Astound Comic #38
Proudly Presents
The Night Mistress Mare-Velous stole Hearth’s Warming
It was the night before Hearth’s Warming for the small town of Happy Hill. It was a quiet night as the streets was devoid of ponies, but filled snow that was raining from above. Normally on this silent night the ponies of this town would’ve been peacefully slumbering , snug tightly in their warm beds, waiting till the morning to wake up and open their presents.
However, that was not the case. For on this silent night the whole town was alerted to the presence of a thief. This thieving scoundrel snuck into their town in the middle of the night and begun stealing presents from every house.
The thief would’ve gone away with her crime, but she made the mistake of breaking into somepony’s home armed with an alarm system.
The alarm blared out, not only awakening the homeowner, but his neighbors as well. The situation soon escalated as everypony in town awoke to find their presents missing and the news of a thief roaming around their peaceful town.
All the ponies of Happy Hill then gather together and went after this thief. They eventually trapped her in a dead end alleyway. But, when they all got a good look at the thief everypony was shocked to find that their thief was none other than Mistress Mare-Velous!
Why was this heroic heroine stealing presents?
Has Mistress Mare-Velous gone bad?
Well fellow readers in order to answer those questions, we’ll need to go back a little bit, before Mare-Velous reached this town.
A FEW HOURS AGO
It was early in the evening as Mistress Mare-Velous rode on a train. Her destination is the quiet little town of Happy Hill. The reason for this visit is because she was called to go there by one of her adversaries, the Challenger.
The stallion is a crazy unicorn, obsessed with creating challenges for ponies to do. Now Mistress Mare-Velous finds herself participating in one of his insane challenges.
The Challenger sent her a message, challenging her to steal all the presents from the ponies of Happy Hill. She must do it all in one night and she cannot tell others why she was doing it. If she fails this challenge, then all ponies of the Happy Hill will be wiped out.
Knowing that the Challenger has always carried out his threat before, she knew he was being deadly serious and took the first train to Happy Hill.
By the time the train reach the town, the sun has already set and it’s now night time. This just means that her challenge has started and she needs to move quick before the night is over.
It really pain Mistress Mare-Velous to do such a terrible deed, but knew that these ponies’ lives were at stake. For now she had no other choice but to follow the rules set by the Challenger.
Throughout the night Mistress Mare-Velous broke into numerous houses and stole all their presents. Breaking into their homes turn out a lot easier then she expected. There was no alarm system; no extra locks and heck some didn’t even bother to lock their windows. Mare-Velous can only guess that their lack of security stems from how little crime their peaceful little town has.
Nevertheless, this just makes Mistress Mare-Velous’s challenge a lot easier so that she can breeze through this easily. That is what she thought until she unfortunately broke into the house belonging to a Mr. Crank.
Mr. Crank was a stallion that recently moved into Happy Hill. He used to live in the crime ridden city of Trotham, but has moved to this quaint little town. Despite how peaceful and nice this place was, some old habits are hard to die as he set the alarm every night before he goes to bed.
When his alarm blared out he got up from his bed, reach for his bat and search for his intruder. When he got to living room Mr. Crank saw that his presents was missing and his front door bucked opened.
When his neighbors came to question him what was going on, he told them that a thief broke into his house.
This news spread fast and soon enough the entire town woke up and took up arms to catch this thief. They form numerous groups and spread around town to cover more grounds.
They eventually found her and cornered her at a dead end alleyway. This brings us back to the present and to the situation at hoof.
Mistress Mare-Velous now find herself back to a wall with a sack full of stolen presents and a crowd of shocked and surprised ponies.
“Is that really Mistress Mare-Velous?” One stallion questioned.
“Is she the thief?” A mare questioned.
“Wait a second I thought she was supposed to be a hero?” Another stallion questioned.
“Why is she stealing our presents?” Another mare questioned.
The crowd of ponies continue asking questions, trying to make sense to why a heroic and honorable mare like her is stealing their presents.
Mare-Velous wish nothing more to answer and explain why she was doing this, but unfortunately she remembered the rule the Challenger gave her and she cannot tell them.
“I’m sorry everypony, but I can’t tell you anything!” The costume mare apologizes and in swift movement she uses her lasso to pull herself up to the rooftop of a building and made her getaway.
When the crowd saw Mare-Velous escaping everypony immediately chase right after the mare, everypony except for the three foals that remain behind.
“I just can’t believe it fellas.” The blue unicorn colt said. “Can’t believe that Mistress Mare-Velous is nothing more than a dirty criminal.”
“Mistress Mare-Velous ain’t no criminal, Light Bright!” The red earth filly defended.
“But, Scarlet, didn’t you see her sack full of the presents she stole?” The green pegasus colt pointed out. “Those clearly indicate that she is a criminal.”
“No way Air Burst!” Scarlet retorted. “My cousin lives in Maretropolis and every week she sends me letters telling me just how amazing and great Mare-Velous is. Now my cousin has a good judge of character and if she says Mare-Velous is a good then there is no way she is a thief.”
“Then why is she stealing all the presents and running away huh? Sound pretty suspicious don’t you think?” Light Bright argued.
“Maybe Mistress Mare-velous she can’t tell us why.” Air Burst suggested. “Remember when she said that she can’t tell us anything? Just maybe she is in a situation where she cannot explain things to us.”
“What, that sounds stupid.” Light Bright scoffed off the idea.
“Or maybe not, look up” Scarlet told them as she pointed her hoof up. “Do you see it?”
“See what?” Air Burst asks as he squint his eyes.
“I don’t see anything.” Said Light Bright.
“Look closer, do not you see the black flying object?”
The two colts did what she said and look closer. When their eyes adjust to the dark sky, they saw a strange object just hovering in the air.
Being the only pegasus in the group, Air Burst flew towards it. The green colt attempted to pick it out of the air, but met with some resistance. He pulled hard and now the object was in his hoof. Air then flew down and show the object to his friends.
“What is it?” Scarlet questions as she and Light Bright trot in closer.
The object in Air Burst hooves is a small strange mechanical device. It had four propellers that allowed it to fly. It is colored black, camouflaging in the night and lastly there is a small camera attach to the top the device as well.
“I don’t know, but I bet you it has something to do with why Mistress Mare-Velous is stealing our presents.” Air Burst proclaims.
“Hey we should take the thing to my dad.” Light Bright suggested. “He’s the sheriff of Happy Hill, maybe he knows what this thing is.”
Both Scarlet and Air nodded their heads in agreement, believing it was a smart decision to do. The three foals then left the dead end alleyway and headed straight to where Light Bright’s father was.
At the police station a crimson color unicorn stallion by the name of Star Bright was busy organizing his ponies when suddenly he heard a familiar voice.
“Dad! Dad!”
“Light Bright?” The Star said, surprise to see his son galloping towards him with his two friends. “What are you doing here? You should be at home.”
“Look I know I should be, but look at what me and my friends found.” Light then levitate the small device to his father.
“What is this thing?”
“We don’t know, but Air Burst thinks this might be behind why Mare-Velous is stealing our presents.” Light Bright explained.
“Alright I’ll take it to Professor Egghead, he’s good with machines and perhaps he might know what this thing is.”
They then head towards the laboratory where the Professor lives and hoofed the device to the elderly Earth stallion to look at.
“So Professor, do you know what this thing is?” Sheriff Star Bright questioned.
“Well despite being heavily modified this piece of machinery is still basically one of those remote control toy drones.” Egghead answered.
“Modified?”
“Correct Sheriff, whoever this pony is, they really know their stuff. They manage to turn this cheap toy into an effective spying device.”
“Hey Professor.” Scarlet spoke up. “If it’s a spying device then that means somepony is controlling it. Is it possible for you to trace the trace the signal to where the controller is?”
“Let me check little filly.” Professor Egghead then turns to his computer and hook up some connection cords from his computer to the drone. Then with a couple of button pressing a map appear on the screen with a little red dot to indicate the location.
“Huh the signal is coming from outside of town.”
“Hey I know that place.” Star Bright stated. “That is where Old Mare Red Gala used to live before moving away to live nearer to her grandfoals.”
“Wait isn’t that farm abandoned?” Air Burst pointed out.
“It is, plus the house was demolished.” Star Bright replied. He then turns towards the three foals “Alright you kids stay here while I’ll take a team to investigate that place.”
The sheriff then gallop out of the laboratory headed straight for the police station.
Meanwhile, somewhere in the outskirt of Happy Hill, in a secluded room the Challenger watch in amusement at the screen showing his arch nemesis being chase by the mob.
“Oh what fun this is.” He said gleefully. “Watching my arch nemesis being chase around town like a common criminal put a joy into my heart.” The stallion then proceeds to move the joystick on his controller to reposition his drone around in order to get a better view of the action.
On the screen Mistress Mare-Velous did everything in her ability to evade and avoid the mob of ponies chasing after her. From the pegasuses dive bombing her, to unicorns using magic and the earth ponies tackles. The costume mare miraculously lasted this long, but sooner or later her luck will run out.
As the Challenger continues watching the screen, outside Sheriff Star Bright and several other ponies arrive at the dilapidated house. The farm that used to lay here lays in ruin. The crops were dead and the house was in rubble.
“Sir, what are we looking for exactly?” The deputy asks.
“I don’t know, like a cellar or basement.” Luminous answered. “I remembered Red Gala talking about an underground room when I used to work on her farm as a teenager.”
All the ponies then search through the rubble, attempting to find the entrance to this underground area. After a few minutes, one of the stallions found a door, but it was locked. Star Bright then stepped in and uses his magic to unlock the door.
Once unlocked he pull the door open and found an underground staircase. Going down the steps, he and the others trot along a narrow hallway till they came across another door. Beyond the door they hear the sound of chuckling so Star Bright place his ear on the door and listen in closely.
“Yes, that’s right keep running Mistress Mare-Velous. The more you run the guiltier you look.” The Challenger said as he grab a hoofful of popcorn and stuff it into his mouth.
Hearing enough, Sheriff Star Bright silently signal the others his intention to burst in and arrest this creep. They all understood what he said and one of them, a big muscular earth stallion, burst through the wooden door.
This sudden loud invasion surprises the Challenger, and before he could do anything, the sheriff quickly pressed him down to the ground with his magic.
“Shows over creep!” He stated as he place a hoofcup on him.
Back in the town Mistress Mare-Velous still continue to avoid the mob, albeit exhausted. Her body was push pass way beyond her limits. The aches and soreness from her body nagged at her to stop, but the heroine ignore them and continue on with her challenge. She needs to go into a couple of more houses before she done.
But then, just before she can hop onto the next building, somepony below with a megaphone spoke out. “Mistress Mare-Velous you don’t have to do this anymore!” Scarlet exclaim, her voice amplified by the device. “We know about the Challenger. We know that he threaten to harm us if you didn’t finish his challenge. But, everything is alright now. Sheriff Star Bright and some folks found where he was hiding and arrested. You can stop now!”
Upon hearing this Mistress Mare-Velous sighs in relief, glad that this was all over. She then descends from the rooftop where she was then immediatly greeted by the mob of apologetic ponies.
“Look everypony you don’t have to apologize.” She assured. “You were all fooled by the dastardly Challenger.”
“Maybe so, but we still all feel guilty for jumping to conclusion, assuming you’ve turned bad.” One stallion said. “We hope there is a someway pay back for the trouble we caused for you.”
“Well there is one thing you can do.” Mare-Velous said as an idea just pop in her head. The costume mare then hoofed the large sack of stolen presents to them. “Take this sack and distribute the presents back among yourself.”
The crowd smile and they all gather around the sack. All the once stolen presents were return back to their rightful owners.
As they were busy doing this, Mistress Mare-Velous trotted away from the scene and was heading straight for the train station.
“You’re leaving already?” Ask Scarlet.
Mare-Velous turns around and spot three little foals standing before her. Scarlet, Light Bright and Air Burst.
“Yes, I am.” She answered.
“Aww do you really have to?” Air Bust cried. “We really like to invite you to our place.”
“You know, like to give nice warm meal and stuff.” Light Bright explained.
A small smile then crept on her face. “Sorry kids, as nice as that sound I really need to take the Challenger back to Maretropolis. You three have yourself a nice Hearth’s Warming.”
“Wait hold on a second!” Scarlet yelled, stopping Mare-Velous from turning around. “We want to give you this before you leave.” The little filly then hoofed Mare-Velous a box of Hearth’s Warming theme chocolate.
“Thank you.” She said and turns around and trots away from them.
The three foals then turn around themselves and join in with the crowd of cheerful ponies. All too happy to have their presents and enjoy them early on this silent night.
Sometime later on board the train, Mistress Mare-Velous sat on a chair with the hoofcuffed Challenger sitting across to her. The mare was currently eating the chocolates she was given by the little red filly from earlier.
“Hey can I have some?” The Challenger asked.
“No.” She quickly responded.
She was about to leave it that, but upon seeing the disappoint look on his face she change her mind.
“Oh what the hay, tis the season.” Mare-Velous said and chuck one of her chocolate into the stallion’s mouth.
THE END
