Twilight, Rarity, Applejack, and Fluttershy watched Rainbow Dash continue her sudden, impromptu photo shoot in the currently bustling Sugar Cube Corner as Spike hung on her every word as her ghostwriter. Twilight reminded herself to instruct him on the actual definition of that term later.
“Okay, so her ego's gotten a bit out of hoof...” Rarity observed cautiously.
“A bit? Rare, if she soaks up anymore praise her head's gonna be a water tower of it,” Applejack corrected.
“True...but this is still Rainbow Dash we're talking about,” the fashionista replied. “Ego or no ego, she's always done the right thing and she did actually earn her praise by saving ponies lives. I'd be a hypocrite to say she doesn't deserve the right to be proud.”
“...Um...one thing though...” Fluttershy muttered quietly. “Um...when her ego gets the better of her, she can get reckless...Oh, please don't tell her I told you that...”
“...That was a secret?” Applejack questioned with a raised eyebrow.
“There's a difference between pride and hubris,” Twilight observed. “Pride can be a good thing, but hubris can get ponies hurt, or worse...I think we need to talk to her...We don't want a repeat of Applebuck Season...”
The orange coated pony responsible for that incident blushed but nodded.
“Rainbow Dash, mind if we have a word with you, darling?” Rarity asked after the crowd had left.
“Sure! Want an autograph?” the pegasus replied, trotting over.
“No...”
“Already got ten!” Pinkie Pie, having returned from her scare that Spike had somehow become a ghost, said while holding up several objects she'd had her friend autograph...somehow despite the sheer number of them.
“Sugarcube,” said Applejack, approaching her friend and rival. “You've done an awful lot of good recently, but don't yah think you're lettin' it go to your head?”
“What? Me? Nah!” Rainbow Dash said, waving it off.
“You hired Spike to write your autobiography,” Twilight continued, before muttering something under her breath about how illogical that was. “We're afraid you're going to get overconfident and somepony might get hurt. And that includes you.”
“Overconfident? Come on! Everypony knows it's not overconfidence if you can back it up!” the cyan pegasus replied, adjusting her sunglasses and striking a cool pose. “Remember when you thought I was overconfident about clearing the sky in ten seconds flat?”
“Yes, I do! But there's a difference between clearing the sky last second and somepony's life being on the line! And with this crazy rash of accidents, I'm worried you might get in over your head,” the lavender unicorn answered. She made a mental note to check into that, as while Ponyville might just be having a massive run of bad luck was far from out of the question, she might also need to send a letter to Celestia requesting the repair and upkeep fund get a shot in the foreleg.
“There's nothing wrong with a healthy bit of pride,” Rarity continued. “I know that better than anypony else, but it can also make you get a bit reckless.”
“You worry too much, girls,” was the reply from the rainbow-maned pegasus. “We all saved the world! Saving a few ponies is foal's play compared to that!”
“Rainbow, Ah'm supposed to be the stubborn one,” Applejack sighed. “Can yah at least try tah wrangle in your pride?”
Rainbow Dash sighed, rolling her eyes. “Fine, whatever. I've got Scootaloo's fan club to talk to. Later!” she shouted, rushing out.
“...Think she actually listened?” Twilight asked.
“...No...” Fluttershy answered quietly. “Oh, not to be mean, but...I know her...”
“So what are we gonna do about it?” Applejack asked. “The whole dang town is in Rainbow Dash fever and if she does buck up, then not only might somepony get hurt but she'll have the whole place on her back then.”
“Well we could just keep an eye on her and jump in to back her up if she runs into trouble,” Twilight suggested. The rest of them weren't as fast as Rainbow, but they shouldn't have much trouble rescuing ponies.
“If we do that, Rainbow will just think we're trying to get the attention for ourselves with how riled up she is,” the farm pony replied. “It'd just be feedin' her ego.”
Rarity tapped her chin, looking around the room. Her eyes slowly fell on a child's comic book left on a table in all the hubbub. “Well, darling, what if she doesn't know it was us? Come by my Boutique later, I've got an idea!”
“Are yah sure about this, Rare?” Applejack asked, adjusting the outfit as the group shadowed Rainbow Dash. Purple base suit with dark blue leg wrappings, a billowing dark blue cape, and full face mask with blue lenses. All tied together with a purple fedora (if nothing else, the farmer could get behind a good hat).
Rarity gave a chuckle, being the only one not wearing one. “Don't worry, darling, I've made these outfits for work and to be completely identity concealing. I do believe I've outdone myself this time! I think when this is all done I might make an entire line of superhero themed dresses!”
“I think we look so cool!” said Pinkie Pie, taking a dramatic pose with her cape over her face. “We are the terror that flaps in the night!”
“Well this way we can help Rainbow Dash out if she gets herself in over her head...” Twilight replied, impressed Rarity had managed to make four suits in such a short span of time...of course it was Rarity. She'd probably made five just to have one for future reference. She looked down at the symbol holding the cape's ends together.
“So we're just going to be tailin' her all the time? We've got all of our own jobs to deal with,” Applejack pointed out.
“That's why I made four of the suits,” Rarity pointed out. “So we can keep an eye on things.”
The lavender unicorn nodded. “That's a good idea...What's the M stand for?”
“Mysterious!...And also marvelous,” the fashionista replied with a smile.
“Aww! I was hoping it stood for Minty!” Pinkie Pie lamented, giving a frown.
“Why?” Applejack inquired, raising an eyebrow.
“It's the name of another good friend of mine I haven't seen in a really long time!”
Twilight cleared her throat, peeking out at Rainbow Dash with another gathered crowd as she signed autographs. “Rainbow Dash is right there, so make sure to be ready if anything happens and she can't handle it herself...” she said, honestly hoping that wouldn't be the case, but given Ponyville's current run of luck they couldn't be too sure. Well that on top of this being Ponyville in the first place, a town with a shockingly high disaster ratio it seemed.
“Maybe this will be one of those times where there's a ton of rescues for her to do for awhile, but suddenly no more happen and things go back to normal?” Pinkie Pie asked quickly.
Suddenly, the group heard screaming and looked up at the sky to find Cherry Blossom in a punctured hot air balloon, falling rapidly towards the hard unforgiving ground.
“...Never mind, it's one of those times where things keep going wrong...”
“Don't worry, I'm sure Rainbow Dash will jump into action any moment now...” Rarity hoped...only for Rainbow to continue signing autographs despite very obviously seeing the endangered mare.
“Don't you think you should help?” Snips asked the cyan pegasus.
“Yeah yeah, I've got a good ten seconds to spare...” Rainbow answered, still signing.
“...Or Fluttershy could be absolutely right and her ego has made her recklessly overestimate herself at the worst possible time...” the fashionista muttered with a mix of annoyance, disbelief, and panic.
“Ten seconds?! She's got three seconds tops at that speed!” Twilight exclaimed with wide eyes.
“Fine then, time for plan b!” Applejack yelled, adjusting her mask and dashing into action as Rainbow Dash leisurely flew after the falling balloon. From Twilight's calculations, she was off by enough that if something wasn't done (like Applejack leaping off a house, into the basket, and making a landing with practiced rodeo skill to negate the momentum), she'd have been too slow by a few seconds and disaster would've been inevitable.
Instead Rainbow Dash had crashed into the balloon itself while the masked Applejack had saved the falling pony, resulting in their masked identity getting a name...
“Ponyville has a new hero! A mysterious mare who has done well by our fair city today! I dub this new masked hero...the mysterious Mare-Do-Well!” announced Mayor Mare as Applejack made her getaway and Twilight, taking her outfit off quickly, joined the crowd to check on Rainbow Dash herself.
“Did yah clear this with Mayor Mare or somethin'?” asked Applejack, looking to Rarity as she rejoined the group.
“I confirm nor deny nothing, darling” was Rarity's response, seeming to enjoy a good mystery.
“Mare-Do-Well, huh? Well that mare would do well to stay outta my way! Ponyville's only got room for one hero, and that hero is me!” Rainbow Dash huffed inside the wrecked balloon.
“Rainbow Dash! If she hadn't saved that mare, you would've let her get hurt or worse!” Twilight stated harshly as she walked over.
“I'd have made it! I just got distracted when she showed up is all!” the loyal pegasus stubbornly replied.
“If you'd flown at top speed the moment you heard her, that masked mare wouldn't have had time to show up!” the lavender unicorn argued.
“It's called dramatic heroics! The difference between a hero and a superhero is presentation!”
“Last I checked Superstallion didn't take ten seconds to sign autographs before flying to save the pony who's balloon is crashing!”
Rainbow Dash gave a growl. “He could if he wanted to!” she said, then stormed off.
Twilight facehoofed with a sigh. “This really is Applebuck Season all over again...”
“Why would Rainbow Dash do something so reckless?” Rarity asked as the group met back up again. “I know she has an ego, but this is ridiculous...”
“...I think it might be the same reason you showing her up with those wings upset her so much, Rarity...” Fluttershy muttered sadly. “...Rainbow Dash...had a lot of trouble as a foal and was used to ponies insulting her more than cheering her except her parents...I think now that she has everypony cheering her, she doesn't want to lose that...”
“And unfortunately, that mare can be as stubborn as Ah am sometimes...” Applejack muttered.
“I'm afraid if we don't do something about Rainbow's ego, she and the whole town might be in trouble...” Twilight sighed. “We should keep being...Mare-Do-Well just in case. And keep it like Applejack did: save the day, then leave without a word. That way maybe if she does get in over her head again and keeps seeing somepony humbly save the day it'll get it through her thick head that she needs to reel it in a bit.”
Not long later, the group heard more screaming and ran out to see a bus carriage full of ponies rocketing out of control down the nearby hill.
“Rainbow is coming,” Twilight stated, noticing the cyan blur incoming. “Applejack, get in front of that cliff so if she doesn't stop it you can!”
Applejack nodded, donning her mask. “Already on it!” she called, rushing off as the group hoped Rainbow would set her ego aside and just do the right thing.
...Only for Rainbow Dash to stop and try to give a witty catchphrase next to it and prove unable to actually stop it rather than putting her momentum into it.
Thankfully, Applejack was strong enough to stop it in time.
“Well...to give her credit, she at least stopped her catchphrase and tried...” Twilight commended. “That's a small improvement...”
“Okay, I'm seriously going to do a check for hexes on the town!” Twilight exclaimed as the group ran up to a construction site as a crane malfunctioned...and nearly hit a gloating Rainbow Dash with a support beam which caused the under construction building to begin collapsing. “...Okay, even if Rainbow puts aside her ego, there's no way she can save all those ponies by herself!”
“I'm on it!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed, spinning until she looked like a pink tornado and switching into her Mare-Do-Well outfit in seconds. “Let's get dangerous!” she called as she came out of spin and into action in one fluid motion.
“Everypony else suit up, just in case Pinkie alone isn't enough...” the lavender unicorn muttered, not putting their plan over ponies' lives.
Thankfully, Pinkie Sense combined with crazy, almost cartoonish speed meant Pinkie was enough to rescue most of the civilians and Rainbow saved the one she couldn't reach.
“So, Rainbow actually got a heroic moment this time...” Rarity said, hopefully. “Maybe it'll make her realize she's getting herself in a bit over her head?”
“Well Mare-Do-Well, or should I call you Mare-Do-Slow?!” Rainbow Dash boasted.
Twilight facehoofed. “Well, at least so far her ego hasn't caused a disaster yet...” she muttered. At this point she was getting scared they'd have to save Rainbow from herself next time given how dangerous this was getting...
Which was exactly the case when they noticed a dam burst with Rainbow being washed away in the flood after trying to plug it up with her hoof.
“Rainbow!” yelled Twilight as she donned her mask and teleported into action. She quickly put a limb out for Rainbow to be washed into.
“You?!” Rainbow asked, her ego clearly bruised, causing Twilight to narrow her eyes. “I suppose you want me to than-”
Twilight didn't reply and merely focused on the massive flood in progress, repairing the dam with her telekinesis and getting out of there.
“...I hope maybe this will show her that she's getting in over her head...” the lavender unicorn muttered meeting up with the others. “Fluttershy, get your suit on and do a fly over to make sure no pony else got caught in the flood and that the dam is stable...”
The group minus Fluttershy all sat at Sugarcube Corner, waiting for Rainbow Dash to show up.
“Anypony see Rainbow Dash?” Twilight asked, looking around for the egotistical pony they all still called friend.
“Not since the flood...” Rarity remarked with a hint of worry. “Maybe she went to the hospital to get checked out?”
“That's where Fluttershy is to check on her,” Applejack replied, giving a sigh.
“She's coming!” said Fluttershy, sitting down with Twilight.
Rainbow Dash, sure enough, walked right in and laid down, pouting, Spike following behind her.
Applejack looked at her...and got an idea. She was a bad liar, so this whole secret identity thing was getting hard to keep up...but there may be a way to make it work here. “Well, that Mare-Do-Well is a humble lady. Don't think she's even said a word.”
Twilight caught on. “Yes. She comes it, saves the day, and that's that. Like a real hero should.”
Rainbow Dash's face contorted in anger.
Fluttershy, seated with her back to Rainbow, nodded. “Yes, she really cares about everypony's safety.”
“Modest and humble, let's her actions speak for her. If only more ponies were like that, they could get a lot more good things done,” Applejack continued. “Gotta admire that.”
Rainbow Dash snarled and pulled her hair. “No! I don't have to admire that! I don't think she's all that great!”
“She's great...” Spike wrote...before jumping as Rainbow zoomed over.
“I didn't say that!”
Twilight blinked. “Rainbow, are you jealous of Mare-Do-Well?” she asked, frowning.
“Who me?!” the pegasus questioned.
“Rainbow Dash is jealous...” wrote Spike.
“Don't write that!”
“There's no reason to be jealous, Rainbow Dash...except maybe of her fashion sense...” Rarity said, letting a little pride in. “And I can make you just as fashionable...but darling, she's just doing the right thing, she's just-”
Rainbow Dash snarled. “Better at it?! Is that what you're going to say?!”
“No: she just don't waste her time bragging and actually does her heroin',” Applejack defended. “You were doin' just as good at it when yah kept the braggin' for after you saved the day.”
The cyan pegasus didn't seem to be in the mood to listen. “Whatever! I'm going to prove to you all that I'm still just as good of a hero as Mare-Do-Well!” she boasted and flew off.
“...Twilight, if this is how Ah made yah feel durin' Applebuck Season, Ah'm right sorry,” Applejack commented.
“Oh this is just awful...” Fluttershy muttered, entering Sugar Cube Corner later in the day to meet with her friends.
The group collectively turned to look at Fluttershy. “What's wrong? Another disaster?” Twilight asked, panicking for a moment.
“That's just it, there aren't any...so Rainbow started looking for heroic things to do. All she found was helping Granny Smith across the street, opening a jam jar, and mowing the park...she ended up...well...” the shy pegasus muttered.
“Makin' a complete foal of herself?” Applejack asked bluntly.
“...I wouldn't put it quite so mean, but...yes...”
“Then we're gonna need tah do somethin', cause this is getting' outta hoof...” the farmer muttered.
“Then I think Applejack's right, darling, we might need to have another chat with Rainbow Dash. This is going too far,” Rarity replied, giving a sigh. “And given all the ponies wearing Mare-Do-Well outfits and the parade in our honor later today, this whole thing may have taken on a life of its own...”
While popping Rainbow Dash's ego was something that needed to happen, and part of the plan, they couldn't let it go too far and make her more reckless. Twilight gave it deep thought and came to one conclusion...
“...Then I think we'll need a change of plans at the parade...” the lavender unicorn said.
“Welcome to Ponyville's first, but surely not last, thank you parade, in honor of our city's greatest hero, the mysterious Mare Do Well!” announced Mayor Mare, standing on stage surrounded by pictures of Mare-Do-Well and balloons in her honor.
Rainbow Dash stood next to Scootaloo in the crowd. She could hardly believe that even Scootaloo would show up to the parade for her! Well she'd show her, when that fake got on stage she'd confront her and-
“Sadly, however, Mare-Do-Well won't be here today,” Mayor Mare reported, earning disappointed grumbles.
“WHAT?!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed, anger rising. “But...but...but how...why...”
All this praise, all this celebration, and...she didn't show up? Why? She was trying to show her up, wasn't she? Trying to make her look bad? So...why wasn't she here to enjoy it?
These thoughts kept going through her head...until Scootaloo gave a sigh.
“Sorry for dragging you here, Dash...” the little filly said dejectedly.
“It's not your fault she no showed, Scoots,” the cyan pegasus said, putting a hoof on her back, in her mind hoping this would change the foal's mind.
“I was hoping you could meet her and the two of you could team up! You're both such awesome, amazing, spectacular superheroes! If you'd work together Ponyville would have nothing to worry about!” the little pegasus replied...then looked down. “But I guess she's not showing up...”
Rainbow Dash was stunned for a few moments. As she prepared to finally reply, Mayor Mare cleared her throat to get everypony's attention.
“Mare-Do-Well dropped a letter off to me telling me she wouldn't be coming and another she wanted me to read to you all,” Mayor Mare explained, pulling out the letter with the masked hero's symbol on it. “'Thank you for the parade, but I don't want it to be about me. It should be about the ponies I, and Miss Rainbow Dash, saved. We should be celebrating that they're okay and safe, I was just doing the right thing, as everypony should. A true hero doesn't do things just to make ponies cheer them, ponies being safe is more important. Thank you, signed the Mysterious Mare-Do-Well...”
Rainbow Dash listened and watched the banner and pictures of Mare-Do-Well be taken down and the ponies that had been saved invited up on stage instead...and her ears slowly fell as the last few days played over in her head. “...About the ponies she...we saved...” she muttered, to her own shock realizing that idea hadn't crossed her mind at all.
“...What the hay am I doing?” the pegasus asked herself, thinking back to the balloon and all the other disasters.... She hadn't even noticed that Mare-Do-Well had saved more at the construction sight...more she could've saved had she not been so busy bragging. She hadn't been happy they were safe...and here she was preparing to ambush somepony for saving lives she was too caught up in her ego to save. She looked down at Scootaloo, the little filly she was supposed to be a good example for. That she'd always strove to be one for. The thought of Scootaloo following her example and acting like she had made a cold chill go down her spine.
Rainbow Dash slowly approached the stage, looking up at the rescued ponies. “Hey!...Glad you're all okay...”
After the parade, Rainbow Dash waved as Scootaloo headed...home, Rainbow guessed...The mare had a lot to think about.
As the pegasus turned to head home herself, she instead found Mare-Do-Well watching her from the shadows.
“...Oh...it's you...look...I'm not good at this humility thing...” the cyan pegasus muttered awkwardly as she headed into the ally . “...You wouldn't have had to rescue all those ponies if I wasn't so busy being a high horse...Okay...maybe you would have with the dam and the construction site...but we'd have saved them together...I'm sorry...I just..I just liked being cheered for once...so much I didn't think about the ponies I was saving...You were being a superhero because I was too busy being a super zero...Scoots wanted to know if you'd mind teaming up with me next time...We're both super-ultra-extreme-awesomazing, so Ponyville will have nothing to worry about if we work together!”
To her surprise, the Mare-Do-Well suddenly almost teleported up and hugged her, lifting her off the ground.
“Whudda- hud-d-duh- hud-d-duh- huh?!” Rainbow Dash asked, utterly befuddled.
The Mare-Do-Well laughed as she pulled off her mask to reveal Pinkie Pie. “We already team up all the time, silly!”
“P-P-P-P-Pinkie?!” Rainbow Dash asked in disbelief, before noticing two more Mare-Do-Wells behind her, which took their masks off to reveal Twilight and Applejack. “Twilight?! Applejack?! There were three of you?!”
“We all were Mare-Do-Well at different times...” Twilight explained, giving a small smile.
“Ah stopped the carriage bus with these babies,” Applejack said, kicking her hind legs out. “Bucky McGillicuddy and Kicks McGee.”
“I saved the construction workers with my Pinkie Sense!” Pinkie Pie cheered happily.
“And I fixed the dam with my magic...” Twilight finished.
Fluttershy and Rarity promptly joined their friends from the shadows.
“I was Mare-Do-Well for the flyby to make sure everything was alright,” Fluttershy explained.
“And I made the costumes! Fabulous if I do say so myself!” Rarity finished proudly, then noticed the looks she got. “...What? A little pride is healthy.”
“Sorry for all of this, Rainbow Dash...” said Twilight, giving an understanding look. “But your ego was getting out of control, ponies were going to get hurt...including you...”
“We started this just to help bail yah out if yah got yerself in over yer head, but then we thought maybe if yah saw the hero doin' the bailin' out doin' it by bein' humble, yah might get it through your thick head that your ego was blowin' up like that hot air balloon you put off savin',” Applejack explained.
Rainbow Dash looked down. “...And you were right...I should've just saved the balloon, then based in the glory when everypony was safe...I guess a real hero doesn't let their ego get in the way of...well, being a hero. And if I can't save the day, I should have the grace and humility to appreciate somepony did. Like Mare-Do-Well.”
Twilight gave a proud smile, a group hug ensuing. “Sounds like you've got a letter to write to Celestia.”
“Already got it covered!” announced Spike, walking up in his little trench coat and fedora with a letter in claw. “As your ghost writer, I've already penned a letter to the Princess!”
“Thanks Spike...so, are you girls going to keep the outfits? Scoots really did wanna see a Rainbow Dash/Mare-Do-Well team up...” Rainbow Dash asked with a smile.
Twilight rolled her eyes...but smiled. “Well I guess Mare-Do-Well can make an appearance at the Rainbow Dash fan club before going into retirement...”
The End.
