear a loud razzing noise. Embarrassed, she looked down and saw she landed on an enormous whoopee cushion. The straight-haired Pinkie Pie began to click her tongue and shake her head.

“Wow Dashie, you should cut down on beans! Here, let me help you up,” she replied as she lowered a forehoof at her. Rainbow Dash sighed as she took it and quickly regretted it. An enormous surge of electricity began to course through her body as though she was caught in the middle of a thunderstorm and every cloud shot a bolt right at her.

Landing on the floor and shaking as the few electrical impulses left her body, she failed to see Pinkie Pie reveal a handbuzzer and quickly tossed it away. She then revealed a small pouch filled with a strange red-colored powder. Sprinkling some in her hoof, she softly blew the powder as it formed a cloud over the hapless pegasus. Before too long, Rainbow Dash began to itch like crazy and began to scratch herself all over using both her forehooves and her wings as they became crude finger-like extensions. Eventually, the speedster was dragging herself on her back as the itching became intolerable.

“And now, the coop da gracey!” the dark-pink pony exclaimed as she revealed a familiar blue flower and tossed it at the luckless victim.

Rainbow Dash was far too preoccupied dragging around and controlling herself from the unbearable itch from the powder that she didn’t realize her back grazed the Poison Joke that Pinkie dropped. As soon as she did, her wings began to twitch and they suddenly changed position back to the form they were once the first time she encountered the vile plant. Then, her wings took life of their own as they began to flap wildly.

“Hey! Wait! What’s going on? Why can’t I control my wings?!” she said as fear began to run its course as she took flight and could do nothing but wild patterns with no control over her wings.

Pinkie could just look up and giggle madly at her pranks. Rainbow Dash shook her head. The only thing going through her mind was wanting for all this to end.

“Make it stop… Make it stop. Make it stop! Make it-”

*********************

“STOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOP!!!!!”

Rainbow Dash woke up with a start as she clamped her mouth shut. She looked up and saw she was back in her room and the Sun was already in the sky. She shook her head a couple of times and slapped her cheeks a bit. A nightmare. It was only a nightmare.

That was totally uncool… No more dandelion-daisy pizza with extra alfalfa before bed…

As she went to her bathroom to freshen up, she chuckled to herself. Pinkie Pie turning into some sort of pranking monster and actually going through with the list they made. The silly notion itself was more than enough to make her smile again.

That was when a knock came to her door followed by an envelope dropped through the mail slot. Rainbow Dash trotted over to the letter and saw the envelope. She leaned down to pick it up until she saw the name written in a whimsical style.

TO DASHIE FROM PINKIE.

The multicolor-maned speedster quickly rescinded her head back as her mind played a scene in her head.

{Pinkie Pie with her straight mane, dark hue and mad grin took a bag with a picture of a pony sneezing and sprinkled some powder from the bag and coated it all over the inside of the envelope. Giggling madly, she sealed it and dropped it in the mailbox.}

She shook her head a few times.

Aw come on, Rainbow. You’re getting some silly dream get the best of you! Pinkie wouldn’t even consider doing something like that!

She chuckled heartily only to look at the envelope again and her laughter became slower and unsure. “But better safe than sorry!” She declared as she kicked the envelope out the open door and flew up on the morning breeze. She slammed the door behind her and went back to her morning chores.

Finally, Dash flew out of her house with her saddlebags draped across her back. She looked towards the library and swooped down to her target. Unfortunately for her, Twilight Sparkle had yet to open the windows and her normal point of entry was sealed shut.

“Aw, ponyfeathers…” she grumbled to herself as she braced herself for the impact. The tree itself shook for a good while after the pegasus slammed against the side. After getting her balance back, Dash walked up to the door and found it locked. She knocked a few times hoping Twilight or Spike would answer.

“Hellooooooooooooooo? Anypony home?!” she called out. She leaned her ear close to the door and heard some muffled conversation between the unicorn and her baby dragon assistant. From the sound of it, Twilight was very alarmed. Soft steps were heard and the door opened up a bit to show the face of Spike peeking out.

“Oh, hi Rainbow Dash. Sorry but the library is closed right now. We got…um, an emergency,” the drake explained.

“Just came to bring back the latest Daring Do book Twi lent me. You sure I can’t come in?” the cyan pegasus inquired as she handed the book to the young assistant.

Before Spike could reply, a blackened purple hoof grabbed him and hauled him away.
“HiRainbowDashyoucametoreturnthebook?Greattohear!We’renotfeelinggoodatthemomentsowe’lltalklaterok?Bye!”

With that, the door was slammed shut and locked and bolted, followed by yet more panicked words from Twilight.

Rainbow Dash was curious over what happened to her friend so she hovered up to a window nearby and peeked in. She was shocked to see Twilight Sparkle’s coat all blackened with soot or smoke, her mane standing straight up and her tail frizzled and curly. The look in her eyes reminded Dash of the time Twilight was beyond hysterics over the fact she was “tardy with a report to Princess Celestia”. Just what happened to her?

Dash’s eyes then focuses on a table close by where smoke was pouring out and managed to make out what remained of two flasks and a decanter all shattered with the contents splattered everywhere. A book nearby was opened but also singed with some pages burned out. No doubt due to whatever happened moments before her arrival. That’s when Dash’s eyes lit up in shock.

{Evil Pinkie snickered as she crept up to the Library with a strange flask of liquid in her mouth. Opening the door carefully, she made her way to the table Twilight was conducting her experiment. The royal protégé was too preoccupied writing some notes down in the book to not see the madly-giggling straight-maned pony dump some strange liquid on one of her flasks which immediately made it start to bubble and quickly sneaked off. Twilight took the decanter with her magic and carefully added a drop of the liquid into the tampered flask. Twilight had no time to gasp as the flask exploded making a mess of her experiment and her own body with her blackened coat, ruined mane and poofy tail.}

Rainbow Dash shook her head and laughed. “Yeah, right! It was just an accident! I mean, that egghead is always doing her weirdo experiments and one of them was bound to blow up in her face!”

Letting off a soft blow from her pursed lips, she spread her wings up and flew off. “Imagine that. Pinkie pranking the egghead. Even if she did, Twi’s always an easy target!”

Doubt began to creep up on her again and she bit her lip. Her eyes closed in on the direction of Carousel Boutique.

“You know it wouldn’t hurt to maybe check in on her. Just to get this nagging feeling off my back…” she mused to herself as she approached Rarity’s house.

As soon as she knocked the door, she heard a voice call out. “No no! The Boutique is closed today! Nopony is allowed to come in! Come back in a few weeks! Or months! Or next year if possible!”

Rainbow Dash’s brow arched. “Hey, Rare! It’s me, Rainbow Dash! Lemme in, will ya?”

A few latches and locks were removed and the door creaked open just a bit only for a form covered completely in a black cloak to peek out halfway. Dash was surprised. Not a single bit of a pony’s body could be seen under the baggy wrap as though somepony didn’t want to be seen.

“Rarity? Is that you?!” the pegasus said in curious shock.

“Oh, Rainbow Dash. I’m sorry, Darling, but I’m a bit…indisposed at the moment. Please come back very soon, as in very VERY soon. I don’t want anypony in Ponyville to see me right now…” replied the fashionista’s familiar voice from the loose cowl that covered her entire head and face.

“Wait a sec, what happened?” her friend asked with concern. She tried to open the door but Rarity held it fast. Not about to give up, she pushed it even harder and managed to overpower her and walked in. As expected, all the curtains were drawn and every single window was closed tight. Then she saw the form of the cloaked Rarity and managed to spot one of her hooves and was surprised to see it… naked?! The familiar whitish coat color of her hoof was gone.

Rarity immediately shrieked as she sunk her bare hoof back into her cloak. Rainbow Dash became more concerned as she grabbed the edge of the wrap’s cowl and tried to pull it down. The unicorn however, turned on her magic and prevented the pegasus from pulling the hood down. However, the speedster wasn’t about to give up and managed to rip the cowl out of the cloak and revealed Rarity’s head.

Rainbow Dash’s eyes could not believe what she saw. Rarity’s entire head was… BALD! Her beautiful white coat, her attractive purple mane curled and styled with care, her sultry eyelashes. They were all gone! That’s when she managed to see her neck and what could be seen of her back. They were also hairless! Rarity was completely shorn of all hair!

The Pegasus clamped her mouth shut as she refrained from laughing, more so since her unicorn friend was staring at her with sorrowful eyes.

“Rainbow Dash, do not tell a single soul of what you have just seen or, by Celestia, I will ruin your life!” Rarity seethed only to cry and land on her familiar red couch.

“Hey, I’m the element of Loyalty, remember? So, what happened?” Dash replied as she placed a comforting hoof on her cloaked body.

“It was a disaster! I was taking my bath as I do every morning but when I put on my usual shampoo and body wash…” Her lips then quiver as she buried her head in her hooves and sobbed. “They all fell out! My coat! My mane! My tail! My… cutie mark!!” Nothing but hair all over! This is. THE. WORST. POSSIBLE. THING!!!!!!!!!!!!”

Rainbow Dash felt sorry for her friend as she prided herself in her appearance. Sure, it would all grow back but it would take a while. As she patted her in condolence, her eyes shot up again.

{Evil Pinkie tiptoed up to the Boutique and made her way inside to Rarity’s bathroom. She held out another flask with a vile-smelling liquid inside and poured its contents into the bottles of shampoo and body wash nearby. With a malicious chortle, she made her way outside as she heard Rarity hum a happy tune and went inside the bath. She heard the water turn on, followed by some more humming. Then the humming stopped, followed by a loud gasp and then a glass-piercing shriek. Pinkie rubbed her forehooves in sadistic glee.}

Rainbow Dash gulped as she began to sweat. “Two down…” she said nervously to herself.

“Darling, is something amiss?” Rarity asked her only for her friend to shake her head nervously.

“Uh, no no. All’s cool. Listen, Rare, hope your hair grows back. Your secret’s safe with me. Gotta go! Later!” With those words, Rainbow Dash sped off. The unicorn shrugged her shoulders as she locked up her doors as soon as her guest left.

*********************

“Aww, lis’en to yerself, sugar cube. Yer gettin’ all worked up over nuttin’!”

Applejack snorted with disdain as she walked towards a silo behind the Sweet Apple Acres barn while Rainbow Dash simply stared down at her angrily as she hovered overhead.

“I’m telling you, Pinkie Pie is going all out with her pranks! She’s already got Twilight and Rarity, and everypony here at Sweet Apple Acres are next! First Big Macintosh, then Granny Smith and finally you!” the Pegasus said exasperated.

“Pinkie Pie? You gotta be pullin’ mah leg, Rainbow Dash. Ah’m sure as spit Ah haven’t seen that pink pony ‘round these parts today,” the farm pony replied. “Big Macintosh is over yonder bringin’ the latest harvest on the cart, Granny Smith’s rockin’ on her chair on that there porch an’ Ah’m on my way to take inventory of the apples in the silo. Jes’ another day here on the farm.”

Rainbow Dash however didn’t pay any attention to her as she was focused looking at Big Macintosh going up the hill nearby carrying a heavy cart filled with apples. Suddenly, the cart itself broke off from the shafts as Big Mac jerked forward and landed on his head. Both the elements looked on in horror as the cart went careening down the hill and smashed itself against a tree below. All the apples spilled over and the cart was now a broken mess.

“Oh no! The harvest!” Applejack cried out as she galloped down the hill with Rainbow Dash flying close behind her. Big Macintosh managed to get on his legs despite still attached to his end of the cart’s shaft and followed the two fillies.

“Why did this ever happen?! Our harvest for the day’s gone! An’ the cart’s smashed up! Consarn it!” the orange pony muttered as she kicked the ground beneath her.

The hardy red stallion could do nothing but hang his head low. Applejack looked at her brother with care. “Aw, it ain’ yer fault, Big Mac. Jes’ this old cart must’ve been on its last legs, y’know.”

“Look there!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed as she pointed to the cart on the area where the shaft is supposed to connect, specifically the hinges. Upon closer inspection, they saw the hinges were very loose on the surface as though the screws that held it in place and connected it to the shaft were taken out. Without those screws, the shaft would be unable to hold the weight of the cart and the hinges would break off.

“Now what the heck happened to those screws?!” Applejack grumbled angrily. Rainbow Dash suddenly had another vision.

{Evil Pinkie approached Sweet Apple Acres just before dawn and looked with wicked intent at the cart with attached shaft. Grabbing a screwdriver with her teeth, she managed to loosen and unscrew all the restraints of the hinges. Chortling, she sneaked away.}

The cyan speedster bit her lip as she left the two confused siblings and went back up to the porch where Applejack said Granny Smith was in her rocking chair. The old mare was sleeping soundly as she lazily rocked back and forth in the chair. Before Dash could warn her, the chair suddenly began to shake and the matriarch received a rude awakening as the chair broke apart, dumping her on the floor.

“Yeowch! Mah hip! Mah good hip!” she exclaimed. Rainbow Dash just stared on in terror as the two siblings galloped back up to check on their grandmother.

{Evil Pinkie slinked away from the cart and found the rocking chair on the porch. Giggling madly, she grabbed a saw in her teeth and began to make soft yet subtle cuts all over the rocking chair. Strong to hold the old mare’s weight, but just enough for it to fall apart if rocked for too long. Rubbing her forehooves again, she tiptoed away.}

“Dad gum it, whah’s everythin’ goin’ screwy around here today? First the cart breaks loose, then Granny Smith’s chair fell apart, what’s next?!” Applejack muttered angrily as Big Mac helped his granny up on her legs. The seething orange pony stormed off to the silo. “Maybe countin’ all them apples will make me feel better!”

Rainbow Dash was still frozen in her last vision to not see Applejack walk towards the silo. She then looked down in fear as she realized she was next! She zoomed off to get her.

“Applejack! Wait! Don’t open that-”

It was too late.

As soon as Applejack opened the door, a thick yellowish sludge began to pour out of the silo and buried her under the gloppy mess.

“…silo…” Rainbow Dash managed to whisper out as another vision came.

{Evil Pinkie walked over to the silo and opened it up, seeing all the mounds of apples the Apple Family were storing inside. Chuckling madly, she revealed yet another flask with a new potion. Tossing the flask inside, the contents quickly spilled out and the apples began to turn into the disgusting-looking yellow slime. Just before the ooze could spill out, she slammed the silo door and quickly made her way out of Sweet Apple Acres with all her pranks all set in place.}

As Rainbow Dash remained frozen, Big Macintosh went up and starting digging around the oozing yellowish slop and managed to grab on to a blond tail and managed to pluck his sister out of the muck. The formerly orange filly along with her hat was now covered completely in the slimy stuff and her green eyes showed rage.

The Pegasus finally regained her senses. She was too late. The Apple Family have all been pranked. Just a few more remain. She was in full blown panic. Derpy was the next one followed by all three Cutie Mark Crusaders. Without a second to lose, she zoomed off back to Ponyville.

*********************

Her instincts told her she needed to head straight to Sugarcube Corner without a second to spare. On arriving, she was shocked to see a small crowd of officers standing watch over a form in the center of the pony barricade. She hovered up and looked at the figure the officers were watching over to see the clumsy gray pegasus pony on the floor. She was looking very bad with her face colored green, her stomach bloated and she moaned constantly in pain.

“Oooh… Muffins... No… more…muffins…Oooh…” she managed to moan. Golden Harvest was nearby shaking her head in sadness. Right on cue, an ambulance cart arrived to pick up the sick pegasus to take her to the hospital. Rainbow Dash gasped as another jolt hit her brain.

{Evil Pinkie stood there holding a tray of freshly baked muffins along with a sign reading “FREE SAMPLES”. Before any of the ponies around her could snatch up a free muffin, Derpy barreled into them and snatched up all the muffins and swallowed them in one gulp. Everybody then saw the Pegasus scrunch her face as she fell to the ground, face turning green and her belly bloating up. She began to moan in pain as several officers came out and called in an ambulance. The darkened-pink trickster managed to sneak away during the confusion as she threw away an empty bottle with a picture of a pony sticking its tongue out in disgust.}

As she heard the ambulance’s bell ring away in the distance, she and everypony else heard an explosion coming from inside Sugarcube Corner. The officers on standby as well as all the onlookers stampeded inside. Rainbow Dash was still too shocked over her latest vision that she was unable to enter the bakery until it was too late and there was a large mob blocking her view. She feared the worst considering who was next on the list.

Just as she suspected, a familiar trio of schoolage fillies were led outside as several officers kept them boxed in. Not like the Cutie Mark Crusaders would escape and scatter as the three girls were all stuck together in a blend of what seemed to be cake batter, frosting and chocolate chips.

“Ya gotta believe us! We were tryin’ ta get our cutie marks by helpin’ Pinkie Pie!” Apple Bloom protested. Rainbow Dash’s ears picked up the name and her brain flashed.

{“Yep, that’s all I need you to do! Just put these cakes in the oven while I go run a little errand!” Evil Pinkie said with faux sweetness as she showed the trio of fillies a tray of strange, bubbling cake batter already decorated with frosting and chocolate chips placed in tins ready to be put inside the oven.

“Are you sure we should be helping you here in the kitchen, Miss Pinkie?” Sweetie Belle said with apprehension as her snout scrunched at the sight of the bubbling batter before her.

“Don’ li’sen to her, Pinkie Pie! Ya can count on us!” Apple Bloom said as she clicked her hooves together.

“Yeah, baking these babies are gonna be as easy as pie! No pun intended!” Scootaloo added with a sheepish grin.

“I’m counting on it…” Evil Pinkie replied with malice as she ran out the back door. This sudden reaction left the Cutie Mark Crusaders confused, but with the hopes of earning their cutie marks, they soldiered on.

Using thick mouth guards, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo placed the tray of odd cake batter tins into the oven and closed the door. Apple Bloom turned the oven on and the trio sat around. However, they saw the oven start to shake and vibrate very strangely.

“Uh oh! She’s gonna blow!!” Apple Bloom shouted as she and her friends dove behind a preparation table as the oven burst open with a boom and the batter flew up in the air and splattered all over the trio, leaving them stuck in place and unable to run away.

From outside, Evil Pinkie smirked wickedly as the Cakes and nearby officers entered the ruined kitchen.}

“We didn’t mean to cause the oven to explode! Please believe us!” added Sweetie Belle as Rainbow Dash finally came to.

“That’s the last time I’m ever setting foot in a kitchen!” Scootaloo groaned angrily.

“I say, that will be quite enough, dearies,” Sergeant Trot Fuzz said with a snort. “We sort all this out after we let your parents know you will be at the station. Well, come along then.”

As the trio was led away, Rainbow Dash could shake her head slowly as she trembled in fear. Pinkie was out of control! Never in her life did she ever pull of a prank and get someone in trouble for it. She had to stop her, but how? She remembered the next name on the list. The Ponyville Retirement Village! Those old stallions and mares were in trouble! She picked up speed as she went to the old ponies’ home.

Dash wasted no time as she went inside the Ponyville Retirement Village. Before she could warn the nurses on duty at that moment, she gazed at the scene before her and realized she was too late. Every single old stallion and mare was wearing a strange thick vest and were somehow scratching themselves all over as they twisted, jerked, lurched and shook in all manners of direction. The nurses and doctors on hand tried desperately to put them all under control but it was a losing battle.

“How?! How could this have happened?!” a panicked nurse cried out unaware Rainbow Dash was behind her. “That young Pinkie Pie kindly donated those vests and now they’re all acting crazy! Why?!” Rainbow Dash gasped in fear.

{Evil Pinkie held out a familiar pouch in her hand as she sprinkled the cart load of vests in a red powder that was quickly absorbed by the fabric of the accessories. She hid the bag as soon as some nurses and the presiding doctor came out of the Retirement Village. The straight-maned trickster merely smiled as she waved a hoof at the vests and the doctor and nurses nodded in joy. Evil Pinkie kept smiling joyfully as she waved the staff goodbye as they carted the vests inside. As soon as the doors were closed, the smile turned into one of pure evil as she trotted off and the sounds of uncomfortable itching old ponies were heard from inside}

The cyan pony snapped out of her daze and realized the list was nearly done. Four were left. The Mayor, Captain Halberd, Cranky Donkey and Fluttershy. Once they were pranked, only she would be left! She had to stop her before it was her turn! She left the bedlam behind and headed straight for Town Hall.

*********************

She didn’t need to realize she was unable to stop her crazed friend when she saw Town Hall in front of her. Gone were the beautiful colors of the gazebo-like structure and replaced by a garish mishmash of artistic anarchy. Red, orange and blue stripes, green polka dots on a pink backdrop, a gaudy gray-yellow and purple tartan pattern, and many other outrageous color patterns were all splattered on the formerly-pristine center building of Ponyville pride.

Rainbow Dash’s eyes quickly zoomed in on the distraught Mayor, whose mane and tail were a total mess. “How?! Why?! I thought… No!” she exclaimed as she stared in shock. Dash’s own eyes followed suit as another vision came.

{Evil Pinkie, wearing a black beret and artist smock, came wheeling in a cart of strange paint cans. She stood in front of the beautiful Town Hall building and giggled cruelly at what she had planned. Taking a paintbrush in her teeth, her body became a blur as she somehow managed to paint the entire Town Hall in the imaginative yet distasteful color scheme it now sported. Putting the tip of her forehoof to her lip, she gave it a small kiss as she scampered away.}

“AN OUTRAGE!!!”

Rainbow Dash was burst out of her vision when she heard the loud booming voice of Captain Halberd. Turning her head around, she saw the Ponyville Police chief flanked by his two sycophants approach the Mayor, who was still wallowing in distress.

The speedster had to shake her head a few times to see if she wasn’t imagining the captain’s face and uniform were all splattered with ink. Sadly, she wasn’t dreaming. His face and the entire front part of his uniform, including his medals, were all really stained with real dark blue ink. From the looks of his demeanor, this was not something he was too happy about.

“Madame Mayor, when I find the one responsible for this travesty of justice to my very being, mark my word he or she will never see the light of Celestia’s sun as long as I live!” he bellowed in absolute rage. Dash gulped.

{Poking her head through the main office’s window, Evil Pinkie went inside, tiptoed to Halberd’s desk and dropped a small pellet into the inkwell next to the writing quill. Chuckling with malevolent glee, she jumped out the window and waited. Halberd soon entered the room and walked to his desk where he used his dark green magic to lift the quill and dipped it into the inkwell to write a new document. However, the quill didn’t absorb any ink as the ink inexplicably dried out and became a stiff block. Halberd harrumphed in annoyance as he set the quill down and lifted the inkwell to his face. His eyes narrowed in curiosity as to why his ink dried out. With a small bang and explosion, the inkwell dumped its contents all over Halberd’s face and his uniform. Lock Up and Lock Down looked on in horror as Halberd lowered the inkwell and his body began to shake. An earth-shattering roar was heard from the office as Evil Pinkie rubbed her hooves at her successful prank.}

“…and furthermore it will take forever for my beautiful medals to be restored to their lustrous shine! I shall wreak vengeance on whoever made a mockery of me!”

Rainbow Dash was again brought back to consciousness after her small trip into her mind. Needless to say, she didn’t want to stay in the area another moment longer with Captain Halberd ready to incarcerate anypony who just looked at him the wrong way. Time was running short. Two were left and then Pinkie would come calling for her…

*********************

She knocked on the door to Cranky’s house hoping for the best. “With the luck I’m having, she probably got to him already…” she muttered to herself.

As expected with other doors she came across today, this one also opened halfway as Matilda peeked out from inside. “Why, hello Rainbow dear! What brings you here today?” she said with a kind smile but still didn’t budge from opening the door completely.

“Uh, hi there. Is Cranky home right now?” Dash asked with hope.

“Well, yes, he is, but he’s not taking any visitors at the moment. He’s had a little accident, so to speak,” the elderly donkey answered.

“Matilda! Just tell her to come back later! I just have to get it fixed and soon!” the old curmudgeon snapped as his head came into view. The pegasus’s eyes opened wide seeing his toupee. No longer was it the blond pompadour that Pinkie gave him after she apologized for ruining the old one but rather one that was…like her own multicolored mane and tail! She was confused as to how his toupee managed to become that way only for another vision to appear.

{Humming to herself, Evil Pinkie made her way inside without Cranky or Matilda hearing her come in. She saw the old donkey’s blond pompadour toupee on a wig stand nearby and chuckled as she revealed a bottle of Zap Apple extract. She poured the liquid all over the hairpiece and pretty soon it was all the colors of the rainbow. A loud cough from an approaching Cranky cued her exit and she made herself scarce.}

When she came to, the door was firmly shut. They didn’t even spare any time to bid her farewell as she zoned out. By now, Rainbow Dash was frozen in fear.

Fluttershy.

Sensitive, sweet Fluttershy.

She was the last name on the list. She spared no time as she took to the skies and zoomed off to Fluttershy’s cottage near Everfree.

*********************

Dash instantly knew she was too late when she saw the bouncing form of Pinkie Pie giggling happily to herself as she closed the door to the cottage and was making her way back to Ponyville. This was the moment of truth. She swooped down and landed on the ground, running straight towards Pinkie Pie.

“Pinkie Pie, what the hay have you been up to?! Do you know all the trouble you’ve been causing?!” Rainbow Dash snapped as she leaned her head forward at the smiling pink pony.

“Um, I dunno. What sort of trouble have I been causing? Oooh, that reminds me, your surprise is coming up! I hope you’re ready!” Pinkie replied with pep.

The cyan Pegasus could only stare in doubt at her friend. How could she remain so calm and relaxed despite all the vicious pranks she has been pulling the entire day. Then, she looked up at the cottage behind her and felt something gnawing at her.

“Pinkie… what happened to Fluttershy? What happened in there?” she asked nervously.

The pink earth pony immediately rolled on the floor, giggling her head off. “You should’ve seen it! Fluttershy! Hee hee hee hee! She! Hee hee hee! So funny! I never laughed so much in my life! Hee hee hee!! I wish I could see it again and smile!”

Rainbow Dash’s wings drooped. Running past her laughing friend, she entered the cottage and found it empty. She suddenly heard a noise upstairs and wasted no time in going up. As she flew up, her mind replayed her current thoughts like a mantra.

She didn’t do it. She didn’t do it. She didn’t do it. She didn’t do it. She didn’t do it. She didn’t do it.
She didn’t do it. She didn’t do it. She didn’t do it. She-

“…did…”

Rainbow Dash couldn’t believe what she was looking at in Fluttershy’s bathroom. The meek yellow pegasus just laid there on her haunches next to the tub, head lowered and eyes closed. Her entire body, mane and tail were all soaking wet and she just stood there frozen like a statue. What happened to her?

Before she could come in any closer, Angel Bunny jumped up to her face and startled her. The rabbit tapped his foot in annoyance as he pointed outside. Rainbow Dash paid no attention as she took another step closer. This time Angel gave Dash a small kick to her hoof and pointed outside again. The cyan speedster realized Fluttershy was too depressed to even speak at the moment and decided to take her leave. The second she left the bathroom, Angel slammed the door shut behind her.

{Evil Pinkie dumping a bucket of water. Evil Pinkie throwing water balloons. Evil Pinkie turning a hose on at full blast. All of the above. Fluttershy didn’t stand a chance at the onslaught. She now laid there all soaked as her friend could do nothing but laugh and laugh at her misfortune.}

Rainbow Dash’s rage over how Pinkie was able to hurt the one she claimed she’d never touch because of her sensitivity was quickly cancelled out by a fearful epiphany.

She was next. The remaining name on the list.

Rainbow Dash took a few steps back and flew off through the bedroom window. Pinkie would no doubt be waiting for her. The “surprise” she mentioned yesterday was definitely the crowning moment of her day of vicious pranks and practical jokes. They were all the warm-up to what she was preparing for her.

“You want me, Pinkie Pie?” she said to herself. “You’ll have to find me!”

She made her way back to her house and was ready to open the door when she stopped dead in her tracks.

{Evil Pinkie was waiting for her from behind the door. Waiting to unleash the barrage that her dream warned her about.

“Come on in, Dashie… I was waiting all day for this…”}

“NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! You won’t get me!” she yelled to the door as she picked up speed and left.

She quickly made her way back to Ponyville, trying desperately to find a place to hide. She approached the Spa with its lights on.

{Evil Pinkie was lying on the hot tub, sipping some cider as she saw her enter.}

She stopped short and flew off in the opposite direction and landed near the schoolhouse. She was ready to open the door.

{Evil Pinkie was softly writing on the chalkboard one single sentence over and over again, filling all the available space there was.

“I WILL PRANK DASHIE”.}

She stopped again and flew off in yet another direction, landing close to the Cutie Mark Crusaders’ clubhouse.

She went up the small ramp and fearfully pushed the door open. Thankfully there were no visions. She was safe at last. She went inside and saw the small treehouse quiet and empty. Usually, the filly trio would be there planning their next quest to gain their cutie marks but after what happened today it was doubtful they had anything for this day.

Rainbow Dash couldn’t help but smile seeing what was obviously Scootaloo’s handiwork seeing a poster reading “The Top Ten Reasons Rainbow Dash is Best Pony” and a crayon-drawn image of her with a strange square-shaped body with a trail of rainbow flowing behind her. That brought little comfort to her as she huddled herself in a ball and managed to sleep.

*********************

“Rainbow Dash?”

The cyan pegasus merely stirred in her sleep.

“Rainbow Dash!”

“Mmmm. Just a few more seconds, Mom,” she replied woozily.

“Hey! RAINBOW DASH!”

That was enough to startle her awake and got on her hooves. She looked ahead of her and saw the Cutie Mark Crusaders stand there with Scootaloo looked up at her in admiration and Apple Bloom holding a lantern with fireflies illuminating the now-dark clubhouse. Rainbow Dash turned to the window and saw it was finally dark. How long has she been asleep?

“Wow, Rainbow Dash! It’s so cool that we found you!” the little pegasus filly beamed. “Everypony was searching for you and we thought we’d come pick up some of our stuff to help with the search and here you were!”

“Wha-? Huh? Who’s looking for me?” Rainbow Dash asked, still half-groggy.

“Pinkie Pie!” Sweetie Belle piped up and that’s when the adult pony froze again.

“Oh no! Nonononononononononono! Don’t let her get me! I’m the last one! She will get me just like she got all of you!” she yelled half-crazily as her mane and tail suddenly became messy and her pupils shrunk to near pin-pricks.

“Rainbow Dash, what are you talkin’ ‘bout? Pinkie Pie has been preparin’ somethin’ mighty special for you all day,” Apple Bloom explained.

Dash’s ears began to twitch as did her eyes. She looked down at them and had another vision.

{“Remember, girls, help me find Rainbow Dash and you will all join me in my ascension to the High Queen of Pranksters! Why, you’ll even earn a cutie mark!” Evil Pinkie proclaimed to the three fillies as their expression became dark.

“As you command, your Highness!” they all replied as the quarter began to laugh madly.}

Rainbow Dash chuckled nervously. “Oh, I see your little game plan. Everypony’s in on it! She’s going to make them all her subjects to her glory! All she needs is me to complete the sequence! Well, she won’t get me! Nopony is going to get me!”

The trio looked at each other in confusion.

Scootaloo approached her idol. “Rainbow Dash, is everything all-”

“Nopony is gonna get me! I’ll fly to the ends of Equestria! She’ll never find me there! Never!” she screamed out as she giggled madly and raised her wings.

Nopony will get me… Nopony will get me… Nopony will get me…

She turned around and prepared to fly off when she stood face to face with the bubbly Pinkie Pie smiling at her.

“Hi Dashie! Wow, you sure were hard to find today! So, ready for your surprise?” the pink pony asked as she raised a brown package between her hooves.

Rainbow Dash’s heart stopped as she stared with a twitch in her eye at the box before her.

{A short-exploding bomb that would coat her in sticky taffy. A spring-loaded pie tin that would slam its creamy payload on her. A cloud of sneezing and itching powder that would cause double the agony. A batch of Poison Joke which would cause all sorts of nasty yet whimsical effects on her body.}

“NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!” she threw Pinkie Pie aside as she flew off in a panic.

The pink pony shook her head and sighed. “As if this hasn’t happened before. Oh well…”

Rainbow Dash flew in all directions and hid everywhere. At the tip of Town Hall, posing as the fountain’s statue, deep inside the foliage of the tree Fluttershy’s cottage was built on, on her usual napping spot at Sweet Apple Acres and even pretending to be a cloud, even if her wings and eyes could be seen popping out. Pinkie Pie found her without fail all the time. Dash was getting more desperate and crazed with everytime she was found until finally she was cornered in front of Sugarcube Corner.

The manic pegasus leaned up against the bakery wall as Pinkie Pie bounced up to her holding her package by its string in her teeth. Rainbow Dash finally gave up. Her eyes went back to normal, her mane and tail became less wild and she sat down on her haunches.

“Ok, Pinkie Pie. You got me. Just like everypony else you did today. I concede my title. You are the true Queen of Pranksters…” she sighed sadly as her head and wings hung low.

“Huh?”

Rainbow Dash looked up to see her friend look at her oddly with the package dropped softly before her. “Uh, what are you talking about, silly Dashie? Me? A Queen of Pranksters? How could you think that about me?”

“What are you saying? How you got everypony on the list and you got them all good! Twilight, Rarity, Applejack’s family, Derpy, the Mayor, Halberd, and even Fluttershy! I could never prank them all in one day and you did it!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed.

Pinkie Pie tapped a hoof against her chin. “Ohhhhhhh! That list!” She then giggled softly. “ I came back tired after you-know-who stopped some criminals and I just forgot all about it! I was far too busy getting your surprise ready!”

She then placed a hoof on the package and slid it over to her friend. “Well, go on! Open it, silly filly!”

Dash looked down at the box and carefully cut the string with her teeth and opened the box. She gasped seeing its content. It wasn’t a bomb or a bunch of powder or a bouquet of Poison Joke at all. It was a simple cake. A cake with Rainbow Dash’s own cutie mark in the center and the words reading “Happy Arrival-to-Ponyville Anniversary, Rainbow Dash!”

That’s when she realized it. Today was the anniversary of the day she first came to Ponyville from Cloudsdale! The day she first met Pinkie Pie and the first party she ever threw in her honor.

“Oh Pinkie… I-I-I just forgot all about it. I-I-I don’t…”

“Didn’t you get my letter this morning? It was to remind you to come to Sugarcube Corner and get your cake!” Pinkie Pie wondered as her head leaned to the side.

Rainbow Dash gulped. She remembered that letter all right…

She was now confused. “But, I don’t get it… If you forgot all about the list, then what happened to everypony? They were all pranked!”

“I think we owe you all an explanation…”

Rainbow looked to the side and saw her four friends stand there. Twilight Sparkle was back to her old self as her coat, mane and tail were back to normal. Rarity stood there happily with all her hair now back so soon. Applejack stood there tall and clean with no sign of the yellow goop she was drenched with anywhere. Fluttershy stood there calmly with no sign she was ever soaking wet.

“When you first came to visit me, I was in the middle of an experiment so I had all my windows shut to prevent any wind or outside influence from interfering with my studies. This was a very important experiment which I hoped to give the results to Princess Celestia,” Twilight explained. “But when you shook the tree after you crashed on it, I lost concentration and dropped more of an element into the mixture and, boom!”

“Yeah, uh, sorry about that, egg- I mean, Twilight…” Rainbow Dash answered meekly.

“The whole debacle with my… ‘accident’ was my fault, darling. I thought I was buying my regular shampoo and bodywash from the spa yesterday but I accidentally took two bottles of their hair remover by mistake!” Rarity said with a hint of embarrassment. “Imagine my chagrin when I saw the bottles again after you left and discovered my error! Thankfully Twilight had a spell to help with the rapid recovery of my beautiful coat, mane and tail which I then had styled back to their marvelous form.”

“After Big Macintosh pulled me out, Ah tasted that there yellow stuff an’ found out it was applesauce. The whole apple crop turned to applesauce!” said Applejack. “When Ah went to pick up Apple Bloom from the police station, she had confessed that she an’ her friends wanted to earn their cutie marks findin’ a new way to make our apples sell better so they broke into Zecora’s, fiddled around with her magic doodads an’ made a potion that they thought would make our apples bigger an’ juicier but instead turned them all into applesauce! We all gave all three of them fillies a thick ear as punishment!”

“But what about-” Rainbow Dash began before Applejack interrupted her.

“Big Mac’s accident? Turns out after lookin' at the hill, we found some of them screws had popped off from bein' all rusty! No wonder they fell out! An' Granny Smith’s chair? Seems them pesky termites have been chowin’ down on that old chair every night an' they were bound to break it an’ today was the day it went down.”

“I-I-I’m sorry if I was asleep when you came to visit me, Rainbow Dash…” Fluttershy whispered softly. “Pinkie brought Gummy over and he was so dirty so we gave him a bath, but he was quite slippery and I, um, accidentally fell inside the bathtub.”

“Hee hee! It was so funny too! I really wish I could have seen that again!” Pinkie Pie interrupted only for Twilight to shush her and allowed Fluttershy to continue.

“I was so tired that day after being awake all night helping direct Mr. Bat during his hunt after he hurt his ears so I didn’t sleep at all. Uh… once Gummy was dry, I let him out and just sat there in the bathroom to sleep while Angel kept watch over me. He told me you came after Pinkie left. I’m sorry I didn’t get to say anything before…”

Rainbow Dash did nothing but nod during the whole time. “Ok, so that was with all of you…but what about the others?”

*********************

“Ok, ok, lemme get this straight,” Dash said as she sat at the counter of Sugarcube Corner surrounded by her friends and some patrons who stayed for her “Welcome to Ponyville” anniversary party Pinkie Pie managed to finally begin as they all shed some light on today’s events.

“When Pinkie Pie delivered the cart of new vests on behalf of Rarity and they put them on, old stallion Waddle actually got an itch and began to scratch it. When he did that, every old pony in that home thought he came up with a new dance craze and followed him along with everything he did?!”

“Merciful heavens, yes! We tried very hard to calm everypony down but they didn’t listen. It was until Mr. Waddle stopped itching that we settled them down,” one of the Retirement Village’s nurses on her break said with a roll of her eyes.

“And you should’ve seen the Captain! Apparently one of his prized medals got lost and he tore up his office to find it, ending up accidentally spilling the inkwell's contents on himself which made him more furious!” Officer Hotshot explained with a laugh, “He called the theft of his medal ‘an outrage’ and that ‘he would bring the thief to justice’! Imagine his face seeing that medal having been in his house the entire time after he went there to change his uniform!” With that, all the other officers laughed along.

“I swear Derpy’s muffin habit will be the end of her!” Golden Harvest complained out loud. “She has been eating nothing but muffins non-stop for the past two weeks! I told her it was bad for her to eat nothing but muffins, but noooooooooo… She had to eat that one last muffin and promptly got sick from them! Hopefully this will make her eat other stuff than muffins all day!”

“Hopefully the spare oven will be fixed soon. I swear those little rascals are so helpful but they have absolutely no clue what to do in the kitchen! Imagine trying to bake a cake for cutie marks!” Mrs. Cake said as she stood next to the guests to Rainbow Dash’s “party”.

“My dear Mrs. Cake, you have no idea how right you are in regards to the Cutie Mark Crusaders and their kitchen skills. I still feel goose pimples remembering my dear little Sweetie’s attempts at breakfast those days before the Sisterhooves Social,” Rarity replied with a shudder.

“Think that’s bad? Imagine the breakdown the Mayor had with the pegasi painters she hired who followed her instructions to gather the exact color-code paint cans to repaint Town Hall, only to realize her secretary made several errors with the codes and accidentally getting the wrong colors and painting everything until it was too late!” a filly civil servant spoke up. “I swear I thought the Mayor would get gray hairs for sure from that nervous collapse!”

Rainbow Dash chuckled at that only to direct her attention to a certain multicolored hairpiece-wearing donkey a few feet down from where she was. “So Cranky, how does emulating the coolest pony in Ponyville feel like?”

“Just because I tried to use one of those strange dyes on Matilda’s advice to change this hair to a better color and accidentally using too much doesn’t mean I’m copying anypony!” the irritable Cranky snapped back causing the others to laugh.

“Gee, Pinkie, I’m really sorry. I thought for sure you became a pranking monster only to realize it was all in my head. Will you ever forgive me?” the cyan Pegasus asked as her ears flopped sadly.

Pinkie Pie replied with a hug. “Aw, come on, Dashie! You’re always my friend! Don’t ever forget that!”

“Yeah, thanks. You’re one of the best,” the pegasus replied as she grinned happily causing all the guests to whoop in joy.

“I guess a certain somepony is going to have to send this week’s Friendship Report to Celestia now,” Twilight added matter-of-factly.

“Yeah, yeah, tomorrow after I come by and pick up my latest Daring Do from-” Rainbow Dash then stared at Pinkie with a sly grin “Hey Pinkie! Aren’t you forgetting something?”

Pinkie cocked her head to the side wondering what she was talking about.

The pegasus was just about to remind her of her end of the bargain since they made the deal, but stopped short. Shaking her head her grin became softer. “Nevermind. I just like things the way they are. Now and forever.”

*********************

Analysis Report Number: 441.
Title: Special Acquisition

Good fortune smiled as the recent sojourn of the servants into nearby areas of population came across a most unusual specimen, which was acquired without a struggle at a domicile of a pony known for an empathy and unusual ability to communicate with animals. Considering how rare apprehending such an infantile specimen of reptilian nature that is neither draconic nor of any regular denizen of the nearby woodland environment, there is high probability the results would yield positive feedback towards research.

Subject has been classified as a prime candidate to be infused with Formula-strain Gamma. Further notes will be dictated as soon as the infusion process begins. Soon, all the secrets shall be unlocked. I will not fail.

The Legend of Mare-Do-Well trots along.

Chapter 10

The Legend of Mare-Do-Well
Chapter 10: Evilution Begins
by JD2K

Angel Bunny was not a very happy rabbit. Despite being glad Fluttershy left the cottage to go socialize with her friends to some party in honor of the blue pony that barged into the bathroom earlier in the day while she was sleeping, she was unable to take Gummy with her to bring back to Pinkie Pie. Of all the pets the kind pegasus has taken care of, Gummy was the most difficult to deal with and Angel found keeping the gator standing still and not wandering off a troublesome chore. The bunny swore Fluttershy would owe him a huge favor in exchange for all his grief.

As Angel chased after the troublesome reptile, his ears suddenly picked up an unusual noise. He looked behind him and became frozen in shock.

Standing before him was an animal that most definitely wasn’t a pet and certainly wasn’t of Everfree. It looked like a wolf but was walking upright on its hind legs, was as tall as the cottage and its front paws seemed less like an animal’s with 5 fingers including thumbs and very sharp claws. Around its neck was a metal collar with some sort of black crystal placed in the center. A werewolf!

The monster laid its piercing amber eyes on Angel and growled. The rabbit however lost his fear and leaped at the werewolf clutching its leg. The lycanthrope merely looked down in annoyance at the pest and kicked him off its leg and sent him flying. Lucky for the bunny his fall was muffled by landing right on a bush nearby. Angel had the wind knocked out of him and began to lose consciousness. The last thing he saw was the werewolf picking up Gummy in its enormous hand, and he passed out.

*********************************

“…No! No! You are not giving up! You have to find him! You have to! You must! You should!” Pinkie Pie pleaded through her bloodshot eyes from crying so much as she stood on top of a desk and stared into the face of the police mare she was speaking to. It didn’t help matters her mane and tail were no longer their curly form but rather their non-cheerful straight style.

“Please, Miss Pie, we’re doing everything we can,” Lt. Buckler replied calmly. “We’ve been investigating all known leads, we’ve had several police officers searching the nearby areas, and we’ve found not a clue to your missing pet. As a pony of interest being one of the Elements of Harmony under protection of the Princesses, we will keep searching and the case shall remain open. We’re working on it.”

Pinkie sniffled as she got down from the desk and shambled away. She turned around to stare sadly at the lieutenant. “Gummy means the world to me. His cute little face brings a smile to me. You have to find him…” she said solemnly. Buckler merely nodded once and Pinkie walked away.

*******************************************

Ponyville was indeed a sad place since the disappearance of Gummy. Citizens who were used to Pinkie Pie’s spunky happy-go-lucky nature were quick to notice how much she meant to them since she stopped smiling, singing or even throwing parties.

In every empty wall, nothing but hoof-drawn crayon posters were placed everywhere, with each having a crayon-drawn image of the cute baby alligator with a caption reading:

MISSING.
IF FOUND CONTACT PINKIE PIE AT SUGARCUBE CORNER.
REWARD IS A PARTY FIT FOR THE PRINCESSES AND ETERNAL LAUGHTER.

“Lan’ sakes. Ah thought Ah’d never see Ponyville so down in the mouth in mah life. Sure is mighty upsettin’…” Applejack mused as she and the others sat together for their weekly luncheon.

“I never realized how much joy Pinkie brought to Ponyville until right now. Here I thought her actions were just because of her nature,” Twilight Sparkle added glumly.

“So, Rainbow Dash, how has the search for Gummy fared? Any signs of the little alligator?” Rarity asked the speedster.

“No dice, Rare. A few of the pegasi officers and yours truly have done nothing but fly-byes at Everfree for the past two weeks and we didn’t even find a trace of the Gumster. The Mayor has been pretty mad that I’ve neglected the weather managing duty while I left it to Cloudkicker and Dizzy,” Dash replied.

“No offense, sugar cube, but the Mayor’s always been on yer case since yer too busy sleepin’ all the time and givin’ yer duties to others,” the farm pony added as the others chuckled a bit except Fluttershy who looked even more miserable than the others, serving to dampen the mood once more.

“I…I...I wish I was there. When I arrived after the party, I saw poor Angel hurt and my back fence all broken. Then I saw those large prints on the mud and I got scared so I took Angel inside to nurse him back to health. I didn’t even think of looking for Gummy…” Fluttershy whispered as tears formed in her eyes. She finally buried her head between her forelegs and sobbed. “Pinkie must think I’m the worst friend in the entire world! I failed her!”

The others were ready to comfort her when they all suddenly gasped. A hoof was placed on Fluttershy’s foreleg and the yellow Pegasus looked up to see the straight-mane draped face of Pinkie Pie stare up at her. Her expression of her face was one of unusual calmness.

“Fluttershy, don’t blame yourself. Blame the rotten son-of-a-broodmare that stole him. Whoever he was, he will regret taking my Gummy…” she said in a low voice as she walked away. The others were scared. Pinkie was never one to swear at anypony and seeing her like that made things worse. They looked down at their half-eaten lunches and quickly lost their appetite. They immediately asked for take-out boxes, paid their bits and left.

***************************************

“Good afternoon, Angel,” Fluttershy said as she set foot in her cottage. She looked in direction of her comfy couch and saw Angel Bunny there, with bandages over his head, stomach and right hind leg, resting on a basket as he recovered from his ordeal.

She placed the restaurant’s take-out box on the ground and used her wings to remove her saddlebags from her back. She walked over to her recovering patient and saw him weakly open one of his eyes.

“How are you feeling today? Oh, I hope you get better soon. You have to tell me all about the bad meanies who took Gummy,” she sighed sadly as she went over to her kitchen to pick up a bowl with a rabbit’s face motif around the receptacle.

“Today’s your lucky day. I didn’t finish eating my vegetable stew at lunch today so I figured you can take it. I’m not really that hungry,” she said with a hint of cheer. Angel looked up at her, unable to frown or act finicky. Then again, he was at her mercy and he was glad she was taking care of him.

Their joy however was to take a turn for the worst.

As Fluttershy walked back near the entrance to pick up the take-out box and place the stew in the bowl for Angel to eat, a powerful force blew the door apart and sent the yellow pegasus flying across the room to land on her couch. She looked up and gasped in terror as she saw an enormous gray furry hand with large claws recede from where the door used to be only for something far more terrifying to take its place.

A fearsome face with amber eyes, dark gray fur, a long snout, rows of sharp fangs and a metal collar with a black gem on its neck.

Angel cringed as he saw the werewolf that injured him and took Gummy away return. Fluttershy looked at her rabbit companion and deduced from his look of terror that this was the same beast responsible for the actions that night.

Fluttershy was paralyzed by the sudden arrival of this newcomer as its amber eyes looked everywhere and set its sight on the trembling pegasus. The animal growled once as it lunged one of its hands forward, destroying the entire front façade of her cottage to grab the defenseless pony. She screamed out in fright as the werewolf took her in its paw and began to move its arm back outside. The fear soon overtook her completely and she fainted away.

As the werewolf walked away with slow thundering steps, it was unable to see a flash followed by a rainbow trail hit it square on its muzzle. The monster let out a howl of pain and bared his fangs in direction of the rainbow trail’s source to see the defiant form of Rainbow Dash hovering overhead.

“Yo, Dogface! Put down my friend and tell me where you took Gummy or I’m gonna wipe the floor with ya!” she shouted angrily. The creature replied with an earth-shattering howl as it dropped Fluttershy on the ground nearby and prepared itself to fight.

“Oh yeah! Time to take this mutt to obedience school!” she declared as she swooped down for another assault.

The creature may have had the advantage of size and strength at its disposal, but its opponent was much smaller and faster and that made it harder to strike as she dived right into its face and body, causing it harm. She had to be stopped.

Timing its reflexes just right, the werewolf managed to strike Rainbow Dash and sent her careening into a tree nearby. The pegasus winced a bit in pain but quickly recovered when she saw the lumbering form of the monster pounce at her.

She quickly rolled away from the strike, allowing her wings to be facing upward once more, and took off. “You’re more trouble than I thought. Guess I’ll use my new move on you after all. Prepare to feel the rainboom!” she said as she flew upward like a bullet.

Stopping when she was at an appropriate altitude, she looked down and set her eyes on the werewolf that stared up at her, waiting for her to make the next move. Grinning fearlessly, she tucked her forelegs forward and began her descent. Faster and faster, she began to feel the crackles of electricity near the front of her forelegs. She gritted her teeth as her cheek skin began to flap against the limits of acceleration she was pushing. That’s when she saw the arrow appear in front of her, becoming sharper and sharper with each second.

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM

She exploded forward in a burst of power as she broke the sound barrier with a loud explosion and a rainbow-colored wave was expelled from the point of impact: The Sonic Rainboom was achieved once more.

Using the power of the rainboom behind her, she locked her sights on the werewolf, who became fascinated by the colorful display it witnessed, and charged it head-on. With the same strength she received back in the Young Flyers’ Competition, she managed to push and lift the werewolf up into the air with the creature whimpering unsure of what was about to happen.

Rainbow Dash grinned as she immediately curved her rainboom-fueled flight showing a beautiful rainbow arch made of multicolored fire and began her descent once more with the werewolf whining in fear of its life as they approached a grassy field a few miles from the cottage. Rainbow Dash increased her speed as another limit of acceleration was about to be broken, only this time having an unwilling extra guest along for the ride.

The silence of the countryside was quickly shattered by an explosion of titanic proportions as a rainbow-hued mushroom cloud formed over the sky followed by another Sonic Rainboom shockwave shaking the ground as it arched away from the main point it struck. At “Ground Zero”, a large crater was formed from the impact of the monster on the ground at beyond-supersonic speed. Rainbow Dash groggily managed to get up and took long deep breaths as her cyan coat was dirty with soot and dirt, her colorful mane and tail were singed and standing upright.

Below her was what remained of the werewolf. The creature had no chance to survive the tremendous force of Rainbow Dash’s deadly attack and only a burnt, smoking carcass remained while the metal collar was now a pile of slag and the crystal had disintegrated to dust. Rainbow Dash sat down near the edge of the crater and took a deep sigh.

“Great. I should’ve kept it alive for it to tell me where Gummy got taken. Smooth move, Dash…” she muttered to herself.

She looked down to the center of the crater where the dead werewolf laid and suddenly noticed a shadow looming over it. Rainbow Dash was too tired to notice a large scaly tail appearing behind her until it was too late. She turned around and screamed as the long dark green and black speckled tail wrapped itself around her body and started to crush her.

As she struggled to free herself, she took a good look at the new assailant. Scaly was the defining word she was looking for. Nothing but scales in hues of dark green and black specks adorned the body of this animal. Its lower body was definitely the tail that was currently putting the squeeze on her but its upper body was less animal and more like the werewolf with a strong muscled chest, two arms with hands ending in sharp claws and its head was squat and reptilian with dark green eyes with slit pupils and large frilled ears. Just like the werewolf, it too wore a collar with a black crystal on its neck. The monster then opened its mouth in a loud hiss revealing its sharp fangs and a large flap of skin that extended from its neck and head reminiscent of a hood. A naga.

Rainbow Dash felt nothing but agonizing pain and cried out as the naga’s tail kept squeezing her with increasing force. She tried to pound the tail with her hooves without any success as the grip became tighter.

CRACK

Just like that, Rainbow Dash lost the feeling on her back legs and tail. She stopped right where she was as her entire front body trembled. One single last tear fell from her eye and she lost consciousness right there.

The naga flicked its slit tongue as it tasted the top of its victim’s head. It then opened its mouth with a loud hiss ready to swallow its pony meal whole when a sharp flying kick hit it square in the jaw and it released Rainbow Dash. The naga shook off its attack and focused its eyes on its attacker. Mare-Do-Well stood there looking up with a sharp gaze of fury.

She had heard the first Sonic Rainboom and then saw the colorful mushroom cloud a few seconds later. No doubt the rest of the Ponyville Police force would be on its way, so she wanted first dibs on whoever it was that Dash was desperate enough to use one of her strongest attacks on and there she stood face to face with a naga.

However, according to Twilight’s books about known Everfree denizens, nagas were known to reach a size of at least 2 full grown stallions. This naga was at least twice that amount and made the vigilante look like the size of a mouse compared to the creature. Something was not right. This naga was not natural and she had to find out why. First, however, she had to avoid its offensive before she became its lunch.

The naga went all out on Mare-Do-Well as it swiped down with its sharp clawed hands, lunged forward with its head in attempts to bite her and even swinging its tail out in hopes she would end up trapped in its coils just like Rainbow Dash was. The vigilante was able to read the creature’s attacks thanks to her alternate self’s sense and moved accordingly to avoid getting slashed, bit or ensnared.

She waited for a moment the scaly monster lunged down with its head to jump up in the air and land on top of its head. Once there, she grabbed the flaps of skin making up the naga’s cobra-like hood as best as her hooves managed and held on tight. The naga became furious and hissed angrily as it was unable to tell just where on top of its head Mare-Do-Well was. The masked pony jerked hard on the hood skin and the snake beast hissed in pain at being grabbed in such a tender location.

The monster became more furious and did its best to dislodge the bothersome pony from its head. It started to wriggle its body, swing its head, leap into the air and other sudden quick movements in hopes the vigilante would get thrown out. She managed to stay on with the tenacity to make any rodeo pony proud.

The ride ended however when the naga flipped on its back and Mare-Do-Well quickly jumped off before she would be crushed between the beast’s head and the ground below. That split second miscalculation was more than enough to give the naga a second wind and managed to catch Mare-Do-Well in its scaly hand. The creature managed to laugh in a whispery tone as it held its meal in its paw. The vigilante thrashed about to free herself from its clutch but the monster was ready. Looking right at her, its eyes began to cast a hypnotic gaze on her. Mare-Do-Well was unable to resist as she looked right into the psychedelic eyes of the naga and soon stopped her struggle. The monster then opened up his hand and as expected, Mare-Do-Well was entranced and unable to run away. She was a sitting duck.

Just before the monster would lunge forward and make her its meal, it suddenly dropped her on the ground. The naga then started to hiss in agony and used both its hands to hold the sides of its head as though it received a nasty headache while the crystal on its collar began to shimmer in an eerie light. The monster then looked to the side to see another naga just like it and with the same collar coming in direction of the cottage as it held a small yellow figure in its hand. The first naga eyed the still-dazed Mare-Do-Well and scowled angrily as it retreated. It soon joined up with its partner and both slithered into Everfree.

Finally, the hypnotic spell dissipated and Mare-Do-Well regained her senses. All she could remember was looking at the naga only to hypnotize her and now it was gone. She didn’t know how exactly she managed to stay alive but she swore her mistake would never be repeated again. She then saw several police pegasi flying overhead with the rest of the force galloping straight towards the crater where Rainbow Dash and the dead werewolf’s body were located. That cued her exit. Somehow, that werewolf and that naga were related to the disappearance of Gummy and she swore she’d find the truth.

***************************************

Fluttershy woke up with a shriek. She then saw she was not in her cottage or any place familiar to her for that matter. It looked like a simple bedroom devoid of most luxuries. The walls were made of hoof-carved stone and the ground seemed made of solid cement. The only furniture in this room was the bed she was sleeping on and a small chest of drawers nearby. A door was located at the far end of the room and the Pegasus decided to get out of this strange place, wherever or whatever it was.

She grabbed the door handle with her teeth and found the door locked. Panic overtook her as she pounded her door and even gave it a few kicks hoping she could break it down. However, she wasn’t known for her physical ability and the kick felt more like a tiptoe against the solid wood of the door.

“Miss Fluttershy, I presume.”

The Pegasus froze in her tracks as she darted her head everywhere, wondering where the voice came from.

“Wh-wh-wh-who are you? Why am I here? Please let me go. Please…” she whimpered softly.

“I regret to inform you that your departure is not part of the itinerary,” the soft voice said, still unknown to where it came from. “Consider yourself a guest at my expense, my dear filly. I shall have my servant summon you to me for the nightly repast. Until then, please rest. Ta-ta.”

“Please…sir? Are you a ‘sir’? Just let me go…” Fluttershy pleaded again. No answer.

The filly began to shake as she had no idea what was going to happen to her. Maybe meeting the voice in person would be for the best and perhaps then she can convince whoever it was that talked to her to let her go. There was no other way. Walking back to the bed, she laid down on it, curled up in a ball and tried to sleep.

***************************************

“How is she, Doctor?” Twilight Sparkle asked as she and her friends stood in front of the operating room.

The unicorn doctor lowered his facemask and sighed, “It looked very bad when she was brought to us. Worse than a broken wing last time, I’m afraid. 8 of her ribs were broken, along with heavy damage to her vertebrae, specially the lumbar ones.”

Everypony in the room became morose. The doctor then gave them a smile as he continued.

“However, she was lucky whatever force broke her back didn’t sever her spinal cord or else she would never fly or walk again. Luck continued to smile as we had a couple of respected surgeons from Manehattan and Baltimare visiting the hospital today and they both agreed to help knowing full well it was an Element of Harmony being operated on. I’m happy to say she is definitely going to pull through.” That made all the ponies breathe a sigh of relief except for the still straight-haired Pinkie Pie who was staring outside the window.

It was after the police sent Rainbow Dash to the hospital and the strange werewolf carcass to Canterlot for analysis that everypony received the terrible news that Fluttershy was missing. Pinkie knew immediately that the same perpetrators who were behind Gummy’s disappearance were also the ones responsible for both foalnapping the yellow pegasus and sending those monsters. Now even more she wanted to find them and make them pay. Trouble was she had no leads. The police had their hooves tied and the Everfree Forest was mostly uncharted. She was desperate, but she wasn’t stupid enough to charge in without a course of action. All she could do was stew in anger at the current events.

The doctor placed his mask over his face and went back to the operating room. Rarity resumed reading a magazine while Applejack merely paced around the waiting room floor impatiently. Twilight Sparkle walked up to Pinkie at the window to keep her company.

“Pinkie, don’t beat yourself up about this. You did what you could,” the purple unicorn explained.

“No, Twilight. I didn’t,” the sullen pink pony replied. “Gummy is still missing and now they got Fluttershy too. I will not be calm until they are both safe and sound back in Ponyville. I only wish I knew where to go in Everfree, but when I do, not even Celestia herself would stop me from bringing them back!”

Twilight gulped. She really felt uneasy during Pinkie’s rare bouts of pure seriousness and wished she would return to her cheerful smiling personality soon.

Suddenly, the door to the waiting room opened up and Spike ran inside. “Twilight! Twilight! I got-” Spike yelled out only to be silenced by the nurse on duty. She then pointed at a sign with an image of a pony with its mouth open and a large red X over it. Spike nodded in understanding.

“Twilight, I got news from Canterlot,” the dragon whispered softly enough for the unicorn and her pink companion to hear. “Princess Celestia sent me a letter a few minutes ago and told me she was going to send a letter directly to you so I had to hurry over here and-”

Spike didn’t finish what he was saying as he belched out a plume of green flame followed by a sealed scroll with Celestia’s seal on it.

The young drake unfurled the scroll as Twilight, Pinkie, Rarity and Applejack huddled close to hear what the Princess had to say.

My Dear Twilight,

I have some rather unsettling news to inform you. The royal scholars finished analyzing the werewolf body that was delivered a few hours ago and they all came to the same conclusion:

This beast was experimented on.

Normal werewolves are just a few feet taller than myself but this one was nearly twice the normal size. Further analysis showed the muscle mass, while burnt beyond proper investigation, was greatly increased as well as sharper claws.

All points lead to believe somepony is experimenting with Everfree creatures without proper jurisdiction. We would have analyzed this body much further, but unfortunately our foremost expert on Biology from the Royal Academy, despite having been banished for his unsound theories and inhumane experiments, has gone missing and any such attempts to contact him have led us to dead ends.

We are worried he could be responsible for this. If he is, then all of Equestria is in grave danger. It is up to the Elements of Harmony to find him as quickly as possible. That is not a royal decree but rather a favor from a teacher to her student.

Princess Celestia

“Twilight, who’s this ‘expert’ the Princess is talkin’ ‘bout?” Applejack asked her.

The pupil sighed sadly. “Dr. Caballus.”

“Caballus? That name doesn’t quite sound so fancy, darling. Do tell us more about him,” said Rarity.

Twilight began her explanation. “Dr. Caballus was my teacher for only one term. He was one of the most acclaimed surgeons in Canterlot history and his name was even engraved in the Royal Hospital’s Hall of Fame. He then took a teaching job at the Academy where he taught Biology and was considered one of the most brilliant minds in the field. He was respected. He was admired. He was highly venerated by even Princess Celestia.”

“I don’t like the sound of this Caballus guy being talked about in past tense…” muttered the dragon assistant. Twilight sighed and resumed.

“During his last term in the Academy, he began to break the syllabus that the scholars demanded to be taught and began to lecture the students on his biological theories. He was convinced that all ponies had the capacity to go beyond the environment that they lived in and that we should not be divided into the system of earth pony/unicorn/pegasus when they are all created equally. In fact, he would prove to the world that ponies had the ability to go beyond the limits and be able to benefit from all the powers each pony type has: The strength of the earth ponies, the magic of the unicorns and the flight capabilities of the pegasi.

Needless to say, some students informed him that the only one who had that ability was the Princess and that ponies couldn’t be forced to evolve. Caballus declared straight out that everypony in the world had the ability to evolve to a higher state of existence beyond that of the Princess. This outburst sent him to the Academy’s disciplinary committee and they immediately stripped him from teaching duty.

Things went from bad to worse after that. Despite being unable to teach, he was still allowed to work in the laboratories. He began to gather subjects and volunteers to help him in his research. His ‘research’, however, was one straight out of the pits of Tartarus itself. Several ‘voluntary specimens’ who were irreversibly traumatized told stories of Caballus actually trying to force pony evolution by any means possible… I-I-I can’t go on. Some of those things mentioned are too horrifying to speak of…” Everypony, however, was listening to her every word and Twilight gulped as she had no choice.

She began to relate accounts of these broken ponies and how their lives were ruined by Caballus’s insane experiments, especially those involving "horn and wing transplants" from very unwilling donors. Applejack could look on in stunned silence unable to believe her ears. Rarity shook her head softly as she tried keeping a mantra of sanity that such a monster didn’t exist. Spike, however, took it the worst as he began to get queasy and immediately went straight to the restroom as he kept his hands over his bulging mouth.

Pinkie Pie stood firm and serious throughout it all. An ever-present feeling in her mind told her this mad doctor was responsible for what happened. The feeling was suddenly replaced by an aura of dread and her face showed worry for the first time since Gummy’s disappearance. If this Dr. Caballus wanted to advance pony biology…

“Twilight, Ah’m sure glad you didn’ tell us of this here Caballus vermin when we were sleepin’ over at yer house last year. Ah don’ think Ah’d be able to sleep in the dark knowin’ a monster like that existed!” Applejack finally managed to say.

“Darling, my heart goes out to all the poor souls that this uncivil madstallion has harmed! I only hope all his former accolades were expunged due to his disgraceful acts!” Rarity added with a huff.

“They were. His name has been the only one in the Hall of Fame to be forcefully burned beyond recognition and his contributions to Biology were purged from the Canterlot Archives. As far as Equestria is concerned, he is nothing more than an outcast,” Twilight replied.

“Ugh…” Spike uttered as he returned to the group of ponies after using the restroom. “So where do you suppose we’ll find him? The Princess said his current whereabouts are unknown!”

Twilight nodded in agreement. “I know, Spike, but every second we waste, Fluttershy could be in danger. Rainbow Dash will get better soon so it’s up to all of us to investigate and find out where Caballus is now. Right, Pink-”

All the fillies looked to the window and saw the pink pony had vanished.

***************************************

Fluttershy awoke to hear the door unlock and open up. She looked up in fear and squeaked as she saw another werewolf with a metal collar on its neck stand there by the door. This one, however, was more normal-sized compared to the monstrosity that wrecked her cottage, but it was still a sight to be feared. Fluttershy didn’t try to make any sudden moves for she thought the creature would attack. Strangely, it didn’t move. It just stood there gazing at her with a cross look.

The meek pegasus didn’t feel like moving at all in fear she would get attacked, until the werewolf gave her a low growl and pointed with its snout to the passage outside the door. Fluttershy nodded her head with a slight tremble and jumped off the bed. She trembled and took slow steps which caused the lycanthrope to give her a sharp bark. She squeaked in surprised and shot off like a rocket out the door.

“Ah, wonderful. You have chosen to come out.”

It was the same voice as before. Fluttershy was too scared by her surroundings to question how it was communicating at her.

“Just follow the light ahead of you and you’ll reach the dining hall. I have been expecting you.”

Fluttershy gulped as she paced forward towards the shiny light at the end of the hallway as the voice commanded. Getting closer and closer, her eyes closed ever so slightly due to the bright lights ahead until she set foot in a new area.

This room was some sort of dining area, if the term could be applied. There was a long table for ponies to eat there, that was for certain, but the rest of the area was just as empty as the room she was sleeping in. Cold stone walls with torches providing illumination, cement floor below her hooves, and no adornments or furniture of any kind there whatsoever. This place started to feel more like a dungeon and Fluttershy was unnerved by all this.

“Miss Fluttershy, so good of you to join me,” said the familiar voice in direction of the far end of the table. She approached for a closer look and she stopped in her tracks with a gasp once she saw the voice’s owner.

A tall unicorn stallion lay before her eyes, with a coat colored cobalt blue and dark grayish-green eyes. His mane was a dark russet hue and combed in an old fashioned gentlecolt’s dandy style with a part made down the right side of his head. A thick handlebar mustache also colored dark russet was styled and waxed with utmost care and gave this stallion a dapper appearance that was further accentuated by a monocle worn on the left eye. He was dressed rather casually in a lab coat with a slightly dirty white dress shirt underneath and topped with a black tie.

The cutie mark displayed prominently on his flank was a symbol Fluttershy had never seen before in her life. It looked like some kind of ladder that was constantly twisted and spiraled in place. Its vertical supports were a bright hue of orange while the rungs of this strange “ladder” appeared to have one half of each step a shade of dark blue and the other half a dark red. Upon looking at this stallion closer, he reminded her somewhat of that salt bar owner she saw briefly during her stay in Appleloosa. Despite his eyes looking at her seriously, the unicorn smiled at her and this made her very nervous.

“Don’t be bashful, my dear. Please sit down beside me. Our repast shall arrive post haste,” he spoke in a genteel accent and he clopped his forehooves together twice.

“Um, uh, t-t-thank you, Sir. But I really would like to go home now, please, s-s-so if you don’t mind, can I please leave?” she replied weakly.

“Leave? Perish the thought, my dear!” he answered with a snort. “Besides, I require you for something very important!”

“B-b-but, Sir, I really don’t mean to…”

“Doctor.”

Fluttershy’s mane fluttered in confusion. “Uh, excuse me?”

The monocle stallion nodded once. “I’m a doctor, not a sir. I am Dr. Caballus, renowned scholar of biology and anatomy looking to unlock the mysteries of life. That is who I am. Ah, here comes our sustenance!”

Fluttershy turned around, promptly screamed and dove under the table. Appearing from another hallway, a regular-sized naga wearing a cook’s hat, apron and the same metallic collar as all the others on its neck slithered in holding two platters in its scaly hand. Without a sound, it placed the two platters in front of the stallion and the frightened little pony.

“Good. Now, go back and wait for my command,” Dr. Caballus ordered and the naga nodded once before slithering away. Fluttershy slowly peeked out from her hiding place and breathed a sigh of relief as the creature was gone.

“Um, who…who was that? I-I-I never seen a naga so up close a-a-and live to actually see one…” she whimpered.

The monocled doctor merely waved a hoof and laughed. “Ah, yes, the chef may be quite taciturn, lass, but he certainly has a way around the kitchen,” He then placed his hooves together and gave a stern look towards the hallway the naga chef just slithered away into. “…or so I hope after the conditioning he has undergone.”

Fluttershy gulped once. “Con-conditioning?”

Dr. Caballus turned back to face his guest as a smile lit his face again. “Oh, but that is of no concern. Our sustenance is here. Let us partake of it, shall we?”

He then activated his horn with an eerie dark blue glow as he lifted the lids and revealed two elaborately-made salads. The pegasus’s wings flared up in surprise.

“Oh my! Monsieur Marcel Le Magnifique’s Fantastique Salade Royale! I read about this when trying to make salads for Angel Bunny but I couldn’t make it because most of the ingredients are so rare and expensive! This was declared the most delicious and rarest salad in all of Equestria! The only known serving of this dish was for the Princess’s Millennial Celebration!”

The unicorn chuckled as he used his magic to lift the monocle out of his eye to clean it. “It’s of no consequence for a stallion of my standing.” He quickly placed the monocle back in his eye. “Now go ahead, tuck in!”

Fluttershy leaned in close and marveled at the sight before her. She took a bite of a leaf of golden lettuce for the first time in her life and her eyes glazed over in joy as she began to eat heartily. This was her first time eating these rarest of lettuce only grown in the most obscure gardens and the standard fare for extremely rich ponies. She then began to nibble on the other ingredients in the salad like heart-shaped tomato slices, rare white escarole endive and very special carrots from Saddle Arabia known to give the stallions and ponies of the hot arid climate there the strength and stamina for their daily lives. The pegasus enjoyed every single last bite of this salad of the gods.

Pretty soon, the platters were empty, Dr. Caballus lifted a napkin with his magic to clean his lips and Fluttershy stood there looking down at her empty plate unsure how to thank this kind stranger for this rare delicacy.

She finally eyed him timidly and spoke. “Um…I don’t know what to say… Th-th-thank you, D-d-d-doc…”

“Now then, you’re wondering why my servants brought you to me.” Caballus interrupted to Fluttershy’s amazement. “Simply put, I need your help with some tests I’m conducting.”

She looked at him with curiosity. “T-tests?”

The cobalt-blue unicorn nodded. “Quite. I have heard a lot about your unique abilities when it comes to animals.”

“I-I-I don’t know what to say. Nopony has really asked me for tests involving my abilities…”

“My dear, satisfy my whims and I will make it worth it,” Caballus stated. “My research requires studies of ponies with unusual abilities beyond what nature itself asked. Ask yourself this. ‘Why do I have the ability to talk with the animals, both of the sky and of the land, if I am a pegasus pony?’ Have you not wondered why you have such a blessing that would be more in tune with magical unicorns or land-hooved earth ponies?”

Fluttershy furrowed her brow as she looked to the side. He was right. Why was her special talent communicating at a deep emotional level with other animals? Curiosity got the best of her.

“Very well, doctor, please test me. I wish to know why I have my talent.”

“Splendid! If you can, let us begin the experiments now,” Dr. Caballus said with a smile as he got up from his side of the table and walked out another hallway. Fluttershy stayed put where she was, unsure of what these ‘experiments’ would entail.

Before she could further fathom this, Caballus’s voice spoke up in the same disembodied form like it did earlier. “Come along! We have experiments to do! Don’t delay!”

The yellow winged pony eeped once and scurried off after him.

***************************************

Mare-Do-Well didn’t waste any time leaving Ponyville and went straight to Zecora’s hut. If anyone knew the Everfree Forest’s hidden secrets, she would. She was lucky she got the lead earlier on when she did…

***************************************

“Hiya there Mr. P!” Pinkie Pie said with her mane and tail mysteriously back to their curly frizzled form as she set foot in the Hospital’s special patients’ rec room.

The brightly-painted room was specially built by the Board of Directors so that ponies with “special needs” be given the proper recreational facilities without awkward interaction with the rest of the hospital’s patients. It was observed round-the-clock by a cadre of nurses who acted kindly towards these special patients but also made sure their various afflictions didn’t cause trouble for the others. It was here that Pinkie went to once she heard everything she did about Caballus from Twilight Sparkle. If anyone knew where the mad doctor would be hiding, a former “test subject” like the mentally-regressed pony would know.

“Pinkie Pinkie!” the green-coated earth pony exclaimed, now without his leather outfit or tubes feeding whatever chemicals made him grow to monstrous proportions, as he got up from the table he was sharing with a strange blue-coated filly with an unkempt gray mane who panted with her tongue out and wagged her tail. “Mr. P happy to see Pinkie Pinkie again! Pinkie Pinkie bring new games or toys for ponies and Mr. P to play?”

“Oh no, you silly!” she giggled in response. “I just wanna know some things. I really need your help.”

“Pinkie Pinkie ask Mr. P help? What Mr. P do help Pinkie Pinkie?” the pony replied with a curious look.

“I heard from Mare-Do-Well that some big meanie doctor was the one who did bad stuff to you,” Pinkie explained solemnly.

Mr. P immediately got down on his hooves and trembled with fear. “Doctor…Doctor bad! Doctor punish Mr. P with room of spiders! Mr. P hate spiders! Mr. P hate them! Hate spiders! Hate spiders!”

He started to shout a mantra of “hate spiders” with ever increasing decibels which at the same time caused the rest of the patients to get out of control. The nurses quickly trotted in and tried to restore order. One of them looked at the pink pony in the eye. “You got some nerve traumatizing this poor stallion! You’d better go if you don’t want to be forbidden from entering here again!”

Pinkie Pie pleaded with her, “No, Ma’am! Please! I just need to know something and I’ll leave him alone! Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye!” She ended with all the motions of her Promise. The nurse looked at her, then to the visibly-shaken Mr. P, and finally back to her with a stern gaze.

“Very well. You further harass him and out you go!” she warned as she moved aside to allow Pinkie to again talk with Mr. P.

“Please, Mr. P. This is very important! Do you remember anything about where that nasty doctor lives? Anything?” she said with a pleading look in her eyes.

The mentally-regressed stallion’s purple eyes darted around in fear, but spoke, “Cold. Dark. Scary. Torches everywhere. Rocks everywhere. Floor hard. Tubes. Electricity. Funny liquids. Mr. P no like Doctor place…”

The pink pony bit her lip. This was getting her nowhere. “How about outside? Do you know anything of the places outside where the doctor lives?”

Mr. P didn’t look up once in fear of remembering what little he had in his mind. “Houses. Many outside Doctor place. No ponies inside. Lonely. Many trees no green. Trees sharp. All ground black. Plants no there. Fountain. Fountain no water. Fountain Doctor touch and place open…”

Pinkie Pie took note of all this. She only had one last question. “Wow, Mr. P. And was all this in Everfree Forest?”

The green stallion merely nodded his head. That’s all Pinkie needed. She gave him a hug and a nuzzle on his cheek. “Thankies, Mr. P! Pinkie Pinkie promises she’ll bring you some goodies to eat from Sugarcube Corner for all you did!”

With that, Mr. P’s face lit up as he stood up. “Yay! Pinkie Pinkie bring cookies and snacks! Mr. P happy! Mr. P wait! Thank you, Pinkie Pinkie!” He then began to dance with a happy hum as the nurse tried to calm him down. Pinkie happily skipped out the door where Twilight and the rest of the Elements were just waiting outside.

“Pinkie Pie, what did you do in there? Why did you run off?” the purple unicorn asked her with worry.

As soon as the special patient rec room door was shut and nopony could see her, her smile faded and her mane and tail went straight once more. She looked at her with a serious glare. “I have a lead to where he’s hiding. I have to go.”

“Now, jes hold on a darn pickin’ minute, sugar cube,” Applejack said as she stood in front of the door leading out of the special patients’ ward. “Ya ain’ goin’ in there like some maverick buckin’ hooves plum crazy-like! We are yer friends, remember? Ah’m not moving an inch from this here door ‘til you come to yer senses an' allow us t’ help ya!”

“She’s right, Darling,” Rarity added as she stared her down as best as she could. “Whenever there was a threat, we always faced it together. Would we have trounced Nightmare Moon, the diamond dogs, and Discord if we went our separate routes? Not hardly, darling! We are the Elements of Harmony and we shall be united.”

Pinkie Pie snorted once with disdain. “One of us is hospitalized and another is in the clutches of that maniac! The time for action is now! If you don’t get out of my way and keep me from finding my Gummy and rescuing Fluttershy, then you’ll all be sorry!” she screeched as she pawed the ground and charged head on.

Applejack and Rarity merely stood their ground and placed their heads down in preparation for the impact. Suddenly, a magenta-colored field of magic enveloped the two ponies and they were magically teleported to the side of the room as Pinkie Pie charged ahead and burst through the doors and out of the hospital. Twilight must have teleported them away and for good reason. In her current mindset, Pinkie would have charged right through them like a stampede and they would be injured.

She had no time to lose. She had to get her outfit and then head straight for Everfree and to the one she could ask for directions to the area where Caballus was hiding at.

***************************************

Mare-Do-Well threw the hut’s door open with a bang, making Zecora jump a few feet up in the air from fright.

“You! If I was any madder, you would be cursed! But I’m not, so please if you come in, knock first!” the zebra snapped in annoyance.

Mare-Do-Well took off her hat and mask to reveal the stern straight-maned face of Pinkie Pie. Zecora instantly knew this was no time for any subtleties.

“I need your help, Zecora. You’ve lived here for a long time and I’m sure you’ve explored every inch of this place better than anypony I know,” Pinkie explained with her stone face showing fiercely. “Is there an area here that has abandoned houses, dead trees and ground, and most importantly of all, a fountain?”

Zecora’s eyes looked at her sternly, devoid of formalities as she turned around and went to her sleeping quarters. She then began to search for something through her belongings there as she spoke aloud.

“Deep within Everfree, where even the bravest fear to tread...
There is a forsaken settlement. A place where all life is dead.
The ground is black and the trees are bare,
also many houses devoid of life were there.
I found the area many moons ago,
on a night where ill winds began to blow.
Despite the town abandoned and being all alone,
the area gave me chills I felt down to the bone.
I did recall with my eyes,
a beautiful fountain to my surprise.
It was truly a marvel of engineering work,
but I sensed great evil below it lurk.
I departed the place without a moment to lose...”

She then gasped. “Ah, here it is! Something you may peruse.”

The zebra returned holding a scroll in her mouth and placed it on the table, unfurled it and beckoned Pinkie close to her. The pink pony looked at the scroll and saw a crudely-made sketch, most likely made by Zecora herself. The sketch showed what looked to be the ruins of a town with broken houses, dead trees and no plants on the ground. What caught her eye though was the depiction of some kind of statue of three ponies, an earth pony, unicorn and pegasus to be precise, rearing up with their front legs up in the air.

“When I returned from that dismal place,
I picked up a brush and began to trace.
A depiction of the landscape I bore witness,
a place of decay as though it had sickness.
I would warn you to stay away,
but your mind is set,
so I shall tell you the way
to this place with deep regret…”

She then sighed sadly as she closed her eyes.
“Go beyond the remains of the castle within the forest deep,
through a thick field of plants, and then a den where Ursas sleep.
Take a left, then a right, then a couple lefts in the grove with eerie haze,
then go straight down the final path. You shall find where the forsaken village lays.”

With determination, the pony pulled her mask back on and placed her hat on her head. Mare-Do-Well turned around and walked to the door. Before she could leave, the zebra called out, “I warn you, hero, be of calm mind! Your soul is filled with anger and you must leave that behind! Fail to heed these words so true…”

Mare-Do-Well had enough of the zebra’s cryptic rhymes and just rushed out as she slammed the door behind her. Zecora looked down at the sketch of the ruins on her table and sighed.

“…or there will be catastrophe waiting for you…”

***************************************

“Go ahead, Miss Fluttershy,” Dr. Caballus’s voice said. “Interact with the specimen if you please.”

Fluttershy gulped as she padded closer to the werewolf. The beast was sitting down on the floor, too preoccupied licking its left hand to notice the pony approach it. She really didn’t know why she was shut in within this chamber with Caballus standing safely in another room where he was able to see everything occur in this one through a sheet of glass.

Ever since she followed him earlier, she was subjected to plenty of regular-looking procedures more familiar to check-ups she received at the Ponyville clinic or the main Hospital on the town’s outskirts. Then the tests became stranger as he used a variety of spells and strange instruments to, according to him, analyze her brain patterns and gauge her inner “magic” meter. These tests were strange even to her and it scared her. Caballus said he had one more test to conduct and here she was locked in a room with a werewolf that could tear her apart if it was so inclined.

She felt a large lump in her throat as she slowly made her way towards the creature who was still too distracted licking its paw to see her. With a flick on one of its ears, however, it turned its gaze towards the intruder and began to growl fiercely at her.

The yellow pony froze in her tracks as sweat began to form on her forehead. Was it going to strike? No, its hind legs were still firmly placed on the ground and not in a position for a pounce. More than likely this was a warning growl to stay away rather than preparing to attack. She took a few steps back and the werewolf went back to licking its hand. Her brow furred as she realizes it was far more interested in its hand than a possible meal. She once again took a step forward and the lycanthrope turned to face her and growl again. She then gave it a warm smile.

“There, there, Mr. Werewolf, I couldn’t help but notice you were licking your paw. Now why is that?” she said calmly as she began to get closer. The werewolf frowned as it turned its back on her and kept licking his hand while growling softly.

“You know, that’s not really nice,” she scolded softly. “Be a good werewolf and tell me what is wrong with your hand. Pretty please?”

The werewolf pouted as it kept its hand hidden but Fluttershy’s tender gaze and doe-like eyes looked up at him with nurturing warmth. The beast’s cheeks softly began to redden despite still scowling. It hung its head down and moved its hand to where the yellow pegasus could see. She then gasped and cupped her hooves over her mouth in response to what appeared to be some very nasty cuts along the back of his hand which bleed profusely.

“Oh my! Those are some very nasty cuts you have there!” she commented with alarm. She then looked to the glass pane and called out. “What happened? Why haven’t you healed its wounds if you’re supposed to be a doctor?” Caballus kept a stern face as he said not a word and resumed writing on the clipboard.

The pony bit her lip. The werewolf was clearly suffering and she had to make it feel better. She spotted out of the corner of her eye a white blanket lying in a corner of the sealed room. It was a bit dirty and she hoped it was clean enough as she took it up in her teeth, applied pressure with her hoof and managed to tear off a strip of cloth from the sheet.

Bringing the strip back to the werewolf, she managed to tie it around the wolf’s hand, despite his yelps and growls of pain, as best as her teeth and forehooves could muster. Soon, the bandage was tied neatly around the werewolf’s hand and the creature finally relaxed.

“There. I hope that helps it heal faster. You really should be more careful where you put your hands, you know,” the yellow pony beamed with tenderness.

The werewolf then did something that neither equine expected. It lowered its head down and playfully licked Fluttershy as she giggled in glee. “Aw, you’re just a big silly puppy! Such a cuddly wuddly puppy!” she cooed as the werewolf kept licking her out of thanks.

The moment was cut short when the unicorn doctor’s voice began to talk inside the chamber. “Very well. I witnessed all I need. You can come out now, Fluttershy.” The door at the far end of the room then opened just as he commanded. The pony looked back to her new friend and gave him a warm smile as she walked outside.

Dr. Caballus also left the room he was in and looked at Fluttershy sternly. “Most interesting. Simply astounding. I have never seen such a capacity of communication like this in action…” he mused as he started to walk down the dark hallway. She gulped and wondered just what he was going to do next.

He then turned around and his expression became cold and distant. This was not the same unicorn she met earlier who graced her palate with the rarest salad in the world and Fluttershy was scared.

“Your talent is deeply ingrained in your body. I have tried to isolate it, find its source and even tested your body stats as you healed my servant. And yet, I could not gauge it! To think I sullied my magic by using a shard to cut him brought nothing!”

Fluttershy’s eyes opened wide. “Wait! You hurt your own servant on purpose?! Why…? Why did you do such a thing?”

His eye lowered a bit and his monocle started to shine with an unnatural sheen. “For science, my dear filly. To advance pony evolution!” He then stomped his front leg hard which unnerved the pony even further.

“Inequality! Discrimination! Disparity! Who dictates what pony type a newborn foal should be born as? How can a pegasus couple have an earth pony foal? How can earth pony parents conceive unicorns and pegasi? Why do only supposed… ‘chosen ones’ like those distasteful philistine royals have the gift of all three types?! Nature! Nature is a cruel jokester! It is nothing more than a comedian who laughs in the face of ponies! I spit in the face of nature! Ponies have more than the capacity to be mere unicorns or pegasi or even earth types! Those broodmares up in Canterlot are proof enough and they dominate us as we are incapable of flight, magic and stamina like they do! It is a travesty!”

Fluttershy couldn’t believe her ears over how this maverick cursed not only the Princesses but nature as well. She would have spoken up and told him to stop but she was too afraid to do so. At this point, his well-coiffed hair began to get messy, his moustache became disarrayed and spiky, and blasts of pure hot air burst forth from his nostrils as he clenched his teeth in hatred.

“Unlike other foolish unicorns, I was blessed with my eyes opening to the truth. I am not deceived by those horned winged freaks that sit on those thrones! I know all ponykind has the capacity to reach the same level as them! Even go above it! Over it! Beyond it! We are a gifted race and yet everypony acts more like mindless sheep that follow the flow and course cruel nature dictates instead of the noble dignified equines we are made to be! Not I! I will bring about the next step in pony evolution! I shall usher in an era where all ponies shall be one and only equal!”

“…but…”

He looked down with an evil glare at Fluttershy who finally raised her head up, lips quivering as she tried to speak.

“But… what does that have to do with me? You said you wanted to test my abilities…”

His hateful gaze soon turned into a cruel smile that spread across his entire face. “Indeed I did. Your ability to communicate with animals shall prove invaluable once I isolate the genes responsible for it and add it to my next formula strain…”

He then lowered his head at her which caused her to break in cold sweat seeing his nightmarish façade. “And because I could not isolate it by simple diagnostics, I’m afraid I will have to use far more interactive measures. Yes… I can’t wait to study your brain…”

Fluttershy gulped again. “My…brain? B-b-b-but how could you study it as long as…” She then gasped as her pupils shrank to near pinpricks as the realization hit her and she slowly shook her head in absolute terror. “No! You wouldn’t! You couldn’t!”

Dr. Caballus slowly chuckled to himself as he clapped his forehooves together. A werewolf and naga appeared behind him on command. “Servants, take Miss Fluttershy to the operation room. Make sure all my cutting implements are sterilized. I don’t want to risk any foreign bacteria contaminating her organs and flesh until I have found the genetic material I am searching for…”

Fluttershy’s eyes swelled up with tears and shook her head. “Nooooooooooooooooo!!!!!” she screamed as the two beasts pounced on her and held her tight as they took her down the hall. Her screaming pleads of help fell on deaf ears as they slowly began to die down and disappear altogether.

Dr. Caballus took a deep breath and chuckled.

“So many experiments. So little time.”

***************************************

Desolation.

That was the only word Mare-Do-Well could think of as she finished walking along the route Zecora told her about and saw the barren landscape before her. The change from fearsome-looking-but-alive trees to completely dead gnarled ones and the unusual grassy fields to infertile black cracked soil was instantaneous. And right there in the middle of it all, the ruins of what must have been a fruitful and happy town. Houses once lovingly built were now abandoned husks with roofs collapsed or walls crumbled in a heap of stone and thatch. Mare-Do-Well didn’t have time to dwell on this. She had to find her other self’s missing pet and friend before things get worse.

Upon reaching the town ruins, she felt a bit unnerved by the lack of noise. Only the wind constantly blew through the derelict village in such a manner that it sounded more like ghostly wails of its former inhabitants. The vigilante, and her alternate self beneath her mask, felt a bit unnerved at all this. She had to find this fountain and figure out how it would help her find Caballus’s hideout and fast.

As she galloped around the town, she came across a strange sight. On one of the walls of the dilapidated houses, she saw a strange message written in a panicked scrawl. It must have been very old as most of the message was worn out and hard to see. She squinted hard to try and make sense of what it said.

N- --pe
-eg-n fa---d
-a-n--w o- l---t --il--
-m-o--e co---g
-y --m-ly m- -r--nd-
-ll --ns--m-d
Don’t want to die… don’t want to die… don’t want to die… don’t wa

This was more than likely a message by one of the former townsfolk. The last words made her very uncomfortable. What could have caused the writer so much panic to not want to die? What happened to the town? Anyway, she had more important things to worry about such as finding the fountain. She pushed on.

She eventually reached what most likely was the central square of the deserted town. A large fountain served as the main point of interest to what was once a glorious sight. In its heyday, Mare-Do-Well envisioned the fountain with beautiful, cool clear water gushing out of the mouth spouts of its three giant marble statues of an earth pony, unicorn and pegasus all rearing up in majestic splendor. She saw foals and young fillies and colts swimming around the inner basin of the fountain while their parents looked on happy and smiling.

Nature, or whatever it was that caused the town to be forsaken, needless to say, was not kind to the once-beautiful monument. The marble craftwork was faded in several areas with several visible cracks. Dirt, grime and mold grew all over it as dead ivy wrapped around it as though it was keeping the pony statues held back against their will. Several parts of each statue had broken off through some of the bigger cracks such as the earth pony’s tail, the tip of the unicorn’s horn, and the pegasus’s left wing. Looking down at the empty basin of the fountain, she saw the broken remains of these statue pieces now shattered beyond repair. It was truly a depressing sight.

Nevertheless, Mr. P said the fountain was the key to open the entrance to Dr. Caballus’s hideout. She just had to figure out how. She began to tap all around the outer part of the basin, inspected the interior and looked carefully at each statue. Nothing. She had absolutely no idea where the way inside could be.

She growled mentally as she stared at the pony statues, their cheerful faces and smiles staring down at her. Deep in her mind however, she sensed they were mocking her, insulting her abilities as a crimefighter and she hated that as she stared at them with a cold hard gaze.

That’s when she finally noticed it. The unicorn’s horn. Despite the dirt, grime and mold the rest of the statue was covered in as were the other two, the horn itself looked spotless for a statue that was supposedly not cleaned for a very long time. She climbed up the back of the unicorn statue and examined the horn. Some sort of crack, invisible from faraway, was around the base of the horn where it would connect to the unicorn’s head. Mare-Do-Well placed her hoof on the unicorn horn and pushed down. The horn leaned down with a rusty squeak and a loud click. To her surprise, the entire fountain began to slide to the side and she wrapped her hooves around the marble unicorn to hang on. Seconds later, the fountain stopped moving and she jumped back down to ground level to see what happened.

Bingo! There was a hole with a very old staircase carved out of rock that spiraled down below the ground and the fountain was cleverly placed above it to hide it from view. Now she was getting somewhere! However, the fountain began to slowly slide back into place and the masked pony knew she had no time to waste. She trotted straight to the staircase and quickly began to descend the first few steps as the fountain closed overhead and was enveloped in darkness.

Mare-Do-Well’s eyes slowly accustomed themselves to the pitch-black surroundings and caught a glimpse of a very dim light source several feet below her current location. With slow steady steps, she made her way down the spiraling steps only to crush something underneath her hoof. Something very brittle. She lowered her eyes to focus on what little light there was at the bottom to see what she crushed, only to jump back in shock. A skull!

She then looked at the steps above and below her and saw several equine skeletons! Most were of earth ponies, including the skull she just crushed, but there were a few unicorn and pegasus remains judging by the horns on the skulls and pieces of the wing bones on their backs. She bit her lip seeing some of these bones were obviously of fillies and very young foals. This must have once been a shelter of some kind which the former inhabitants of the town must have built, with the fountain as its door, to hide from dangers and disasters. However, judging from the amount of skeletons, they must have all perished here with no hope of salvation.

Normally her inner self would have been traumatized to tears by the sight of all the unfortunate ponies, but she was on a mission. She had to find Gummy and Fluttershy!

She finally reached the end of the stairs and had to blink twice to see if her eyes weren’t playing tricks on her. The light source came from a large hole in the wall that led to a wide hallway with a few torches placed in holes hewn into the wall that led to another enormous opening at the far end. She looked at the floor of this passage and noted this was covered in hard cement unlike the dirt and hay covered flooring of the rest of the staircase. This was obviously not part of the original shelter and definitely the work of somepony who took over the area and modified it. She had no idea what to expect, considering how large and wide the opening and the hallway beyond it were, but as always she was to find out what.

The hallway, aside from being large and dimly lit, appeared to travel downward going far below the surface of the earth. Once she reached the end of the doorway at the opposite side and leaned her head out to have a good look around, she realized why it descended. The room the hallway led to was outrageously large, more than the openings and hallway preceding it. Judging by the placement of the cavernous ceiling above, it was more than some 30 feet tall and far below the surface. The room itself was somewhat square-shaped with hard stone walls making up the sides with holes hewn into it to place more torches giving the area some illumination, and the blank featureless cement floor strewn below. She noticed something odd about the ceiling though, as she made out what appeared to be holes all carved into the rock. More than likely these were made as a way for air from outside to filter down below and bring a breathable atmosphere to the areas below.

What caught her attention though was a much-smaller opening on the far end of the tall chamber with two gigantic nagas guarding the door at opposite ends. Putting two and two together, Mare-Do-Well deduced these nagas, as well as the giant werewolf Rainbow Dash beat, were more than likely the guards to Caballus’s hideout. The area beyond the smaller opening led to his lair while this chamber and hallway before it was built to accommodate their tremendous size but not enough to enter the facilities themselves. That at least was some welcome relief that she wasn’t going to find any more giant monsters inside.

She carefully studied her two opponents before her. Despite both looking alike, one of the nagas had some of its neck skin used to create its hood stretched out. That one was certainly the naga she used as a rodeo bronco which later hypnotized her into a trance earlier in the day. Now, the danger has been doubled.

Mare-Do-Well faced a dilemma. Sneaking past them was out of the question since there was nowhere for her to hide and these two didn't look like the types to move away from their post. Her sleeping gas and smoke balls were far too small for them to be thrown up and connect to be of any use. Fighting them out in the open was sure to attract the attention of guards inside. There was only one option left and she loathed it.

First, she had to become bait.

The left naga’s eyes gazed momentarily at his partner with its hood skin outstretched and saw it rub its belly with a displeased look on its face. The former merely shook its head until its ears began to vibrate. Both serpentines looked down with the right one especially having its eyes wide open in surprise.

Mare-Do-Well looked up at them, turned herself around and wiggled her rump at the two bewildered creatures in defiance. She then turned back and pulled her mask just a few inches up to reveal Pinkie Pie’s snout as she blew them a loud raspberry. The right naga was incensed at the meal that got away taunting him and charged forward to catch her. The vigilante slipped the mask back down and trotted away as fast as her hooves could take her. The remaining guard flicked its tongue out and quickly chased after its partner before it could eat what it declared now to be its rightful snack.

She felt an enormous lump in her throat as she heard the loud slithering behind her. Why did she do it? She could never hope to outrun two fully-grown and genetically enhanced nagas but she had to put the effort. If she could led both nagas back to the original town shelter room below the fountain, she could easily lose them in the obscurity of the area and slip inside before anyone or anypony would find her. She only hoped it would be as simple as she planned it.

She smiled beneath her mask as she approached the end of the hallway and returned to the darkness. Quickly she made her way up the staircase and stopped a few feet in the middle as the nagas appeared. The duo swung their heads around trying to locate her in the pitch-black room much to their anger and hunger. They then faced one another and nodded in unison. Mare-Do-Well raised an eyebrow wondering what they were up to.

One of the nagas lay down near the bottom step and eyed the other one in readiness. The second naga immediately extended its coils up until its head nearly hit the ceiling and placed its head near the first step. Once they were in position, the serpentine creatures slowly flicked their tongues out to feel around the step despite the dark surroundings they were in. Sensing no prey, they went to the next step above and below them respectively and repeat the process again. Mare-Do-Well had to hand it to them. They were clever than she thought, but she wasn’t done yet.

As soon as the bottom naga stopped flicking its tongue around the step just below her own, Mare-Do-Well waited for the exact moment the snake monster lifted its head, she again leaped into the air and landed on its head, tugging hard at the neck skin flaps she loosened before. Its hisses of anguish were enough to alert its comrade and it too went on the offensive. Mare-Do-Well saw the gaping maw of the other naga close in on her. Just a few seconds more.

Her alter self’s sense activated just in time and she quickly leaped up in the air to see the attacking naga sink its fangs on the other one, making it hiss loudly in pain. The latter, angered at being bitten, used one of its massive arms to grab the neck of the former, and smashed its head against the floor. The other countered with a massive swipe of its tail that smacked its partner right in the face. Both didn’t care anymore for the pony but the thoughts of proving their superiority over the other in combat.

Mare-Do-Well left the two proud yet dumb creatures to continue beating themselves up and quickly raced back down the passage, through the large antechamber and entered the doorway they were once guarding.

The entrance led to yet another hallway, albeit smaller, with a few doors along the way. She kept walking forward and could hear both heavy footsteps and the shuffling drag of a legless body against the cement floor all around her. The place was crawling with werewolves and nagas and she sure didn’t want to face any, even if they weren’t as big as the ones she faced before.

Feeling the presence of no threat nearby, she quickly secluded herself in a spot that the torches were not illuminating and began to meditate again. She thought meditation would again help her accentuate her senses just like before but she couldn’t focus her concentration whatsoever. She was far too angry and her mind was too preoccupied with worry and anguish over both Gummy and Fluttershy. Failing to do so, she decided to wing it. She resumed her search hoping she could find those two on her own.

After finding a dining room, a kitchen with a strange naga dressed as a cook who was too busy cutting some vegetables to notice her peek inside, several patrolling lycanthropes and snake beasts she evaded by hiding in the dark spots which torches didn’t light up, and looking inside what seemed to be the servant’s barracks, she eventually found a door guarded by both a regular-sized werewolf and naga standing at the opposite sides. Before she could comprehend what they were guarding, she heard it.

A muffled scream of a very familiar voice.

The terrified tones of a kindly yellow pegasus when she felt in danger.

She was in there.

The mere thought Fluttershy was about to undergo one of the procedures Twilight told her alter self about back at the hospital was enough to make Mare-Do-Well throw caution to the wind. She was done being formal. It was time to kick flank! She broke off into a furious gallop as she approached the door and the two guards were alerted to her presence. The beasts rushed forward to attack the interloper.

Mare-Do-Well slammed her forelegs on the ground, allowing her to flip forward and launch her entire body with both hind legs joined together in a drill kick that connected with the naga and took it down in one strike. The werewolf was a far trickier opponent as it swung forward with its muscular arms. The vigilante hopped around avoiding the claw swipes and that made the werewolf angrier, changing strategy to now add forward lunges with its head to bite her along with swings its claws around. Predicting the feral foe’s strategy, she jumped into the air just as it lunged forward, leapfrogged over the werewolf’s head and slammed her hat over its head, covering its eyes completely.

The blinded beast snarled as it couldn’t see its opponent with the hat over its head and just swung its arms and hands trying to find her. The smug pony crouched low as it approached and quickly ran circles around her enemy, making sure to wrap her dark-blue cape over its legs as it ran. The werewolf yelped as it lost balance with its legs wrapped by the cape and it fell forward on its face. Mare-Do-Well quickly unwrapped her cape from its legs, took a tremendous leap into the air, tucked her body in, and cannonballed right on the werewolf’s head with a resounding crack. Picking up her hat from the now unconscious lycanthrope’s head, she returned to the door and kicked it open with one good buck of her hind legs.

She was immediately greeted by a powerful blast of dark blue magic that sent her flying into a wall nearby and knocked her out cold. Dr. Caballus walked through the door, horn crackling with magic sparks, and lowered his eyes at the comatose figure beneath him. He turned back to see Fluttershy strapped to his table, shaking in fear and eyes filled with tears. He then turned back to the now unconscious vigilante and guards.

Time for his executioner to feed.

The Legend of Mare-Do-Well will resume…

Chapter 11

The Legend of Mare-Do-Well
Chapter 11: Evilution Begins, Part 2
by JD2K

Mare-Do-Well got up in a flash. She expected whoever was behind the door to be ready for her but didn’t count on a bolt of pure concentrated magic to knock her out. She was however curious why she wasn’t shackled or strapped to some restraints and instead dumped at the end of yet another torch-lit hallway.

“Welcome, Miss Mare-Do-Well.”

She turned her head around trying to pinpoint the location of the voice and felt frustrated she couldn’t find it.

“So naïve of you to think I could be so easily bested. I will concede that I was impressed, albeit minimally, with your puerile efforts in stopping the Prototype I bequeathed to that bloated glowcap harvester, locating my laboratory in this forgotten wasteland and fooling my genetically-modified naga guards at the entrance. However, this is where your charade comes to a close, my dear. You see, I was about to work on my latest volunteer when you destroyed my concentration with your intrusive assault outside my operating room.”

His voice became softer but far more sinister. “I despise having my concentration broken… I shall turn my attention to her soon enough. For now, I will test to see if either your legs are swift or what body part or organ will pop out first from the compression. No matter which happens first, it will be an entertaining experiment…”

Before she could ponder what he meant by that, the sound of rock shuffling plus a few stray pebbles falling to the floor caused her to look up. The ceiling was slowly lowering down! Mare-Do-Well reared up and broke off in a hurried gallop to escape this deathtrap.

She gritted her teeth as the adrenaline rushed through her body. The ceiling was a few inches from hitting her head so she ducked down and hoped the lower point of gravity would increase her velocity. Suddenly, she saw a bright light of an opening up ahead. This was her only chance!

Closing her eyes, she leaped forward, fell on her stomach and slid across the floor and through the opening just as the ceiling was now a few centimeters from the floor. She opened her eyes and touched her head. Her hat was missing! She turned around and saw it on the ground close to where she belly flopped and slid to safety. It was far too late to save it as the hat was crushed instantly by the heavy stone. She sighed sadly. Rarity was not going to be happy about that.

She turned around and found herself in an arena. It was large and cylindrical with thick rock walls surrounding it. A chandelier with several torches ablaze provided ample illumination but with several darkened places in the shadows the light was unable to hit. With her eyes upward, she noticed a sturdy balcony made of stone. More likely some private room for spectators to view the fights taking place. As her eyes accustomed to the dim lighting, she could make out three different doors etched in the stone walls of the arena. One was small, another much larger and the last one outrageously enormous. She didn’t want to know what sort of experiments the doctor kept behind the largest door and she didn’t care. She slowly made her way to the other side to find a way out.

“Admirable. To a fault, that is. You seem to have speed in you after all. I was indeed looking forward to guessing which organ or body part would burst from your corpse after the crushing.”

Mare-Do-Well stopped in the center of the arena and felt a presence here. She looked up at the balcony once more and saw the cobalt-blue unicorn with lab coat and monocle staring down at her.

“But let’s see if your strength is just as worthy as your legs. Normally, this is a room where I can watch my test subjects battle one another and see which is creditable to live longer for a while and which I would euthanize for being a waste of my resources, but tonight is special,” the doctor said with a chuckle. “In regular circumstances, I would say the odds of you being thoroughly slain are in the over 100 percentage range, but I want to be proven wrong. I look forward to seeing you make it to the end. If you can, that is…”

The small door beneath the balcony suddenly rose up with an audible creak, revealing a dark passageway. Mare-Do-Well lowered her eyes seeing several figures heading into the arena. She placed herself in a proper fighting pose and planted her hooves firmly on the cold floor. Her challenge was well accepted by the arrival of a werewolf pack of at least 12 beasts, all who quickly surrounded her from all sides and looked on with hungry stares.

“May I mention offhand that none of my servants have had a decent meal in a good while,” Dr. Caballus commented. “They miss the taste of pony and I am certain once they, how you say, ‘tenderize’ you, you shall be quite ready for their digestive tracts. Now, my dear lycanthropes, attack!” With one twist of his gleaming monocle, the dozen beasts immediately pounced on her.

The vigilante wasn’t about to let some overgrown mutts get the best of her, especially not during their preemptive strike! Quickly escaping the attack by running between the legs of one of the monsters being in midair, the twelve ended up smashing against one another in one big pile.

Mare-Do-Well swerved back to face them as the topmost one of the pile quickly recovered and lunged at her. The pony wasn’t about to become an easy target this time around. She took a deep breath, expelled it forcefully and took a flying leap into the air. The werewolf did the same.

The wolf opened its mouth wide ready to bite into the pony as soon as she passed him but she was ready for this. Turning her body around in the air, she leaned her left hoof out. She forcefully swung it forward the second the werewolf’s head was to nip her. The powerful kick knocked out several teeth from the beast’s mouth and caused it smash against the wall nearby, knocked out by the impact.

Mare-Do-Well wasn’t done yet as two more lycanthropes regained their bearings and ran towards her. The pony vigilante shook her head at them and turned around to run away. The beasts smirked seeing their prey escaping them and felt energized by this brisk run reminding them of the hunt. She, however, wasn’t running away from them but rather running straight to a wall nearby. The bipedal wolves felt their meal had nowhere else to go and she would be quickly devoured. They immediately increased their speed to catch her.

The running masked pony, however, was ready as she leaped right at the wall, back-flipped the moment after her hind hooves hit the stone structure and used the momentum to springboard off the wall and twirled behind the wolves. The beasts themselves were too dumbstruck by this acrobatic feat to notice they were already running at full speed towards the wall to not be able to change direction in time

SMASH

The werewolf pair hit the wall with resounding force and was knocked unconscious. Mare-Do-Well looked back and shook her head again seeing how easy it was to fool them. Now she had to face a total of nine werewolves who were already hot on her heels and approaching her position.

Taking a deep breath, she reared up on her hind legs and managed to stay balanced on her two hooves, making herself a taller target but also to be in the proper fighting pose of one of the styles she read in one of the Neighponese martial arts books Twilight Sparkle loaned her. How it was possible for a normal quadruped like a pony to fight a bipedal-style of combat was a mystery to even her but she was interested in it and decided to practice. Usually, she only faced against dummies made of straw Applejack allowed her to practice on in one of the lesser-used barns at Sweet Apple Acres, but now she was about to face real adversaries that were at least as tall as Celestia. It was time to kick tail.

The first lycanthrope met a hard forward kick from her right hind leg that stunned it only to quickly combo into a jump kick twirling forward like a helicopter and smacking him all four times in the head. She didn’t stop there as she cartwheeled to chain it into a forward roll, prepped up a forward mule kick and shot out like a torpedo striking the second one in the chest. She leapfrogged over the third beast pushing him into two more to strike them all down, and dive-bombed two more as she kicked them on their heads with her outstretched hooves. She faced the last two and the one in front was immediately hit with a solid headbutt to the midsection, cutting off his breath, followed by a full sweeping kick that knocked him on his head.

The final wolf wasn’t going to give her a chance to attack, starting to swipe with its claws and bite her. With her Sense, she quickly telegraphed one of his forward head lunge and ducked down just before he could nip her, only to quickly shoot her head up to smash him right below the jaw. The impact made the monster stand upright in a daze, opening it up for an uninterrupted buck to its unprotected stomach that sent it sailing across the arena and smash against the wall, out cold.

Mare-Do-Well looked back and saw the first werewolf was back on its feet after the assault so she went back to work on it. The beast immediately went on the offensive, swiping its claws at her, hoping to trip her up. The vigilante dodged and parried each blow with ease due to both his clumsiness and her Sense. Finally, she stood upright once more, hooked one of her front legs forward and clutched the werewolf’s arm beneath her. Using his momentum as he tried to break free from the arm hold, she quickly flipped herself around his body and clapped both of her front hooves over his head with a resounding crunch. She sweep-kicked him down to his knees and ended with yet another helicopter-twirl quadruple kick to knock him unconscious.

Three more wolves quickly approached and ganged up on her in hopes superior numbers would help them win. Instead, it just made them easier targets as the pony bobbed and waved between their strikes. Managing to latch on to one of them from behind, she held on tight and covered its eyes. The furious lycanthrope began to thrash about hoping to rid itself of the bothersome pest but instead managed to smack its own allies with such force that it inadvertently took care of its two allies plus another one who didn't see the clawed fist hit it on the head of them for. The unwilling patsy had served his purpose in clearing out the numbers for her, so the vigilante used her leverage to take him down to the floor where she landed hard on its head with her rear to have it seeing stars.

Two beasts then double teamed her, alternating between the strikes of one with the swings of the other. Mare-Do-Wel was in no mood for these shenanigans so she charged at them and managed to squeeze in between them to their surprise. Before they could turn around and face her, the fighting filly placed each forehoof against the side of both their heads and brought them together with a resounding crack as she pulled an efficient double-knockout blow.

All that remained was one final werewolf and it immediately went on a berserker rage, swiping, lunging, biting, kicking and any other desperate attack to prevent the pony from beating it. Mare-Do-Well merely shook her head as she moved out of the way of the unfocused yet easily avoidable attacks and figured it was time to end it. Standing upright once more, she swung her cape forward at the lycanthrope, momentarily stunning him by the flurry of cloth and quickly rushed forward and struck with multiple front-hoof thrusts at a rapid-fire speed, hitting him well over fifty times alone. The wolf was dazed long enough for Mare-Do-Well to turn herself around and land a powerful buck to his jaw that knocked out a lot of teeth and sent it down for the count.

Mare-Do-Well looked at the scene before her as she finally placed all hooves back on the ground. Twelve strong werewolves were all lying around her in defeat. Her chest heaved up and down as she released hot air from her nostrils after finishing her bout. Nopony is going to get in her way of saving Gummy and Fluttershy. Nopony!

A slow hoof-clap above her immediately refocused her attention to the balcony where Dr. Caballus stood as he placed his two hooves together and clapped them together in a slow, monotonous applause.

“Not bad. You have managed to overcome sheer numbers by a simple fluke of luck. But how about facing opponents where size is their element? I give your chances of overcoming the next challenge about the same as Tartarus freezing over,” he commented as the second stone door opened up. She didn’t need to feel her Sense’s combos to know something familiar approached.

The loud shuffling of a legless body against the floor and low hissing was all she could hear and the sounds became louder the closer the looming shadow neared. Mare-Do-Well’s suspicions were confirmed by the sight of a familiar serpentine beast with a pulled-out hood skin. This time, however, it was far more battle-worn with its head, chest and even its tail showing signs of multiple bites and scratches. One of its ears had some of their frills cut off and an eye was swollen shut. Despite all that, it still managed to remain standing and its one good eye glinted in anticipation as he saw her.

Dr. Caballus arched his uncovered eyebrow as he rubbed his chin. “Experiment Beta-Duo, where are the whereabouts of Beta-Une? It was supposed to come in to fight her as well!” he shouted down at the naga.

The naga, or Beta-Duo as the unicorn referred to it as, merely looked up, dragged an index finger across its throat and let out a guttural hiss. Mare-Do-Well realized her earlier plan to gain entrance to the lab was far better than she thought. One was dead so she only had to face the remaining giant naga, ironically her old nemesis, by itself now. Caballus, however, did not take this new development so well.

“Confound those asinine ‘superiority rituals’ adults of your species execute! Very well, fine! I do hope for your sake that you accomplish your task. If not, my executioner will make you its next repast if this bothersome waste of equine DNA doesn’t finish you off! Now, get her!” he snapped at the naga as his monocle sparkled once more.

The naga didn’t let anything pass to chance this time around, relying more on its tail to swing at or hopefully grab her instead of close-range attacks like claw swipes and especially not forward head bites. Its neck skin, now baggy and inflamed from the last two bouts, was more than enough to remind the creature that it would not attempt such a careless maneuver ever again with this bothersome pony.

On her end, Mare-Do-Well felt annoyed. The creature relied on long-range attacks now and that made this battle tougher. One false step and she could get knocked for a loop through a mighty swat of the tail or worse, be crushed to death in the powerful coils like Rainbow Dash earlier. She decided to wing it and hopefully play the trump card she had been waiting to throw out if she ever was unlucky enough to battle this opponent again.

On one tail swing, Mare-Do-Well jumped right on it near the tip and gripped the scaly appendage as best as she could. The beast took note and lifted the tip of its tail seeing the vigilante latch on to it like bait to a fishing pole. With a nasty smirk, it whipped the tail up to the sky and Mare-Do-Well was thrown skyward. The pony was helpless as it waved his legs futilely as she saw the naga open its maw below her.

With a loud snap of its jaws, it was over.

The vile monster wasted no time in beginning to chew its new meal, soon to become its next nutrients.

Dr. Caballus looked at what transpired with an unflinching eye. He shook his head sadly. “I feel regrets. I was looking forward to unleashing my newest creation on her. Water under the bridge, I suppose. I’m sure to have another chance further down the road.” He fixed his monocle in place and turned around heading back inside the observation room from his balcony. “I believe it’s time I returned to extracting that pegasus’s DNA for my-”

His thoughts her cut short by a sudden bout of forceful coughing from Beta-Duo, making the scholar stop in his tracks and return to the balcony. He looked at the naga curiously as it clutched its throat and started to hack and cough with more urgency. Looking intently at its mouth with its monocle eye, he saw what appeared to be…smoke?

There were some sort of strange fumes coming from inside the beast’s mouth. Without warning, the beast hocked up and spat out a small lump that rolled on the ground. The cobalt-blue madstallion lowered his eyes and he scowled as the ball uncurled itself to reveal the drenched, slightly disheveled, but still alive, form of Mare-Do-Well.

The vigilante was very lucky she took out a heavy helping of smoke pellets the second the naga closed its mouth on her to detonate them. The amount of smoke in its throat was more than enough to make the monster cough her up and spit her out before she was chewed up. The beasts managed to get a few lucky bites in, however, and her outfit was torn in several places showing her pink coat beneath and a few strands of her dark-pink straight tail. Worse yet, the light-blue eye cover that covered her left eye was sheared off by one of its bites and her light cerulean eye beneath was now visible. She only hoped she wasn’t recognizable enough with what little bits of her coat and eye were seen by the crazed scholar.

The naga grew more furious by this meal that was so close to being eaten that it chose to use its most powerful ability to make sure she wouldn’t resist it again. Grabbing her still dazed form in its clawed grip, it began to use its entrancing gaze on her yet again.

Little did it realize it was playing right into Mare-Do-Well’s hoof as this time she was prepared for the hypnosis.

Reaching into her utility bags, she was fortunate the one item she was carrying all this time hadn’t broken despite all the tumbles, falls and hits she took all evening. Then again, a tiny compact with a shiny mirror that was enchanted by Rarity herself to never break even under the hardest of blows came in handy with having such a “helper” like Sweetie Belle around the boutique. Pinkie Pie asked Rarity if she could borrow it for a while hoping she would use it against this particular foe again and she wasn’t disappointed.

Closing her eyes, she grabbed the tiny compact in her teeth and opened it up to reveal its mirrored section. The naga didn’t notice its hypnotic stare was being reflected back at it until it was too late. The grip on its hand started to loosen. Mare-Do-Well finally opened her eyes softly and saw to her relief the creature was staring down at her with vacuous eyes and mouth slightly open with drool oozing out. The serpentine monster had entranced itself.

Placing the cosmetic accessory back in her utility bag, Mare-Do-Well softly trotted up the paralyzed naga’s arm, jumped up to its shoulder, then up to its snout until she was right at the edge, close to the beast’s nostrils. She was unable to use sleeping gas pellets before since she was worried if the monster fell asleep with her still inside its mouth, she would never be able to lift that heavy maw open. Now safely outside, there was no qualm in doing it now. Taking a few sleeping gas pellets from another pocket in her utility bags, she smashed them right inside the beast’s nasal orifices.

It didn’t take long for them to take effect as the creature’s good eye’s pupil dilated and its body became heavy. With a low hiss, the naga fell forward and landed on the cement floor with a resounding thud. Against all odds, Mare-Do-Well managed to triumph somehow and she was quite pleased. Still, it wasn’t over yet as she used her exposed eye to look up at the visibly-shaken Dr. Caballus.

The good doctor’s features took a turn for the worst as once again his hair became messy and his moustache started to get spiky once more. His teeth grinded constantly and he rubbed his fore hooves with pressure against the floor of the balcony. Just before Mare-Do-Well could see him blow his top, he somehow managed to control himself. He took a few deep breaths, fixed his hair and moustache again and used his magic to lift the monocle out of his eye to clean it with a hanky in his lab coat pocket as he chuckled softly.

“Oh, I sincerely apologize, my dear pony. Was this supposed to be the part where I would be incensed? Out of control? Raging, raving and ranting like a stallion possessed?” He shook his head with a cruel smirk. “Oh, no no no. You see, I was actually looking forward to this. So you bested my werewolf pack and proved Experiment Beta-Duo as a worthless waste of my research. No matter, I shall correct my two failures and put an end to your miserable excuse of existence you call a life all at the same time. Lay your eyes on the last door, dear Mare-Do-Well, for you are about to face my executioner. My latest and greatest creation!”

She then felt her knee get pinchy. That was not a good sign. Not even Experiment Beta-Duo got her knees pinchy. This was something that made even her Sense feel dread. The biggest door of the arena then lowered to reveal nothing but darkness. The arena grew quiet. All she could hear was the sounds of her rapid heartbeat. Just what was going to happen?

That what when the small tremors began.

She shook her head. Those weren’t tremors. Those were footsteps! Whatever it was that caused them, it was certainly very large. Larger than Experiment Beta-Duo and its naga partner, most likely. This was no ordinary monster that was slowly approaching the arena.

Still Mare-Do-Well was ready. She already faced a gang of vicious werewolves and managed to finally overcome her giant naga nemesis even though it was bigger and taller than her. She wasn’t scared one bit. She already got this far and no aberration of science was going to stop her from her mission. She began to paw the ground in defiance and her visible eye scowled with ferocity. She swore that once she was finished with the monster approaching the arena, she’d buck Caballus’s flank clear over the horizon that he’d hit the moon.

Needless to say, her bravery and bravado faded away the second she saw the monster’s face.

Purple eyes…

A long reptilian snout…

That familiar bumpy green skin with that lighter-green underbelly…

“Gummy…” she slowly whispered to herself low enough for nopony to hear her as her visible eye shed tears of anguish. She began to shake her head slowly and sadly. What did that madstallion do to him?! Her “baby alligator” finally entered the arena and she took a good look at what became of him now.

His gargantuan size that was more than twice Beta-Duo’s was one of his visible characteristics. Other such features were a set of sharp, spiked ridged scales that adorned his back in a row and went down to his tail. His formerly stubby hands and feet now sported stallion-sized claws that were jagged and sharp. Sharp enough to dig through solid rock, much less ordinary flesh. A metal collar with a black crystal adorned his neck just like every other experiment seen so far in the lab.

“May I introduce you to my newest creation: Gamma!” Caballus announce with flair, “In my spare time, and to gather enough funds for my research, I also conduct a bit of genetic experiments on the local wildlife. I do not do this out of sheer curiosity. Perish the thought! Merely I test each formula strain in hopes I find the one that would help hasten the evolution of ponykind. As you can see, my Formula Strain Gamma didn’t live to my expectations on the subject. Still it will have a purpose in my service as an executioner. He is quite hungry, as you can see. I already fed him those worthless guards that failed to stop you from entering my operation room. Now he has quite a smorgasbord waiting for him with some werewolf snacks and a large naga entrée. Once he’s done with them, you shall be his dessert.”

Mare-Do-Well’s shock at how her pet has been mutated into a monster was quickly replaced by the seething hatred she felt for the maniacal unicorn using him as a guinea pig in his research. She stared up at the balcony with the fiercest scowl her visible eye could muster. She was so infuriated that her eye changed from cerulean to a dark vermilion in that one second.

“Oh, spare me your self-righteous bunkum. You have about as much authority here as a fly caught in a web!” Dr. Caballus spat with disgust. “And on the subject of flies in webs, it is high time the spider had its meal, eh? I wager he can wait on the others and deal with you first.” He twisted his monocle once and it shimmered on command.

“Gamma, sic her!”

The pony noticed a large shadow loom over head and she cautiously turned her head back, only for her ears to flop down and her eye to stare up in horror. The genetically enhanced gator’s eyes looked down at Mare-Do-Well and frowned. It opened its mouth to reveal… teeth?!

The formerly toothless reptile now sported sharp jagged teeth dripping with blood from his earlier meal. Teeth he now used to lunge forward to strike at his former owner, which she managed to jump out of the way before she was bit in two.

Her courage had all but dissolved. She could take on anything. Werewolves, nagas, stirges, hydras, dragons, cockatrices, irate mama owlbears, the all-you-can-buffet at the Apple Family’s Annual Family Reunion. They were all foal’s play to triumph over. Fighting her beloved pet was a different story.

She desperately wished to talk to him and hopefully get him to stop attacking her or reveal her face to him so he knew it was his owner. She could do neither; both because of her rules but also due to the evil doctor watching her from his balcony. If she so much as revealed her identity to him, he would stop at nothing to harm those close to her if she manages to survive and take him down. She was hopelessly outmatched. She had only one option.

Run.

Behind her, she could hear Gummy’s thundering footsteps as he pursued her ad lunged forward as he tried to bite her. Her Sense-induced twitchy tail, though hidden inside the costume, helped her avoid all these attacks. Unfortunately, it was simply a matter of waiting until she was out of stamina to run any further and it would be the end of the line for her.

Now she really wished she had her friends there to help her. Instead, her cold demeanor and stubborn attitude had shunned them away and she was now all by herself.

She had failed.

***************************************

“Please… Just let me go…” Fluttershy pleaded in tears as she dragged her hoof against the side of the locked door. She knew she was still alive but if it wasn’t for the intrusion earlier of her friend, she would have not been.

Just a while ago, she was destined to be dissected by the maniacal Caballus only for him to be distracted by the sound of a fight outside his door. She saw the peeved unicorn put down his cutting blade and charged up his horn for a paralyzing shot of magic once the fight ended. As soon as the door was bucked open, he discharged the powerful magic blast and it connected. Fluttershy leaned her head forward as best as her restraints allowed her and saw the comatose form of Mare-Do-Well leaning against the wall. The doctor was furious. He instantly called several of his minions to take her back to her room, and send Mare-Do-Well and the two defeated guards to “the execution arena”.

Fluttershy feared for her friend’s life especially after the unscrupulous scholar told her during one of his spiels as he prepared to cut her open that he captured and experimented on Gummy, making him his next experimental creature. She knew Pinkie Pie wouldn’t dare harm her precious pet even if Caballus mutated him. But how could she escape? The door was locked tight and there was no way out. Her Stare was useless unless she could see her captor in the eyes and they stayed outside. Pinkie was as good as dead and she knew she would follow her soon enough. The pegasus started weeping as her wails were heard loud and clear inside the entire room.

The door opened much to her surprise and she stepped back in fear. Just as she expected, a werewolf stood there looking at her as it extended a paw towards her. She fell down on her knees and shook like a leaf, thinking it was going to take her back to the operating room to be cut open.

That was when the lycanthrope placed its paw on her forehead and patted it softly. She looked up in confusion and saw the werewolf looking at her without menace or ferocity. She looked hard at the paw it patted her with and she realized it was bandaged. This was the same werewolf that she healed before! The wolf beast started barking and growling at her softly as though it was communicating with her.

She blushed in response to its “words”. “You didn’t need to owe me anything. I just did what I did because I don’t like seeing anypony be hurt, but thank you,” she replied.

The werewolf began to “talk” again and Fluttershy’s eyes opened wide. “Oh my! Is she?! I really must hurry! Thank you again!” She then excused herself as she spread her wings out to fly off. The helpful wolf beast however barked sharply to stop her. She hovered over him as he growled, barked and whined as it tapped the metal collar around his neck.

“Really?! That’s… That’s… I just don’t know what to say! Listen, I’ll see what we can do about them. I will free you all. I promise. You are all prisoners in here just like us,” she finally responded as the werewolf nodded once and walked away. It was a tall order what the werewolf just confessed to her about the metal collars but she would solve that problem in due time. First, she had to find the execution arena and stop Gummy before it was too late. She took off flying without a moment to lose.

***************************************

The vigilante finally had enough. She was in no more shape to continue running and her legs finally gave out as she landed hard on the floor. If it wasn’t for the cobalt-blue madstallion staring down at her from his private observation room, she would have already removed her mask to wipe the sweat that was soaking the entire front area of her face. With what little energy she had left, she managed to move her body around to stare up and see Gummy look down on her. The titanic reptile’s eyes began to shine as he slowly approached her. It wasn’t too long now before she would become a pony snack.

Dr. Caballus observed the scene with intent fascination. He had heard tales from several crime gangs that there was a bounty on her head for her death. While he was mildly upset there would not be much left of her after Gamma had its way with her, the simple fact that he himself was responsible for her demise was rewarding enough.

He heard the door open behind him and he moaned with annoyance. “I thought I made it abundantly clear I am not to be bothered while I watch the executions.”

“You will not get away with this!”

Dr. Caballus turned around and saw Fluttershy standing there. While she was never the type to look angry or furious, she had a somewhat believable expression of irritation.

“Miss Fluttershy?! How did you overcome my guards? They were ordered to not let anyone inside!” the unicorn scientist thundered with a stomp of his hoof.

She immediately responded, “You would be surprised how much genuine affection and care helps you get what you want. It is much better than the impulse and mind control you have over those poor werewolves and nagas!” Of course, she didn’t want to mention the Stare also helped things out at first but she didn’t want to give him any more reasons to further experiment on her should she be captured again.

“So you know about those collars. Pah! In a few seconds, Gamma will make a swift hors d'oeuvre out of that useless equine down there and then I will focus my attention on you.” He turned around as he waved a hoof in the air with indifference. “Now be a good little test subject and sit still. Soon I will extract your genetic material and everything will be over.”

Fluttershy however wasn’t going to sit still while a friend of hers was to be eaten. She was scared of facing the mutated alligator that would more than likely gobble her up as well, but the thought of losing Pinkie Pie was more than enough to give her courage. She took one step forward only for the madstallion to warn her despite still having his back to her.

“Ample advice, pegasus: One more step in direction towards me and the balcony and I will be forced to subdue you. Now, stay still!”

She took a few steps back and looked to the side in defeat only to spot a mirror hanging on the wall. Her brow furrowed as she came up with a plan but worried it could fail on her. No matter what, she had to try!

She slowly shuffled to the mirror and a beam of energy landed just a few centimeters away from her advancing hoof. Caballus frowned as blue electricity crackled from his horn.

“Last warning: Stay still or be shocked!”

Frowning, Fluttershy broke into a gallop as she ran to the mirror. The doctor responded by unleashing a large blast of magic energy directly at her. The yellow pegasus ducked down just before the beam struck and it hit the mirror’s surface. Just as she predicted, the blast was reflected back to its caster who had little time to react by the speed of his projectile and was zapped on contact.

When she opened her eyes, Caballus was slumped down on the floor, unconscious and a victim of his own attack. She took a deep breath of relief. Now it was time to save her friend. She spread her wings wide open, flew out of the balcony and down to the arena.

Mare-Do-Well saw her formerly tame pet stand before her; his mouth slowly opening to reveal the rows of jagged teeth ready to bite down. All she could think of at that moment were all the wonderful memories she had of him before his change. The day he first found him as a little egg and helped incubate him. How she skipped around Ponyville with him hanging on to her tail. How she scuba-dived with him in the tub and earned her achy shoulder reaction. The parties she threw for him and how they danced and frolicked and had the best time ever. She closed her eyes as a tear managed to seep through her exposed eye. She was ready for her final sacrifice.

“HOLD IT RIGHT THERE!”

Mare-Do-Well opened her eye briefly to see a visibly angry Fluttershy land on Gummy’s snout and stomped towards his eyes.

“You listen to me, Mister! You think you got the right to march in here and eat those poor innocent animals to satisfy your hunger?!” she shouted as best as her normally sensitive and weak voice could muster. “Do you know how many of them have actual families?! How many fathers, mothers, children and mates you have made cry? You should feel ashamed of yourself!”

Gummy’s eyes had a touch of remorse just then and the pegasus thought her chiding would get through to him. That was when Gummy began to growl in agony as the black crystal in his collar began to shine. He then looked at Fluttershy again and scowled at her, unfazed at her lecture. Without a second thought, he opened his mouth wide open right over her and slammed his jaws shut.

Or so he thought until the yellow pegasus hovered over him safe and sound. Her brow furrowed in confusion as to why her talk had no effect on him. That’s when she saw the black crystal on his collar and was reminded of the words the werewolf “told” her. It was clear to her Gummy would never become the friendly gator he once was unless she dealt with that problem. To do that, she needed her friend’s help and she was once again in the sights of the previously passive pet. Without a second thought, she swooped down and made a beeline for Mare-Do-Well.

WHOOOOOOSH

Seconds before Gummy’s mandibles bit down on her, Mare-Do-Well was successfully rescued by her flying friend. The vigilante looked up and saw the pained expression of the pegasus pony as she used all the strength she could muster to lift her up and keep them both aloft in the sky. The yellow pony strained to flap her wings as she went back up to the balcony where the doctor was still out cold.

As soon as they landed, Mare-Do-Well padded towards the unicorn stallion’s unconscious body and looked down. Her entire body was trembling, not out of fear but of uncontrollable rage. Never did she ever want to break her second rule so badly than with this monster that dared to experiment and change Gummy from a simple happy baby alligator to a full-grown carnivorous beast that had no regrets in eating anypony.

That's when something in her mind finally broke.

With the inhibitions finally released, she smacked him across the face with her forehooves , knocking the monocle clean off his head as it rolled down the floor and fell into the arena. The assault didn’t stop there. Pinkie Pie released all her pent-up anger and frustration with each hit, messing up the stallion’s moustache and mane and leaving him black and purple everywhere as blood began to pour out of his nostrils.

It was with Fluttershy’s intervention as she held her friend back when the irate pony stopped her assault. The infuriated pony gave her a death glare with her exposed eye and Fluttershy squeaked in terror. That change in the tender pegasus’s look was enough to make Pinkie realize what she had done and she finally calmed down and Fluttershy also relaxed.

Mare-Do-Well slowly walked back to the edge of the balcony and her heart broke seeing her formerly friendly and tame pet now a hulking monster that was already hard at work devouring piece by piece the remains of Beta-Duo, taking large meaty chunks of the naga’s flesh, snapping and chewing it in his mouth. Despite what he has now become, she wasn’t about to leave her pet behind. What worried her was the fact he was so consumed with thoughts of eating everything and everypony that even Fluttershy was unable to calm him down. Even if she managed to free him, there would be no stopping him. How could she ever get back the gator she knew and loved?

“Um, you are worried about Gummy…are you…uh… Miss Mare-Do-Well?” Fluttershy asked her. The vigilante looked at her and silently nodded.

“Well, there is a way for him to be freed of Dr. Caballus’s control…” she responded. This was enough to get Mare-Do-Well’s undivided attention.

“The thing is, you see, I was told some horrible news by a werewolf that I helped recover from an injury. According to him, Dr. Caballus keeps mental control over all his test subjects so they behave just as he wants them to do,” she explained, “Those collars around their necks have been fitted with something called a ‘Slave Crystal’. As long as they wear them, he can use his magic to mentally control their thoughts and hypnotize them to his servitude. That is…so cruel…”

Mare-Do-Well stared down with murderous intent at the body of the unicorn she had just beaten to an inch of his life and felt ready to cut that last lingering thread. Only by resorting to mind control could that maniac have some semblance of a workforce. He was a bigger monster than she thought.

Fluttershy continued, “But there is a way to free them. Caballus mentioned the Slave Crystals had a common core all other shards came from which he uses to focus his magic and control everyone who wears a collar. We must find the core if we want to free them and Gummy…”

That was more than enough to get Mare-Do-Well on board with the plan. Caballus was passed out already so grilling him for information was not a good idea. All they could do now was search the cavernous laboratory and hope they find the Slave Crystal's core before the entire garrison of minions were set loose. They had to hurry.

Fluttershy had a head start on her as Mare-Do-Well stared at the unconscious form of the maniacal unicorn. Mare-Do-Well lowered her gaze to see the doctor begin to stir despite his whole face now bloodied and bruised purple and black. She wished she could have resumed her beatdown but her Gummy came first. She quickly followed Fluttershy out.

***************************************

After searching throughout the facility and finding nothing but half-empty rooms and guards lumbering about, the two equines eventually found a room that was furnished quite formally in comparison to the others in the laboratory complex. Judging by the diplomas hung on the walls, cabinets filled with awards, a messy desk with many papers strewn about on top and a large file cabinet placed against the wall, this was the "good" doctor's office. If there were any leads to the whereabouts of the core, it would be there.

Mare-Do-Well and Fluttershy went their own way as they began to search throughout the place. The pegasus went straight for the file cabinet while the vigilante searched the desk. One of the first papers in the messy pile caught the masked pony’s eyes. An “Analysis Report”? Mare-Do-Well read the paper and frowned seeing it was a report on Gummy’s capture. It was dated a week or so ago on the exact night her alternate self threw the anniversary party of Rainbow Dash’s arrival in her honor.

Mare-Do-Well quickly read other analysis reports on the desk, some including information that was way over her head and some basically acting as diaries of discoveries and experiment results. How would they find it among all this clutter?

“Here it is! I found it!” Fluttershy exclaimed as Mare-Do-Well looked up to see her hold the document in her wing. Satisfied with her good work, the supermare walked over to Fluttershy and they both read the report.

Analysis Report Number: 401
Title: Last Slave Crystal Core

The last remaining piece of the Slave Crystal core was hopefully more than enough to keep my minions docile. I had to sacrifice many other cores while experimenting and researching them to see how to prolong their lifespan, and now I was left with just one. If this core loses its power, my minions will be freed from their mind control and my life here would be in peril. The benefit of all this, however, was that I finally discovered why the cores before lost energy and shattered. There were slight miscalculations on how quickly the cores lost their energy if they weren’t feed by a constant source of magic. Without magic energy to absorb, the core would die and shatter, rending it useless.

The proper course of action was not to keep it hidden in my safe like all the previous cores, but to always have it on me, both in literal and figurative sense. In that way, the gem feeds off my innate unicorn magic and maintains a fresh supply of energy to keep it at full power. I had made sure to fit the crystal in a shape nopony would ever suspect. In fact, you could very well say I keep my eye on it at all times.

The only remaining concern I have is that the gem tends to sheen and gleam whenever I use my magic to transfer a telepathic suggestion to a minion that holds a Slave Crystal shard, quickly identifying it to an outside observer. However, I have full confidence nopony would be observant enough to notice. Still, I shall remain vigilant.

The two ponies looked at each other. Caballus keeps the core with him at all times? But where? That’s when both finally remembered something after observing the cobalt-blue scientist in their separate times.

“You don’t suppose…” Fluttershy began to say only for Mare-Do-Well to nod in response and pointed to her exposed eye, blinking it a few times.

“Oh, you already figured it out? I’m sorry…” the pegasus gulped. The vigilante rolled her eye in annoyance at her apologetic ways. They knew what they needed to do now. They had to go back to the observation room and the execution arena.

As they approached the arena, they could hear the loud guttural roars of Gummy very clearly from far away. Something was going on and it didn’t sound good. The two ponies made their way to the closed door leading into Caballus’s observation room and each held an ear against the wooden door.

“Quickly! Grab it! No… No! No! Imbecile! No! You over there! Go get it now! Hurry! … Wait! Don’t look behi-” Dr. Caballus speech was cut short by a shrill whine of pain followed by a loud snapping of jaws. “Idiot! Someone keep that beast occupied! I need that monocle!”

The duo nodded, ready for anything, and entered the room. Caballus swerved to face them. He sneered in contempt at them despite both his upper lip and right eye were swollen after Mare-Do-Well’s beatdown.

“You again! After all this trouble, I don’t even want that worthless nag’s DNA anymore! Instead, you will both suffer!” he shouted with contempt.

“But, you can’t do anything without your monocle, right?” Fluttershy whispered back with a bit of anger.

Dr. Caballus took a step back at the sudden realization of his secret, only to look down and shake his head, and finally facing them again. “So you found out about the last core, haven’t you? As we speak, my minions are down there searching for it.”

A loud reptilian growl followed by another yelp of fear and one bone-crushing chomp afterwards interrupted him. “There is a slight drawback with Gamma still down there. I’m surprised it’s still hungry after eating so much, including a specimen as large as Beta-Duo was, but I can always find more minions out in Everfree to replace the ones that are eaten. After all, I can always ‘persuade’ more sentients under my control once I latch the collars with the slave crystal pieces on them. Perhaps I should go find some volunteers from the nearby town of Ponyville. I’m sure several of their townsfolk, especially their unicorns, would made ideal slaves and servants...”

“You…you…you…” Fluttershy stammered to speak after hearing his callous disregard for all life and possibly planning to foalnap many innocent ponies from Ponyville. Meanwhile Mare-Do-Well didn’t waste time in charging at him. Caballus made his horn glow to shoot another magic bolt but quickly winced in pain and the glow ended. He was still aching all over from his beating and the vigilante easily tackled him to the ground. She pressed a hoof against his neck as her exposed eyed gazed down at him with intense fury as he struggled to breathe.

“Mare-Do-Well, we can’t waste any more time with him!” Fluttershy said alarmed. “I promised the werewolf that freed me that we would save the rest of them. We have to find that monocle and stop Gummy from killing any more of them! Please…”

The semi-masked pony closed her eye and took her hoof from his neck, instead kicking him right in the head and he yelled in pain. Fluttershy quickly went airborne, took Mare-Do-Well in her hooves and struggled to keep them both aloft as she flew down to the arena floor.

Once they landed, the scene before them chilled Fluttershy to the bone. Mare-Do-Well’s other self reacted by simply biting her lip in anguish. The formerly gray cement floor was now splattered red with the blood of various “sacrifices” the cruel stallion threw down there to appease the mutant alligator.

Exposed bones, spilled organs and other such horrifying sights from the half-eaten corpses were scattered everywhere. Most of all, the remains of Mare-Do-Well’s giant naga adversary, Beta-Duo, were especially horrifying with its head missing, its entire chest cavity torn apart and devoid of muscle, bones and organs, one arm that was eaten of all muscle and sinew was lying on the floor, and its tail has some of its skin and muscle missing. The prominent figure of this carnage was Gummy, whose mouth dripped with blood and bits of tissue stuck to its teeth as it chased after more werewolves and nagas to gobble them up. They didn’t set foot into an arena. They were right in the middle of a massacre.

Mare-Do-Well quickly looked to her emotionally-crushed friend and found her frozen with her eyes staring blankly at the scene before her. She shook her shoulders trying to snap her out of her stupor but Fluttershy was far too traumatized by the amount of death around her.

The vigilante was at a loss. She knew this area would shatter the resolve of a kind-hearted pony like Fluttershy and yet they both rushed in, risking both their sanity and lives to find this monocle, and destroy it to shut down the mind control. Pinkie deep inside also felt sickened and would have fainted away from the ordeal if the thought of saving her beloved pet didn’t help maintain her mental resolve up. She had to help the pegasus pull herself together or they would both perish.

She knew she could not talk to her while wearing the mask because it violated her rules, but her sharp mind found an acceptable loophole. Placing her snout next to Fluttershy’s ear, she began to softly hum the tune to the song she sang the day Cranky Donkey arrived to Ponyville. The broken pony’s mouth managed to quiver her lips into a smile and her eyes regained their color. She looked at her friend and hugged her tightly as she cried in her shoulder.

“I’m sorry, Pinkie… I’ll try to be strong for you. For Gummy…” she finally whispered. A yelping werewolf scampering past them broke them out of the moment as they quickly jumped out of the way from the approaching Gummy intent on eating the beast.

The two ponies nodded at each other and quickly went their separate ways. Fluttershy took to the air once again and hope she could find the monocle from the sky. Mare-Do-Well decided to hoof it on the ground while avoiding the panicked monsters and her mutated pet as well.

Things looked bad. They had searched all sides of the arena while fortunately avoiding the terrified minions and their fearsome predator, but they found out that looking for such a small accessory like a monocle proved to be a useless effort amidst the chaos. It then got worse when Gummy, tired from all the werewolves it chased after and ate, chose to go after a different quarry and Mare-Do-Well was in his sight. The pony didn’t think twice in joining the werewolves and nagas for some exercise in running for their lives.

Mare-Do-Well went straight for Beta-Duo’s remains, hoping to lose Gummy hiding behind the decaying mass. The pony stayed still hoping the gator got distracted and went away. She then felt the carcass being poked and stirred by the reptile’s enormous snout as he sniffied around to locate her scent. Letting off a loud snort to let her know she got her smell, Mare-Do-Well took off galloping. The gator growled angrily and used one of its large paws to bat away the carcass from its position and landed on another part of the arena, nearly crushing two terrified nagas.

From the air, Fluttershy immediately noticed a small sparkle of light from from the blood puddle where Beta-Duo’s body was before Gummy swatted it away. Trying to get closer, she saw a very tiny round object stained with the naga’s blood. She gasped with surprise. It was the monocle!

“Mare-Do-Well. Mare-Do-Well. I found it. There. The puddle. Hurry.” She tried to scream but was unsuccessful due to her timid and gentle voice. She then began to wave her front legs around hoping to attract her attention while staying aloft in her wings but she instead got the attention of Dr. Caballus, who already was up and leaning over the balcony railing.

Thanks to Fluttershy’s inadvertent action, he saw the sparkle of his slave crystal core-encrusted eyepiece in the pool of blood where Experiment Beta-Duo’s body laid on and he could finally focus his magic on it. With a smirk, he focused his glow on the pool of blood and a cloud of dark blue magic enveloped the monocle, lifting it up in the air and slowly levitating it over to his position. Lucky for him, the pegasus was still too busy trying to get the supermare’s attention to not see him levitate the accessory back to him. Just a few more feet and it would be nestled in his eye and his control over his minions would be restored.

The unscrupulous unicorn was far too busy focusing his magic and attention on retrieving his trinket that he did not see a form slowly creep up on him from behind. The werewolf rubbed its bandaged hand in fury. It remembered the day Caballus entered their lives.

How he somehow managed to capture one of the younger hunters of the pack and then also capturing the strong members of the clan including himself who were sent to search for him by using large metal collars with a black gem placed in the center. The second the collar was placed around his collar, the young warrior felt his free will being suppressed. His mind was awake but his body was no longer his. It was now controlled by the crystal on the collar which followed the evil horse’s commands. Then came the most traumatic experience of his life.

The horse led the helpless warriors back to the cave and killed not only the chief they were fiercely loyal to, but also all the females, cubs and the elderly. The remaining males were just injured enough for them to not get in the way of the carnage so they could be later outfitted with the collars themselves. Once it ended, the clan was officially destroyed. No more descendants or a legacy remained, just a group of males who would’ve been distraught and hysterical in spirit as they were forced to watch as their controlled bodies killed all their loved ones and friends.

They were all then led to the ruins of a former horse settlement and were forced to work together with a bunch of filthy degenerate nagas who were also captured and collared into the horse’s servitude. Those were three long years of pain and suffering and there was nothing he or his remaining clan members could do about it.

Until, the small pegasus came…

The doctor chose him for an experiment involving her and he used a sharp rock to make a deep cut in his hand and threw him in the room with the pony. Somehow, she was able to actually break a bit of the control of the collar through her act of selfless kindness. While his body reacted the way the horse commanded it to due to the collar, those carefree licks on her face were not his orders. They came naturally from him. He had somehow broken enough control to be able to move his body again but not enough to force himself to remove the collar.

He first repaid the small pegasus back for her deed by setting her free. Now he had a chance to avenge his chief, his mate and all the others the horse killed. He managed to sneak in during a moment the horse was leaned against the railing of his balcony after he chose most of the remaining clan members for his “suicide” mission. Only he remained as a “guard” outside the door despite already having most of his free will back. Only by killing the evil horse would his remaining brethren be free.

The werewolf slowly approached the unicorn still busy focusing his magic on his monocle until he finally struck. The vengeful beast lunged at Caballus and both tumbled over the balcony’s railing and fell towards the hard floor below. The werewolf maintained a tight grip on the unicorn as they approached the ground. Hopefully in the position they were currently at, the evil unicorn would land first and he would be crushed by the added weight of the beast above him.

Unfortunately, the madstallion was quick to understand his assailant’s ploy and quickly used his magic to roll over in midair and change their positions. Now it was he who was above and the werewolf now below. The beast was not ready when they both collided with tremendous force on the cement floor and he instinctively yelped loudly. The impact not only shattered his back but also crushed his ribs and internal organs by the equine using him to soften his landing. It would not be long now before he would die. The only thing he regretted was not killing the monster that destroyed his clan, but hopefully the pegasus and the other pony would complete the deed. He closed his eyes soon afterwards.

Mare-Do-Well was able to hear the yelp loud and clear and turned her gaze towards not only Dr. Caballus who was now on the ground of the arena as well, but also seeing a small object fall from the sky and recognizing it as the monocle. She was at another dilemma at this point. Gummy was still hot on her heels and she couldn’t stop her running for anything whatsoever. How could she stop enough to be able to grab the small trinket without the "good" doctor getting to it first? At least the unicorn was dazed and out of breath after the long fall he experienced, but it wouldn’t be long before he could regain control of his monocle and it would be all over for her and Fluttershy.

The answer came in the form of the yellow pegasus who flew down and got in Gummy’s eyes. The reptile sensed a new target and decided to chase after her as she squeaked in fright. With him out of the way, she was all set and made a beeline for the spot where the monocle fell. With no werewolf, naga or Gummy to distract her, Mare-Do-Well dived forward in hopes of grabbing it.

Just before she could snatch it, a blue magic aura surrounded it and it moved away from its spot on the ground. The pony’s eye was dumbstruck by this and she landed hard on the floor. Shaking her head a few times to get her bearings back she looked up and silently gasped as Dr. Caballus held the monocle over his head aloft with his magic aura. The look on his face was one of mad joy as he chuckled with his pupils shrunk to near pinpricks with his hair and moustache more disheveled and messier than before. To say he finally lost his mind was putting it mildly.

“At last! I have regained control! Hee hee… Once I place this in my eye, all these worthless beasts will be back in my control!” he said between small fits of laughter. “But… how shall I deal with you now, hmmmmmmmmm?”

Mare-Do- Well could just shake her head wishing she was faster. Her misery was shortlived, though, as she saw Fluttershy rapidly approaching him from behind with a certain reptile with a current craving for pony flesh lumbering after her. The doctor, however, was far too enthralled with regaining his mind-controlling monocle to notice the heavy tremor-causing footsteps approach ever closer.

“Should I order Gamma to feast on you? Grind your bones to paste? Hmmmm? No no no. That would be too quick a death. I really want you both to suffer! Hee hee hee…” he then clapped his hoofs together as he got another idea. “Or maybe… Maybe I could place collars on both of you as well! Why, you could be my little entertaining fool! Yes, the former brave and gallant crime fighter now reduced to amuse me with all those fancy moves you showed me before and maybe I could have my minions have their way with you as well! Yes… perhaps I could research the theory if a hybrid can be formed from a possible gestation of equine with canine or reptile! Glorious! And that pegasus! Oh, she would work well as my private slave! My own little broodmare! You know being stuck down here with no outside contact can get very lonely… My body aches for the longing of the tender flesh of a young mare! And she would love me without question! It would be perfect! Hee hee hee hee hee!!!”

At this point, the pony had stopped listening to his ramblings and taken a few steps back. Fluttershy was finally able to fly far away from Gummy to escape him. The gator was not saddened by his meal managing to get away from him as he saw an even bigger pony prize that had his back to him. Licking his chops, the humungous reptile crept up behind the raving unicorn, who was still unaware to his presence.

“Oh, why bother keeping you alive? I mean, you have caused so much grief and setbacks to me! Making you my private jester is still too lenient! How to deal with you…” He looked down and tapped his hoof until he stamped it loudly and looked up at her with a crazed grin. “Eureka! I have found it! I could remove that brain of yours and keep it alive in a jar! Yes, that would do nicely! Then, I’d dissect your entire body, remove all the organs, and have them each functioning on their own accords in jars as well! And your body will make a quick appetizer for Experiment Ga-”

He finally noticed a dark shadow appear over Mare-Do-Well as the filly finally trotted away to safety. He finally turned around and saw the open maw of his latest experiment about to end his life.

“……mma? NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!”

The alligator was quick to snap him up in his jaws and didn’t even bother to chew as he swallowed him whole. Mare-Do-Well scrunched up her nose in disgust as Fluttershy finally managed to land next to her and turned her head around wishing she didn’t see that. The remaining werewolves and nagas also stopped their mad dash and slowly made their way to where the ponies were.

So ends the life of a unicorn driven by the madness of unethical research and science, outdone by the very thing he created. Deep down, though, she wished he could have brought him to justice just like Bigtime and others she’s taken down. She sighed sadly in defeat as she patted her friend’s back.

Their moment of sorrow was shattered when they heard Gummy start to hack. The ponies looked up at him and the gator’s eyes started to roll around his sockets as he started to stumble around, unable to maintain his balance. He finally felt an enormous bulge form in his mouth and Mare-Do-Well knew she had to jump back by a sudden twichy tail and shoved Fluttershy away from the point of impact.

With a forceful retch, Gummy vomited up a huge mass of leftover flesh, bone and liquefied remains. In the middle of it all, the madstallion laid there drenched in the awful stinking mess. He was still alive despite being swallowed whole as he slowly breathed in and out. Mare-Do-Well was lucky her mask’s filter was still in effect while Fluttershy as well as the other minions tried their best to cover their noses at the nauseating stench. That was when Gummy again reached his head back only to cough up and spit out something smaller that landed at their feet as he remained queasy from the taste that didn’t agree with him.

Both ponies’ eyes lit up at the sight before them. A gem stood right at their hooves. The slave crystal’s core! After both Dr. Caballus and the monocle were immediately swallowed, the eyepiece must have landed in the digestive juices of the alligator, somehow dissolved the metal frame in lighting speed, and exposed the crystal core of it. Thanks to the forceful hock and spit of Gummy as he got rid of it, the crystal had some noticeable cracks on it due to its bullet-speed impact against the floor but it was still slightly solid.

She didn’t wait any second longer. Mare-Do-Well lifted her dark-blue bandaged hoof up in the air and slammed it down on top of the gem, crushing it into powder. As soon as she did, Gummy, and the nearby werewolves and nagas began to growl, howl and hiss respectively as the black crystals in their collars began to shine brightly. With one blinding flash, each and every black gem shattered to pieces.

The werewolves and nagas stayed still for a few seconds only to open their eyes and blink. They looked down at the collars around their necks and grabbed them, snapping them off and throwing them to the floor. They were all finally free!

However, they were in no mood to celebrate as they all stormed and slithered towards the three equines and the giant alligator. Mare-Do-Well looked at them sternly as Fluttershy squeaked and hid behind her.

One of the werewolves looked down at the masked pony, his eyes lowered and a hint of a fang showed through his sneering lip. The vigilante was ready to face them and didn’t care if they were free or not. If they harmed her or her friend, they would regret it.

“We free…”

Her exposed eye opened up wide in surprise. Did the werewolf…speak?

“Thank you…” he said as he and the rest of the lycanthropes placed their fists upon their chests and lowered their heads in reverence. Mare-Do-Well nodded slowly at them in response. Fluttershy warily poked her head from behind them and smiled nervously.

The nagas were not in the mood for sentimentalities and they slithered over to the foul-smelling pile where Caballus lay there drenched in the alligator’s stomach excretions. The serpent creatures leaned down and quickly shot their heads back up hissing in annoyance. The werewolves also looked on with mild disgust. The fact that they wouldn’t eat a disgusting creature like Caballus wasn’t the reason they weren’t ready to tear him apart, but rather the smell of the vomitus was strong enough to drive back these creatures whose senses of smell were quite powerful to begin with.

The nagas had enough of this place and they slithered to the side of the small arena door where they used their combined strength to force the door up and left it open as they retreated back to Everfree where they came from. Only the werewolves , ponies and the giant alligator remained.

The remaining members of the pack ran towards their comrade that was near death. Mare-Do-Well and Fluttershy caught up with them soon afterwards. All the beasts and ponies looked down at the brave warrior who risked his life to save them all. The fallen werewolf managed to open a weak eye.

“Doctor…dead?” he managed to whisper.

“Um… not really. His core is destroyed, though. You saved us all,” Fluttershy said tenderly with a smile. “If you didn’t knock him down from the balcony, he would have grabbed the monocle and you would all still be under his nasty control. But why are you all now speaking…”

“We know language elder teach us. When horse control, he command us to use old tribal language of ancestors instead of speech to insult heritage. We free to speak now,” one of the wolves answered and his comrades nodded in unison.

“We…free…But…sorrow…Chief…Family…Elders…Cubs… no more…” the dying werewolf uttered out which made everyone lower their ears in sadness. Mare-Do-Well and Fluttershy clearly understood what those words implied and also lowered their ears in empathy. Their way of life was irrevocably destroyed now.

“Find new pack. Legacy go on. We vow,” one of the wolves told him which caused the near-death lyncanthrope to cough up blood.

“Brave…warriors… Never…forget…old pack…Find freedom…This…command…of…last Chief son…” he said.

Fluttershy gasped. “Wait. You were the son of your pack’s chief? Oh, I’m really sorry to hear that… I really am…”

The chief’s son managed to smile at her. “Thank you…pony…Kindness…broke…horse power…on body…You…save…pack…You and…pony there…heroes…True…warriors…”

Fluttershy blushed a bit and Mare-Do-Well simply stared with a nod.

The werewolf then began to convulse as he approached his last breath. “I…die…Hunters…meet again…in…Great…Beyonnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn………………………..” The noble wolf’s head suddenly leaned to the side staring blankly as life finally left him.

Fluttershy and Mare-Do-Well lowered their heads in reverence as the Pegasus shed tears of sorrow. Around them, the werewolves rose their heads up in the air and began to howl long and forlornly at the passing away of their original pack’s last leader. The chorus of howls was heard long and loud throughout the empty caverns of the lab facility until the period of mourning had passed.

Two of the remaining strong creatures then lifted the dead chief’s song between them and the pack began to depart through the door the nagas opened in their haste to leave. However, the other important thing they all saw was that Dr. Caballus was gone! The pile of dried vomitus was still there but the stinking, possibly-irate madstallion was gone. Mare-Do-Well cursed herself for not keeping an eye on him. Now he was gone and who knows what schemes he will concoct now.

The werewolves, however, didn’t let this break their spirit. They had to go prepare the funeral for the last heir to the clan’s leadership. “You now heroes to clan. Thank you. We meet again soon, friends…” one of the werewolves said as he turned around and placed a fist to his chest and bowed. The ponies likewise did the same thing and the lycanthropes finally left. The two ponies looked at each other. They were nearly done and only one loose end to tie: Gummy.

The masked pony gulped as she approached her pet once more. All this time he just stood there, not moving an inch. Was he waiting for a chance to strike? Was he preparing to turn around and finally eat them? She feared the worst.

The ponies looked up and saw to their collective relief that Gummy simply stood there looking up while blinking his empty-staring eyes.

“Um…Gummy?” Fluttershy managed to say. She eeped in shock as the alligator finally moved his head down to stare at them. Mare-Do-Well stood her ground, ready for whatever the reptile would do. Gummy blinked once or twice until he finally reacted.

He gave them a smile and began to wag his enormous tail.

Mare-Do-Well finally lost her final restraint. Despite having been mutated to an enormous size and his body radically aged, he was still the same baby gator he has always been. Her joy finally burst out as she tore off her mask, allowing the straight mane Pinkie Pie had been sporting throughout the entire ordeal to finally curl and poof back to her cheery frizzled form.

“GUMMY!!!!!!!!” she finally yelled as she took a tremendous leap from the ground and landed right on top of her loving pet’s snout which she hugged it as best as she could. The gator could just blink at her and keep wagging its tail, unsure of what to say or do.

“Oh, my dear sweet little Gummy…or rather my dear sweet big Gummy now! Oh how I missed you so much!” the pink pony said as she shed tears of joy. “Mama promises you she will never ever ever never ever never never let anypony harm you again! Once we get back to Ponyville, there will a huge super-duper mega party waiting for you! I bet everypony will be so happy to see you back!”

“Um…Pinkie…”

“And I will personally make sure to have all your favorite snacks there! We’ll have gumdrops and caramel apples and candy canes and muffins and pies and…oh! Maybe we’ll have Mr. and Mrs. Cake bake the Marzipan Mascarpone Meringue Madness in your honor!”

“Pinkie…I…I…”

“We will also have all our favorite games too! Jump rope, Pin-the-tail-on-the-pony, hide and seek, tag, and dancing! Lots and lots of dancing! We’ll have so much fun!”

“Pinkie…”

The excited pink pony turned to face her friend with a slight frown. “Fluttershy, can’t you see I’m making plans for the party once we get back?”

“Pinkie, you… you can’t take Gummy back to Ponyville. Not anymore…” she finally answered with sadness. Pinkie gasped loudly in response and frowned even harder.

“What?! How could you say that? Gummy is my family! He’s my little guy! I won’t abandon him!” she snapped back.

Fluttershy explained, “He’s not a baby alligator, Pinkie Pie. He’s been experimented on and he’s much bigger than all of us. Bigger than all of Ponyville, too. If stays there, who knows what damage he will cause to the buildings there. And think of how we have to feed him. He has teeth now. Ponies will be scared he would give in to his carnivorous needs and the police would be on high alert.”

Pinkie lowered her ears. “But…but…Gummy is my pet…He means everything to me…”

Fluttershy placed a hoof on Pinkie shoulder. “I know he is, Pinkie, but he will be much happier in a bigger place. Why, we could have him stay at Froggy Bottom Bog. I’m sure the nice frogs there will keep him company and that mean old Hydra and other predators there wouldn’t stand a chance against him. The swamp is the only place we can take him. I promise you, he will be happy there…”

Pinkie sighed and looked back at the enormous purple eyeball of her giant pet. She closed her eyes and nodded once. “Okey dokey lokey, Fluttershy. We’ll take him to Froggy Bottom Bog. I trust you.”

Fluttershy smiled at her and Pinkie gave her one back. With all that settled, she turned to face Gummy’s eyes. “Ok, Gummy, time we got out of here. Let’s go home, shall we? I’m counting on you to break through everything since you’re a big gator now, got it?”

The reptile growled once in response. The ponies then jumped down to the ground, with Pinkie lifting and putting her mask back on, and led Gummy to the largest door.

Mare-Do-Well pointed a hoof at the door and Gummy turned around and swung his tail up in the air. The crime fighter and her pegasus friend moved to a safe distance as the alligator began to slam its enormous appendage against the door over and over again like a battering ram. Some minutes later, the door showed visible cracks and just five more slams were needed to demolish the entrance and allowed a Gummy-sized hole to be seen. The ponies jumped over the rocky debris as Gummy just barreled through. As he did though, he looked rather uneasily as his stomach began to rumble in a worrisome manner but the ponies paid it no attention. They had to find a way out.

After reaching the end of the chamber which led to a private cell, it took Gummy’s enormous claws and tail to break through the cell and demolish the small hallways, causing cave-ins to the rest of the lab facility. Everywhere they went they found not a trace of a werewolf, naga or even Dr. Caballus, which made the duo uneasy. They also hope they could find a way out and soon before a cave-in would seal them inside the facility with no chance to ever escape. They had to succeed!

To their collective relief, the ponies finally reached the enormous antechamber with the ceiling covered with holes once more. They looked behind as they waited for Gummy to break through the tiny door and they would all leave. The two ponies were still looking back waiting for their scaly friend to free himself to not notice a long tail appear behind them. By the time Mare-Do-Well looked back, it was too late as the tail managed to wrap around both her and Fluttershy.The trapped vigilante was amazed to see the tail belonged to none other than a giant naga! It was Experiment Beta-Une!

When Beta-Duo appeared by itself and made a slit-throat motion with its claw, the crime fighter believed that it had killed its fellow guard. She now realized what that naga really did was merely triumph over its adversary to the rights of eating her in the execution arena. Now it bade its time, free from the collar that controlled it, and waited for its prey to finally appear. Its wait was finally rewarded.

Fluttershy yelled out in pain as Mare-Do-Well tried her hardest to not utter a sound, powerless to do anything as Beta-Une resumed squeezing them. This time however, it didn’t count on something unexpected like a giant alligator finally breaking through the small entrance leading into the lab, causing once final cave-in that sealed it forever and immediately swung its closed snout at it.

The impact was more than enough to knock the giant naga several feet into the air and released its prey before it was sent flying. Beta-Une hissed furiously once it got back upright. Gummy may have been bigger than it, but the giant serpent monster was still itching for a fight. The loyal gator, meanwhile, was not going to let anything harm his owner or friends and scowled angrily as it stomped the ground with his paws. The two mutants then charged at each other and began to fight.

Mare-Do-Well was able to recover quickly as she took many deep breaths to get oxygen in her system and checked on Fluttershy who was still unconscious, but hopefully still breathing. As she tried to bring her back to consciousness, she heard mad laughter ring out over her head.

“You insolent, insignificant wastes of equine genetic failure! You ruined all of my research! My progress for the last three years: Gone! You may have destroyed the last slave crystal core and my laboratory, but I will never allow you all to leave here alive! Taste the bitter fruit of my revenge! Die, worthless insects, DIE!”

As soon as Dr. Caballus stopped talking, she immediately heard a loud groan coming from up in the ceiling. To her horror, sharp stone spikes shot out of the holes above and the ceiling slowly began to descend! Mare-Do-Well looked up in fear. She knew very well that both Fluttershy and she could escape this deathtrap, in which the maddened unicorn was obviously far too irrational in thought at this point to believe it had a chance to kill them.

However, this trap could still kill Gummy if he couldn’t break his way through the passageway leading to the town shelter since he was far too busy fighting Beta-Une. She was powerless at this point. All she could hope for was Gummy finishing the battle quickly and have enough time to escape. She immediately placed Fluttershy in her back and quickly ran across the antechamber, looking up and seeing the spike ceiling continue its descent.

The alligator had difficulty keeping its focus even before the battle began. Ever since they left the confines of the arena, his eyes had trouble seeing ahead and his stomach felt nothing but pain. He wanted to end this battle quickly before the monster had a chance to kill him. Beta-Une was currently constricting his jaws by wrapping its tail around it and scratching deep cuts on the top part of his snout with its claws, hoping to tire its adversary long enough to strike a finishing blow.

Gummy however had enough of it and quickly rolled over on his stomach and slammed the top part of his head against the floor. The blow was enough to loosen Beta-Une’s tail from around his jaws and the naga laid there dazed on the ground. Gummy quickly snapped it up in his jaws and swung it around and around in their vice-like grip. The alligator finally released the naga as he arched his head upwards and the serpent beast was launched up towards the ceiling.

THUNK

The naga let out one final loud hiss of anguish as it was impaled against the sharp spikes and finally expired.

Mare-Do-Well was happy her pet triumphed and saw there was plenty of time for Gummy to force his way through the passageway and they would all be free. That joy immediately turned to sadness as Gummy was unable to stay on his feet. He slowly swayed from side to side as he approached the passageway and couldn’t apply enough pressure to break his way inside. The gator left off a loud cough that somehow spit something out that landed on the floor next to the pony who was unable to see it. Feeling strength leave him, he slumped down on the floor with his head inside the hallway but the rest of his body still in the antechamber with the slowly descending ceiling.

Mare-Do-Well began to shake her head. They were so close! What happened to her pet? Why was it tired?! She ripped her mask off and started shaking her nearly-unconscious Gummy.

“Gummy…Gummy! Wake up! Please… you have to get up! We’re so close! Just a little more energy! Come on…please… Don’t go to sleep…” she floundered as tears flowed from her eyes. Not giving up, she quickly galloped behind Gummy and pushed him as hard as she could. She was so desperate to save him that she didn’t even stop to rationalize that she needed the strength of at least five full-grown dragons to save him.

Fluttershy finally woke up at this point and was shocked to see Gummy who had all the telltale signs of death approaching. She was very familiar with those signs and the indicative face of the nearly departed as she herself had attended several “deathbeds” of woodland creature relatives who were ready to pass away. She really felt bad witnessing the passing-away of various birds, bunnies and other forest friends but she was there to give their friends and families moral support. Now, it was her turn, despite breaking her heart, to tell Pinkie her pet was about to do the same.

The question on her mind now was: Why? Why is Gummy dying so quickly? She looked down to the floor and spotted a small item, looking it more closely, she gasped in fear as it gave her the answer. No wonder Gummy vomited and started looking sickly. She had to inform her friend right away.

Pinkie Pie started to chuckle amidst her tears wishing she had the strength to push Gummy out the way. The ceiling was near the halfway mark. If Gummy didn’t move in less than a minute, he would be crushed and skewered. At this point, she felt that life wouldn’t be worth it without her precious pet, considering all the sacrifices she took. Her hair slowly lost its curls and returned to the straight style as she chuckled pointlessly.

“Mare-Do…Pinkie!” Fluttershy corrected herself as her friend no longer wore her mask. She quickly ran up to her. “Pinkie, we can’t stay here and we can’t save Gummy… He is…he is…” She choked on the words unable to say them out.

“NO! Don’t even say Gummy is going to die! We are going to save them or die trying. If Gummy won’t move, then I won’t move! I don’t care if I die! Gummy is my pet! I will not abandon him and that’s final!” she snapped angrily.

The yellow pony however, didn’t shy away and looked at her with a semi-crossed face. “Pinkamena, you have to listen to me. I have something to show you. I know why Gummy is going to die!” she blurted out sharply which made the pink pony stunned at her sudden remark of urgency. Hesistantly, she followed Fluttershy back to the front of her pet.

“Look at that down there. This is the cause of his death…” the pegasus muttered as she pointed at the small object with her hoof. Pinkie lowered her head down and looked at the item before her. It appeared to see some sort of syringe with a bent needle. A small drop of a strange liquid was dripping out of what little remained inside. She smelled it once and she quickly moved back before she could even touch the stuff.

“Is that…” she finally whispered.

“Some poison... Dr. Caballus…he must have had a syringe of it in case an experiment was unable to be controlled…” Fluttershy nodded sadly.

“And he injected it inside Gummy when he got swallowed and caused him to throw up…” Pinkie concluded as tears formed on her eyes again, only now of sadness. “Oh Gummy…”

Pinkie Pie walked up to her dying pet and placed her snout next to his nuzzling it softly. “I wish I could have been stronger. I wish I could have been faster. If only I managed to grab that monocle… or if I would have destroyed that crystal when you appeared… or even calmed myself down when I first came here instead of letting my anger get to me… Zecora was right…I am a big failure faily-pants…”

She then heard a slight tender growl which caused the two ponies to look up. Gummy’s eyes blinked at them weakly as the toxin coursed through his veins. His end was near. He gave her master a smile to acknowledge he had the greatest life being her pet.

“Gummy…” she sniffled. “Don’t go…”

The alligator softly used his snout to lightly push her away. Even as he was nearing his end, he really didn’t want her to see him die, more so under such extreme circumstances as the ceiling lowered even more. The spikes were less than 30 seconds from impaling him. Pinkie acknowledged it and nodded her head sadly. She placed her Mare-Do-Well mask right on what little exposed of his lips there was and turned around to leave along with Fluttershy.

As they did, they heard a small weak voice growl out.

“mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm………………mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa………………mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa…………………”

Pinkie choked on her tears as she galloped away back to the shelter with the pegasus following close behind. Gummy knew she heard him and he was finally free. Closing his eyes, he calmly went to sleep.

The ponies reached the foot of the spiraling staircase. Fluttershy took a small torch from the hallway and flew up to the ceiling hoping to find a way out. As luck would have it, she found a small handle that was hidden in the darkness and she pulled it down. As she did, the fountain above them slowly slid aside, allowing them to see the dark sky above them once again. Fluttershy quickly flew up but Pinkie remained slumped on her haunches and looking down at the floor at the bottom.

“Pinkie…Pinkie! We have to go!” she called out as loudly as her weak voice could but the pink earth pony didn’t budge an inch.

That was when they heard the loud crunch following by the earth-shaking slam of stone against stone. Pinkie shot her head up to the sky and screamed out as the tears flowed from her face.

“GUUUUUUUUUUUUMMMMMMMMMMMMMYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

***************************************

Storm clouds darkened the sky over Everfree, free of the manipulation of pegasi and serving as an appropriate backdrop of the event that took place. Pinkie Pie sat there slumped on the ground, still wearing the rest of her Mare-Do-Well costume, having done nothing but cry ever since she constructed a crude tombstone made of wood and placed it at the foot of the fountain in the town ruins.

Behind her were her fellow Elements of Harmony, with the exception of the hospitalized Rainbow Dash, all wearing manners of funeral garments. Twilight Sparkle and Fluttershy wore simple black cloaks with attached hoods to protect them from the incoming rain. Rarity, as per her usual flair, wore a far more elaborate black dress with a matching hat and veil. Applejack simply wore a black velvet cowboy hat and black scrunchies on her mane and tail. All of them had the same feature of solemn sadness as though a beloved family member passed away.

“Gummy… You have no idea how much you meant to me…” Pinkie managed to whisper. “Even though you were turned into an enormous monster, I loved you with all my heart. I miss you, sweetie…”

The four ponies behind her only looked at each other, unsure what to say or do.

“Pinkamena, I-” Twilight Sparkle began only for the mournful pony to shoot up and stare at them.

“Why, Twilight?! Why do I keep going?!” she screamed at her with her eyes showing nothing but hate. The others tried to say anything only for Pinkie to keep ranting.

“I lost one of the most important joys in my life to that… that… monster! If only I could have talked, Twilight! If only I could have broken my rule and revealed my voice to Gummy when he was transformed, I could have saved him even if he was controlled! Fluttershy showed how much kindness was able to get a werewolf to snap out of the control Caballus had on all of them and I knew Gummy would be able to do it too if he heard my voice! I hate being unable to talk! I hate these rules! I hate these clothes! I HATE MARE-DO-WELL!” She then slammed her hooves against the hard marble basin of the fountain.

“I hate you! I hate you! I hate you! I HATE YOU!!!!!!!!” she shrieked with every pound of her hooves.

The four Elements gasped to see with every blow against the stone, Pinkie’s hooves lost their bandage wraps and the tender pink hooves beneath began to bleed. It took all of Applejack’s strength and Twilight’s magic telekinesis to hold her down from hurting herself even further. She was eventually dragged away kicking madly as she finally knocked the farm pony off her and Twilight's magic faded.

Pinkie snorted a blast of hot air from her nostrils as she dug her teeth into her outfit and began to tear at it as peals of thunder clapped overhead and lightning bolts flashed against the dark sky. Everypony present, especially Rarity, were horrified to see how viciously she tore the Mare-Do-Well outfit from her darkened-pink body, leaving it nothing more than a pile of rags on the ground. She gnashed her teeth as she started to stomp on the former vigilante’s outfit until it was nothing more than a convoluted muddy mess.

She then turned around and galloped away. The others could do nothing but follow close behind. All except Rarity who was still frozen after her work was destroyed in front of her eyes. She finally was able to snap back to her senses after a lightning bolt struck inches from where she stood and she quickly left the area behind.

The thunder and lightning soon began to stop as a small rain shower fell on the area. Everything began to get wet except for Pinkie’s crude wooden tombstone. The words written there in her own blood read:

To my dear Gummy.

Your Pinkie Pie misses you.

May you be in a much happier place.

Wait for me. Soon we will be together again.

***************************************

Analysis Report Number: 448
Title: Alpha Lab Falls

Due to the intervention of the accursed heroine known as Mare-Do-Well, Alpha Lab below the fountain was a total loss. All research data was destroyed in the cave-in and rockslides after the rebellious Experiment Gamma went on a rampage as it tried to free itself. I managed to stay alive in part by the neurotoxin solution I keep on my very being for drastic emergencies and it served well its purpose.

The loss of Alpha Lab is a seriously blow to my local monetary gains, but Bravo, Echo and especially Hotel Labs are still functional.

I have started to grow disillusioned by the lack of cooperation of philistine ponies who fail to share in the vision of helping advance their evolution. If all else fails, there is the final solution. If Equestria fails to realize I am helping it change for the better, then so be it.

Mare-Do-Well has been upgraded to a Class-SSS+ threat. Her demise has also been promoted to one of the chief goals as well. She will soon suffer my wrath, raw and unfettered.

Will the Legend of Mare-Do-Well still trot along?

Chapter 12

The Legend of Mare-Do-Well
Chapter 12: Mindquest
by JD2K

“Pinkie Pie? Pinkie Pie! Pinkie, please come out. We want to talk with you!”

“Consarn it, Twilight, th’ time fer talk is over. She hasn’t come out in ovah two weeks already an’ she hasn’t set one foot outta that there room of hers! Ah say we must take action!”

“While it pains me to say it, I grudgingly agree with Applejack, darling. The local rumor mill is that she has missed planning two birthdays, a foal shower and a retirement party! The Mayor is in a dither over all this and we have to act now before things take a turn for the worse.”

“…Um… I…Well…”

“What she means to say is we gotta stop sitting on our haunches like a buncha lame old nags! The time for action is n-OWWWWWWWWW!”

“Rainbow, you didn’t have to come up here! The doctor said you can finally walk again but you have to take it easy for your back and wings to fully heal! Sigh…you’re all right. Very well, Applejack. Go ahead.”

“‘Bout time ah gave the ol’ gals some practice with doors! Huuuuuuuuu-UUUUUUHHHHHHHH!”

SMAAAAASH

“Wow, she must’ve barricaded the door really well from inside. Ok, we’re going in. Pinkie Pie? Pink-gasp…”

“Gosh… this place’s givin’ me the willies. Feels like nopony’s been livin’ here fer years. An’ look over yonder at the walls…”

“ ‘FAILURE’, ‘FAILURE’, ‘FAILURE’. Oh my. It’s everywhere! And look at the windows boarded up! The mess on the floor! The mildew and moss growing in the bathroom! This is a disaster of sanitary proportions!”

“Rare, the bigger worry is where our pal is! But yeah, this is not cool at all…”

“Um…But, uh…but where is… EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEKKKKKKK!!!!!!”

“Fluttershy, what happened to- OH SWEET CELESTIA, NO! APPLEJACK, RARITY, CALL AN AMBULANCE CART! WE NEED THEM HERE RIGHT NOW! ”

“I’m getting a pulse here! She’s still alive somehow!”

“Good job, Rainbow… Hold on, Pinkamena…”

********************************************

The five fillies stood guard over their friend as she laid there hooked up to an IV that fed her nutrients and with a magic heart rate monitor that registered very weak and low beats. The image of Pinkie Pie, sprawled on the floor, with an emaciated pale body after not eating or going outside of her room for two weeks since the death of Gummy was still burned in the mind of the quintet. Her straight mane and tail were telltale signs of her not being happy but what made them worry more was that her colors, from her coat to her hairs on both mane and tail, were muted. It was all in dull and drab shades of light and dark grays respectively. She was for all intent purposes, drained out of the will and drive to live.

As soon as the ambulance cart arrived and the orderlies came up with the cot, they lifted her up and saw a small paper fall from her hoof which she was clutching all this time. The five looked at it and they all simultaneously felt the pain in their souls. A picture of a happy bouncing Pinkie Pie as a cute baby alligator was biting down on her tail as he followed his master to another adventure in Ponyville.

Twilight touched the image and felt it rough and covered with some powdery residue that wasn’t dust. Upon closer inspection, the residue with its tangy salty smell turned out to be dried tears. For how long Pinkie mourned her pet before succumbing to the lack of food and water was unknown but it must have been a long time judging by how many dried tears were on the slick surface of the photograph.

Now they stood there, around her bed, staring at her, hoping she would wake up. The doctor told them that she was in a coma and that she would have died if she wasn’t brought to the hospital when she was found. When she came in, she was given one of the special one-bed hospital rooms out of sheer luck due to the lack of patients. This was good since it allowed all the girls to keep watch over her throughout the day, hoping for the moment she would wake up. At night, due to hospital regulations, only one visitor was allowed to stay in the room so each Element took turns sleeping on the guest cot and let another take the shift the next night. This had been the same routine for the last two months since she was brought.

By the start of the second week of the third month, the formerly happy earth pony still had not stirred a single muscle. Everypony started to despair she never would wake up again so they had the hospital do more tests on her, using a decree by Celestia at Twilight’s urging. The doctors hooked the comatose earth pony to several strange machines the likes of the Elements had never seen before. The medics claimed these “machines” were only used under extreme circumstances to diagnose patients but swore that Pinkie Pie would not be killed by them. Fluttershy took a look at some of them and instantly recognized them as some of the ones Dr. Caballus used to examine her which made her tremble from the bad memories.

After three hours of tests and pacing up and down on the waiting room, the Elements saw the doctor come out as the nurses pushed Pinkie Pie’s bed back to her room.

“Well, Doctor, what’s the diagnosis?” Twilight asked with worry in her eyes as was in her other four friends.

The unicorn doc took a deep breath and began, “Well, Miss Pie is very much alive, that is certain. Her heart rate and body is working better now that she has some nutrients in her system. Her muscles have started to atrophy, though that is due to her not using them and which we hope a healthy regimen of exercise we have planned for her will get those muscles back into shape. If she wakes up that is. No, my little ponies, the main concern here is about her brain. Come inside.”

The girls followed the doctor inside with Applejack keeping Fluttershy from having a panic attack over all the strange machines in the room. Once inside, the doctor closed the door and the room was in darkness. “Just one second. Here.”

Everypony heard an audible click as some panel on the wall suddenly lit up to illuminate its immediate area but left the rest of the room in darkness. The Elements saw a long scroll-like sheet of paper levitated by the doctor’s aura unfurl itself and covered the illuminated panel. Everypony looked at the sheet carefully and saw a strange grouping of ugly-looking semi-circular objects with various smaller components in shades of black and grey that unnerved them, but none more so than Fluttershy.

“Dr. Cab-” Fluttershy squeaked and whimpered as Applejack placed her hoof on the shaky pegasus’s back. She managed to relax with the comfort. “I-I mean he showed me this. He said it was a …um… ‘Cranial Tomography’…I think…”

“I only heard of him while still studying my doctorate but I have been told of his perversions of medicine,” the doctor replied with a hint of disgust. He cleared his throat and reverted to a more professional tone. “According to this CT we took of her, her mind has several blank areas of extremely high activity, higher than normal. Especially here.” He pointed to a spot on the lower left area that was very dark. “The temporal lobe and the hippocampus.”

“Hippo-what’s it? Ya mean those weird ponies that live in the sea accordin’ to folk tales an’ all that?” the farm pony asked as she scratched her head.

“Those are hippocamps, Applejack. The hippocampus is a part of the brain, responsible for memories,” Twilight explained, “It is responsible for the short-term memory. The temporal lobe itself is responsible for the long-term one.”

“Quite right. The lobe itself has an unusually high amount of activity. Something is going on in there and that is what prevents the patient from waking up,” the doctor explained. “It’s as though she is, I don’t know how to say it without sounding like a speculative non-professional…”

“...fighting something?” Fluttershy managed to utter out and the doctor sighed.

“Precisely. All we can actually do is wait for the patient to ‘triumph’ and she would be sure to wake up,” the doctor mused.

“But, dear Sir, what if she doesn’t win? She must have been in combat with this ‘foe’ since she first arrived and shows no signs of recovery…” Rarity complained.

He hung his head down and shook it heavily. “Unless she wins, she is never waking up. Her mind itself has given its ultimatum on her being. There is nothing we can do except keep feeding her nutrients. I’m sorry.”

The doctor then allowed the girls to leave the examination room and they all had various faces of worry, anger and helplessness.

“No way! Pinkie’s fighting something fierce in her memories and unless she wins, she’s not gonna wake up?! That’s so lame it isn’t funny!” Rainbow Dash snapped.

“Duly noted, Darling, but our hooves are tied! The only one who can solve this dilemma is our friend herself,” Rarity moaned.

“But the way it looks, an’ after seein’ how she went plumb-crazy like durin’ the funeral, she ain’ in no shape to fight! She’ll be stuck like that ‘til we’re all as old as Granny Smith herself!” Applejack added. She then turned to Twilight. “Don’cha have any magic spells or anythin’ that would force her to wake up or beat this mind-thingy on her?”

“Applejack, that would be nothing short of dark magic! Do you have any idea how bad it would be to cast a spell of dominance over a comatose target? The results would be disastrous!” the purple unicorn replied. She turned her gaze to the side slowly with a sad frown. “Besides, I don’t know any spell that would help in this case. I just can’t enter her mind and fight her battle for her. Nopony can! We just…have to trust in her abilities.”

“Twi, it’s been over two months! We’ve been spending all our time looking over her, waiting for her to open her eyes. Do you think it hurts seeing her like this? There must be something we can do!” the cyan Pegasus pleaded.

“I’m sorry, Rainbow…I wish I knew…” the unicorn sighed sadly. The others also conceded their powerlessness as the four ponies went back to the room Pinkie Pie was interned at. Fluttershy simply stared at them with a determined look.

“I… I will go check on the animals and make sure Spike and Angel Bunny know what they have to do tonight.... I’ll be back before the sun sets so I can take over the shift… if that is ok…”

Twilight merely hoofwaved at her to do what she had to do. Fluttershy nodded once as she left the hospital. This was her fault as much as it was Pinkie’s since she was weak in helping her friend get over her mourning. It was time she did something about it and she knew just how to help her.

********************************************

“Fluttershy? Fluttershy! Open up! We’re here, so you can come out now,” Twilight Sparkle shouted as she knocked on the door of Pinkie’s hospital room.

The four fillies had arrived bright and early to the hospital and brought breakfast for Fluttershy from Sugarcube Corner like they have done every morning for the past two months for the Element who stayed to keep watch over their comatose friend. This night was the yellow pegasus’s shift and they came in to stand watch together. However, it was odd for them to see the door to the room locked. Nopony ever locked the door before and this concerned them.

“Fluttershy?”

No answer.

“Fluttershy?!”

Still no answer.

“FLUTTERSHY?!”

Nothing. Twilight and Rainbow Dash knocked on the door with force and there was no reply whatsoever.

The purple unicorn turned to the nurse on duty walking down the hallway. “Do you have the keys to this room? We need it opened right away!”

“Let me get the doctor. I’ll see what we can do about getting the door opened!” she replied as she galloped towards the main reception area.

“Twi, iffen things are gettin’ bad, ah say we do it mah way!” the farm pony protested as she dropped the wrapped box with the breakfast on the floor and approached the door.

Twilight bit her lip. This was not Pinkie Pie’s room back at Sugarcube, but considering the last time Applejack bucked a door down they saved somepony, it couldn’t hurt to use this strategy once more. “I hope the Princess doesn’t charge this out of my monthly stipend…” she sighed as she hoofwaved.

“Much obliged, sugar cube!” Applejack said as she took aim and bucked the door down. When she did, a scream came from inside that was certainly not from Fluttershy.

“Please stop! You should not interfere! Just as the solution was to draw near!”

The ponies stormed the room and were shocked to see Zecora in the room standing to the side of Pinkie’s bed with a small pot at her hooves which she quickly placed a lid back on. Her eyes were filled with worry and fear. Fluttershy was also in the room sitting on the floor with her legs crossed at the foot of Pinkie’s bed. However when they looked at her eyes, they saw only her white sclerae and corneas. Both irises and pupils were gone! She just stared blankly at Pinkie Pie in front of her.

Applejack and Rainbow Dash wasted no time in hold Zecora up with force as Twilight Sparkle walked angrily towards her.

“What are you doing here?! Who let you in this room?! And what did you do to Fluttershy?! Answer me or I will send the Royal Guard for you!” she screamed at her.

Zecora looked cross for a second but later relaxed and looked at her sternly. “If you let me go, my reason I shall voice... Please understand this was all the young pegasus’s choice.”

Twilight looked at the blank-stared Fluttershy and then back to the strong-armed Pegasus and earth pony and motioned them to let the zebra go. After they did so, the unicorn said sternly. “You’d better explain just what is going here or else you’ll be in a lot of trouble…”

The zebra sighed and began.
“Just before sundown was fast reaching,
Fluttershy came to my hut pleading and beseeching.
She felt intense guilt and crushing regret,
to be at blame for Pinkie’s mental threat.
She asked me if there was any way
for her to help. I couldn’t go “Nay”…
My tribe’s shamans, all sagacious and wise
An astral projection ritual they did devise.”

“Astral projection? As in an out-of-body experience? But that’s an old foal tale!” Twilight said sharply.
“There are many things you do not believe, you only see what your eyes perceive.” Zecora retorted calmly.
“Ergh…fine! So what does this have to do with Fluttershy?!” the unicorn snapped.

“Fluttershy asked me to perform it for her,
she wanted to aid Pinkie and show great valor.
I came to the hospital during the night,
She was alone and the time was right.
I mixed the ingredients to create the spell.
Vapor came out, which I then told her to smell.
The smoke entered her lungs like a tranquil swarm
and soon enough she appeared to me in astral form.
Into the pony’s body, she immediately went in,
I prayed out here, hoping they would both win.
That was when you came in all flustered and agitated,
You asked me for answers and here I finally stated.
So that’s my tale, and by the truth I bind
Fluttershy’s body is there, but her soul…

She pointed a hoof at the unconscious earth pony’s head. “…is in her mind.”

Twilight and the others looked at Pinkie Pie and the empty-stared Fluttershy. On one hoof, they were upset Zecora performed a dangerous and very risky ritual that had damning psychological and ethical consequences and had a notion to turn her in to Celestia.

But on the other hoof, it was Fluttershy whom they should have realized was equally as upset as Pinkie was since she was there that fateful day Gummy died. If there was any other “victim”, the kind-hearted pegasus didn’t show it. Now she took it upon herself to help their friend win her battle and used a loophole to do so.

“That dummy… How the hay could she go into Pinkie’s mind and not tell us about it, huh?! We’re her friends!” Rainbow Dash muttered as she punched the wall behind her.

“Ah for one am not gonna stand here while Fluttershy is up over her li’l head goin’ that way!” Applejack added as she turned to Zecora. “Ah want to go in as well. Use your zebra mumbo jumbo an’ git me in Pinkie’s noodle as well!”

“Count me in! If you’re going in there, I wanna go, too! I can’t call myself the Element of Loyalty if I can’t help my friends out!” Dash replied.

The two unicorns looked at each other, and then turned to the door as the nurse followed by the doctor holding the keys in his magic aura appeared.

“Doctor, whatever you do, please do not disturb us. We’re going to try something and see if we can save Pinkie’s life.” Twilight Sparkle stated. She looked at the busted door on the floor. “We’ll pay for the broken door. For now, please leave us.”

She used her magic to place the door back over the frame much to the confusion of the hospital staff. She looked at her white-coated friend. “Are you going in as well, Rarity?”

“Darling, you simply do not have to ask me twice. It would be disgraceful if I didn’t raise a hoof to help my friend. I only hope nothing bad comes out of all this…” she answered affirmatively.

Twilight then turned to Zecora. “How does the spell work? We’re all going in as well.”

The zebra sighed. “I must warn you ponyfolk, Pinkie’s mind in turmoil is no joke. What you will bear witness in there, will be risky beyond compare.”

“We have faced enough trials. We are ready,” the unicorn replied as all her friends nodded with certainty.

“So be it. You all must sit around the bed. Be comfortable for the journey ahead, ” the zebra ordered and all the four fillies sat in a circle around the bed next to Fluttershy’s body. “Now, close your eyes, take a deep breath, and do not fear. You all shall soon enter an astral atmosphere. Just before I release the smoke for you to smell, I bid you all ‘Good luck and be well’…”

With those words, the zebra removed the lid of the pot as a strange-colored cloud of smoke slowly emanated from within. She slowly began to chant in her native tongue as the vapor began to blow across the room.

Twilight Sparkle could feel the cold pressure of the cloud over her body and particularly her snout. With her mind at ease, she took in slow breaths of the smoke as it entered her body. Suddenly, she could feel her body change around her. She first lost control of her hind legs and tail, then she no longer felt the sensations on her back and her front legs. She began to feel scared as her head soon became numb and she opened her eyes.

To her shock, she found herself looking at the ceiling at a much closer angle than before. She tried to look down and was surprised to see…herself?! No, it was not herself so to speak but rather her empty body! She never realized what her body was like since she only saw it through reflections in mirrors but now she could clearly see the outline of her thin body and noticed both her star cutie marks on opposite sides of her flanks. She then saw her eyes and saw they were just like Fluttershy’s, all completely white with no irises or pupils. She was now…a spirit? Was this how death felt like?

“Whoa, this is like so weird…and yet it’s so awesome!” Rainbow Dash’s voice said as though she was an echo.

Twilight looked around her and saw the pegasus’s body still lying on the floor with her eyes also vacant and blank. She couldn’t believe her perception when she saw an image of Dash’s cutie mark of a cloud shooting a rainbow-colored bolt floating in the air above the empty shell of her body!

“Rainbow is that…gasp Is this my voice?!” Twilight’s own voice said with the same echoing effect as the speedster’s. She then hovered close to a light fixture that reflected what looked like her magenta star surrounded by five smaller white stars in front of her vision. Was this what a pony’s astral form was like?

“Twilight! Rainbow! Rarity! Y’all are yer cutie marks!” Applejack’s own reverberating voice said from a floating image of three apples.

“I can hear my voice… but I can’t feel my legs…or my tail…or my beautiful mane…” whimpered Rarity’s voice emanating from a hovering depiction of a trio of diamond gems, only for her to giggle. “Oh my, but my body down there is looking fabulous as always. I guess seeing myself from another angle aside from the mirror does have its advantages.”

“Girls, concentrate! It seems our astral forms took the shape of our cutie marks, as crazy as it sounds, so Zecora’s ritual worked. Now, what do we do?” Twilight’s voice finally asked.

“If you are all done exploring your new state, hurry into your friend before it’s too late! Focus yourselves and land on her head, be careful when you enter so lightly tread! ” Zecora said as she looked up at the ceiling. Somehow, she could tell they were there and knew they had to hurry.

“She’s right girls. We have no time to lose. We’re going in!” Twilight’s voice commanded.

“I’m on it! Whooooo-hoooooooo!” Rainbow’s voice called out as the rain-bolt cloud swooped down and headed straight for Pinkie’s head. Instead of hitting the surface, however, the cutie mark actually went the pony’s head and disappeared inside.

“Ah guess we know our way in now. Hol’ on, Fluttershy! We’re-a comin’! Geronimo!” Applejack hollered as the apples also followed the rain-bolt cloud inside the filly’s body.

“I hope my body stays safe. Look out below!” Rarity shouted as the gems followed suit.

Twilight’s disembodied spirit in the shape of her cutie mark looked down. Sighing silently, she shot towards the earth pony without stopping as she entered her body.

********************************************

“………………………………………….ht”
“…………………………………………..light”
“…………………………..Twilight”
“……………….Twilight, up an’ at ‘em!”

The unicorn still felt dizzy, but she did hear Applejack’s voice. She gazed up and saw a sturdy stone ceiling overhead. She looked down and saw a hard floor made out of cement. Looking ahead of her she saw a vast hallway with hoof-carved rocks making up the walls and with several torches placed at the sides to provide illumination. One thing puzzled her though. Why were the flames white and gray instead of orange and yellow?

“Nice of ya to finally join us, egghead!” said Rainbow Dash as her face poked into view. Twilight yelped in surprised as she jumped a few feet back.

Wait.

Rainbow Dash’s head? Legs to jump back from? They had bodies again!

She looked to the sides and saw her three friends looking up at her. Strangely enough, all three of them looked exactly the same as they did when Discord thoroughly corrupted them with varying shades of gray making up their bodies. All except their eyes and general demeanor. Their eyes were still the same green, dark blue and magenta colors respectively, and they all looked and acted just like they normally would. Twilight lifted a hoof and saw she too was a dark shade of gray.

“This is so unusual. But it makes sense…” she mused.

“What the hay are you talking about?” Rainbow Dash piped up.

“Scholars often hypothesized that when a pony dreams, they tend to paint the landscape in their minds in nothing but black and white. It must explain why those flames on the torches and our bodies are the way they are,” the unicorn explained.

“That still doesn’t explain why we still have our eyes normal,” Rarity commented.

“I would like to research this myself, but we got no time to lose. We’re more than likely in the memory Pinkie has been fixated on since her coma. If Fluttershy’s already here, then we need to find her and possibly Pinkie as well. Let’s move!” Twilight commanded as she, Rarity and Applejack took off galloping at top speed while Rainbow Dash soared close to them from the air.

Suddenly, the four felt a powerful roar that sent shockwaves throughout the passage. It was coming from a door up ahead which had a pair of statues on either side. One was a regal-looking metal statue of a proud werewolf, and the other was a shoddy stone statue of an ugly naga. Paying them no importance, Twilight forced the door open and was knocked back by yet another powerful roar, forcing her to grab hold of the door or else she would be sent flying. Once the roar ceased, the quartet ventured forth.

To their amazement, the door didn’t lead to a room but rather a small balcony that overlooked a large arena that was unlike anything they ever saw before.

Crystal.

The entire arena, from walls to floor to even the ceiling, was all covered in a hard shimmering crystal shell. The crystal itself managed to let off natural bioluminescence that brightened up the entire a room. It was a good thing it did since the lighting allowed the ponies to see something that made their collective blood run cold.

Standing several feet below their small perch, an enormous dark gray reptile with shining red eyes, enormous claws and sharp spines was looming over what seemed to be a small huddled form of an earth pony. The pony itself was curled up in a small ball, shivering with fear. The four then quickly noticed that next to the small pony was none other than Fluttershy! The pegasus , who also was muted in color just like they were, currently lied unconscious on the reflective floor.

“Hmmm, hmmm, hmmm, hmmm. Ha, ha, ha, ha… HA! HA! HA! HA! HAAAAAAA!!!!!” The sounds of maniacal laughter echoed throughout the arena and entered the ponies’ ears. They again looked down and noticed something unusual about the beast’s head they didn’t notice before.

A small platform was balanced on the reptile’s head where a tall dark grey unicorn stallion with a black-colored mane and moustache looked down at Fluttershy and the pony with his scowling right grayish-green eye. His left eye was covered with a circle that was colored a bright red in the same hue as the alligator’s own eyes. The unicorn or its monster didn’t even notice the new arrivals practically above their heads as they were focused on the two ponies below.

“You pitiful weakling! Did you really think bringing in some pathetic loser to help you out would save you? It only serves to show what a disgraceful coward you are!” the unicorn taunted with spite.

Twilight gasped as she recognized the figure and she whispered,“Dr. Caballus…”

The other three ponies turned and stared at her with shock. “Ya mean ta’ say this here’s that insane polecat that went an’ did those dad-gum experiments on ponies in Canterlot?!” the farm filly asked her.

“And that he’s the one responsible for Gummy’s death?!” Rainbow Dash snapped. “That does it! This guy’s toast!”

“Rainbow, no!” Twilight shouted as the reckless pegasus flew down and zoomed towards Caballus.

She smirked as she got closer to the unwary stallion. “I got you, you crazy motherbu-WHA?!” Before she could do anything, Caballus faced her immediately and the enormous monster it rode on quickly lifted its tail and swatted her out of the sky like a fly. Rainbow spiraled down to the ground and connected with a painful landing.

“Rainbow Dash!” Applejack cried out. She turned to Twilight with a concerned frown. “Don’ jes’ stand there! Use yer magic an’ get us down!”

The unicorn nodded as she lit her horn and magically teleported herself and her two companions below to the floor next to where Rainbow Dash landed.

Caballus frowned seeing these three newcomers. “Calling in more miserable helpers to fight your battles? You are beyond pathetic!” he thundered as he stomped a fore hoof making the large reptile it commanded lumber over to their position.

Twilight acted quickly. “Applejack, create a diversion. Make sure to keep that creature away from everypony,” she said to the farm pony. She responded by merely tipping her hat forward and charged straight at the monster.

“I’m going over and see if I can get Fluttershy and maybe find out who that pony next to her is and get some answers as to why the doctor is here. Rarity, stay here and help Rainbow Dash get back on her hooves again. When she does, tell her to help Applejack,” Twilight said to her fellow unicorn. She nodded once and walked towards the dizzy speedster to assist her. The royal protégé, meanwhile, started preparing her next teleport spell but learned it was to take some time due to having cast a big teleportation spell a while ago to recharge her energy.

Applejack didn’t waste any time in confronting Caballus and his mutant. “Ok, ya fancy shmancy stuffedshirt! Ah’m gon’ show ya what ah do ta’ monsters who hurt other ponies fer their own twisted amusement!” she declared as she stared them down.

The doctor sneered in response. “I have no time for a screaming match with the missing link between refined ponies and prehistoric brutes! Either go back to that cave you crawled out of, or I shall be forced to use force!”

She growled softly as she pawed the ground. “Them’s fightin’ words, ya uppity pile of hog slop! Y’all be sorry ya messed with me!” She reared up her front hooves and charged head-on. She grinned to herself seeing his monster stand there, unwilling to flinch or move. This was going to be easier than she thought.

Caballus merely shook his head as he began to charge up his horn and waited for Applejack to get closer. When she was just second away from hitting the monster, the unicorn unleashed an aura of magic that made him and his monster disappear instantly! Applejack screeched to a halt as she looked everywhere, confused as to how such a large body would vanish like that.

“What in the hay?! Now where’d that polecat go?” she asked befuddled.

“Maybe I can entertain myself for a while. That sniveling coward can wait a while longer,” Caballus said with a chuckle as he and his enormous reptile appeared on a faraway area of the arena. Applejack was not amused by this.

“Don’t try ta’make a fool outta me!” she snapped back.

“Oh, I don’t need to create what already was born as such, you amusing little ignoramus,” he retorted with a hearty laugh.

The pony snorted a long plume of air from her snout and she gnashed her teeth as she charged head-on once more. Just like before, Caballus teleported himself and his giant reptile out of harm’s way to appear in another part of the arena and Applejack again blindly rushed at him. This drove the orange earth pony more and more annoyed and angry. She swore if he even stopped and got her hooves on him, he’d regret messing with her. Provided she could finally catch him, that is.

Catching him or not, Twilight was satisfied Applejack worked well as a diversion and once Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy were awake, they would all take down this maniacal stallion and free Pinkie’s mind from her coma. Her horn had finally regained its full potential and she quickly teleported herself to the spot the yellow pegasus and the odd stranger were located.

“Fluttershy? Fluttershy, please wake up!” she said as she nudged her with a hoof which caused her to stir. Relieved to see she was alright, Twilight turned to the other pony. “Hey… Are you all right? Hello?”

When she nudged this one, though, she began to tremble all over. “Please… I deserve it. I am unworthy of pity…”

Twilight’s mouth hung open. She recognized the voice, even though it was weak and cracking. “P-P-P-P-Pinkie Pie?!”

The pony form unfurled herself from her ball and the unicorn took a good look at her. The pony had long dark-gray hair and tail, familiar to when Pinkie is not her cheerful curly-haired self. Her eyes, unlike the rest of them including Dr. Caballus however, were devoid of color and stayed as gray as their surroundings. She tried to believe this was their friend when she went to check her flanks for the familiar three balloons. She gasped seeing this pony had no cutie marks whatsoever.

“Why did you come here?” the Pinkie pony lamented. “I don’t deserve redemption. I caused so many problems to my friends and all around me because of my excessive worry and anger. I guess Gummy’s death was destiny’s way to say I should not have acted the way I did….”

“It is you, Pinkie!” Twilight said as she hugged her tightly, only for the morose Element of Laughter pushed her away. She just looked down to the side where Fluttershy started to wake up.

“She came in a few minutes ago, she tried to make me feel better. He came. Didn’t run away, just went up to him and told him to get out. He didn’t and she was knocked out…” With a forlorn exhalation, she turned and faced the crystal wall behind her which reflected her face back. She simply stared at it in sad silence. “She didn’t have to. I didn’t ask her to come here. I don’t want my friends to be hurt. I don’t want them to suffer because I’m suffering. I want to be alone for the rest of my life. I deserve this and much more…”

“Pinkie, snap out of it! You have to fight back against his intrusion!” her friend spoke with concerned eyes looking at her. Pinkie merely swayed her gaze to see the reflection next to her. “Your memory of him killing Gummy is what is keeping you from waking up! Outside in the real world, you’re dying and we don’t want that. We want you back with us! You’re our friend, no matter what happened in the past! We all love you, Pinkamena.”

“I don’t deserve your logical praises. Please go. Leave me here with my punishment. I deserve it…” she commented wearily as she lowered her head.

Twilight shook her head sadly. Only by defeating her nemesis was she going to snap out of her gloom, that was what she thought. She turned to face Applejack start to get tired from running after the cackling stallion, who still teleported around the arena.

“Come on now, you oafish bumpkin! Do you not have enough strength in your legs to catch me because of all the cider you guzzle?” he taunted with malice. Applejack wanted so badly to shut him up after every single insult to her name, her earth pony heritage and her lifestyle aggravated her. Why wouldn’t he stand still and shut up so she could buck the teeth out of his mouth?! She charged at him once more with her speed reduced by her waning stamina. Soon, she would not have enough strength to chase him and he would finally end her life as well as her friends. She had to keep going!

Suddenly, a muted rainbow trail soared overhead as Rainbow Dash was finally back on her feet. “Rainbow, ah hate ta’ admit it, but I sure as sugar am glad ta’ see yer face,” the earth pony commented.

“Does that mean you’ll owe me a barrel of cider once we take this bozo down?” the Pegasus said with a twinkle in her mischievous eye.

Applejack responded by closing her eyes halfway and frowned a bit. “Stop bein’ such a smart-aleck an’ let’s get ta’ beatin’ this cow chip down ta’ size!”

The two ponies quickly took off in opposite directions. Applejack would again go straight for the creature’s legs while Dash would aim for knocking the doctor off his platform by going through his blind side. Applejack saw Caballus maintaining his gaze on her without suspecting Rainbow Dash was fast approaching from the side. She aimed directly for the unicorn and nothing was preventing her from finishing him off

Except for a well-timed psychokinetic blast that froze Rainbow Dash where she was with her face inches away from his own. Her infuriated sneer was countered by his contemptible smile. Another psychokinetic blast hit Applejack just before she could strike and he quickly levitated her next to the paralyzed pegasus.

“On second thought, I do so enjoy when that insignificant parasprite manages to scrounge up entertaining little foals like you all. These past two months and a half can get so tedious. How about you dance you me, my puppets?” he chuckled.

“I’ll dance, all right,” Rainbow growled, “Dance all over your face! WHAT THE HAY?!” She suddenly realized that not only was she now positioned standing on her two hind legs but she was doing a saucy bellydance much to her confusion and embarrassment.

Applejack placed her hooves over her mouth to restrain herself as her eyes watered only to finally let out loud laughter. “HAHAHAHA! Oh boy howdy, Ah reckin ah never seen this side of you before, Rainbow! Tell me, do ya also perform them lapdances as well?” she snickered as she wiped a tear from her eye. That was when her body was also placed on her hind legs and she began to dance ballet! Tiptoes en pointe, jetés, pirouettes and more. She moved like a seasoned prima ballerina.

“Heh heh heh. Wow, AJ, seems you didn’t tell me everything that went on in Manehatten with your family there, eh? Were you enrolled in those namby-pamby classes as well as your etiquette classes, ‘missy’?” Rainbow retorted with a smirk even as her body was forced to wiggle her waist in rhythm to an invisible flute. The orange pony merely shot her a death glare unable to control her body as she continued her “recital”.

While the two headstrong ponies were keeping Caballus busy with their dancing, Rarity managed to reach the other side of the arena where Twilight was located. She was more than surprised to see Pinkie Pie stare silently at her reflection and Fluttershy stirring but otherwise unconscious.

“Good you came Rarity,” the unicorn congratulated only to raise her eyebrow seeing Rainbow Dash and Applejack now forced to do the Horsetrot and Waltz which made the two fillies blush beet red from all the contact. Caballus meanwhile only looked on with amusement as he kept his control over them. “Uh…Well I guess they are keeping him busy, nonetheless…” the protégé mused and shrugged her shoulders.

“Indeed they are,” Rarity said as she was still staring in bewilderment. She finally turned around and faced her. “Has Fluttershy and our Pinkie Pie faring any better?”

“Sadly no. Fluttershy’s still unconscious and Pinkie Pie…well…” she merely moved her head and pointed with her horn. “Why don’t you try speaking to her? Maybe she’ll listen to you.” She moved aside on cue.

The fashionista nodded once and faced Pinkie. Never had she seen her so sad in all her life. Still, she had to do something for all their sakes. She stood next to her, unsure what to do or say until she saw how splendorous the crystal wall in front of them reflected their appearance.

“Oh, these are simply lovely,” she began. “How clear and magnificent these walls reflect one’s visage. Tell me, Darling, what are you looking at so vehemently in your reflection?”

Pinkie Pie didn’t even move her eyes to acknowledge the new presence and mumbled softly, “Finding other valid reasons that I should be punished for my sin…”

Rarity’s eyes opened wide at her remark. This wasn’t the same pony she has known all her life. It was time to make her feel better about herself.

“Now, now, Pinkie Pie. You mustn’t say such things about yourself. You are such a charming young lady who can bring a smile to everypony’s faces,” Rarity states as she rubbed her hoof against the mirrored wall. “You see, a day with your smile dazzles brighter than a Sun Star and is just as beautiful. You brought color to Ponyville, Darling, and we are simply unable to make do without your presence. Come, let us fight against this uncivil ruffian and bring back the color to your life, ours and of everypony else back in Ponyville. Shall we?”

Pinkie Pie didn’t even raise her head during this entire speech. “You want color?” she finally said. “…Go buy a box of crayons…”

The unicorn was taken aback by this retort that she didn’t know what else to say. Twilight was right. She was a tough nut to crack and she really didn’t know what to say to her now. Flattery was a poor strategy for her to use and she paid for it.

“It’s ok, Rarity, you did your best,” Twilight Sparkle told her as she placed a hoof on her shoulder to console her attempt. Her feeling of disappointment was short-lived, though, when two projectiles came soaring over the sky and landed right next to them.

“I had my fun, but now it’s time to get back to work. You amused me, and for that I give you to the count of ten for you all to escape before you all regret it,” Caballus declared as he signaled the reptile monster to move ahead.

“Rarity, take care of Fluttershy and the others. When Applejack and Rainbow get better, tell them to try and get Pinkie Pie’s help,” Twilight commanded sternly as she looked at the approaching creature.

“But what about you?” her unicorn friend asked with concern.

“I’ll hold him off. Just tell them to help Pinkie Pie come to her senses. Wish me luck!” she called out as she broke into a gallop.

The two ponies managed to get back on their feet as they checked themselves over for any broken bones. “Ah’ll never dance that dad-gum Marecarena again as long as ah breathe!” the orange pony mused angrily.

“You and me both!” Rainbow Dash snorted in approval. Rarity glad to see the two not injured walked up to them.

“Howdy, Rarity. Looks like you got sumthin’ fierce on yer mind,” Applejack acknowledged.

“Twilight is off distracting that beastly stallion so we can all work on our duties. I will watch over Fluttershy and hopefully get her back in perfect shape. You two, meanwhile, are to talk with our ‘unhappy’ associate and see if she can finally work together with us. Time is of the essence…” Rarity looked back and saw Twilight and Caballus duel it out with various magic blasts they shoot out from their corresponding horns, dodging every blow that came their way with the filly’s reflexes and the doctor’s uncanny teleportation skills respectively.

“Please hurry!” the fashionista pleaded before going to look over the unconscious pegasus to make sure she soon wakes up.

Applejack and Rainbow Dash looked at Pinkie Pie still staring with a deathly gaze at her reflection. “Care to try your luck first?” the speedster asked her friend.

“Ah reckon ah should,” she replied by straightening her hat. This was not going to be easy but she had to give it a shot. Twilight was counting on her.

She moseyed up to Pinkie and stood next to her while both simply stared at their reflections against the wall. Applejack was the first to talk. “Why are ya here, sugar cube? Don’cha wan’ go back ta’ Ponyville? We sure as rain want ya back throwin’ yer parties an’ hoedowns which puts a smile on all our faces.”

“Ponyville doesn’t deserve me… I am nothing more than a failure and bad luck…” Pinkie managed to whisper out as her sad frown became more pronounced.

Applejack also frowned but of a different sentiment. “Aw, stop that dad-gum nonsense, Pinkie Pie! Ah remember a pony that laughed right in the face of danger an’ that’s no joke! A pony who did her best to make everypony else smile so wide they’d need magic surgery ta’ fix their faces! What happened ta’ that pony? What happened ta’ mah friend?!”

The miserable filly placed her head against the wall and applied pressure to it. “That pony wants to be what her pet is now: Dead…”

“A’right, Ah had enough of this here sad sack routine! Yer an Element of Harmony! Yer one a chosen pony who has been blessed with one of the greatest powers ponykind can ever attain! We stick by each other and we support each other! That’s the way it goes. We will beat this polecat but only if we’re all together!” She raised her hoof in front of her. “So, ya with me?"

Pinkie Pie silently stared at the hoof and placed her own on top. Applejack smiled widely seeing she managed to snap her out of it.

“If you need the Element of Laughter…”

Applejack nodded with a grin hoping for the best.

“…Then, ask the Princess to find a worthier successor…” Pinkie said solemnly as she pushed Applejack’s hoof away and sat down on her haunches.

The cowpony turned to Rainbow Dash. “Ah’m gonna go help Twilight out. She’s all yers, pardner.”

Rainbow Dash let off an annoyed grumble. “Seems to me somepony needs some tough love!” she stated as she walked with hard-sounding stomps towards her target.

Pinkie Pie sighed long as she rubbed her forehoof against the crystal floor. She didn’t even flinch when Rainbow Dash stomped one hoof right next to her to catch her attention. “Alright, Pinkie. I’ve had enough of this Sober Sue routine you’ve been pulling on everypony! Twilight’s eggheadedness failed, Rarity’s talk failed and even Applejack’s honesty did nothing! What they hay is wrong with you, huh?!”

“I...” the miserable earth pony began to say while keeping her eyes on the floor, only to be cut off.

“Don’t try to explain yourself, Pinkie! Do you know how much trouble we went through to actually come inside your head and try to help you win this battle against that clown over there? He had me dancing a lot of crazy stuff! Stuff that I’m thankful nopony else saw me do! I took a bullet for you so it’s time to pony up and be a mare!” she snapped with a loud stomp of her hoof. Pinkie merely stared down silently. The pegasus wasn’t going to give up for an instant and set up another salvo.

“I considered you to be made of sterner stuff! You didn’t take nothing from nopony! You simply went out and you kicked flank! Now look at yourself! Moping, feeling sorry for yourself, acting more like a cryfoal than a grown mare! You are not a pony, you’re a phony!”

Rainbow Dash felt smug on the outside but hurt deep inside. She really hated saying all these things to Pinkie but she figured tough love was all she needed to kickstart her morale and prove she was better than that.

That was when Pinkie Pie smiled at her. The pegasus, normally happy seeing the Element of Laughter smile, felt rather unnerved by the crooked smile on her dour face.

“I was wrong…” she finally whispered. “With a friend like you, who needs that monster to belittle me? You do a much better job than him… Thank you for showing me the truth about myself…”

The pegasus’s mouth could have hit the floor from how much she opened it in shock. She really messed up bigtime and softly facehoofed herself in shame.

“Listen, Rare, things didn’t turn out just like I planned so I’m going to go help Twi and AJ. Hope Fluttershy wakes up! Gotta go! Bye!” she managed to say as she zoomed away. Rarity looked at her morose friend now more miserable than ever. They all failed.

Rainbow Dash caught up with her two friends who alternated between shooting and trying to buck him, only for Caballus to either counter with his own magic shots and teleport constantly out of the earth pony’s attack range. What puzzled them all was how he was able to teleport not just himself but also his enormous companion and so constantly and still have enough magical energy to shoot projectiles at them. Even Twilight had to catch her breath and recharge her innate energy to teleport! They figured once he was subdued, they would get their answers soon enough.

Unlike before, Rainbow Dash had a clear shot to hit the madstallion off the platform as he was locked in magic combat with Twilight. Rainbow Dash steadied herself and collided spectacularly against the unicorn.

However, Dr. Caballus simply wobbled right where he stood as though he was a brick wall! The impact also had the effect of sending the pegasus flying by the force of the recoil and collided once more against Applejack. Twilight stopped to see what happened carefully and her eyes finally detected something that they didn’t before which made her shudder in disgust and wonder.

Caballus wasn’t just standing on the platform, he was rooted in place through his hind legs! While his fore legs and hooves were free to move around, his back legs were somehow adhered to the platform tightly.

How could he have done this?! This goes beyond all convention of modern logic!, she thought to herself.

She was so distracted by this sudden turn of events that she didn’t see Caballus charge up another shot and connected with it easily. She rolled across the floor a few times and collided against her two friends who were still with the wind knocked out of them.

She looked up as the lumbering reptile again approached them, only this time the unicorn was far too tired and having used up too much energy to successfully teleport to safety. She looked up at the vile beast with its red eyes staring down at her. She closed her eyes and waited for the inevitable end.

No reaction.

She slowly opened one eye and saw the creature merely stand there only to ignore them and headed back to Pinkie Pie’s position.

“Stop!” she shouted only for the monster to stop and the doctor on its head to merely turn his head back. “You had a chance to kill us and yet you didn’t. Why didn’t you do it?”

Caballus merely lowered his gaze at her. “You worthless interlopers do not concern me. I merely enjoyed your amusing attempts at both trying to stop me and helping that sniveling weakling. You served your usefulness, so run. Run away like that coward did. It is all she is good for and that is what I reminded her of these past months. But it’s none of your business! Begone!” With those harsh words, he again pressed his mount forward.

Twilight’s mind began to race at an alarming place. He clearly never intended nor wants to kill them. He simply wanted them gone to continue belittling her. She then thought about his unlimited use of magic energy.

That was the moment she finally figured it all out. About Caballus being there, Pinkie Pie’s indifference towards being healed, and everything else. With strength returning to her horn and looking at Applejack and Rainbow Dash, she quickly teleported the three of them back to the location of Rarity, Fluttershy and what she originally believed was Pinkie.

As soon as she appeared, she went straight for Fluttershy, whom Rarity was still watching over. She began to softly nudge her and the timid pony began to mumble.

“Fluttershy? Fluttershy! Wake up! Please!” she pleaded. The pegasus’s eyes softly flickered open and she looked at them with worry.

“Twilight? What are you doing here?” she asked softly, only to gasp. “Where is she? Did he-?”

“No, Fluttershy, she’s right over there,” Twilight replied.

Fluttershy took a deep breath of relief. “That’s good. Listen, you must know this. That Pinkie and Dr. Caballus are-”

She was instantly interrupted by the unicorn. “I know already. I figured it out. And I finally realized we’ve been going about this the wrong way.”

Rarity walked up to her. “Twilight, darling, what is the matter?”

“Get Rainbow Dash and Applejack up. If we want to beat this thing, we all must do our part,” she answered somberly.

As per her command, the two reckless members of the Elements were soon back on their feet and all five of the Elements sans Pinkie looked up at the Caballus monstrosity in front of their eyes.

“Fools! You hinder me? Just what do you think you are trying to do by preventing me from my chore?” he shouted down at them.

Applejack faced her unicorn friend. “Ok, Twilight, what’s our new strategy? How’re we gonna beat this slimy toad?”

Twilight merely smirked. “Simple, we get Pinkie’s confidence to do the job for us.”

Everypony in the small group except Fluttershy looked at her curiously. “Say what now? Pinkie’s ‘confidence’? How will we ever get that? I mean, we can’t even get Pinkie back there to help us!” Rainbow Dash protested.

“That’s because what we originally thought as Pinkie isn’t the real Pinkie,” Twilight explained as she turned around to the morose earth pony. “You are really her embodiment of her confidence!”

The “pony” merely sighed and nodded slowly. “Yes… I am Pinkamena’s confidence… I don’t know why you all thought I was her . Only her friend Fluttershy knew but she was quickly knocked out before she could do anything. I’m just a loser who deserves everything that she is suffering over. I have no redemption and I don’t deserve it…”

“This is a lot to swallow, dear. So if our Pinkie there is her confidence, who is this uncouth amalgamation of pony and monster before our eyes’” Rarity asked puzzled. Dash and AJ also nodded in agreement.

“Simple. What mental trait does nothing but torture us for our bad actions, even if they were accidental? What seeks out to undermine confidence and ultimately lead to a decision where one merely seeks to despair and lose the will to go on? What is that sensation that prevents us from ever functioning normal because of our regrets over what we have done in the past?”

The trio tried to think of a good answer but ended up shaking their head and pawing the floor unconsciously. Fluttershy closed her eyes.

“Guilt.”

The protégé nodded. “Taking the form of both a monstrous version of the one she loves and mourns, along with the form of the one she hates. Both mixed together which her confidence has formed to be its torturer for eternity. As long as confidence is weak, guilt overpowers everything and its energy is unlimited. That’s why it was able to use its different magic spells and the reason it didn’t kill us. Guilt doesn’t kill, instead it forces us to do it ourselves. But since we’re not part of Pinkie’s mind, it considered us interlopers and wanted us out so it could continue to dominate and belittle her confidence until Pinkie herself gives up. That is why she’s in a coma.”

Caballus, or rather Guilt, hoofclapped. “Brilliant deduction, outsider. But you’re no match for me. As long as confidence is weak because of the pony’s sins, I will never be defeated!”

Twilight stepped forward one step. “That is where you’re mistaken, guilt! We were simply going about this the wrong way. We don’t need to reason with confidence, flatter it, be honest with it or show it tough love…” She turned around and walked towards Pinkie’s confidence. “We need to show her the truth…”

“What? No! That’s preposterous! I warn you, stay away from her and leave! This is not your business!” the amalgamation of culpability protested loudly.

“Wrong again! Our friend is our business and she will wake up!” she said with determination. She looked at her four friends. “Girls, follow my lead.”

Twilight and the ponies walked up to Pinkie’s confidence avatar who merely looked up at them sadly.

“Listen. It’s ok to be sad and show regret for actions,” Twilight began. “You have all the rights to be saddened over the recent actions Pinkie had taken, but that’s what makes her a hero. A hero isn’t in it for the glory. A hero does what is right. Mare-Do-Well always did the right thing despite the roads she took to reach her final outcome. You are not to blame about this.”

“But…but…everypony despises her… Those rotten police ponies with that horrible captain of theirs…” the ponification of self-assurance murmured in complaint.

“So there’s some idjit whose tie is on too tight. Big whoop, Ah say,” Applejack scoffed softly. “Ya gotta realize the bigger picture, ya get me? Think of how Mare-Do-Well and Pinkie Pie saved us from that rotten nag Game Marester, or how she saved countless lives from slavery by that polecat glowcap harvester, including mah little sis! There are lots and lots of ponies grateful fer not what only Mare-Do-Well does but also what Pinkie Pie herself does. That one rotten apple will be bucked clear over the horizon before it spoils the entire barrel!”

“She committed an injustice to you all… She ran headfirst into danger not caring at all. You were all her friends and she shunned you all… If she was here, she’d be ashamed to live any longer when the realization hits…” Confidence protested.

“Uh, hellooooooooo?” Rainbow Dash replied with a roll of her eyes. “We got used to Pinkie Pie marching to the drum of her own little private band. I do the same. We all do, y’know. But it takes guts to admit when we bite off more than we can chew. Trust me, I’ve been at that dinner table more times than I count. But you know what, it takes a lot to admit you’re wrong and fall back on those that love you and support you. Pinkie may be impulsive, but she’s a good filly. You really shouldn’t feel all that sorry. So you did a few mistakes. Nobody calls you out on it! You just gotta get back on your hooves and keep soaring forward!”

“May I add, Darling, that Mare-Do-Well’s presence as well as Pinkie’s, is indeed what I said: A ray of light brighter than a Sun Star”, added Rarity, “But I’ll spare you unnecessary flattery and tell you the truth. Ponies of Ponyville adore you both. One as a light of joy, the other as a beacon of hope. How big is the hope? Celestia knows how many young fillies and colts have actually asked me to make foal-size costumes of Mare-Do-Well for Nightmare Night! Shouldn’t that make you proud of everything you have done? I shan’t trouble you with excess details but know that despite failing at flattery earlier, this time it is genuine admiration. You are loved and they love you back. You give them hope and that gives them a reason to go on.”

“I thank you for all this, but it doesn’t matter as long as my biggest sin exists: Gummy is dead. He will never come back. He was her biggest joy and my impulsiveness caused him to die. I have no right to call myself ‘confidence’ if I was reckless…” she said with tears streaming down her hypothetical eyes.

It was finally Fluttershy’s turn to talk. “I was going to tell you this before your guilt monster showed up and knocked me out, Miss Confidence. Ask yourself this: Would Gummy be happy if he saw Pinkie lying down on a bed, with a tube feeding her food, not waking up?”

Confidence looked up at her with a shocked expression.

“Think about it. Would Gummy, if he was here in her mind, would be happy to see you give up and his memory being used as a deterrent to go forward and instead formed to make up that bad mishmash over there unconsciously created to punish you?”

The ponified emotion started to shake her head slowly as she stared on.

“Gummy loved Pinkie with all his little heart, even when Dr. Caballus mutated him. If he was looking down at us from the Afterlife, he would be sad. He would say this is not what he wants his memory to be used as. He would want Pinkie to live. He would want her to prevent what happened to him to ever happen to anypony else,” the Pegasus concluded.

Confidence turned her head to the side towards a reflection on the wall and everypony else did the same. To their surprise, instead seeing their reflections, they saw the image of a small tan-colored colt who simply walked to the side standing in place.

“I was created that day. Pinkamena was out patrolling the streets while you all were at her place of business. At first, she enjoyed this neat little prank, thinking it was fun to use Precognition to save innocents in accidents. That was when she saw that little colt. A stallion loomed before him. He had evil intents in his mind. He…” It shuddered as it tried hard to explain. “…he was going to do the ‘unspeakable’ to the colt… Things that should only be between a grown stallion and a mare…”

The others reacted with color-bleaching horror. “That is… I mean… that’s…” Twilight stammered out in shock.

“Monstrous!” Rarity finally exclaimed.
“Totally sick!” Rainbow Dash added with disgust.
“Not right at’all!” Applejack snapped.
“…” Fluttershy was completely frozen unsure what to say or do upon the realization hitting her. Applejack and Rarity hugged her close to them. A single solitary tear ran down her cheek.

“Pinkamena felt the same way and that was the moment I was born. Using my influence, she nearly beat that stallion to an inch of his life because what that nasty stallion planned to do to that innocent young colt. However, she stopped me before she could kill him. Actually, it was because of both Joy and Wisdom. If it weren’t for them, Pinkamena would have killed him on the spot. Instead, I held back and they knew I did the right thing… I guess all of you being Pinkamena’s close associates in the real world know what happened after that.”

It then looked up, finally showing a look of determination rather than sorrow. “I swore I would help Pinkamena in the moments where the others couldn’t and give her the strength and valor to be Mare-Do-Well, but after the death of her beautiful pet. I doubted myself and Guilt soon came to torture me and my impulsiveness, fearing that her pet would frown upon me for inadvertently killing him with my actions.”

“But you shouldn’t. Instead you are killing Pinkie by not allowing her to wake up. Your restraining lock of her mind must be shattered. She has to go on,” Twilight said.

“What the hay does that mean? Yer talkin’ about this here arena or something?” Applejack asked in confusion.

Twilight explained, “This was never an arena. This is the prison Confidence itself created for Guilt to torture it. Deep inside the crystal I can sense Pinkie’s other mental avatars. They are trapped inside, unable to function or move. That is why she is in a coma in fact. Confidence has frozen them all in crystal because it was too ashamed of itself.”

She again faced Confidence. “But you don’t have to anymore. Not torture yourself, not seal away everything, nothing. Pinkie has friends, shehas fans, and also the love of her pet who despite no longer in the mortal state of existence, he will always look at her with pride. Please don’t disappoint us, them and specifically him. Are you willing to speak to Pinkie itself and tell her you are killing her because of your false ideas of how her pet would react? I’m sure she would not like it and will throw you a party to make you feel better. That’s what Pinkie is and not the way you claim her to be.” The other four ponies nodded in agreement.

The ponification of self-assurance and self-esteem looked down. “I was a fool. Joy actually wanted to do that with the help of Whimsy after that happened. But instead I listened to Sorrow and Fear… And this is what happened. I froze them all and Guilt was formed in order to punish me…”

Her head shot back up as her eyes showed anger. “No more! I know now that Pinkamena herself would not want me moping….”

Everypony present were surprised to see purple cloth appear out of nowhere and envelop Confidence’s body in a tight purple outfit that hid her long straight tail.

“She needs to wake up once more. I do not want to see her die. I made a mistake with Gummy but I swear nopony close to her will ever die again!”

Four small dark-blue strips of cloth appeared and wrapped themselves around her hooves.

“My period of torture is over. I have no need of something as trivial as Guilt to affect me anymore. I have her friends, I have her fans and I for one don’t want to disappoint both my creator and the influence of that young colt!”

A long flowing cape with a monogrammed brooch with an “M” appeared and attached itself to her front with the long garment flapping back against an invisible breeze.

“The world is full of dangers. That madstallion is still out there and I will make sure he never harms an innocent as long as I live deep inside her mind…”

A small cloth mask with large bright blue eye covered hovered above her and gently pulled itself over her face.

“In the brightest day or in the darkest night…” she spoke with a much different tone of voice. Gone were the familiar vocal stylings of Pinkie Pie herself but rather a much more mature mare’s tone and speech. The sound of this new voice gave goosepimples to the five ponies as though they were now seeing a powerful goddess rather than a simple pony.

“I shall bring hope, justice and all that is right.” A large purple hat materialized out of the air and began to softly float down to the transformed Confidence.

“The schemes of evil, I shall vanquish and quell…” it plucked the hat out of midair and placed it on its head.

She then looked up towards the sky, radiating an aura of power and strength that caused the ponies and even Guilt to shield their eyes. When the glow dissipated, all they say was an angry defiant Confidence now fully reborn.

“…for I am she: THE MYSTERIOUS MARE-DO-WELL!!” it concluded as she took strong steps towards the Guilt monstrosity.

Gone was Guilt's formerly cocky and arrogant demeanor and replaced by fear. Even its second reptilian head’s lips were quivering unsure what to do now and its eyes lost some of the angry red hue.

“Stay back! There are still several things still to be guilty about!” the primary stallion head cried out. “Uh, you have Pinkamena’s pranks on everyone before the griffon showed up! Thinking that zebra was some evil enchantress without getting to know her! Not liking the first dress the designer made and having her make another one that same evening! Not telling that unicorn she was following her while Precognition had its fun with her! Eating the baker’s cornbread! Yeah! Uh…uh… I know! Believing all these stupid friends of yours didn’t love you and allowed Sorrow to dominate again during that little beast's after-birthday party!”

“How the tables have turned. The mark of cowardice fits you better all along. How dare you disrespect Pinkamena’s friends and her pet?! It’s time you disappear from her mind for good! We have no need of you anymore!” the costumed avatar of self-esteem snapped back.

Just like that, Guilt suddenly began to shrink as it lost its power and influence. It became smaller and smaller until it was more no bigger than a pony’s hoof.

“You can’t do this! A mind can’t function without guilt! You’re making a terrible mistake!” it squeaked as loud as it could.

Suddenly, Confidence lifted a hoof and slammed it down over the bug-sized creature, squashing it quite audibly. Twilight Sparkle, Applejack and Rainbow Dash winced and stuck their tongues out in nausea, while Rarity and Fluttershy swooned on the spot.

Confidence lifted her foot away to reveal a small spot on the crystal floor with a foul stinking cloud of smoke emanating from it. “Pinkamena will have to learn to live without you anymore…” it replied coldly as it turned around and walked back to the ponies.

It stared at them moving its head around as the three friends were unsure what it was to do now. The other two who fainted managed to wake up and go back to their feet during this time. Instead of attacking, Confidence in the Mare-Do-Well costume simply lied down and bowed before them in reverence.

“Friends of Pinkamena, I thank you. Thank you for casting aside my own doubts and self-loathing and giving me the strength to conquer that bully. I will go on now. Her pet alligator would frown on her and me if I continued down the path I once took. I shall never again doubt myself. You have all taught me that. Thank you.”

Twilight and the others nodded happily. “Does that mean Pinkie will finally snap out of her coma.”

“She will. With my power restored I will now shatter this prison, so her feelings and personality traits will once again be free to travel across her mind.”

With those words, Confidence jumped up in the air and somehow stayed afloat for a few seconds. It then came down and slammed its hooves against the crystal floor, sending shockwaves everywhere. The formerly pristine surface of crystal began to show lesions as very loud audible cracks were heard everywhere. The avatar of self-esteem looked at them sternly.

“You must all go now. As you are not part of Pinkamena’s mind like we are, the sound of the crystal shattering will makes your ears explode. When it shatters you will all fall into the dark abyss of her subconscious, unlike we feelings and personality traits who can remain hovering as her landscape reforms itself.”

“How do we do that? I don’t think my teleportation spell would be of any use here in Pinkie’s mind where the laws are much different…” Twilight commented with worry.

“Allow me,” Confidence said as it clapped its forehooves together twice. To their surprise, a swirling vortex of white energy like a small tornado turned on its side appeared to the side of the self-esteem avatar.

“A little trick I learned from Whimsy,” she chuckled once. “Hurry! Go through that portal and you will find a way outside her mind and hopefully her body.” The crystal floor began to break apart under them. “Go now!”

The five ponies didn’t need to be told again and quickly made their way to the portal, jumping in one by one. In the vortex, they felt their bodies start to leave them and revert to the astral forms of their cutie marks as they disappeared out of sight.

Confidence saw them leave and quickly closed the portal. The floor, as well as the walls and ceiling, finally broke apart and the avatar itself was somehow still floating. A few voices were heard in the darkness when the crystal chamber broke apart.

“Wheeeeee! We’re free! We’re free!!!”
“Apparently her little temper tantrum finally ceased. That was a most unfortunate event…”
“She is our sister and I care for her either way. Oh, I can’t wait to get back and spread my wings again.”
“I told you she would free us eventually. You all have to trust in my visions.”
A couple bike-horn honks followed by an entire orchestral fanfare was heard.
“I wish I was still frozen… I deserve being cold and unable to move…”
“Please…don’t let her do that again… It was so scary…”
“That bitch! Once I get my hands on her, she’s gonna wish Guilt killed her!”

Confidence shook its head. It would be a while for every single “sister” to accept it again but first, they had to work together to get their “master” working once more. It was time for Pinkamena to awaken.

********************************************

Zecora watched five cutie marks fly out of the head of the gray-colored earth pony. The magenta star surrounded by smaller white ones, the trio of apples, the rain-bolt cloud, trio of gems and trio of pink butterflies loom in a circle above the room, circling each other. If she didn’t know any better, she would think they were congratulating one another for a job well done. She was pleased by all this.

She then saw the cutie marks loom over the empty pony shells surrounding the bed and jumped in them without fail. A few seconds later, all the ponies began to stir and moan.

“Are we…back?” Twilight Sparkle finally spoke as her purple irises and black pupils returned to her vacuous white eyes. She looked down at her hooves and saw their familiar purple hue. She touched her muzzle and looked back at Zecora who beamed with pride.

“Congratulations, my friends. I can feel you helped her make amends. You all did good and worked so well…”

“No, thank you, Zecora,” Twilight interrupted her rhyme. “If it wasn’t for you we would not have helped her confidence regain…hehe… its confidence!”

Zecora smiled and closed her eyes. “…all I did, my pony friend, was provide the spell.”

“Ah! I finally return! I must say, that there was quite the adventure!” Rarity said as she waved her beautiful mane around “I guess I had enough excitement for one day.”

“That was so strange. I just hope everypony is…” Fluttershy cut her words short seeing Applejack and Rainbow also getting up and she smiled.

“We’re back, and that’s good. All that’s left is hoping Confidence managed to do what it said it would do,” the unicorn protégé commented.

Rainbow Dash gasped and pointed at the bed which everypony else turned their attention to. To their amazement, Pinkie Pie’s began to return to her body, changing the gray back to its bright pink color and her mane to its darker pink hue but still straight-style. Her eyelids were still closed but they all saw movement beneath them and her lips began to stir.

She softly and slowly opened her eyes and the ponies in the rooms could not contain their smiles and tears seeing their good friend awake once more. The pink pony’s eyes softly moved around her field of vision and softly smiled.

“Hi…girls…” she managed to croak out, her voice being very raspy due to the absence of speech for the past two months and a half. “I…sure…slept…good…”

“Hooo-weee! Ah sure am glad yer back, sugar cu-HUH?!”

The ponies stopped. That was Applejack’s accent, but it came from the familiar shrill voice, and body, of... Rainbow Dash?!

“What the hay?! What am I doing over there?” the upbeat tone of Rainbow Dash coming from the voice and body of Applejack cried out.

“Rainbow?! Yer in me, and ah’m in you?!” “Rainbowjack” said as she grabbed her hat from her former body and placed it on the rainbow-colored mane she now sported.

“This is not cool! What happened?!” said “Apple Dash” as she looked at her orange hooves and the absence of wings.

Zecora frowned. “It appeared in your rush you were hasty a tad, now your spirits inhabit the wrong one’s body, how very bad…”

“Can you get them back in their bodies?” Twilight asked.

“Certainly, they simply have to breathe in the smoke again, but I ran out of it, so I return to my hut...” the zebra said as she moved the broken door aside to reveal the doctor and the nurses waiting outside. She graciously moved to let them in. Before she fully left, she turned to face the ponies once more. “…come visit me then.”

“Wow, here I thought she forgot a rhyme. She’s good…” mused “Apple Dash”, much to the surprise of the hospital staff.

“I swear you six are more trouble than you’re worth!” Nurse Redheart moaned.

“Is she…awake?!” the doctor exclaimed as he and the nurses began to examine the newly-revived Pinkie Pie. With a quick command, he had the nurses wheel the bed out of the room and took Pinkie to the examination room which the five friends quickly followed behind. Once there, he closed the door and told them to wait for the examination and check-up to conclude.

Everypony except “Rainbowjack” and “Apple Dash” waited with baited breath. The two switched ponies merely grumbled and complained silently about how their temporary new bodies were and how the former pegasus complained about her lack of wings.

The clock struck the next hour and the doctor finally came out and everypony surrounded him. His face was a mix of joy and confusion.

“It’s a miracle, that’s all I will say. A miracle!” he said.

“How is she faring, doctor? Please tell us,” the purple unicorn asked.

“Her heart rate, as well as the rest of her system is back to normal, but her body and muscles have yet to temselves itself after being in a coma for so long so she has to undergo a strict procedure of getting solid foods back in her systems as well as my planned regimen of exercise to get her legs and hooves strong again. It may take her a while for her body to readjust itself but the worst is over. Hopefully by the end of this month, she will back in Ponyville and to her daily routine.”

The five friends immediately cheered and hugged each other at the good news, only for the nurse on duty to shush them and point at the “no talking” sign posted nearby. The doctor excused himself to go back inside the examination room.

“Well, iffen you gals excuse us, me an’ mah body got an appointment wit’ Zecora! Come along, Rainbow!” “Rainbowjack” muttered as she walked towards the door.

“Yeah, this body of yours is far too big for my tastes…” muttered “Apple Dash” as she followed her.

“What didja say?! Are ya callin’ me fat?!” the earth pony in the Pegasus body shouted back.

“Whoa there, no! You’re fit, it’s just that well your flank is…” the grounded speedster tried to say.

“So yer callin’ mah flank fat! Well, this here body of yers is a disgrace! It’s all bony an’ weak as a sapling!” the winged fampony yelled.

“Take that back! My body is perfect for flying! Much better than this bulky barn and flank you got! What do you eat? Boulders?!” “Apple Dash” retorted.

The two ponies kept yelling at each until it finally died down the further away they got. The nurse on duty merely clamped her hat down over her head in anger due to the disregard for hospital protocol. The filly unicorns merely giggled in unison while Fluttershy smiled sheepishly at what transpired.

Soon enough, the bed carrying Pinkie Pie was wheeled out and the filly was smiling a bit more now despite still having her straight mane. The trio of ponies walked up and trotted in place as they spoke to her.

“How are you feeling, Pinkie. Better?” Twilight asked with a warm smile.

“Uh-huh. I dunno what you guys did, but I think I owe you all such a big thanks. The second I get out of here, I’m throwing all of Ponyville a party they’ll talk about for years to come.” The earth pony said with a weak smile.

“That won’t be necessary, Pinkie. We’re going to throw it to you instead. Pinkie promise,” the purple pony replied.

Pinkie nodded only for her smile to fade a bit as she stared at Rarity. “Rarity, I’m sorry I ruined…that. I was so angry and depressed over what happened. Strange I don’t feel that way anymore, but I still did something that was inconsiderate. Will you…”

“Pish-posh, my dear! I know you were of unsound mind at that moment. I made a promise that first day my boutique was always open to you. I’ll simply make a new one and use much better and stronger cloth for it. Rest assured that I shan’t hold a grudge.” Rarity answered with a content look.

“Please, just rest, Pinkie Pie. We’ll be coming by every day and see how you are,” Fluttershy finally said.

The pony nodded in response and smiled. The trio finally stopped walking as Pinkie Pie was led to the first training room to help her get back to her feet.

“Um…I guess I better go now…Angel Bunny must be worried about me. If you need me, I’ll be home, uh, if that’s ok with you…” Fluttershy whispered.

“Fluttershy, thank you.” Twilight said. The Pegasus cocked her head sideways wondering what she meant. “If you didn’t go find Zecora and learn about that astral projection ritual, we would have never helped Pinkie’s Confidence and her Guilt would have driven it and her own body to die. You did better than any of us could ever accomplish. You are truly wonderful.”

Fluttershy just smiled warmly as she walked down the hallway towards the entrance.

Twilight then turned to the last friend standing next to her. “Rarity, I have been thinking about what Pinkie told us. About how she wishes to speak…”

“Really, Darling? If you want, I could send you the cloth mask for you to cast a voice modulation spell on it so she can speak and nobody would recognize her voice.” Rarity replied.

“No, we need something else. I have a plan…” Twilight then began to softly whisper into Rarity’s ears as the fashionists nodded slowly with everything that was said. Twilight’s head moved back and they both nodded.

“I’ll find a spell not only for voice modulation but for our secondary effect. It must be flawless,” Twilight stated.

“Meanwhile I will consult with some of my more obscure fashion contacts and see where we can find the primary material necessary for it. Rest assured I shall not fail when it comes to fashion, Darling.” Rarity added as both unicorns nodded once more and they left the hospital.

******************************************************

Pinkie Pie was softly being levitated in the air as she tried to use her hooves to softly walk. The therapist was kind enough to start at the simple level as she used her magic to hold Pinkie's weight and prevent her hoof and leg bones from handling the pressure of the body. Her hooves hurt a bit but she knew she had to get them in working order.

Deep inside, she felt something had changed. She didn’t know why but she felt as though her friends left a strong impression on her psyche and couldn’t comprehend how that was possible. Nevertheless, her confidence had once again been renewed and she was never going to back down. Once she would be again in tip-top shape, Mare-Do-Well would once again make her appearance known. Evil, especially Dr. Caballus whom she will personally swore to capture, will fall. That was her new Pinkie Promise now and forever.

The Legend of Mare-Do-Well shall rise again!

(Intermission) Musings

I just can't do it. It's useless. *sigh*

Hi!

Oh. Hey Pinkie.

Aw, why the sad face?

... I really don't feel like talking about it.

Is it because the library is gone after that big bad meanie Tirek blew it up? Well, me and the girls went all ZOOM! SWISSSSSH! BOOM! Back in Tartarus!

...

Is it because of that alternate world where we are humans? Oh, don't be a silly billy! Just because we are in a high school setting, it doesn't mean it removed everything that made us beloved by all bronies!

...

Well lemme think... Is it that Twilight now has wings? Is that it? Gee, I think they're so neat! Princess Twilight Sparkle, Princess of Friendship! Hey, now that we have that castle in Ponyville, maybe we should upgrade to alicorns ourselves! Think of all the possibilities! Pinkie Pie, Princess of Laughter! And Parties! And Sweets! And...

NO! That is what I mean! So many things has happened! Due to being far too busy with my real problems, the canon storyline has gone beyond what I wanted to write about in this Mare-Do-Well storyline! I pride myself on writing something worthwhile! Something that people will like to read. I don't want to write something that would make readers roll their eyes at me, saying I changed the stories because I hate it! But it's not true! I like all the changes. I don't mind Twilight being an alicorn or having visited a human world or just losing the library to Lord Tirek! But all these changes go against what I have planned in my stories and I'm depressed because of it! I don't want readers to think I'm rewriting Equestrian history just to fit my world view!

Is that it? Whew! For a sec, I thought you were going to delete the story! So what if two whole seasons and two movies have gone by since the last time you wrote something? Everyone has their own way of writing us. I mean, yeah, I know all about Cupcakes, Conversion Bureau, Pony DOT Mov and other renditions of me where I am not like I am. I also know about all the fun IDW comics that make an Equestria far different than the one of the TV show.

Your point being?

Just because two seasons have gone with so much stuff happening doesn't mean you should give up your idea! I mean, if you still want to keep Twilight a unicorn, that's your way! If you want Golden Oaks to be still there, that's your way!

And if I wanted to keep Gummy dead?

...I'm sure there's a reason for that, right? Um, heh...heh...

*sigh* Well, I'll try to write something. It's going to be hard to handwave all the changes happening in over 2 seasons. Although some stuff that has happened does indeed help me out. Like giving Bulk his canon name for instance...and going with an original idea I had.

You mean the one with the-

Yeah that one. Will be hard since I already wrote he's still alive, but it can be changed. After all, I'm the author!

That's the way!

Thanks for the cheer-up, Pinkie. I'll see what I can do. Still gotta get you back on your feet.

So the Legend will trot on?

Yeah.

Okey dokey lokey! Well, I'll go back to the season wrap-up party! Good luck with the next chapter until it comes out, Mr. Author!

Sure thing. Thanks, Pinkie.

...Oh and all of you out there. Stay tuned. I'll try and get something done real soon.

Author's Note

All my frustrations and fears of being labeled someone who rejects the canon storyline to write his own are addressed here. Good thing I had a little pony to cheer me up...

Chapter 13

The Legend of Mare-Do-Well
Chapter 13: The Voice of Justice
by JD2K

Mare-Do-Well stood still. There was nothing she could do. No time for a fancy getaway nor a quick escape. Captain Halberd stood triumphantly over her.

“How about we stop this little charade now? It is time for your little game to end, Mare-Do-Well. Or do you prefer to be called Miss…” he sneered as he lowered his head down and caught a flap of cloth with his teeth. He pulled up with one swift motion that knocked her hat off her head and exposed her face to the lukewarm air of the setting sun.

All the ponies present merely gasped.

********************************************
“Pinkie! Hey, Pinkie Pie!”

The shout from the energetic Rainbow Dash was more than enough to make the pink earth pony come back to her senses. Her eyes darted around and she saw all her friends, employers and Spike, looking at her with confused looks.

“Are ya alright, sugarcube? Y’all were paralyzed like ya ate a bad batch of applesauce,” said Applejack with a hint of concern.

Pinkie Pie merely giggled and hoofwaved them. “Aw come on, AJ! My iron tummy can take any food any day! Except for liquid rainbows, that is; I mean, whew! That stuff was hotter than hot. It was super mega hot! And I can handle a lot of spicy stuff! It runs in my family! My pa was the first to actually eat an entire Palomino Peril pepper whole and live to tell it! Can you imagine it?! An entire Palomino Peril! It took me ten tries of eating merely a slice of it before I could stomach an entire pepper like he did. Wowie Zowie! Those nomad ponies and burros who live in the San Palomino Desert know their hot stuff! Say, isn’t Los Pegasus close by? Ooh! I always wanted to go to Applewood and see all those famous actors! Oooh! Or maybe also visit Uneighversal Studios or even…”

As she went on, everyone relaxed their stares and went back to having fun. Seeing them finally avert their gazes, Pinkie stopped her rambling and looked at the ground with a hint of solemnity. Just what was that she saw? Was this vision of Halberd exposing Mare-Do-Well and unmasking her in front of all of Ponyville real? She had learned to trust her Pinkie Sense with all her body combos helping her out on the field of battle as Mare-Do-Well, but this was the first time she had a vision. She would have to analyze that more carefully and take the proper precautions to make sure nothing bad comes to pass.

Still, she was there to have fun. The brisk walk back to Ponyville after her dismissal from the hospital felt good and she breathed in the fresh air along the path. Then she gulped. She finally remembered the “state” her room was left in during her period of mourning and dreaded the massive cleanup regimen she was going to do to get it back to a pristine form. Instead, when she arrived at Sugar Cube Corner, she had found her room spotless without a single dust bunny in sight. In addition, her room was decorated with balloons and streamers as her friends, the Cakes, and Spike were there to welcome her back and throw a party in her honor. After one full minute of joyful tears flowing from her eyes like a fountain spout, she was quickly back in her peppy mood and the party got underway. Then she had that vision a couple of hours later and the merriment ceased for her in that second.

“Your attention, everypony,” the purple unicorn began as she levitated a batch of flash cards right next to her and began to read. “As you are all no doubt aware, this party was made not just as a celebration of the return of our beloved friend and wonderful party pony, Pinkie Pie, but also the return of a very important member of our community.” She then slipped into the next card. “Being among trusted friends and loved ones who would do anything to maintain her secret iden-”

A loud knock at Pinkie’s room’s door made the unicorn jump as her cue cards fell to the floor. Fluttershy gulped seeing this happen and quickly went to the door, unfastened the small latch, and opened it up. The fuchsia-colored head of Bundt Cake appeared and she looked very worried.

“I’m sorry to interrupt the party, but um…Uncle Carrot? Aunt Cup?” the nervous niece managed to utter out.

“Yes, what is it, Bundt dear? Is something troubling you?” the kindly baker mare replied with a comforting voice.

“It’s just that we ran out of the berry triffle and some patrons are asking when the next batch will be made…” Bundt finally said with a nervous rubbing of her forehooves.

Mr. Cake nodded. “Yeah, that tends to get sold out as soon as we make it. Tell them we’ll get started on some more tomorrow, ok, sugar cookie?” The part-timer nodded as she closed the door.

Twilight again levitated her cards and resumed, “As I was saying. This is also a special occasion where we thank a special hero in not just the hearts of ponies all over Ponyville but also in our very own liv-”

Another loud knock broke the student’s concentration as the cards fell to the floor. She grumbled even louder as Mr. Cake opened the door. Again, Bundt was standing there.

“Sorry to bother you again but, there’s no more fondant for the special anniversary cake order from Barnyard Bargains. What should I do?” she asked timidly.

Mrs. Cake poked her head forward. “Don’t worry, dear. There should be some leftover royal icing from the wedding cake we made yesterday in the fridge somewhere. Go ahead and use that. Mr. Rich won’t mind too much.” Bundt nodded and dove back outside.

After closing the door, the purple unicorn sighed. “Well I guess I can continue with my-”

Knock. Knock.

“SPEECH!” she snapped as the front of her mane began to get disheveled and her eyes shot daggers towards the door again as the bespectacled filly appeared once more.

“Sorry again! Is it ok if I operate the coffee maker? Merry May says she wants something but I don’t know how to operate it.”

Rainbow Dash groaned as she facehoofed. “Bundt, you tell that featherbrain that Rainbow Dash says if she oversleeps one more time after being up all night due to caffeine, I’m personally assigning her to be weather control partner with Derpy for an entire season!”

Bundt Cake gulped and softly moved her head out as the door closed.

Twilight Sparkle didn’t move an inch as she stared silently at the door. The silence in the room was thick and nopony dared to make a sound as the unicorn’s eyes stared with intent at the door. Minutes passed and she finally relaxed as she levitated her cards once more.

“Well then I guess I can resu-”

Bundt opened the door once more as her head appeared.

“Oh! And I nearly forgot! We just ran out of Luster Dust for the Golden Glaze Gateau and…EEEEK!!!”

The earth pony shrieked as she saw a stack of cards lobbed straight at her with a magenta aura behind it. She quickly closed the door as the cards hit and dispersed themselves all over the foot of the entrance.

“Of all the inconsiderate, no-good buncha sassing-grassing…” Twilight grumbled to herself as she stormed off to a corner of the room to cool down as the others laughed for a few seconds.

Mrs. Cake walked up to Pinkie as did everypony else. “I believe what Twilight was trying to say, gingersnap, is that we’re all really proud of you. To think our own assistant baker and party planner is the great Mare-Do-Well! You’re so special to not just us but all Ponyville, too.”

Pinkie Pie smiled sheepishly. “Aw, Mrs. Cake, I only do this because I like to make people smile. Seeing everypony happy makes me feel all warm, fuzzy and nice on the inside like a warm cup of cocoa. Mmmmm… cocoa…”

Everypony chuckled at their friend and worker. However, her smile quickly faded as she looked down at her forehoof which made them all go silent.

“I just sorta wish I could actually tell everypony how I feel. I mean, I can’t even speak while being her. It’s so sad…” she sighed forlornly.

“Actually…” Twilight finally snapped out of her funk as she walked over to her. “Rarity and I managed to fix that problem.” At that all 5 of her friends smiled in unison.

“Sugarcube, what Twilight gone and done is show she ain’t the Princess’s student fer nuttin’! Ah mean, Ah was a completely different pony!” AJ remarked.

“I was, um, a bit scared, to hear that voice…” Fluttershy replied with a slight blush.

“You and me both! Even I was surprised when I first heard it!” Spike chimed in.

“Of course, that would not do without a complete overhaul of the entire outfit! After you tore it off that fateful night, I knew I had to work much harder to create a masterpiece worthy of the House of Rarity. You could saw your bravery inspired me, Darling.”

Pinkie gasped as she realized Rarity was right. That moment when her grief went into critical, she tore off what remained of her Mare-Do-Well outfit. Obviously, she needed a new suit and it appeared that what Twilight, Applejack and Fluttershy mentioned, whatever it was, it came along with the new outfit. Curiosity began to build up within her.

“Go to your closet, Pinkie. That’s where we stored it for you,” Mrs. Cake explained. “We just couldn’t figure out how or where you hide them so we placed them in there. Not to worry. Nopony has them except us and your friends.”

The pink pony gulped as she softly padded to the sliding doors that led to her closet. Her friends and employers stood in two opposite rows as they led her to the doors. She pushed them apart with shaking hooves and her heart nearly skipped a beat.

On a brand new ponyquin, was the brand new Mare-Do-Well outfit. The purple one-piece bodysuit with the high collar now sported pieces of thick dark-blue patches around the chest, hindquarters, flanks, both front and hind legs, and even on all four fetlocks. Never in her life had she seen such elaborate barding on such a magnificent scale. She rubbed her hoof on the barding in front of the chest and she felt it being very thick similar to leather. Seeing as though it came from Rarity, there was obviously more to this than met the eyes. She tried to hold back a tear as on that same piece of chest barding was the familiar bright-blue “M” monogram that was seen in the brooch of the cape.

Speaking of such, the cape was still the same dark blue and connected to the cloth mask with the large bright-blue eyes. This time, however, Pinkie managed to see a near-invisible patch of barding that covered the entire upper head region, down the middle of the forehead and just stopping near the edge of the muzzle. This relieved her greatly as she no longer had to worry about getting hit on the head too much. Considering it was near-invisible, it managed to keep the outline of the stately pony head without making anyone suspect she now had protection there.

Around the back was a brand new utility belt with various pouches and a beautiful buckle with the “M” monogram in the middle that would be shown clearly if she ever reared up. As always it wasn’t flashy-looking but it was practical just how she wanted. The four sets of dark-blue hoof wraps were now attached to each hoof of the new outfit, but now seemed to have the ability to be tightened or loosened as she saw fit, courtesy of an attached strip of leather and cloth Rarity added to the outfit. The final piece was the familiar broad-brimmed hat placed on the head of the ponyquin. It looked the same as before and she figured it for the best. With a history of losing hats easily, it was best for Rarity to keep a stockpile of them in case of emergency.

She turned around slowly as her friends and ebenfactors waited for her reaction. “Everypony, this is wonderful! Thank you so very very very very very very much!!!” She then gathered everyone in one of her reality-defying group hugs and embraced them lovingly. The confused ponies tried to not make sense of this and merely hugged her back.

Once she released them, she went inside the closet and turned on the lightbulb inside. She got on her hind legs, now easier to balance herself on them thanks to her training in Neighponese martial arts. She also felt glad the muscles finally strengthened enough during the exercise therapy Dr. Stable recommended for her recovery. As she remained standing on her hind legs, she reached up from the closet’s interior above the sliding doors and slid her hoof around until she finally found a hidden panel with a button tucked away from prying eyes and pressed it. A soft creaking noise was heard as one of the side walls inside the closet moved away to reveal a dark opening.

With the secret compartment open, Pinkie resumed pushing the ponyquin inside much to the wonder of her guests. When she stepped inside, the wall closed up behind her and left no trace to the contrary of its hidden location. A few minutes passed and the wall opened up again, only this time a more mysterious form stepped forth.

The purple bodysuit hugging every corner of her body as the patches of barding were placed in the exact places to protect the body The tight dark-blue hoof wraps tucked in which protected them from all immediate harm. A purple cape as smooth as silk pressed against her body in the lack of a breeze held in place by a brooch with a blue “M” at front. An elaborate belt with small pouches going around the midsection tied snugly around the body. A cloth headmask that covered her entire face and snout that left two large clear blue “eyes” looking with firmness at the room before her. A large stylish hat rested softly on her head, acting as both a symbol and a distraction if the need arose.

The Mysterious Mare-Do-Well has finally returned.

The small crowd of friends and guests began to stomp softly on the floor (whereas a baby dragon softly clapped his hands) as they marveled at the sight of their heroine. She looked at them and lowered her head as though she was ashamed.

“Now, here’s the surprise. I’m sure as you slipped the mask on, you felt something in your throat, am I right?” Twilight Sparkle asked as she moved forward.

Mare-Do-Well tapped her left front hoof to her cheek and finally nodded.

“Speak. Go ahead. Break the rule. You’ll be pleasantly surprised.” Twilight responded with a sweet smile.

Mare-Do-Well frowned. Breaking one of the rules? No, she couldn’t. It would ruin the magic. Ruin the mystique that was the Mysterious Mare-Do-Well. It wouldn’t be right.

Or would it?

With an inner gulp and deep breath, Mare-Do-Well opened her mouth within her mask.

“I am…”

She suddenly gasped. That was not the bright peppy girlish voice that Pinkie Pie talked with. It was the voice of a proper mare. The voice reflected strength, power and emotion. It was the voice of a great leader. The voice of justice. The voice of Bravery. Literally.

“Is this…my voice?” Mare-Do-Well spoke with a hint of wonder. The purple unicorn beside her nodded.

“Ever since you mentioned back at the hospital that you felt it difficult to speak, I made it my personal mission to give Mare-Do-Well her voice. I studied tomes and everything in relation to voice modulation and implants and came up with the same unique voice I heard from your Bravery when we were all inside your mind. I then implanted that voice into the cloth mask so anypony who would wear it, would speak with that special voice. Anypony! Fillies, colts, even bucks! The voice that would come out is the voice you currently now have. Now you’ll never be scared of speaking and worry that Pinkie’s voice will be heard. Mare-Do-Well finally has her voice.”

The masked vigilante lowered her head. Twilight’s smile turned to a sad one wondering what was wrong. Everyone around them softly approached them, also worried. Finally, they all saw Mare-Do-Well’s body tremble slightly. She raised her head up again and everypony could see the forming of damp spots on the lower half of the bright blue eye circles of the mask.

“I…I can finally talk.” She looked at Twilight. If the purple unicorn could, she would see the smile deep inside the mask of the grateful heroine. Mare-Do-Well approached her and gave her a soft nuzzle over her back which Twilight accepted with gratitude.

She lifted her head and looked at everyone in the room. “I thank you, Miss Sparkle. I thank you all for giving me such a wonderful gift. You have managed to free that last shackle of doubt I held and no longer have to fear speaking to my fellow ponies of justice. Also, with this voice I shall strike fear and terror to the roots of evil in the heart of criminals everywhere as I crush them under my hooves. I am now complete. I am finally here. I am the Mysterious Mare-Do-Well.”

Before she could speak any further, the telltale jolt climbed across her back and everypony watched her hop a few feet off the ground. The second she landed back on her hooves, she looked at them with a serious gaze. “It’s time I go to work…”

Everyone near her nodded in unison. All except one who bit her lip nervously. Mare-Do-Well approached the open window only to feel a sharp tug at her cape which made her head snap back towards the hindrance. Fluttershy had sunk her teeth into the cape as if she didn’t want her to leave.

“Pleath… You muthth reth…” the yellow pegasus implored only for her to let go and look down in shame. “Um…well, y-you were just now in the hospital and it’s much too soon to do this… Oh, I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to tell you what to do…”

Mare-Do-Well maintained her cold frown and the yellow Pegasus squeaked once more as she ducked her head and huddled in a ball. She could feel the majestic mare approach her and she began to whimper. She then felt a comforting hoof on her shoulder, making her look up. The cold hard stare was gone and replaced by a much softer gaze as much as a cloth mask could muster.

“Dearest Fluttershy, you always look out for me,” Mare-Do-Well spoke with tenderness. “You, of all ponies, should know I value your advice greatly,” She left off a sigh as she looked to the window “But I have rested for far too long. I am needed and I have to get to work. You must understand, don’t you?”

The timid pony meekly nodded her head and gave her a comforting gaze. Satisfied, Mare-Do-Well made her way back to the window. She turned around to face her guests.

Twilight looked at the rest of the Elements and gave a single nod, which each returned the same gesture. “Pinkie-I mean, Mare-Do-Well, we won’t stop you, but we understand,” the unicorn protégé stated, “This is your first time back since that incident, so please be careful.”

With those words, the five fillies softly walked out the door, with Twilight picking up all her scattered cards at once, arrange them in a pile and placed them in one of her saddlebags along the way out. Mr. and Mrs. Cake were the only ones left.

“Seems Twilight already took the words out of our mouths, sweetie-pie. Not to worry, we’ll tell Bundt that you went to sleep early. Just try to not get yourself too hurt, please?” the blue mare replied kindly as she and her mate started to walk out. Mr. Cake popped his head back in and gave her a warm smile.

“Go get ‘em, lollipop!”

With those words, the door closed. Mare-Do-Well walked towards the open window and stopped to look at the scene. The moon bathed the town in a soft glow overhead as several streetlights flickered around and to the distance while ponies were milling about enjoying the nightlife. She placed a hoof over her heart and stared silently below for a few seconds as her eyes closed in a silent prayer.

For the ponies of Ponyville.

For her friends and loved ones.

For Gummy.

Bending her legs, she took a tremendous leap out of the open window and landed on a roof nearby. Tuning in her Pinkie Sense, she headed towards the source of the disturbance.

********************************************

In any normal night, the exterior of the dance club would be filled with ponies in single file waiting to enter after being checked by the bouncer. Once they were allowed in, the thumping music and beats spun by the resident DJ P0N-3, the colorful lightshows from various magic-imbued strobe lights and the well-stocked bar with various refreshments like salt, juices and some more “hard” liquids satisfied the energetic patrons looking for a good time.

This was not one of those nights.

Mare-Do-Well didn’t need to see the various ponies outside with visible injuries, walking around in a daze or simply unconscious to know something was not right at the dance club. It looked more like a war zone. Ambulance carts were placed in positions out of danger as emergency pony crews tended to injured patrons and passers-by while other vehicles were already in route to the hospital to treat the far more critical patients. Meanwhile, police unicorns and sturdy earth pony officers were in the middle of subduing by either magic or strength a large group of clubgoers who were resisting arrest.

The vigilante carefully examined the area as she stood atop a roof of a building across from the club. The ponies she saw fighting the police were your standard fare of town ponies out for a good time. Some were stallions and others mares. Most were earth ponies but a few were unicorns and pegasi.

Though, they all shared one same common denominator: Every last one of them was able to withstand magic stun shots or bucks to their stomachs and heads and still stay on their feet. They seemed possessed of a supernatural amount of strength and stamina that was unseen in normal pony folk before.

Her curiosity got the best of her as she noticed that the pegasi and unicorns, despite their inherent abilities of magic and flight, resorted to simply charge and attack their opponents as if they were in a mad lust for physical combat using their wings as large hands or their horns as sharp bayonets.

This was not good. She noted these mad-ponies were slowly taking advantage of the police officers that were showing signs of fatigue and injury. Unless they received back-up, they would be gravelly wounded or worse. It was time to act.

Her sharp eyes noticed a point of entry a few feet below her. A crazed earth pony stallion was standing over a dazed Officer Gold Whistler who was on the ground trying to get his bearing once more. The stallion reared up ready to slam his front hooves down on the young officer and possibly injure him critically.

Mare-Do-Well prepared her legs, jumped off and made a beeline for the attacker. She spun around in midair and extended her hind legs out in a torpedo strike that connected with the lawbreaker’s head with a loud crack and sent him flying into the side of the club’s wall from the impact.

The vigilante went to check on Gold Whistler as she helped him get back on his hooves. “Young officer, are you allright?” she asked him.

The earth pony officer breathed in and out multiple times and finally looked at his savior. “I am, thanks to you. I-”

He took a step back in surprise.

“Mare-Do-Well! You’re back! And… you can finally talk?!” He then shook his head. “Aw, who cares about that! The important thing is you’re here! Look, we need your help. We have to subdue all these rowdy civilians and restore order before it gets out of the hand,” He looked at the officers around him doing their best in subduing the unruly herd. “If we don’t stop them right here and now, they could go on a stampede and Ponyville will be in serious trouble!”

Mare-Do-Well didn’t need to be told twice and nodded. “That is what I am here for. Too long I have been away. The ponies of Ponyville need me, I am here. I will help you in any way I can.”

“That’s what we want to hear and…” Gold Whistler then gasped. “LOOK OUT!”

Her tail suddenly began to twitch madly within the bodysuit.

The shout and her warning was more than enough to let her know to dodge hard to the side. A powerful double slam of front hooves came down from above her head and crushed the ground she was just on. That was close. She turned around to face who was foolish enough to try and attack her. Her eyes opened wide in surprise.

The same buck she just torpedo-kicked was not just already up and moving, but now stared at her with murder in his bloodshot eyes. She then saw the blasts of hot air from his flared nostrils and thick foam coming out of his clenched teeth. Her eyes quickly scoured the rest of the raucous patrons and they too had the same telltale signs as the stallion she was fighting. Were these symptoms of their lust for battle? Just what happened to them?

“Halt! Do not make me hurt you. Stand your ground or else I shall be force to-”

She didn’t have time to finish when the stallion charged at her with an enraged neigh. She dodged his attack by leapfrogging over him the second before he could hit her. The maddened horse turned around just to see a powerful mule kick strike him squarely in the jaw. Mare-Do-Well’s eyes opened wide seeing him shrug off a blow that would incapacitate any other pony. She quickly regained composure and struck once more with another bucking kick once to the face and then another to the stomach which finally succeeded in making the stallion cough up a small amount of spittle and crashed down to the floor.

Soon more of the crazed-looking ponies began to converge on her and the vigilante prepared herself for the onslaught as she held her ground. The horde approached her and she could feel their intent to destroy shooting out of their reddened eyes as more foam came out from between their teeth. She lowered her head to prepare for the first opponent.

“I fear nopony. Come at me!”

The herd stopped in their tracks as their eyes changed from scowling to wide open as they slowly took trembling steps backward. They quickly dispersed, leaving Mare-Do-Well relieved. Sure, she was fully healed after the lengthy hospital visit, but it was better to avoid fighting an entire mob.

“Good. Maybe now the officers will-”

YEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The herd didn’t run away for a reason.

“…or perhaps not…”

Thundering hoofsteps began to approach her by the sound of the minor tremors getting closer and closer with each thump coming from behind. Turning around, Mare-Do-Well stood face-to-face with a muscle-bound white Pegasus stallion with his dirty blonde mane cut short into a buzzcut and foaming teeth clench in a snarl. Everything about his physique screamed enormity: His legs, his chest, his neck, the veins popping out everywhere, his wings… No, not his wings as they were the size of a newborn’s like Pound Cake. Even so, this stallion was nothing to laugh at. Of all the ponies she could fight, Bulk Biceps was not one she was ever looking forward to. She moaned under her breath.

“This. This will hurt.”

The titanic Pegasus pawed the ground and charged straight at her like an incoming train. Mare-Do-Well immediately moved to the side to easily dodge him, or so she thought. She did an incredulous double take as she saw Bulk change direction in his charge by using his miniscule wings as rudders and zeroed in on her!

“Mother of Celest-!”

She didn’t have a chance as he sent her flying and landed a few feet away with tremendous force. Not since the time Rainbow Dash bowled over the Elements during their attempt to get rid of the sleeping dragon some time ago did was she knocked so high into the air. Fortunately, the barding padded into her bodysuit softened most of the impact. She had to rethink her strategy and fast before Bulk trampled her into a pony pancake.

The muscle-bound buck charged at her once more, making the heroine weave to the side and just as before the tiny wing-rudders changed the angle of Bulk Biceps’ charge. This time she waited until he was close enough, and leapt up in the air.

She managed to not just avoid getting run over, but also latch on to his back. He neighed loudly as he felt her presence up on his back and began to wildly buck and jump around trying to get her off. Mare-Do-Well hung on for dear life but her ride ended abruptly as Bulk finally managed to send her sailing off his back and landed hard on the ground below. Again the barding saved her once more, but she knew it wasn’t going to hold out much longer. Mare-Do-Well quickly stood up and looked back to where Bulk Biceps stood once more, preparing for another bull-like charge.

Frustration began to build up on her. There had to be a way to stop him so she could finally subdue his rage. But how? Every time she tried to dodge, he simply homed in on her using his wings to change direction. Her eyes light up as she finally came up with a plan. It was worth a shot, she thought to herself. Anything is better than being plowed over.

The second Bulk charged again, she reached into her utility bags and took out a couple of smoke balls. The last two she had inside her secret chamber. She cursed herself for not getting a fresh supply of anything from Zecora after the whole incident with Caballus. Now she only had one shot. She hoped for the best.

Bulk Biceps charged at her once more, but this time she didn’t dodge. Just a few seconds from impact, she threw the smoke pellets and rolled away. The tiny spheres struck the battle-frenzied pegasus right in the face, blinding him under a thick cloud of smoke.

As he sputtered and coughed, Bulk had no time to use his wings to maneuver around and smashed his head and body against the side of the club that shook the building and nearby ground. Mare-Do-Well turned to face her foe, who managed to get dislodged from the wall but was still in a daze over the smoke blinding him and the impact with the wall.

Now was her chance.

She galloped up to the woozy pegasus, planted her forehooves firmly on the ground and twisted the back of her body in a circle to give him a double-roundhouse kick using both hindlegs. She followed that up by once against standing on her hindlegs and started to strike the beefy horse’s face and jaw with a constant flurry of rapid hoof jabs. She didn’t know how many she landed as she lost count around the 50th strike. By now, Bulk’s entire face and snout was swollen with black and blue bruises but he was still standing by just the sheer will of whatever drove his battle rage. It was time for her final blow.

She took a few steps back and galloped straight towards the large equine form, jumping up in the air and landing directly on his thick back. From there, she used him as a stepping stone to leap towards the wall. She performed an amazing triangle jump as soon as she touched the hard stone surface and leapt even higher in the air. She stared down and saw Bulk Biceps bob his head from side to side as he tried to regain his bearings. The move she was going to pull off was risky but more than enough to knock out a behemoth like him.

She performed a couple somersaults and rolls in the air, tucked her legs in tightly and targeted his head. Closing her eyes, she braced herself.

SMASH!

Mare-Do-Well connected the cannonball dive perfectly on the dazed Bulk’s skull as she bounced off his enormous noggin and landed safely on the ground.

The brawny stallion’s eyes started to circle around their sockets and he began to teeter from side to side. The vigilante swore she could actually see the tiny stars circling around his head.

“Yeeeeeaaaah……” Bulk managed to moan out as he finally fell to the floor, causing a slight tremor from the impact. His eyes then slowly closed and he finally stood still.

Mare-Do-Well took some deep breaths as she got up and ignored the small pain across her muscles after being thrown around like a ragdoll but also after landing her rump right on his head. She turned to face the rest of the scene and was pleased that the police finally took care of the rest of the crazed patrons.

The police carts were finally able to arrive to take the rowdy mob to the station to be booked. It took the effort of 3 unicorn officers to blend their respective magic fields to levitate Bulk Biceps from the ground and place him on the cart along with other unconscious patrons.

“What in the name of Celestia is SHE doing here?!”

That was a voice Mare-Do-Well couldn’t forget no matter how much she wanted.

Turning her head, she saw Captain Halberd gallop towards the crime scene with the sycophantic Lock-Up and Lock-Down at each side of him with Lieutenant Buckler and other officers keeping pace behind.

“And here I thought the bothersome vigilante finally took a hint and left my fair jurisdiction,” he sneered at her.

“My, my, my. Halberd, dear, I didn’t even know you cared so much about me. I’m touched,” Mare-Do-Well cooed back as she posed seductively with her eye glazing up from beneath her hat.

Halberd, his lackey, Buckler and the other officers took a step back in shock upon finally hearing her talk. The brief second of confusion soon passed as the stern captain regained his bearings.

“So you finally have the nerve to talk back to a superior officer? I should have you arrested for assault!” he snapped.

“Oh, don’t get your horn in a knot, my dear officer. I was just about to leave,” she chuckled softly as she turned around and walked away.

“Don’t turn your back on me, you delinquent! I will arrest you for interference with police business!”

Mare-Do-Well merely stopped and blew him a kiss. “See you on our next date, Halby.”

The green unicorn’s face turned red and his horn began to smoke while he growled, but the vigilante didn’t see this. Instead, she jumped on the side of a police cart, landing on the pile of unconscious felons lying on top, then jumped towards the club’s awning and using its momentum to bounce up to the roof. She stopped to look down at all the officers below, giving them a hoof-wave as she left the scene.

As she jumped from rooftop to rooftop, she was ecstatic. At long last, she finally was able to tell off that stuck-up stuffedshirt and he couldn’t do a thing. However, she knew she had to keep it to a minimum. That vision she had back at the party still weighed heavily. Would he really unmask her and reveal the pink party pony inside? She had to be careful from now on.

In an alley close to the club, a lone figure stood there watching her leave the scene. The shadowy equine form silently stared at her for several seconds until she left its line of sight. The police were nearby and it was time for the figure to also make an escape.

Things were just beginning.

The Legend of Mare-Do-Well trots along

Chapter 8

The Legend of Mare-Do-Well
Chapter 8: A Risky Rescue
by JD2K

“All right, children. Don’t stray too far,” Cheerilee called out from the back of the group of schoolponies she was herding along. “The Everfree Forest is much too dangerous for colts and fillies that aren’t together.”

The field trip to Everfree had been in the plans for weeks. Most parents were concerned about their children going off into such a dangerous place with only Cheerilee as the sole adult. Those concerns were quickly removed, however, when the cerise-colored pony herself revealed that Zecora volunteered to help with the class both to act as chaperone and as a guide through the less dangerous areas in the forest. With that taken care of, the trip was given the all-clear for the day.

“Come along, dear children, and you will see, all the wonders you can find here in Everfree,” the zebra stated as she led them in front. “Stay close and do not stray, or else you’ll be a predator’s prey.”

At this remark, some of the little fillies and colts looked around in fear.
“Mith Thecora, are we going to be okay?” Twist asked nervously.
“We’d better be fine or else Daddy’s going to be hearing about this!” Diamond Tiara scoffed in contempt.
“Aw, put a lid on it, DT. The last thing this trip needs is some whiny foal ruining things for us!” Scootaloo snapped back causing her target to sneer.
“Don’t call her DT! You will address her by her full name: Miss Diamond Tiara Dir-” Silver Spoon’s mouth was clamped shut by the foreleg of her associate who gave her a loud shush.
“Ix-nay on the Irty-day!” she whispered through her teeth which caused all the schoolponies to giggle and laugh.

The rest of the trip was quite educational for the small group as they first saw a variety of strange plants, which Zecora helped explain in her traditional form of speech, and warned that some, despite their bright colors, are actually dangerous to consume and are used more as ingredients in some of her hutmade concoctions. Snips and Snails were unlucky enough to step on an errant Poison Joke flower which changed their respective sizes, made Snips’s front teeth three times their original size, and made Snails speak in a rough dialect Cheerilee was able to vaguely identify as from the cold region of Stalliongrad. Aside from causing a few fits of laughter from the students, Zecora was able to make a quick drinkable antidote and the two colts were back to normal, so to speak.

Another point of interest throughout their journey was encountering a variety of non-threatning denizens of Everfree like owlbears, jackalopes, phoenixes, rodents of unusual sizes and golden hinds which Zecora helped the colts and fillies introduce to from afar as to not disturb them. The students were amazed at seeing all these creatures in their natural habitat and couldn’t believe they could live in Everfree. Unfortunately, with every time they found a spot to observe the animals, Featherweight, in the absence of his regular staffer and getting back to his origins, began snapping pictures at them all. The bright flashes alerted them to foreign presence and quickly scattered. It took the combined efforts of all the young colts to tackle and remove the camera from the small pegasus’s neck to prevent him from ruining their field trip any further.

Finally, the small excursion was nearing its end as the schoolponies and their chaperones laid down in a small clearing in the forest to have a small lunch before returning back to Ponyville. It was during this time that a certain trio of young fillies decided to enter a cave found off the main path to see if cave exploring would earn them their cutie marks.

Apple Bloom looked around the cold, dark cave with only a lantern hanging around her neck that she brought along for emergencies to light their way. “Scoot, don’cha think this is a mite bit outta our way? Zecora said to us not to stray far from the rest of the group. Besides, who knows what scary stuff we’ll find in here? A dragon? A den of Ursas? I don’ even wanna know!”

“Well, well, well. Now who’s being the chicken?” The orange pegasus replied only to then call out in the same mocking tone she heard from the farm filly a year ago, “APPLE BLOOOOOM! AP-AP-APPLE BLOOOOOOM!!”

“No fair! Ah thought we’d no longer do that to each other!” the farm filly snapped in return.
“Then stop being a scaredy pony! I’m sure we can find something cool in here to both get a good grade on our Everfree essay and earn our cutie marks at the same time!”

Sweetie Belle stayed quiet during the whole argument as her eyes looked on with worry. “I don’t know, girls, this seems awfully risky. Don’t you think we should have asked Miss Cheerilee or Miss Zecora about this? What if they end up looking for us? We’ll get detention!”

“Detention Schmetention! Where’s your sense of adventure? Rainbow Dash never allowed anything such as rules get in the way of her thrills!” Scootaloo beamed proudly.

“Ah heard mah sis say that’s how she got bucked outta flight school…” Apple Bloom casually whispered to Sweetie Belle causing the little unicorn to giggle for a few seconds.

After walking a few more feet, they eventually reached the end of the cave. Nothing. The cave itself was empty. Only a few stalactites and stalagmites poking out of the roof and walls but nothing else.

“WHAT?!” all three shouted simultaneously.
“Ya dodo! Now we’re gonna get detention fer sure! Applejack will ground me by makin’ me chew Granny Smith’s vittles fer her!” Apple Bloom shouted as she turned to face her.
“Don’t call me a dodo! How would you like it if I call you a chicken?” Scootaloo snapped back.
“Dodo!”
“Chicken!”
“Dodo!”
“Chicken!”
“Dodo!”
“Chicken!”
“Dodo!”
“Chicken!”

The two irate fillies kept their name-calling match going and didn’t look to finish for a while. Sweetie Belle meanwhile could only sigh sadly as she approached one of the stalagmites near the dead-end and leaned against it as she tried to come up with what to tell her parents and Rarity. The stalagmite suddenly bent backward with a loud click and a small section of the wall slid out of the way to reveal a secret passage! The other two fillies stopped arguing as they stood there with mouths open just like Sweetie was. The stalagmite was obviously a cleverly disguised handle that would reveal the passage if pushed. The tiny unicorn moved away from the stalagmite-handle as it snapped back into position. On cue, the wall section slid back and left the passage hidden to the eye.

“That was so awesome! I knew this cave had something!” Scootaloo said with glee as she pushed the stalagmite as hard as her little body could muster and the wall opened up again. She stood there holding the door open as she saw her friends just look at her in shock. “C’mon! Hurry up! This door won’t stay open forever! Go ahead. I’ll jump in after you.”

“No way, Scoot. That there secret path just wasn’t built by nature, y’know. We could end up in serious trouble with whoever built it.” Apple Bloom reasoned.

“She’s right, Scootaloo,” Sweetie Belle added, “We really should get back before…”

Her explanation was cut short when she saw a shadowy-looking figure leap out of the passage and she immediately let out a shriek. The two other Cutie Mark Crusaders followed suit in shrieking as the figure loomed over them.

Outside back in the clearing, Zecora’s ear began to flick and stopped from eating her meal as she turned her head around. Cheerilee looked at her curiously. “Miss Zecora, are you… all right?”

“My auditory sense picked up a yell…” the zebra began as her eyes scoured the students before her. She then gasped seeing one picnic blanket was lying there with some leftovers still placed on top. “Where is Apple Bloom, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle?!” All the other students stopped to realize the Cutie Mark Crusaders were nowhere to be seen.

“Oh no! This is very bad! Where could they be?” Cheerilee lamented as she ran around the area calling out their names.

“Serves those three right! They’re always making trouble,” Diamond Tiara scorned with a raise of her snout. “I mean, we all knew they were the ones who released that icky Discord from that statue by fighting in front of it!”

“That’th not true! Thothe are jutht nathty rumorth thomepony thaid!” Twist answered back which immediately caused all the students to debate both sides of the issue whether the Cutie Mark Crusaders were troublemakers or not.

The arguments ceased when a slight tremor was felt by everyone. They all looked down on the floor and felt yet another tremor followed by many more. They looked up as a large figure stood up before them causing all the schoolponies to scream in terror and began to run around in a panic as Cheerilee and Zecora could just stare up at this new threat without a clue of what to do.

The silence of the forest was broken by the foals’ screams, followed by loud roars of unknown origins. Eventually, the screams began to die down and the eerie calm of the forest returned with no witness as to what took place.

**********************************

“Confound it! Why haven’ ya gone out an’ search fer those missin’ foals? Mah Granny Smith is worryin’ herself into an early grave if’n you don’ find ‘em!” Applejack shouted.

“Madam, I demand that you stop all this nonsense posthaste, or I shall venture into that uncharted forest all by myself to find my dear sister!” Rarity added with a hint of both anger and worry as her father tried to console his mate.

“Lieutenant, understand this. I am a businesspony but also a concerned father. You all better find my little Diamond Tiara or I shall be forced to call higher authorities!” Filthy Rich demanded as he slammed a hoof on the desk.

Buckler could only telekinetically rub her temples with her light red aura. She has been listening all night to the parade of ponies who stormed in demanding to know why the school field trip was taking so long in getting back. At first they sent a couple of officers, along with Twilight Sparkle as she was one of the few to navigate Everfree, and find answers at Zecora’s domicile. Upon finding the hut empty, things began to turn grim.

“Please, citizens, settle down!” she finally ordered as she got up. The crowd of worried parents and families went quiet as Lt. Buckler began to explain. “We have already sent out a ground search party with Miss Sparkle taking the lead while an aerial team is flying across the area with Ponyville Weather Manager Rainbow Dash to see if they could be spotted from the sky. We will have answers very soon. In the meantime, you can feel free to stay in the vestibule or any nearby areas until either team returns with new developments.”

As she gently pushed the crowd away from her office, she closed the door and inhaled deeply. She really disliked facing worried families. However, her hooves were tied and there was nothing she could do unless she was a few years younger when she was at the prime of her life. All she could do was the same as the families themselves: Wait.

She turned around to return to her desk when she forcefully expelled the breath of air she just took in and coughed loudly soon after. There at the side of her desk was Mare-Do-Well standing at attention.

“You know, my dear pony, you are likely to give this old mare a heart attack one of these days,” she softly reprimanded like a mother to her foal. A few weeks ago, after the debacle involving a pair of shady businessponies who challenged the Apple Family to a cider-making contest, Lt. Buckler began seeing the young crime fighter more and more as the paths of both her and the PVPD crossed even more.

Unlike Captain Halberd who ordered most officers to apprehend Mare-Do-Well should she interfere with police procedures, most of the department appreciated her help and Buckler herself decided to form a type of truce with her in which she was always welcomed into her office to visit and help the police out whenever they could.

The only thing Mare-Do-Well had to watch out for when visiting her police ally aside from Halberd were his subordinates, Lock Up and Lock Down. Aside from being from somewhere far away, they were known as irredeemable sycophants who catered to Halberd’s every whim. Nopony in the police department was safe from them as they reported any such violation of the captain’s strict rules to Halberd himself which made all the officers see them in contempt and disgust. Lucky for her, the two lackeys were not around so she could speak to Buckler without interference.

“I’m sure you have heard of the missing group from the school, child,” Buckler began as she sat near her desk and used her magic to move some papers on top until she found the report on the missing ponies. “15 young foals, 8 fillies and 7 colts, the schoolteacher Miss Cheerilee, and their guide Miss Zecora. For all of them to vanish just like that is very unusual, more so with the zebra knowing everything about the Forest. Maybe you should check it out and see what things you can find…”

She turned around to face her but all she saw was her open window and the blinds hitting against the edge of the sill as though somepony recently moved it. Shaking her head, she muttered, “That filly has the attention span of a parasprite…”

While Mare-Do-Well do enjoyed hearing Buckler’s police tales both when in her office and when she came by to Sugarcube Corner as her alternate self served her, she had no time to lose. Her “sense” could tell something was not right with this missing ponies report. This was something far more alarming and dangerous. Something very bad was happening in Everfree and it was up to her to find out what that was.

The vigilante made headway into the unnatural forest and noticed several tracks on the forest floor. She studied each print carefully and eliminating any that wasn’t a pony hoof. One particular trail was made of very tiny hoofprints and that was the lead she needed. Following the path of tiny hoofprints which stopped at several areas including a patch of different plants, an owlbear cave, a jackalope burrow and a grove with a phoenix nest on a tree, she finally arrived at a small clearing.

She wasn’t alone when she arrived to the spot as Twilight Sparkle and five PVPD officers were investigating the area. The purple unicorn looked up to see her come through as did a few of the other officers.

“Mare-Do-Well, why are you here? Did you come here to help with the disappearance?”, Twilight asked as she walked up to her.

“We could always use a spare set of hooves and eyes to help us search,” added Officer Gold Whistle. “We’ve been searching this area for hours and we’ve found nothing!”

“Keep searching, pony! They couldn’t just walk up and leave all their gear behind like this!” Officer Booker commented loudly. Mare-Do-Well looked beyond Twilight’s gaze and saw he was right. Littered throughout the clearing were the remains of what looked like a picnic with some half-eaten fruit and some snacks along with some tiny saddlebags which were now all placed in a neat pile.

Mare-Do-Well’s brain began to turn. This was no mere disappearance, indeed. Something must have happened to the foals and the adults to have caused them to drop their meals before finishing and leave saddlebags behind. The question was what the cause could have been exactly. She started to investigate. As she was walking through the area, she spotted a cave on the side of a mountain, she stopped to stare at it for a few seconds.

The purple unicorn immediately sensed her curiosity and approached her. “That cave? We already searched it half an hour ago. Nothing there and it leads to a dead-end.” She then sighed with annoyance as she called out to the officers. “This entire area is a dead-end! We have to search elsewhere. Hopefully we can find other tracks or clues as to where those foals, Cheerilee and Zecora went. Let’s move out!” The other officers nodded and advanced towards her to lead them to another part of the forest.

“Wish you the best of luck. Let me know if you find something!” the purple unicorn whispered as she finally left with the police ponies.

Mare-Do-Well was all alone once again. She was ready to head out back into the forest when she started getting a feeling in her stomach when she thought about the cave. Twilight mentioned there was nothing in there but it couldn’t hurt to have a look in herself just to remove her doubts. She quickly turned back and trotted off towards the cave.

Setting foot inside the dark hollow, Mare-Do-Well realized she was a bit hasty in coming in without anything to light her path. The moonlight provided plenty of illumination, but only for outside the cave; inside, she was as blind as a bat. Hanging her head low and about ready to go back and go look for an empty lantern to fill with fireflies, she started to get another combo.

Ear flop…Eye flutter…Knee twitch…

She was puzzled by this sudden manifestation of her unique gift. There were absolutely no doors nearby for her to watch out for, so why did she have the combo warning her about that? Her answer came soon enough as the sound of rock sliding away was heard and Mare-Do-Well saw to her unbelieving eyes part of the wall moving away revealing a hole illuminated with soft torch light. Her other self’s sense has not failed her yet again

She then heard a few hoofbeats walking forward following by an incoming light source with a couple of shadows projecting against the wall nearby. Hiding behind a large stalagmite, she peeked to the side to see what was coming her way.

“Now remember, take this notice directly to our local contact. I need help in moving all these prisoners out without attracting attention of the police and I don’t want any screw-ups!” said a deep-bellowing male voice.

“Leave it to me, Bigtime. All I have to do is avoid that speedy pegasus they got in their weather control and I’ll deliver this no problem,” said a shifty female voice along with a flap of what obviously were wings.

“Perfect. We got some grade-A ponies right here. The youngest little twerp of that Apple Family, the brat of that multi-rich stallion who founded Barnyard Bargains and even the son of the most important doctor of Ponyville! They’d all pay a dragon’s hoard for them all!”

“What about the rest of the little imps? And what of that broodmare of a teacher and that weird zebra?”

“I hear there is a market for young little ponies and these would make us all a bundle when we sell them to the highest bidders! About that old mare, I’ll leave her to Mr. P. He needs a new toy to play with. And as for the zebra…” He chuckled with cruelty. “Let’s say it’s been a while since ‘Littletime’ had a taste of zebra... Heh, heh, heh…”

“You’re a class act, Big T! You have fun then. I’ll be back soon!”

Mare-Do-Well couldn’t believe her ears. Ransoming and selling off the foals, hurting Miss Cheerilee and doing the “unspeakable” to Zecora?! She wanted right then and there to jump out and beat those monsters into unconsciousness but she had to know first who exactly she was up against. She then saw the outline of a pegasus filly with a saddlebag over her coming out of the light. Just by looking at her, Mare-Do-Well knew she was rotten to the core. She quickly trotted up to the cave entrance, spread her wings and flew off into the night sky.

The vigilante turned her gaze back at the open entrance and saw the torch light and the shadow quickly recede. The wall was also closing up again. She didn’t even think twice as she swiftly and silently jumped out of her hiding place and entered the passage before the wall crushed her as it moved back into place.

She was now in a small dimly-lit passage with torches lined up against the cave walls. Up ahead, she saw the light and hoofbeats of “Bigtime”, as the pegasus called him, was quickly fading into the distance. She was thankful he didn’t hear her slip in. She quickly took slow steady steps as she followed him through the passageway and towards a far large illuminated exit. She went through this new opening without hesitation.

Words failed Mare-Do-Well as she tried to make sense of what was before her eyes. An entire underground facility was built right in the middle of the hollowed-out mountain spread as far as she could see. Luckily, she was far enough away to not arouse the attention of the ponies wearing surgical masks who were busy walking around, carrying heavy loads within their bags or hard at work cultivated some sort of shiny blue mushrooms that were growing deep underground and gave off a kind of eerie luminescence to their surroundings. Upon closer inspection, she scrunched up her nose in disgust. Those were no ordinary mushrooms and the ponies had good reason to wear masks.

Glowcaps.

Her father once told her about these foul fungi and Twilight helped with more details when she requested more info on botagens. Originally from underground caves deep in zebra and camel territories far from Equestria, shamans of these two tribes used the glowcap as an ingredient to communicate with a plane of existence they claim is where all creation comes from and where all end up going. Pony explorers who visited these lands found these mushrooms and the effect they witnessed on the minds of those who consumed it, looking as they were now in a different world other than that of reality. These explorers brought glowcaps for Equestrian scholars to experiment with.

The effects however, were not good with pony anatomy. A test subject who consumed an entire mushroom immediately entered a state of dementia where various sensory hallucinations were recorded ending with the subject becoming belligerent and needed to be subdued by some nearby guards. The pony was immediately locked up as he was a threat to Equestria should he be ever freed.

Soon, other ponies began to smuggle in glowcaps with the hopes they can “communicate with the Ancients” and all ended up insane and in fits of psychotic violence. Even breathing in the spores of a glowcap was dangerous so nopony could approach them without adequate protection like a surgical mask. Still, there were some enterprising alchemists who decided to keep spores and try and find ways to make the glowcaps less dangerous and ended up with strains that provided quick “trips” to these strange sensations of the mind but left the subject highly addictive to them. Because of the threat of addiction and deaths associated with it, Celestia deemed this mushroom a class-A botagen that nopony except licensed camel and zebra shamans should even touch.

To think if the field trip group wasn’t ponynapped, this glowcap-growing facility would remain undiscovered and their damage to Equestria would not be stopped. Mare-Do-Well didn’t care what happened to her now. Both her missions were clear. Not only was she going to rescue the captured ponies, but she’d put a stop to this harvest of disaster once and for all! But first things first, she had to find out where these fungi growers were keeping the foals, Cheerilee and Zecora.

Carefully and using what little shadows there were between supply crates, cave crevasses and even a few loading carts, she reached the far end of the glowcap harvest area where there were less ponies working around. Here, a large structure was hewn from the mountain’s rocky wall that must house their living quarters was located. The only way into this area appeared to be one single entrance. That entrance, however, was guarded by two burly looking stallions that were both nearly as tall and strong as Big MacIntosh standing guard at the sides. She first had to get rid of these two before she could gain access inside.

“So what do you think of those rugrats the boss got locked up in the stockade?” one of the guards asked his companion.

“Knowing him, he’s got big plans for ‘em. He ain’t called ‘Bigtime’ for nothing!” the other guard responded with a chuckle.

“It’s so damn boring standing here doing nothing. I wish we could have gone to the nearby town and get loaded on salt and cider! Fly-By got lucky being the boss’s errand filly.” the first guard mused.

“Yeah right, and when we come back, we’d be sent to ‘play with Mr. P’ as punishment!” sniped his partner.

“Don’t even joke about that, dude! I never want to be near that freak!” the other snorted as he resumed his watch.

“Ow! What the heck was that for?” the second guard shouted as he rubbed his ear which now carried a large red bruise.

“What did I do, huh?” the first answered in confusion.

“You hit me in the ear, that’s what! Stop horsing around!” the other reprimanded.

The guard just shrugged wondering if the pressure of being here doing nothing but stand and looking ahead was getting to his fellow sentry. His thoughts were quickly rattled by a sharp stinging pain that came from his ear as though something was flicked with force against it.

“Hey dude, this isn’t funny anymore! Just stop it!” he shouted to the other guard who just looked at him oddly.

“What’s the matter? Glowcaps starting to mess with your brain, already?” the other guard scoffed only to yell in pain again. “Alright, playtime is over, Mr. Comedian! Time I show you how we really do things back home!”

With a loud whinny, the second guard turned back and gave the first a hard kick against his head. He responded with an angry snort blasting hot air everywhere. “You started it, now I will end you!” he shouted as he charged into the other guard.

Both guards started to fight with one another, butting heads, bucking kicks, rearing up to hit with their forelegs and full-body tackles. One particular simultaneous tackle from both stallions ended up hitting their heads against one another with a resounding crack and the two immediately landed on the floor unconscious. Mare-Do-Well looked out from behind the large stalagmite she was hiding behind as a couple of pebbles were being tossed away with one of her hooves. She was lucky the guards were no Neighsteins or else she’d never get through. Once the way was clear, she ventured inside.

The living area was more complex than she realized as there were many hallways with doors lined up everywhere and not to mention several unfriendly ponies and fillies wandering about. Reaching a secluded alcove, she allowed herself to lie down on her haunches and started to meditate. Fluttershy taught her that deep meditation was done by pony monks located in the far eastern areas of Equestria in order to heighten their senses and at this point she needed all her senses on high alert to locate the ones she was searching for.

As she meditated, she could feel her nose catching more strange scents and her ears flicked around as they heard everything. She could smell the disgusting aroma of smoked locoweed, the mossy and damp scent of the structure walls, and even the smell of fresh apple baked goods.

However, she paid more attention to her ears. She started to hear a variety of noises. Music from phonographs, unintelligible conversations coming from the walls of the rooms around her, and even the sounds of the “unspeakable” that should only be done by a colt and filly to create foals and not just for amusement. However, she then heard the most important sound of all.

Crying.

She was hearing the crying of foals who missed their families and loved ones. The one sound her alter self would do anything in her power to stop. Needless to say, there was no flour around to stop this crying so she had to take a more hooves-on approach. She got out of the alcove and followed her ears towards the sound of the sobs.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw what was obviously a stockade built with high wooden boards but strewn with barbed wire everywhere to prevent anyone from breaking in or out of it. Trapped inside, all huddled close to one another, were the fifteen fillies and colts she was looking for. Unfortunately, there was no sign of Cheerilee or Zecora inside and Mare-Do-Well feared that they were in trouble according to the conversation she eavesdropped earlier, particularly the one dealing with this “Mr. P”.

She approached the stockade and was thankful nopony was guarding them. As soon as she was in view, a unicorn filly called out. “Look! It’s Mare-Do-Well! Mare-Do-Well is here!” That immediately got the attention of the rest of the children as they all got close enough to the holes between the small logs of the side of the stockade wall without touching the pointy edges of the wire in front of them.

“Please, Miss Mare-Do-Well, you have got to save us!” Snips cried out.
“Yes, you must! My daddy will give you a huge reward if you get me out here!” Diamond Tiara wailed with bloodshot eyes from all her wailing she must have done.
“Stop thinking of yourself, DT! She came here to rescue all of us, not just you!” Scootaloo snapped at her.
“Don’t call her DT! She’s… <sigh>...nevermind…” Silver Spoon started only to sigh sadly and slump down on her rump.
“Um, shouldn’t Mare-Do-Well go look for Miss Cheerilee and Miss Zecora first? I mean, they’re the adults here, eh?” muttered Snails and everyone for once agreed with what he said. Mare-Do-Well cursed herself from being unable to talk but her determined gaze was more than enough to let the foals knew what she was thinking.

“You want to know where they took Miss Cheerilee and Miss Zecora, Miss Mare-Do-Well?” Sweetie Belle deduced. The vigilante closed her eyes and nodded thankfully for one of the young unicorn’s rare flashes of brilliance.
“Well, I heard them thay that Mith Cheerilee wath to, um, ‘go play with Mithter P’ if thhe wathn’t going to tathte glowcapth”, Twist commented with fear.
“Ah sure don’t like the sound of them words too much… An’ Ah heard that fat stallion with the huge bit coin bag fer a cutie mark say he was gonna give Zecora ‘the time of her life’…” Apple Bloom said with worry in her tone.
“Miss Mare-Do-Well, you can’t open the door unless you got the key and that fat stallion must have it. Please bring back Miss Cheerilee and Miss Zecora and then open the door. Please!” Featherweight finally piped up. The rest of the foals and the heroine were shocked to hear the normally-taciturn colt speak.

While the inner child in her alter self wanted to free them first and help them escape, she knew the kids would not abandon their teacher and their new zebra friend. She made a silent Pinkie promise to them with the motions and they all understood it. She quickly left without a moment to lose.

As a she made her way through the twisting hallways and avoided the unfriendly locals, Mare-Do-Well rounded yet another corner and immediately dove back before she was spotted. An earth pony stood there peeking through a small slit in a door in the hallway she was just about to head into. Normally, she’d take a different route and go around this obstacle but she immediately heard a familiar voice.

“No! I don’t care how much you hurt me! I am never setting a bad example for my little ponies and take those awful mushrooms! Do your worst! I have my dignity to uphold!”

The colt at the door merely chuckled as the sound of leather smacking flesh was heard following by a wail of pain from Cheerilee. The crime fighter was outraged at how the faithful and kind schoolteacher was being tortured to take that dangerous fungus. It was time Mare-Do-Well got her hooves dirty.

She softly crept up to the door from an angle the peeping colt was not seeing her. Once she got close enough, she immediately grabbed him and covered his mouth as she placed him in a choke hold. Struggling was useless for the voyeur as he quickly lost consciousness and landed softly on the floor. With her first foe incapacitated, Mare-Do-Well quickly pushed him into the shadows so nopony could find him and alert the boss. Now it was her turn to peek inside. What she saw in front of her chilled her bones.

Cheerilee was tied to an upturned table of sorts with leather belts holding her by the forehead and all four of her legs. Her entire moderate cerise body had large bloody bruises and welts, and both her mane and tail were ragged and stained with dirt. Her eyes were bloodshot red from all the tears and cries she must have endured ever since her capture. She was indeed a role model for the youth of Ponyville and Mare-Do-Well feared she would rather die first than take a botagen and ruin her life and body to the dangers of addiction and glowcap madness.

That’s when she then laid eyes on the other occupant of the room obviously called “Mr. P” and her eyebrow arched in confusion. Standing there was a strange lanky stallion wearing some kind of full-body outfit made of black leather and covered entirely in tubes. Not to mention it was very baggy and loose on his skin which made him trip with every step he took. On his head he wore an unusual mask that covered his face and mane but with holes for his purple eyes and green snout. The only part of his body visible was his grungy-cut tail which was a dirty shade of green. Just looking at this stranger made the vigilante’s flesh crawl, but why did the schoolfoals and even those guards fear him?

In his exposed mouth, the stallion held a leather handle attached to a cat-o’-nine tails whip which he used just recently on the hapless schoolteacher.

“Mr. P ask again. You take glowcap now?” the skinny stallion said with a low, almost-simple-minded voice. Cheerilee simply turned her head sideway in revulsion.

“Goody-goody! If pony no take glowcap, Mr. P play with pony!” he derped out as he dropped the whip on the floor and walked to a table close by.

A variety of leather implements and sharp objects were kept there and the crime fighter didn’t want to imagine what they would do to pony flesh. The childlike stallion lifted what looked like a scalpel with a rusty jagged blade in his teeth and approached Cheerilee whose expression now showed pure terror. He then used a hoof to move a wheel handle nearby and lowered the table to place the teacher on her back. Mr. P moved up to the panic-stricken pony as he slowly lowered his scalpel towards one of her eyes.

“Mr P. play doctor now! First Mr. P remove eye and give new eye to pony!” he guffawed as he leaned closer which made her scream for intervention from the Princesses.

Mare-Do-Well was done waiting. She had to act now. Slipping in undetected, she made her way up to the slow-witted Mr. P’s blind side and made her move. With one lower strike, she tripped the stallion and he dropped the scalpel to the floor, which caused Cheerilee to scream out of shock. Not giving him time to recover as he laid down on the floor, she then connected with a massive smash of her rump over his head to silence him for good.

The vigilante quickly released Cheerilee’s restraints and the first thing the teacher did upon being set free was hug her savior. “Mare-Do-Well… thank you!” she finally cried out as tears ran down her eyes. She then gasped as she looked at the vigilante with her bloodshot eyes. “My students! Are they…?” A single nod from the vigilante and she took a deep breath of relief. “Oh thank Celestia they are all right…”

She gasped once again. “Zecora! Oh no! That brute! The leader of this whole gang of evil ponies has her! Who knows what vile things he has planned for her! Please you must save her! His room is located at the far end of the hallway. You can’t miss it! Make haste!” Mare-Do-Well didn’t need to be told twice and quickly walked off, only to stop. She just couldn’t leave her here with that strange stallion even if he was passed out cold. She looked at her with worry in her eyes.

Cheerilee merely shook her head. “I’ll be alright. Please hurry! Once you find Zecora, come look for me here and I’ll join you in escape. Go!”

Taking the directions the teacher gave her, she finally found the door she was looking as she peeked out from a shadowy spot near the side. She frowned seeing that unlike the other doors in the area, this one was flanked by two more guards who stood at attention at both sides of the doorways. There was no way her pebble trick from before would work on these two. She had to use a “different” kind of pebble on them and she was lucky to have one in her utility bags. Reaching in, she found a sleeping gas pellet. She frowned as she saw she only brought one. She still had plenty of smoke bombs left but the sleeping one was all she needed. She then got into position and tossed the small ball at them.

The two stallions saw the incoming pellet but the small sphere quickly released its payload before they could sound the alarm. After coughing for a few seconds, they quickly fell down and began to snore loudly. Her ears then picked up a loud thud as though something hit against the door from the inside. What happened in there?

Luckily, her mask was made with a magic filtering device over the snout that would prevent anything except oxygen from entering her nostrils so she walked right through the cloud of sleeping gas without feeling the slightest of drowsiness. Rarity was indeed a genius. Mare-Do-Well placed her hoof on the door and pushed to open it only to feel something large and heavy leaning up against it. She then turned around and gave the door a good solid buck that would make even Applejack proud and the door flew open as did whatever was holding the door closed. She ventured inside.

The first thing she saw in the foul-stench reeking room was the unconscious form of Bigtime, a very fat earth pony with a dirty brown coat with a badly-styled light-brown mane and tail with tan highlights and a bag of bit coins for his mark. The overweight stallion was leaning at a very unnatural angle on the floor from where he landed after Mare-Do-Well kicked the door open. On his dirty, grimy bed was the thankful image of Zecora who had shackles placed on her four hooves to prevent her from moving. She immediately let out a content sigh.

“I thank you, my friend, you came just in time. This foul glutton was about to do an unspeakable crime. The nerve of this hog to use me as a broodmare, but you used the sleep gas and now he lies there.” Mare-Do-Well nodded once and tipped her hat forward.

“Now there’s not a moment to spare. If he should wake, a foul fate we’ll all share. The keys to release my binds are behind you. They will certainly open the jail where the foals are kept, too!”

Just like she said, Mare-Do-Well found a keyring with several keys placed on a table next to the door. Seeing as she was with an ally who knew her identity, she softly raised her mask a few inches to reveal the pink snout and lips of Pinkie Pie. With her mouth exposed, she picked up the keyring and promptly spat it back out.

“Yuck…this tastes horrible…” she said softly. She then shook her head again. “No no, silly Pinkie. You must remember! Do this for your friends!”

The costumed pink pony retook the keyring with her mouth and made her way to the bed. After eliminating a few of them, she found the one that unlocked the shackles and the zebra was able to jump out of the bed and stretch her legs.

“At long last, I’m finally free. You are truly a friend to me. Now, let’s go to round up Cheerilee and the others. We must return them all to their fathers and mothers.”

Pinkie gave her a nod of agreement and then looked at her as she scratched the back of her head with a hoof. “Um, can you take the keys now? I don’t want them to… you know…”

The zebra chuckled once. “Yes, don’t fear. Give them here.”

Nodding with relief, Pinkie Pie spat the keyring out and Zecora catched it in mid-air. She quickly placed the mask fully back on and Mare-Do-Well was back in form. The two equines made their way out of the room and through the halls again.

As they retraced their steps, they were lucky to find no more meandering ponies around which made the return to the locked room where Cheerilee was currently entrenched in all the more smoother. Mare-Do-Well tapped the door softly but loud enough for the occupant to hear, followed by Zecora whispering, “Cheerilee, it is us! We have no time to waste! The evil ones will find us soon, so we must make haste!”

“Oh thank goodness!” the teacher finally whispered back in joy as she opened the door. Mare-Do-Well peeked in momentarily as she left and saw Mr. P still unconscious but now tied up like a steer at a rodeo. How Cheerilee managed that, she just didn’t want to know. They all had more important things to worry about anyway. The trio of females then made their way back to the stockade.

Upon entering the area, Cheerilee called out softly. “My dear students, are you all right?”

All the fifteen foals then peeked out from the areas between the logs and gasped with joy. Very soon, the door was unlocked and the fifteen schoolponies were finally free and they quickly hugged their teacher.
“Miss Cheerilee! You’re safe!“ Sweetie Belle called out in glee.
“Ah told y’all Mare-Do-Well would never let us down!” beamed Apple Bloom.
“Miss Cheerilee, are you ok? You don’t look so good…” Snails added.
“All I will say, little ponies, is to always resist the urges of evil ponies who will want you to use botagens. Let this be a lesson. Just say no!” she stated and everypony present nodded in agreement.
Diamond Tiara then grew impatient. “Can we just leave this place now? I want to go home and snuggle in my bed and forget this ever happened!”
“For once, and I’m scared, I totally agree with you!” Scootaloo remarked with shock.
“But, ithn’t there a lot of those nathty ponieth thtill out there? How will we leave thith plathe?” Twist suddenly said which immediately weighted heavily on everypony present. She was right. The ponies working on the glowcap harvest fields were still out there. How could 15 foals manage to escape under their noses? This was quite a predicament and the foals got scared again.

Mare-Do-Well finally broke the silence with a loud stomp of her back hoof. She then started to tap her forehoof against the floor continuously. Everypony present was confused for a second until Cheerilee finally realized what she was doing.

“Oh my! Horse Code! I haven’t heard a message like that since I was a little filly!” she stated as she closed her eyes to translate the taps.
“‘Do…not…fear…stop…I…will…create…diversion…stop…Escape…and…summon...’ what? Pvpd? Oh… the police! Go on. ‘Bring….them…quickly…stop’.”

Cheerilee grew worried as did the rest of the students and even Zecora. What was Mare-Do-Well missing from this equation that has everyone now all scared?

“My dear, are you sure that is a good plan? You have no idea what this gang has hidden in the shadows. They have… a monster!” the teacher commented which caused all the foals to cower in fear.

“When we entered the cave an’ found the secret way in here, that giant monster they got jumped out an’ captured me an’ the Crusaders!” Apple Bloom explained as she and her friends held each other close.
“And then while we were all eating, it came out of the cave and captures us as well! It’s so scary! Hold me, DT!” Silver Spoon replied meekly as she grabbed Diamond Tiara only for the snooty filly to shove her away giving her space.

The vigilante shook her head. Nothing mattered to her at that moment but the safety of the innocents. She began to tap out in Horse Code again.

“Do…not…worry…stop…Monster…or…no…monster…I…will…help…you…escape…stop…I…am…a…hero…stop”

“Yeah! She’s a hero! She has to save us! That monster doesn’t have a chance against Mare-Do-Well!” Snips cheered as did everyone else. Cheerilee and Zecora merely looked at her in faith and nodded. Mare-Do-Well nodded in response as she felt the fuzzy feeling once more. With that, the entire group slowly made their way back to the front of the living complex.

Upon exiting, they were all relieved the two guards were still out cold, but before they could count their blessings, a loud horn was heard coming from the top of the living quarters.

“THE PRISONERS ARE ESCAPING! ALL PONIES PRESENT, FIND THEM AND CAPTURE THEM! I ORDER YOU!!” an irate Bigtime shouted from a megaphone whose announcement was heard throughout the facility. The jig was finally up and the schoolponies started to panic and sob.

Mare-Do-Well quickly stood in front of them and looked down at them with a pleading gaze. This show of compassion was more than enough to stop them from their panic and they could act with levelheadedness now.

Cheerilee quickly instructed, “Everypony, hide behind the large stalagmites over there. While Mare-Do-Well is out attracting their attention, we will escape and alert the authorities immediately. Are we all clear?”

“YES MA’AM!” they all replied wholeheartedly and scampered off to the rocks. Pleased with the results, Cheerilee turned to face Mare-Do-Well and Zecora.

“Please, stay alive, my dear. You mean so much to the foals now. Don’t let them down…” the teacher commented hopefully as she went to hid with her students.

Now it was Zecora’s turn to hide as well. Before she went in, she looked at the mare and said, “My friend, it is up to you. We will escape when we see your cue. You are strong and your heart is wide. Know that justice is always on your side.”

With that, she was alone again. She wouldn’t be that way for long as several ponies began to converge on her position from both out in the harvest area and inside the living complex. About a mob of twenty ponies stared down at her and prevented her escape.

Luckily, none of them saw Cheerilee, Zecora and the 15 schoolponies slip out as they were all far too busy staring at the vigilante. That was a sign of relief for her. All she had to do was holdout until the police arrive. The question was how far Twilight and the initial search party were since seeing them earlier in the night. Either way, live or die, she had no regrets.

The gang members suddenly became silent as two figures emerged from the living quarters and they moved aside to let these newcomers pass. One was the furious Bigtime, the other was Mr. P.

“So you’re Mare-Do-Well. You think you’re some hero, don’t you little filly? Ha! Don’t make me laugh!” the bloated equine spat out. “You think you can stop me? You got no idea how far my influence is, you worthless excuse of a broodmare! So the prisoners escaped? Big deal! I may have lost my chance at both earning lots more bits on the side and having my way with that zebra, but I got my eye on a bigger prize.”

He then chuckled maliciously as did everypony else surrounding her. “You see, you’re more worth to me than anypony else since word throughout the crime circuits is that whoever manages to kill you is automatically given a position of high respect in many places. Heck, your head on a pike is the perfect gift to bring to the Boss of the Griffon Syndicate, and my initiation will be guaranteed! I will become the biggest glowcap producer in all Equestria!” Mare-Do-Well could only stare with ferocious intensity at the gang leader.

“Now, it is time you have some playtime with Mr. P,” he said with a smirk as he and all the gang members suddenly moved away from the area leaving her alone with the lanky, dimwitted, leather-clad stallion.

“You give Mr. P owie! Mr. P mad! Mr. P crush you!” he proclaimed in his weak voice. Mare-Do-Well merely shook her head. This pony had been beaten before without a sweat and she could do it again. That was her first mistake.

Mr. P then gritted his teeth and growled as the tubes began to glow. She could spot some kind of bright purple liquid flow through the tubes and enter the lanky figure as he began glowing a dark purple color.

Bigtime talked during this display. “Mr. P is what you call… a gift.”

His eyes began to change color from purple to a dark red. “A kind stallion offered me a generous deal in exchange for a batch of glowcaps he needed for some sort of experiment…”

His legs and body suddenly began to expand as pure muscle began to form and grow out of his bones. “I thought that monocled prissy sissy was a few baskets short of a full glowcap harvest…”

His new muscled body soon filled out the formerly baggy outfit and it was a miracle of fashion it managed to stay on despite all the muscle bulging out even further. He was now basically a good ten feet tall and a force to be reckoned with. “But after showing me some of his results, I knew that stallion was up to something and I wanted in on it!”

To her surprise, he soon began to grow even more in height as he became taller and taller with each second. “Instead of a generous portion, I gave one whole season’s harvest and in return he gave me his prototype, Mr. P!”

Mare-Do-Well could simply stare upwards as she sat down on her haunches. She was no longer looking at a pony. She was now looking at a behemoth about the size of Ponyville Town Hall with a heavily muscled frame and all four legs to match, the head however remained small and tiny but his eyes were now a deep red color and he growled like a wild beast. She finally realized his first form was what the formerly-captured foals and adults saw earlier. Now she was standing in front of his fully powered-up form. To the enormous mutated pony, Mare-Do-Well and everypony were like bugs, and one particularly bothersome one was about to get squashed.

“Remember, Mr. P, do what you will to Mare-Do-Well but leave her head intact! It’s my proof to get into the Griffon Syndicate,” Bigtime sneered as all his subordinates ran further away from the incoming carnage. “Time to play!”

“MR. P CRUSH PUNY PONY!!!!” he bellowed in a deep booming voice several octaves lowered in sound. He reared up with a loud roar and slammed his hooves down on the floor which shook the entire mountain and making a few giant stalactites hanging from the ceiling fall and miss some of the gang members by a few inches.

Mare-Do-Well did what anypony meeting a monster bent on ending her life would do.

She ran.

She nimbly jumped over the wall of gang ponies and weaved through the few pegasi there that prevented her from escaping. The ruffians now were in the path of an unstoppable force who had nothing but crushing Mare-Do-Well on its mind. Those ponies with enough common sense beat a hasty retreat with their hooves or their wings while others were knocked off their feet and sent flying everywhere.

As she ran towards the exit, a thought then entered her mind. If that monster was still around when the police ponies arrived, it would be a catastrophe. She had to get rid of him before they came but how? Fighting him was useless as he was far too big to attack on her own, and it was far too dangerous to stay in the cavern. If Mr. P went berserk in this form, there would be a cave in and everypony would perish.

A cave-in…

Mare-Do-Well knew what she had to do. She hated ending somepony’s life but the monster had to be vanquished one way or another. Picking up speed, she ran headfirst into the glowcap field.

“NO!” Bigtime yelled in anger as Mr. P squashed and crushed the glowcap crop in his mindless pursuit of Mare-Do-Well as all the spores exploded up into the air, covering the area in a glowing blue mist.

He then shouted to all the ponies present, “All of you! Get in there and save the harvest before that peanut brain destroys it all!”

Everypony present merely looked at each other and began to slowly back away as their ears and tails fell. “I command you! Save the harvest or you’ll all be playing with Mr. P next!” the obese stallion roared.

“Buck you and the harvest! If you think we’re going out there and risk getting turned into pony pancakes or going crazy from inhaling all those spores flying around there, then you don’t need those damn glowcaps to prove you’re insane!” shouted one of the unicorns as he and the rest of the gang members stampeded through the exit out of the grotto. Bigtime just stood there shaking his head as his brain froze and tried to say a word, only for none to come out.

The unicorns were right about one thing. Glowcap spores were about as deadly as consuming one entire mushroom and nopony had their protective surgical masks on hoof as they were all now contaminated from being soaked in the spore mist out in the fields. Mare-Do-Well was thankful for Rarity once again for the magic filter that prevented the spores from entering her body as she kept running around the deadly mist.

Mr. P however was not as fortunate. Every second he stayed there, he breathed in more and more spores, and with a body as big and thick as his was now, it needed a large amount of the spores to affect him. At long last, she then heard him let out a deep booming whinny consumed with fear.

“NO! SPIDERS! MR. P HATE SPIDERS! SPIDERS EVIL! HELP MR. P! MR. P IS GOOD COLT! MR. P IS GOOD COLT!!!!!” he shouted at the top of his voice as his eyes began to show a deep glowing blue swirl that looped continuously in them. The first sign of glowcap madness. Just what Mare-Do-Well was waiting for.

The monstruous pony then began to lift his legs up and stomped continuously on the cave floor, shaking the very foundations of the underground hollow as the ceiling began to crack. Stalactites began to shake loose from above and began to destroy everything in the chamber. The living quarters were smashed to rubble, several crates containing tools, provisions and glowcaps for export were also crushed by the debris, and even the ceiling began to show more visible fissures. It would not stay up for long. That was Mare-Do-Well’s cue to exit the cave as she ran down the passageway leading to the outside.

Bigtime finally snapped out of his stupor as he saw his life’s work being destroyed before his eyes. Insane with grief by the trauma, he ran up to the crazed Mr. P and shouted up at him.

“You stupid nag! You’re destroying everything! I should have left you with that quack of a doctor when I had the chance! You’re nothing but a big overgrown LOSER!” he thundered as he stomped the ground, shaking his molds of fat like jelly.

Mr. P couldn’t hear the tiny squeaks of Bigtime even if he wasn’t under the effects of glowcap madness. When he looked down with his glowing, swirling eyes and saw the fat brown pony, however, his eyes began to form a different shape in his glowcap-addled mind. One with enormous eight legs, six eyes and fangs looking up at him. Mr. P shrieked to the best of his new voice and lifted his leg up in the air.

“MR. P HATE SPIDER!!! SPIDER GO SQUISH!!!” he bellowed. Bigtime’s last sight was seeing the behemoth's enormous leather clad hoof heading right for him.

Mare-Do-Well made it all the way outside as the mountain and ground nearby continued to shake. To her surprise, she saw Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash, and Zecora, as well over a couple dozen PVPD officers all assembled outside. Twilight must have found the foals and adults in Everfree some time ago, and while the Ponyvillians headed home, Zecora stayed with them as more back-up arrived. These officers were currently lined up in a circle as the gang members who escaped earlier were fenced in by this formation and were kept from running away.

“Mare-Do-Well, are you all right? What is going on in there?!” the purple unicorn asked exasperated as they all tried to keep their balance on the shaking ground.
“Look there!” Rainbow Dash shouted from the air as she pointed towards the mountain.

Everypony present saw the top of the mountain start to sink below followed by the rest of the upper areas of the peak as they all feel inside with a loud boom. A heavy dust cloud blew out from the new “volcano” and the earthquakes finally stopped.

The vigilante closed her eyes and lowered her head. She hated to end somepony’s life like that, but Mr. P was far too dangerous and an unwilling victim of whoever Bigtime mentioned was the one he got him from. Whoever that “monocle prissy sissy”, as the obese gang leader referred to him, was, she was going to personally stop him from his beastly experiments. All she had to do was wait.

**********************************

“So how are the foals doing? I bet they’re all so sad with Cheerilee in the hospital,” Pinkie Pie mused as she played with the Cake twins in the nursery at Sugarcube Corner as Twilight stood nearby.

“You were lucky you got her out when you did, Pinkie. If this Mr. P was as bad as you and she claim, she could’ve lost an eye or worse so the doctor is merely healing all the superficial wounds she received,” her unicorn friend explained. “In the meantime, I found it quite enjoyable to be her substitute teacher until she gets better.”

“Hee hee hee hee <snort> And I bet they’re already wishing she would be back since you probably are making them read whole books for homework!” Pinkie Pie chortled which caused Pound and Pumpkin to giggle on cue.

“Hey, I read five whole books each day as a little filly! They’re fun! I-I-I mean…” she then blushed which caused the pink pony and her baby accomplices to laugh again.

However, Pinkie’s laughter soon turned to a sad sigh which made the babies frown with worry. “I just think back over that poor Mr. P and that Bigtime. Sure they were a bunch of ultra-bad meanypants, but they were still ponies! I mean, I caused a cave-in that killed them… I feel so ashamed of myself! I broke Rule #2…”

“Actually, Pinkie Pie, a few days ago while the police and some guards on loan from Canterlot were digging through the mountain crime scene for any other evidence, they found the leader the other gang members identified as Bigtime hiding under some of the rocky debris. Funny thing, too, he was mumbling incoherently about not wanting to squish any bugs as long as he lived.”

Pinkie’s eyes light up as she stared at her friend. “And what about-?”

On cue, Twilight replied, “Then as they dug deeper, they found a strange green pony with purple eyes and a torn leather mask around his face. The poor stallion was so mentally deficient that it was impossible to file charges on him so we transferred him to the hospital’s psychiatric ward. Hopefully, they would help him adjust to life there.”

“He’s alive! He’s alive!” Pinkie shouted with glee and the Twins clapped happily as she hopped around in circles. Twilight was confused by this turn of events. Why would Pinkie be happy for a criminal that nearly killed Cheerilee and turned into a monster that would’ve killed them all? She didn’t want to know and just chalked it up for Pinkie just being glad she didn’t kill anypony.

“I gotta go now, Twilight! I have to prepare a party at the hospital! Hopefully you-know-who won’t be needed for a while! Catch you later!” the pink earth filly said as she zipped out of the room and down the stairs. Her unicorn friend merely rolled her eyes and gave her a warm smile. She had done so much for Ponyville this time and Mare-Do-Well deserved a bit of a break now and then.

**********************************

Analysis Report Number: 422.
Title: The Fall of Prototype.

Saddened to hear the Prototype was put out of commission, but it was inevitable as improvements were made to the formula strain soon after his imbuement with the original faulty strain. Aforementioned strain-Alpha greatly increased the subject's size and muscle tissue, but caused rapid deceleration in brain intelligence, leaving him with the mental state of a yearling. Giving him to the corpulent glowcap grower was merely a way to be rid of such an inferior subject.

Subsequent analysis of current news inform the Prototype was defeated by a crime fighter known by the code name “Mare-Do-Well” by the authorities of the town of Ponyville not far away. Subject is of interest due to her current accolades in stopping criminals but a minor threat to the experiments currently conducted, therefore the rating shall be a simple Class-A-. Experimentations with Formula strain-Gamma shall resume as more adequate subjects can be found.

The Legend of Mare-Do-Well trots along.