The Mysterious Mare Do Well - Reloaded

Chapters

Prologue: Nothing but Confusion
Episode 1: Just a Tad More Confusion
Episode 2: Pain and Anger
Episode 3: A Hop, Skip, and a Jump
Episode 4: Tampering in Affairs
Episode 5: Lights, Cameras, Action!

Prologue: Nothing but Confusion

Okay, well, I really need to wrap my head around what just happened. So let's start from the beginning, or at least what I assume is the beginning: I was in my house, working on a costume for Bronycon. I had wanted to go for a while now, and I was lucky enough to finally get my chance. Since my job is fixing and even sometimes sewing costumes, I decided I would cosplay as Mare Do Well. So here I was, making the finishing touches to the hat, when I suddenly felt something. It was that feeling you get when you think something bad is about to happen, like there's a pit in your stomach. I took the obvious course of action and looked around my room, confused as to why I was so on edge.

I gently put the hat down on my table, and stood up from the chair I was in. At that moment, I felt compelled to go to the living room for some reason. Not thinking much of it, like a goddamn idiot, I decided I would investigate. Past me figured that my stomach may have just been leading me to get food, but present me questions that choice immensely. As I reached the living room, I felt a sharp pain in my head and fell to my knees, clutching the sides of my skull. I groaned in agony, feeling the urge to yell out from how much my head felt like it was being crushed. Eventually, I must have passed out, as I don't really remember anything from that point.

I awoke with a start, glancing at my surroundings in slight fear. I found myself in a damp cave that was unsurprisingly unfamiliar to me. My head still stung with a tinge of pain, but it wasn't nearly as bad as it was previously. In front of me was a large computer-like machine, which only served to confuse me more. I tried getting to my feet, but that only ended up with me falling onto my side. I looked down to my feet and hands, and practically screamed at what I saw. My limbs were now replaced with hooves!

To say the least, I was in panic mode pretty much immediately. I was somehow in a new place I'd never seen before, I appeared to be a pony, and I had no idea how or why. It took me a good minute to calm down to a point where I could think logically. I looked at the computer again and thought it best to try turning it on, just in case it could give me any information. I slowly and wobbly stood up onto all fours, then took careful steps so I wouldn't fall over. When I reached the computer, I stared at what seemed to be a keyboard for a few seconds to see if I could find an on button.

Eventually, I saw a familiar looking M on the top middle part of the keyboard. Curiosity got the better of me, and I decided to press the button. Because nothing ever goes wrong when you press random buttons! The computer screen flashed on with a bright, white light, and made a low humming sound as it came to life. I shut my eyes and looked away so I wouldn't be blinded, then opened them to examine the screen. It looked like a normal computer, which felt out of place since I seemed to resemble a pony from MLP. With that logic, I wondered if I might have been dreaming, but remembering that my eyes stung from the sudden light of the computer screen quickly denied that theory. I entertained the thought that I was hallucinating since this all felt so surreal, but I quickly shot that idea down too because I don't do drugs, and I've been sleeping perfectly fine recently.

In any case, I figured I should try discovering where I was before anything else. I was about to start typing on the keyboard to see if I could search for information, but then the computer suddenly spoke. "Hello, ma'am. Welcome." It said, which startled me onto my haunches... Still getting use to *that* thought.

"Uh, hello?" I asked, not sure if I was hearing things or not. That's also around the time where I noticed that my voice sounded extremely different from what I'm use to. The vibrations in my throat, which I don't typically pay attention too, also felt softer.

"Again, hello. Are you okay, ma'am?" It asked. It's voice sounded feminine, but still robotically stiff.

"Y-yeah, I'm fine." I somewhat lied. Sure, I was physically fine, but mentally, I felt like my head was swimming for its life! "Uh, if I may ask, where a-am I?"

"You are in the mountain beneath Canterlot. Are you sure you're alright?" It responded, confirming my suspicion.

"I-i'm sure." Now that was definitely a lie! Not only was I freaking out over how I got here, but I had also just discovered that I may be a girl! "D-do you, possibly have a picture of myself you could show me?" I asked, hoping I could figure out what I looked like. I wanted to check if I was correct, but I certainly didn't want to look down there! After a few moments of admittedly awkward silence, a flash blinded my sight once again and I wiped my eyes of the burning sensation that was left over. When I was able to see clearly again, I saw a pony on screen, presumingly me.

I discovered that I have a bright blue coat, a dark blue mane that's short, and green eyes. Another thing that I found intriguing was my Cutiemark: It's a sea star inside a flask filled with water. I also noticed that I'm a Unicorn, which was admittedly pretty cool. The last thing I was forced to admit to myself, was that I was indeed female. I couldn't stop myself from looking on in bewilderment.

"You're acting quite strange ma'am. Actually, I just realized I don't seem to have a database on you. What is your name again?" The computer chimed in with an interesting question.

I quickly thought of a name on the the spot based on my Cutiemark. "Seastar! My name's Seastar." I blurted out.

"Affirmative. Thank you, and sorry for the inconvenience."

I sighed quietly. I felt like I was being overwhelmed with all this being thrown at me so suddenly. This also brings my thoughts up to speed, so now it's time to try and figure out what to do from here. "Computer? What is this place and why am I here?" I asked, a bit worried that would make me sound like I have amnesia.

"You are currently in The Well, and you're here because you are the Mysterious Mare Do Well." It answered, which only brings up more questions.

"What is The Well?" I asked first as I figured the other questions to ask weren't as immediately important.

"It is your 'home base' so to speak. You can come here to restock on gear, or just to rest." So basically the batcave. The part about me being Mare Do Well however is really... Strange. I don't really know what to think. Should I be scared, worried in any way? I really need some time to mull this over in my head.

"Is there a bedroom here? I think I should rest a bit."

"Yes, down five yards behind you and to the left."

"Thanks." I said as I turned and slowly walked in the direction told to me. All this is really hard to take in. What in the world does this all mean? Why am I here? Why is all this stuff here for me...?

I need some sleep. I'm too tired to continue thinking too hard about all this. I can try and work things out tomorrow.

To be continued...

Author's Note

Finally, the reboot has aired with it's first part! I hope you all enjoyed this new prologue and are just as excited to continue this as I am. I really feel like this is so much better of a start than the last one.

Oh and to those of you who are new, welcome! This is a reboot of a series I made a little while back and I hope you all stick around to see what happens next.

Episode 1: Just a Tad More Confusion

I slowly woke up, my eyes barely wanting to open, but they did eventually. It only took a few moments for the memories of the day before to rush through my head. Unfortunately, sleep didn't do much for me other than getting rid of my headache. Still, that's better than nothing. I sat up and took in my surroundings. I didn't do so last night because my brain was too taxed when I first entered the room. Anyways, the walls of the bedroom are simply more of the stone that make up the rest of the cave. There isn't much in the way of decor either, other than a dresser beside my bed and a small table on the other side.

But, "I guess I have nothing to cloud my thoughts now." First off: I'm now a Unicorn... That's already hard to believe in of itself. Second: I seem to own a knockoff batcave for... whatever reason. And third: I'm in Equestria? Normally, that would be every Brony's dream, but then why do I feel more intimidated than happy? "Maybe it's because I'm not home...?"

Wait, does that mean I'm truly gone from my world? Did I simply vanish from existence? "Great!" Now I have another worry on my conscious...

I probably shouldn't think on that too much though... At least not now.

Plus, it's not like I have a family that could miss me.

"Gah!" I hit myself on the head for thinking of that. Thanks for doing a really bad job at not being depressed, me. "I should just get moving." I sighed. I got off my bed and left my room; I have a few more questions for the computer-Lady-thing.

I got there and the computer flashed to life, though this time I was smart enough to shield my eyes with a foreleg beforehand-or should that be hoof? "Hello Seastar, good morning. Would you like me to prepare breakfast?" It asked me.

Honestly, I didn't think this place even had a kitchen, but... "Uh, sure? Where is the kitchen anyway? And by extension, where's the dining room?"

"To your left."

I turn my head left and spot a door a few meters away, supposedly leading to the kitchen and dining room. I looked around and saw even more doors that lead to other areas. This place is certainly bigger than I thought. "How many rooms are there, and can you give me a simple rundown of what they're for?" I don't want to be checking out rooms all day.

"There are seven rooms and an elevator. You are already aware of three of those rooms, but the others are; a bathroom, a vault, a training room, and a armory." Huh, I get the feeling that I should ask about the latter three.

"What is the vault for?"

"It holds millions of bits and a few hundred gems, for your convenience."

...

Ah... That's a lot of money. Okay then, next question. "And what about the armory?"

"It is where your gear is stored until your next outing."

"Wait, what gear?"

"Your gear for when you suit up as The Mare Do Well. Are you sure you are alright? You seem to be forgetting a lot of important areas."

... Yep, doctor, I need an X-ray to make sure there isn't a large knife in both of my ears. It sounded like it said, or at least implied, that I'm Mare Do Well? "H-hold on... I'm Mare Do Well?"

"Yes. Would you like a quick rundown of your previously mentioned gear?"

"Yes!" I immediately answered.

"You have a multi climate suit made of soft but thick layers of silk, smoke bombs, and a grappling hook that you can store under your hat. But I presume that you may want a utility belt." That was... A bit underwhelming. But then again I'm not opposed to anything underwhelming due to recent events. I'm still in shock about apparently being Mare Do Well, or at least that's what I'm being told. That just seems... ludicrous, but... Why? I shook my head in an attempt to clear my thoughts.

"S-so, last question, though the answer is kinda obvious, what's the training room for."

"It is for you to train." Yeah, figured.

Okay so, what the hell am I suppose to do? Maybe... I don't know, do something to clear my mind? Yeah, that would be ideal. "What am I normally supposed to do?"

"I'd recommend checking on Ponyville. It appears to be having many incidents lately."

"Right." I stood up and began walking to the left of the computer... Wait a second. "Uh, the armory IS this way, right?" A thumbs up appeared on the screen, so I suppose I'm going to the armory now.

The walk there wasn't exactly a long one, but just by entering I can already tell that it is certainly grandiose. There's subtle lighting all over the room. it has a catwalk to a podium holding the Mare Do Well suit, and a tray of equipment next to it. Oh, and the obligatory bottomless pit below the catwalk. But hey, at least this room's walls are less dull, having a spiky texture to them. It is honestly quite unsettling, but enough on that! I walked over to the pedestal and placed a hoof on the suit, feeling the soft silk.

Wow, it is actually pretty soft but I can also tell how tough it is, and nothing seems to be off about it. It's honestly a marvel to look at; the stitching is seamless, the hat looks better than anything I could craft, and the colours are just right! Ahem, whoops, I think I got carried away there. Seriously though, I kind of want to put it on... Okay, yep, I'm gonna put the suit on.

(Skipping all the trouble I had actually trying put it on) I feel so powerful and cool! Though I'm sure that's just the cosplayer in me screaming with joy. It helps that it fits pretty well too. I turned my head to the right and looked down at the tray with the grapple gun and smoke bombs. There are five smoke bombs, at least as far as I can tell. There may be more in reserve, if there is a reserve.

I placed the grappling hook on my head, which felt as silly to do as it sounds, and put the hat over top of it. I then put the smoke bombs on the utility belt of the suit. oh yeah, it has one of those by the way... Hold on, why don't I have a holster for the grappling hook on the utility belt?! Okay first, back to the computer, then I can worry about things like that. While I'm walking though, I need to start actually thinking. I can't just go off and do things without a second thought.

First and foremost: Why is all this set up for me? It's a bit more than strange that I just so happened to wind up here and the computer doesn't even bat an eye. Did someone know I was coming? But how? No. More importantly: why? Were they the one who brought me here, or was that something else? Someone else maybe...?

"You look in optimal condition."

"Aahhhhh!" Well... that was embarrassing. I probably should've paid better attention to where I was going.

"Uh, sorry..." I said, though I'm more sorry to myself. "Anyway, how am I supposed to get to Ponyville if we're below Canterlot? That would be a pretty far walk... Right?" I actually don't really know. The show was never consistent with the distance.

"You'll manage." Oh how inspiring. With a heavy sigh, I turned to leave, 'The Well,' as I think the computer called it... Wait, I just now realized that I don't know how to leave!

I turned back to face the computer again. "Uh, where's the way out?"

"To the right of your bedroom." I nervously laughed as I swiveled around once more to leave, a bit embarrassed about how many questions I asked. Though I suppose it's necessary to do if I want to find out what's going on.

I went to the door next to my bedroom and, thankfully, it's an elevator door. That certainly makes things easier. I pressed the button to open it, stepped in, and pressed the button for the ground floor. Once the elevator reached the ground, not only did the door open up, but the whole portion of the wall did as well...

...Fair enough...

I exited the elevator and went on my way. Though I do wonder how I'll get back in. "Meh, I'll probably have to cross that bridge once I get there."

Roll credits

Author's Note

I'm still kinda finding my new style for writing in first person, but it's coming to me gradually and I can already see myself improving... I hope.

Episode 2: Pain and Anger

It took a whole GODDAMN HOUR!.. But I finally made it to Ponyville. After a loooong breath and nearly falling over from exhaustion, I managed to hold myself up. I just need a place to lay the hell down. I looked along the rooftops for the softest looking roofs-hold on, they’re all made of hay… I think I’d rather lie on the ground. At least that way I won't feel extremely itchy.

I hobbled towards a building and sat against it to rest my legs, as walking for an entire hour *sucks*. It doesn't help that I've barely gotten use to walking on these hooves. They feel heavier to lift than human legs, and I obviously don't have any sort of experience walking on all fours. But what all that amounts to is the fact that I just need to practice, and for now, take a short break. Though I wonder if this is how a pegasus feels when they're learning to fly, minus all the stuff about walking.

A minute or so later, I finally stood up so I could begin my exploration of Ponyville. I trotted off in the direction where I presume the town hall to be, but out of the corner of my eye, I spotted something that caught my gaze. A familiar looking well, but the question stands, how does it look familiar? I took a few steps closer to investigate, and... heard somebo-somepony calling for help? Wait a minute... this situation reminds me of a certain episode...

So maybe I should take a bit of a backseat. Mostly since I know the filly in the well will be safe. With that in mind, I made my way over to a bush. Luckily for me, it lacks thorns, allowing me to hide in it. Still a bit itchy and uncomfortable though.

Surely enough, a rainbow blur blitzed past me and entered the well at a dangerous speed, smashing the boards covering it. “I’m Rainbow Dash, and I’m here to rescue you!” A crowd started to accumulate around the well as they heard what was shouted, but that aside, I think it’s pretty obvious who just flew in. It’s also pretty obvious as to what timeframe I’m in. Speaking of which, five particular ponies show up, all instantly recognizable as: the mane six (excluding Rainbow)… I should probably be freaking out in glee right now, but it's not like I'm speaking to them. I'm sure I'll have my freakout at a later point.

After only a few seconds, Rainbow flew out with a filly on her back, who looked happy to be saved. Everypony cheered in celebration of the heroic deed as Rainbow landed and the filly hopped off her back. “Wow… What’s with this crowd?” Rainbow asked earnestly. “Uh, thanks everypony. It was really no big deal.”

The filly waddled up to Rainbow’s side. “To me it was! You’re my hero Rainbow Dash!” The filly cheered gratefully. Everypony seemed to agree, as the crowd began cheering for Rainbow once again. Rainbow lightly blushed and slowly flew away, and I meanwhile have a bit more thinking to do.

“Rainbow Dash sure is something.” Said Scootaloo as she, Snips, and Snails appeared out of nowhere.

“Something special.” Snips and Snails said in unison... I think I'm promptly going to ignore Tweedledee and Tweedledum.

Everypony eventually dispersed from the area, leaving it safe for me to come out of hiding. But I have a strange feeling in my gut. I feel as though I should be monitoring Rainbow, just in case… Hold on, what if these events don’t even happen in the same day?! Do I really have to go back to Canterlot mountain so soon?!

You know what, I’m not dealing with this! Not yet! Home I go since I already missed breakfast and I will *not* miss lunch too! Unfortunately, I have no choice but to walk back… Ugh.

“Hello, Seastar. Back so soon?” The computer asked me as I exited the elevator and flumped to the floor.

“There has to be some way to get there easier.” I groaned in an admittedly whiny tone.

“You could have just took the underground transit we have to Ponyville.”

What? “We have one of those?! And you didn't tell me?!”

“Yes. Would you like to know how to find it?” I don’t know if this computer is trolling me or not, but either way, I don’t like it!

“Fine…” My patients was quite tested at the moment, mostly because I felt pretty cranky. I blame the hour long walk there and back.

"It is behind you and to the left." Behind me? Surely enough, I turned around and there it was! Another elevator not too far from the other one... How did I miss that?!

I feel the sudden urge to scream in agony, but I don't think that'd help much. I take deep breaths to calm myself down, which kinda works, but I still feel exhausted. But I want to be a bit more productive today, even if that means rest will have to wait. "Computer?" I prompted.

"Yes?"

"Can you prepare me a large lunch while I go and practice some magic in the Utility room?" And it should be obvious why I want to do that. Though I suppose I should also do a bit of research on how magic works as well.

"Of course."

"Oh, and one more thing."

"Yes?"

"Are there any books on magic in my room?" Crossing my fing-... Or I guess I'll just be hoping since I don't have fingers to cross.

"Affirmative."

"Great!" I began walking to my room. "Call for me when the food is done." Now that I'm walking after a short break, I realize just how resilient my new legs are. And isn't that a sentence I never thought I would utter. Anyway, I want to get started with magic as soon as possible since it will no doubt assist me a lot.

So I guess that's basically my plan for the time being. Even so, I don't quite know what my long term is. For all I know, I could be stuck here for the rest of my life... and I'm not sure if I'm okay with that... But for now, I should just focus on what I want to do. Mainly, I kind of want to help Rainbow. I mean, sure, it gets resolved peacefully anyway, but there's a reason why so many people don't like that episode. But if I could take the brunt of Rainbow's blame instead of the mane six, then maybe she can actually learn a lesson out of all this. Especially since I'm not planning to show her up like the mane six did.

I'd rather be discreet, and I want to use that as an example to Rainbow about what a real hero is... Though I am concerned about failing in multiple fronts, really. Like if I don't succeed in saving someone, or if I don't give a proper example... So hopefully nothing will go wrong, but I'm taking a pretty big risk...

...Which way was I heading again?

Roll credits!

Author's Note

I'm back! Holy mac&cheese has it been a while. I kinda faceplanted into a block that prevented writers from wanting to write so I took a small break and damn do I feel better! Hopefully now I can actually get into the thick of it, but knowing my past record, don't get your hopes up.

Still, I have a plan! Let's just hope I can stick to it like glue. Or some other sticky substance... Ew.

Episode 3: A Hop, Skip, and a Jump

While Seastar practiced her magical abilities, other strange occurrences began to happen all over the land of Equestria. One pony in particular, a mare named Loose Steel, who lived in Fillydelphia, felt a surge of energy shock through her body, knocking her out. The mare later awoke, finding that nothing was out of the ordinary. That raised the question as to why she passed out in the first place. She was going to ponder the strange matter more, but a knock on her door drew her attention.

"Hey Loose! You in your room?" She heard a voice call from beyond the door.

Loose walked to the door and opened it, seeing a maroon coloured mare on the other side, Loose's roommate. "Yeah, yeah. What's up, Carol?" Loose asked.

"I've been looking for you all day and turns out you were in your room the whole time!" Carol stressed. "Did you even leave your room at all today?"

Loose's eyes widened in surprise. Was she really unconscious the whole day? "I... Don't know?" She offered.

"What'ya mean by that?" Carol raised an eyebrow.

"I think I may have slept through the whole day?" Loose didn't want to worry her friend by saying she passed out for such a long time.

"Ugh. Loose, did you stay up all night again?"

"No-I mean... Yes." Loose decided to 'admit'. Thankfully that was a better alibi then the truth, though it still meant her roommate was disappointed in her.

Carol sighed with a shake of her head. "You need to stop doing that. You still have a job you know."

"I know." 'In hindsight, maybe concern would've been better. Loose slumped a bit.

"Just try and fix your sleep schedule at least." Carol continued. "I'd hate to see you lose a job again."

Loose nodded in return. Carol turned around and walked away from the door. Loose sighed and thought it best to see a docter as soon as she could. Ponies don't just pass out at random. She looked out her bedroom window, seeing that the sun had fallen below the skylines of Fillydelphia.

(Seastar's pov)

The sunset looks really damn beautiful from here. I didn't really expect The Well to have such a great view. Anyway, I've been trying to practice magic for the past few hours, only stopping to eat the lunch I told the computer to make. Unfortunately I haven't had much luck other than getting a few sparks, but I won't give up! Still, I didn't expect magic to be so hard to learn, then again I have no clue what I expected, let alone what to do. Oh yeah, nearly forgot! I should probably check out that transit to Ponyville for future notice.

I made my way for the elevator and stepped inside. It's generally what you'd expect from an elevator within a damp cave. Not homey at all. At least it didn't smell bad. Once the elevator reached it's destination I stepped out, being greeted by a large tunnel with multiple smaller tunnels going in several directions. In the middle was a small car like vehicle atop some train tracks, which also went down all the tunnels. The car was purple with some blue highlights, a bit too stylized for my liking. Actually, why don't I test it out? No reason not to.

I eagerly hopped into the car and chose a direction. How about left? As I locked in the direction I wanted to go, a screen in the car buzzed on. Apparently I'm off to Ponyville then! Talk about some luck. I press the 'go' button aaaand... Is anything going to happen-"Aaahhhh!!!" I screamed as the car burst into motion. I swear, why does the universe hate me so? Aside from that, the ride was unsurprisingly bumpy. Annoyingly so.

Soon enough though, I arrived at my destination, which is just another large cavern area... Yeah that seems about right. I get out the car and enter another elevator. I wonder where this elevator will come up from. Well I guess I'll just have to find out. I pressed the only button on the elevator and it went up. I stepped out as the door opened and found myself in a... broken down shack? Honestly that's not very subtle, but hey, at least the townsfolk of Ponyville aren't known for their intelligence... That felt mean to say, but it's not like I have anyone to apologize to.

I walked to the door of the shack, which is thankfully locked, and cracked it slightly open. I seem to be, somewhere. I don't really know the layout of Ponyville, especially with how inconstant the show is. Well then, I guess I better learn... But not right now! Now I head back to the well and look at where each tunnel leads to.

Once back I learn that most tunnels lead to major cities or towns, but there were a few that were simply landmarks. Just to make it clear, none of them go to Cloudsdale, since y'know, it's in the sky. But I'll find some way of getting up there eventually. After I learn how to use that cloud walking spell at least. I don't really want to become the first meat pizza in all of Equestria. But for now, it's bedtime!

Roll credits

Author's Note

Not much to say this time around, other than the obligatory introduction to Loose!

Episode 4: Tampering in Affairs

Mornings... I had unfortunately remembered how much I hated mornings. I was having such a nice time being fully energized! Oh well. Anyway, I begrudgingly got out of bed and caught a whiff of something absolutely rancid. I cautiously sniffed the air in search of the stench until finally finding out that it was from myself. If there was ever a sign that I needed a shower, that was it. Luckily, I already knew where the bathroom was.

After showering, (no one needs to know the details) I headed out into the main hall-cavern-thing and trotted up to the computer. "What's new?"

"There was another incident yesterday, but I didn't want to alarm you. Apparently a baby stroller rolled down a steep hill and nearly off a cliff. The mare baring the Element of Loyalty, Rainbow Dash, managed to stop the stroller just before it fell." The computer informed me.

I stared blankly at the machine and clenched my teeth. "Anything else?"

"Negative."

"Swell." I grumbled. "I'm going to go out and watch over Ponyville." I didn't really know what I was gonna do. I didn't have a grand plan, since y'know, I only just arrived in Equestria two days ago. I figured I didn't really have to stay out of contact with anyone, but that hardly gave me any ideas. I decided to just wing it for now.

"Are you alright?" I jumped a bit at the suddenness of the computer's voice.

"Huh? Oh sorry. I'll just be on my way now." I avoided the question and left for the utility room. Mainly to escape the awkwardness. Once I got to my destination, I put on my suit and travelled to Ponyville via transit.

About an hour after I arrived, the thing with the elderly ponies happened, and Rainbow was definitely in the overly cocky mindset. I followed her around a bit until a group of kids came up to her and asked her to go to Sugarcube Corner and take pictures. As expected, she obliged and went with them. Of course I continued to follow. Sure, I already knew the outcome, but I wondered, 'Am I even allowed to meddle with this world. I mean, I'm now a part of it, doesn't that give me free will?' I decided that I was thinking too much into it. Either way, after some more boasting from Rainbow that I ignored, Pinkie zoomed out the door. Honestly, it startled me a little. Something about her going at practically the speed of light terrified me.

I turned my attention back to the events taking place and barely heard Rainbow say. "Being a hero is certainly not for everypony, but I'm up to the challenge." I felt the urge to grind my teeth. I wasn't a big fan of Rainbow in this episode, and hearing her arrogance in person made it so much worse. She continued taking a few pictures and eventually bid the children goodbye so she could presumably sleep in a tree.

Twilight whispered to the other four, Pinkie having somehow returned unnoticed by me and the others. They all went into what looked like the kitchen, meaning I had to do some sneakin'. I knew I was detouring a bit from watching Rainbow, but I had a feeling that I should stick around. I slipped into the building and maneuvered around some tables to make my way into the kitchen. I listened in on Twilight speaking to the others. "We need to talk about Rainbow." She announced.

"Ah wholeheartedly agree." Applejack said with an adjustment of her hat. "This whole hero business is gettin' outa hoof."

"She is becoming incredibly self-centered!" Rarity pitched in, then realized how redundant that sounded. "Er, more than usual."

Everypony turned to Pinkie when they expected a response from her too. She looked up absentmindedly. "Oh, is it my turn?" She asked, to which everypony simply blinked. "Yeah, I got nothing." She shrugged.

I stopped paying attention for a second as a thought came to mind, 'Does my mask have a voice modulator?' 'Cause if so, I wanted to step in and speak to them. I growled silently and heard a slightly robotic and deep sounding voice. I covered my mouth with a hoof as I realized it had a bit of a louder echo. Fluttershy flinched at the sound, and probably assumed it came from an animal, so she got up from her spot to investigate.

'Crap!' I thought before scurrying around the corner and steadying my breathing to stay silent. I saw Fluttershy trot out of the kitchen while staying low to the ground. She seemed almost as cautious as me. She must have decided what she heard was nothing, as she slowly turned around and went back into the kitchen. I followed to the doorway once more and knew that I needed to make a choice then rather than later. Especially since it probably wouldn't take long for Twilight to come up with the Mysterious Mare do Well idea. 'Screw it.' I said to myself, throwing caution to the wind.

I stepped into the room as stealthily as I could, which must have worked since nopony seemed to notice. I then cleared my throat to gain everypony's attention, though it sounded more like a mechanical growl. Unsurprisingly, they all jumped and quickly looked in my direction, though Fluttershy ducked behind the island in the middle of the kitchen. "Hello, Elements of Harmony."

"Who're you?!" Applejack asked in an accusatory tone pretty much the second after I spoke.

I felt a bit disheartened at seeing them look at me in varying levels of distrust, but I tried not to think of it too much. "I'm The Mysterious Mare do Well." I answered, keeping my cool as best as possible. I knew my tone should have sounded shaky, but it seemed the distortion of the voice modulator masked it.

"How do you know who we are?" Twilight followed up on Applejack's question.

"We-" I started, but then decided to take a different approach. I cleared my throat once more to answer her question more formally. "You are the Elements of Harmony, not exactly noponies. How could I not know of you?" I accidentally sounded a bit more snarky than I intended to, but I didn't mind. Though the sensible part of me hoped that I wasn't overdoing it. In fact, I could feel my heart racing at the thought of something somehow going wrong.

"That's..." Twilight started, then paused to think my reasoning through. "...a good point." She admitted.

"W-why are you h-here?" Fluttershy asked meekly, which caught me a bit off guard. I didn't expect her to speak to me at all after I startled her earlier.

I gathered my thoughts for a moment before answering. "Because I have recently been made aware of the Element of Loyalty taking up some hero duties."

"Pah! Yeah right! All she's been doin' is boastin' 'bout how difficult it is bein' a hero." Applejack scoffed.

I turned to her, genuinely curious about what she meant. "Is that so?"

"Positively so! She may be saving lives, but she is acting absolutely conceded about it!" Rarity confirmed.

"Wait, why do you care?" Twilight suddenly asked me.

That was a great question that I didn't immediately have an answer to without sounding crazy. But then it hit me! "I care because a self-absorbed hero is a faulty hero. She could get too cocky for her own good, and that could end with her getting herself, or somepony else hurt."

"Ooo, are you some kind of superhero or something?" Pinkie asked in excitement? Curiosity? Let's just settle for both.

I almost forgot Pinkie existed until she suddenly spoke up, so it took me a second reply. Not just that, but I also had to seriously consider her question. "Yes, though I normally keep to the shadows." I silently cursed myself for saying something so damn edgy, but it wasn't like I was lying. "Though I decided it was best to speak with all of you."

"And we're honestly to believe that nopony has so much as caught a glimpse of you?" Rarity accused in disbelief.

"Yes." Was my simple, if a little trolley, answer.

"Hold on a minute, why should we even trust ya?" Applejack questioned with a raised eyebrow. "No offense, but ya don't look friendly with your mask'n'all."

She had a good point, so I went for the cliche route. "You don't have to trust me, but I trusted you five enough to reveal myself. I hear it's a two way street."

"Okay, even if we trust you, what's the purpose of coming to us?" Twilight asked.

I had an idea. "Because you are her friends. There's nopony better to ask."

A silence fell over the room as the girls pondered my statement. "Is there any catch to assisting us?" Twilight inquired.

"No. I'm simply planning to reveal myself later today, and I'm hoping you can help by informing the mayor of my presence." That last part was completely spur of the moment as I thought of a way to make things easier for myself. I hoped they wouldn't ask too many questions.

"What for?" Applejack asked quickly after my previous response, making me internally groan. She seemed to be trying to latch on to every one of my statements. Smart, if unnecessary.

I then realized that I had an excuse! "Think of it this way: Rainbow needs something to hinder her unrelenting ego. I won't go and stop her from saving ponies lives, but I will help her when necessary. Hopefully that will let her know that she isn't the best in the world." And yes, I knew how this would turn out. She'd get jealous, and very upset with me. That's fine though, anything is better than her own friends being hypocritical.

"Are ya certain ya won't mess up?"

I had no clue, but for the sake of inspiring confidence. "Yes." I answered as firmly as possible.

Applejack proceeded to scrutinize me with an unwavering stare, then sighed. "Fine, Ah'm willin' ta ya a chance."

"If you're really just trying to help, then I am too." Twilight said with nod.

"Duh, new friends are always great to have!" Pinkie exclaimed.

"A-as long as y-you're not dangerous." Fluttershy added timidly.

"Well I suppose if everypony else is okay with your plan, I am too." Rairty stated.

"Good. then I'll be back after noon." With that, I spun around and left. Once out of sight, I snook out without anypony else seeing me.

So in short; I set up my appearance, have somewhat gained five of the mane six' trust, and discovered that my mask can somehow distort my voice. Overall it's been a pretty eventful day! Now I'm just worried if I can actually pick up any of Rainbow's slack. I'm a lot more used to my pony body than when I first got here, but I still don't have the greatest grip on how to use magic. Hopefully I can figure something out, but for now I have some time to wait.

Also, I have no idea how I'm not fangirling, but I'm not complaining.

Roll credits.

Author's Note

Yay! A longer chapter this time! I didn't want to constantly have under a thousand words, so I hope this makes up for it. :D

Episode 5: Lights, Cameras, Action!

Thinking. Thinking is what you do when you have something worth thinking about, and boy do I have something to think about! It's been about two hours since my conversation with the mane six and I still haven't come up with a plan to save the mare in the hot air balloon! I mean, what should I even do! I'm not even close to being proficient in magic and I don't have a way to stop her fall! Wait a second... Ohhh for goodness sake. I facepalm at my realization by the way, or would it be facehoof? Never mind that, I finally figured out what to do! Unfortunately it's so obvious that it makes me look like an idiot for not thinking of it earlier.

Basically all I need to do is exactly what Applejack did in the episode. Yes, that's literally it. Now luckily, I'm fairly fit so agility isn't a problem, but I don't exactly know how to do parkour, let alone as a pony. Then again, Applejack didn't have any difficulty doing it, so maybe it'll be easy for me too? That's the hope at least.

I found the place where the air balloon should drop by spotting Rainbow signing a few autographs. Now it's just a wait- "Aaaahhuahhhh!" Oh boy! Just on cue! "Help! Heeeelp!" The pony screams out as the air balloon plummets. My heart is most definitely racing.

"Uhh, don't ya think you should go and help?" Snips asks Rainbow in concern.

"Yeah yeah. I've got a good ten seconds to spare, just a couple more." Yeah, sure ya do Rainbow. Even after she said that though, she quickly finished signing an autograph and immediately sped off to save the mare in the hot air balloon. She also began showing off as she flew.

"The tension is feral! Will Rainbow Dash make it on time?" Spike narrates as he wrote down what he said.

My simple answer to his question would be no, but the funnier answer is watching Rainbow go straight through the deflated balloon, missing the pony inside the basket entirely and taking the balloon part with her. My theory was proven correct at that exact moment. Rainbow would have missed regardless if Applejack interfered or not. Of course that meant I had to immediately jump to action. I made a mad sprint across the rooftops of a few buildings and finally slide down one. I jumped off the building and barely managed to catch the mare in the hot air balloon by her shoulder. I pulled her close to my chest as we landed with a roll. When our momentum finally stopped I was standing above the mare. We somehow didn't have any injuries from the tumble, and even I don't know how that went so well!

I heard ponies cheering as I helped the pony beneath me up. I looked around at the crowd and saw Twilight, Fluttershy, and Rarity in the crowd. Twilight nodded to me and I turned to leave the area. Everything is going according to plan. "Holy turnips! That pony came outta nowhere!" I heard somepony say as I galloped away.

"I've never seen such bravery in all my life!" Another pony said as I ran up to the top of a hill to look down upon the crowd.

"That's right, Ponyville has a new hero!" Mayor Mare proclaimed. "A mysterious mare that has done well by our fair city today. I dub this new vast hero: The Mysterious Mare do Well!" At those words everyone cheered. I honestly feel pretty proud of myself, but c'mon! Who wouldn't? I jumped down the opposite side of the hill, disappearing from view. I had no need to stick around for whatever Rainbow would say, especially since I probably wouldn't have heard her anyway. Thankfully though, everything went well this time around! Now I just need to meet up with Twilight and her friends again and I'll hopefully be done for the day.

Soon after the event with the hot air balloon, I travelled back to Sugarcube Corner. I decided I would wait nearby until noon drew near. I snuck inside using one of the windows, which lead to the kitchen. With the day nearly over I knew that the Cakes were probably not downstairs or in the kitchen. I seem to have arrived just in time as Pinkie, Twilight, Rarity, and Fluttershy came into the room. Wait, where's Applejack?

"M-m-mare do Well?!" Fluttershy said in surprise. She probably didn't expect me to already be here.

"Woah, how'd you get in?" Pinkie asked with excitement.

"That's not important." I replied.

"Not important?! Sorry but this is very important! You should not be sneaking into businesses." Rarity retorted.

"I did tell you I'd be back at this time. Speaking of which, where's Applejack?" Seriously Rarity, it's not like I'm gonna watch you in your sleep.

"She said she had some things she had to attend to." Twilight answered me. "So, onto the subject of why we're here?

"Yes." I suppose that is pretty important. "I wanted to meet with all again to first; confirm that we were successful in introducing me to the residents of Ponyville. And second; to gain any new thoughts on what any of you think now."

"That's an easy one! I think you were super duper cool!" Pinkie exclaimed as she bounce up and down.

"I suppose you did do well..." Rarity immediately realized the pun she accidentally made when she saw Pinkie ginning in her direction. "Uh, pun not intended." She quickly added.

"I agree, but I'm worried that you won't be able to do everything." Twilight interjected. "Nopony is capable of doing everything needed of them."

"T-true..." Fluttershy agreed.

Twilight hit the nail on the head on that one. I don't really think I can do everything myself, especially since in the show Mare do Well was multiple ponies, not just one. Though no one said I had to do it alone. "You're right. I will indeed need help, but I think I know the perfect mare for the job."

"Really? Who's that?" Pinkie asked.

"Well, technically I know a few ponies who are capable of assisting me." I declared.

"Um, d-do you mind if you say wh-who you have in mind?" Fluttershy squeaked.

"Of course, but that can wait until I need to." I countered.

"And how would you possibly know when you are in need of help?" Rarity asked, a tinge of concern in her tone.

"There's no need to worry about that." I assured her.

"Aww, does that mean this meeting is over?" Pinkie pouted.

"For now." I said as I walked past them towards the door. "I would like to meet up with you all tomorrow at midday." I made my way out the door with those as my parting words. I'm glad that at least Pinkie seems to fully trust me, though the others still seem to have their doubts... Oh well. Trust comes in time. For now though, all I gotta do is go home, then it's straight to bed for me! I just hope tomorrow goes just as well as today.

Roll credits.

Author's Note

I've been gone for waaaaay too long!