Mask, Cape, and Cowl

1

“The Crystalline Egg,” the mare known as Delilah said, pointing one of her tan wings at the large chalkboard behind her and the crude oval image which was drawn upon it. Before her, the students of Chicacolt University were nearly ignorant of the history class which seemed to drone on into eternity. The pegasus professor shook her head in exasperation, and shot a rear leg out to kick at her metal desk, the forceful connection resulting in a loud bang which rang throughout the classroom.

“This is not a time to nap!” Delilah said sharply, fighting to hold back a triumphant smirk as her students quickly rediscovered their seats and attempted to sit attentively. “Much better,” Delilah nodded, her tied, monochrome mane flopping to the other side of her neck. She slid her glasses back up toward her ruby-shaded eyes, and took in the entire classroom with her hard gaze. “Now that your minds are all apparently rested, who can tell me the significance of the Crystalline Egg? It’s in relation to what we’ve been studying this past week.”

“It’s a rare and priceless jewel for a Griffon Warlord?” one student offered.

“No, sorry, try again,” Delilah replied.

“It’s a powerful Chimera weapon?”

“Hm, nope. Anypony else?” With everyone else shaking their head, Delilah smiled impishly. “It’s alright, class. This is actually a toughie. You see, the Crystalline Egg...” Her voice trailed off as movement within her peripheral vision stole her attention. A figure had sidled itself into the back of her classroom, unnoticed by all save for the teacher herself. She tried not to sweep her eyes that way, lest she spook whomever decided to join her class so late. Whatever their reasons for intruding, she wanted to deal with the stranger on her own terms.

“Doy!” she said with a giggle, slapping herself in the forehead as a show for the class and causing them to chuckle lightly. “See? It’s so tough that even I forgot for a second! You see, the Crystalline Egg is an ancient artifact that was crafted a millennia ago by the Griffons and the Chimera. It’s the only piece of evidence in existence to suggest that these two races had ever even contemplated peace. The legend states that its creators imbued it with an arcane magic which would grant its wielder extended life, to signify everlasting peace between the Griffons and the Chimera. As we all know, that never happened and they’ve been in a terrible blood-feud for as long as history can remember. The Crystalline Egg’s whereabouts are currently unknown, with rumors of its residence circulating everywhere, especially now that the Crystal Empire has been rediscovered. Of course, the two are completely unrelated, but some ponies will say anything to make a quick bit.” At her last word, the class bell rang, signifying its end. She treated them all to a smile, watching as they filed out of her classroom and into the next.

All except one, she noted, patiently waiting for the newcomer to walk down an aisle of the room and confront her. At the best, it was another very rich pony wanting her to secure yet another item of extreme importance from some derelict ruin in the middle of nowhere. Not that she really minded, of course. If the adventures she frequently embarked on weren’t particularly interesting, there was always the sack of bits at the end of her journey. She liked that part almost as much as the pure history of whatever item she was sent to fetch.

Almost.

“Miss Delilah, or would you prefer I call you ‘Daring Do’?” The palomino stallion reached the end of the row, snapping the mare out of her thoughts. Her eyebrow rose suspiciously as the stranger’s horn glowed with golden magic, but he only seemed to be hovering a kerchief close to his mouth before letting loose with a series of raspy coughs.

“Could I offer you a glass of water, sire?” she asked, putting on her professional front. It was an old song-and-dance she did with these collectors to make sure they were genuine. Too many times had she nearly been killed while retrieving some artifact, only to receive the short end of the stick when she finally brought it back. More than a few times she had even kept it for herself, marking the beginning of her own little collection. Though they often did help with the class - teaching a course on ancient tribes was much more simple and entertaining when you had a physical piece of their history.

“It’s not necessary,” he said, returning the kerchief to its place in his pocket. He stood a good foot above her, and so looked downward with a grin she didn’t quite trust. “I’ve come to request your services. My name is Gilded Leaf. I represent the Manehattan Historical Museum, and one of our most priceless artifacts has just been pilfered by a thief.” He levitated a card toward her with his magic, which she grasped and read.

“And what exactly would I be looking for, should I choose to accept your employment, mister Leaf?” she asked carefully, her eyes scanning over the card. It seemed legitimate enough, though a there was still a small tingle far in the back of her mind about this unicorn. Then again, that feeling was nothing new to her.

“Please, dispense with the formalities and simply call me ‘Gil’. Most of my acquaintances do.” The stallion offered Delilah a friendly smile to accompany this statement. “As for what you’ll be seeking out, it’s very thing you were discussing only a moment ago,” he said casually, watching her eyes alight with wonder. “The Crystalline Egg.”

“Wha-” Her breath left her in a sharp rush as his last words sank in. A priceless historical artifact not seen for possibly a thousand years or more, and he was asking for her help to take it back from some common thief? She shook her head, taking a deep breath to calm her nerves. Now wasn’t the time to be greedy. “Alright...” she said slowly, “alright. I know the what, but now I need to know about the who. About this thief you mentioned.”

“Ah yes, the who. Your target will be quite easy to spot, actually. She runs around mostly at night, clad in a violet suit with a long cape and ridiculous hat. She’s known throughout the city as ‘Mare Do Well’.” His face took on a hurtful expression as he continued. “We all hoped she really was a hero, but she seemed to only play the part so our defenses would lower and she could steal at will. It really is a shame...”

Delilah chewed on her tongue for a moment, although the contemplation was only a formality at this point. In truth, he’d had her sold at the mention of the Egg. “Alright,” she said finally. “I’m on board. You’ve got yourself Daring Do, and the Crystalline Egg will be returned to the museum in no time. You have my word.”

“I cannot thank you enough,” he replied, turning around and walking away, letting out another series of sickly wheezes as he did so. Delilah quickly grabbed her familiar travelling gear, left the usual parting note on her desk for the other teachers to find, and followed the stallion out, getting onto the train with him from Chicacolt to her newest scavenge in the concrete jungle of Manehattan.

2

While a certain locomotive transported a certain pegasus to a new adventure, the Mare Do Well perched atop her favorite roost and kept a vigil on her beloved city of Manehatten. Beneath the dark blue mask with those silver expressionless eyes, the real eyes of the night-mare sat shut as she meditated. Her ears twitched at random sounds, but they were nothing more than the simple ambience of a city which claimed to never sleep, even at the apogee of Luna’s chilly night.

Manehatten is quiet tonight, the Mare Do Well observed. She let her mind slip back just another notch toward true rest; it was a luxury she was rarely afforded, and any opportunity she was given to refresh herself was welcome. For now, her ears would snap her awake at any disturbance.

But while her mind was at peace, her body fidgeted in annoyance, unused to the saddlebag that she had strapped mercilessly tight around her waist. The lone pouch held significant weight, and fought to throw off her usually-keen balance. She had fought back, teaching her body to compensate and throw more weight to the opposite side.

Though it finally learned how to balance itself again, her frame had decided to be pesky still by squirming in protest of the alien device which had been forcefully strapped to it. To top it all off, she began to shiver from the cool stillness of the night.

Stop it! the Mare Do Well commanded of herself, though it was futile. Some things were natural reactions, no matter how much she tried to control herself. The fidgeting would stop in time as her body adjusted to the leathery torture device, but the shivering... by the princess Luna what she wouldn’t give to see some action just to get her blood flowing again.

As if to answer her silent prayers, a shouting curse came from down the street. Her eyes shot open immediately. Her ears pinpointed the source somewhere to the left. Quickly, she turned back onto the building’s roof, galloping along the string of obscenities being thrown wildly into the night. She leapt from the building’s edge without a second thought, her rear legs propelling her through the night. She landed smoothly onto the adjacent structure with a soft thud, the foam-padded interior of her costume’s boots absorbing most of the impact.

At the edge of this building, she saw the criminal bolting down a cobblestone street, pursued closely by a stallion mingling shouts of “Thief!” with even more obscenities. The apparent burglar lashed out with a rear leg, tripping his pursuer and rounding a corner. Before the offended stallion could regain his hooves, his thieving target ducked into a small alleyway, leaving the stallion alone. Deciding it was no longer worth the effort, he simply retreated back to his business, cutting his losses and hoping to make them up the next day.

From her vantage point, the Mare Do Well easily tracked the criminal, waiting until he felt safe enough to relax before confronting him. When she was satisfied that he’d not expect her arrival, she leapt down to a lower wall, and finally onto the ground itself.

He turned around after hearing the low thud, his eyes widening as he processed the sight before him. “Muh... muh...” he stammered, visibly trembling now. He started to back away, but his rear legs tangled up with one another and he fell swiftly onto his rump. The costumed figure before him raised a foreleg, clearly pointing at him.

“Huh...?” His mind went blank from fear. It had been silly to think he could get away with it. This time she jabbed her raised foreleg toward him, and he finally understood. “Oh! What I took...” He reached carefully into his own saddlebags, hoping he didn’t look menacing doing so. If she decided he was a threat...

He pulled out his spoils from the earlier theft: a couple loaves of bread. “They’re... uh... they’re for my family,” he explained meekly, his ears sagging in shame as his head dropped down. “I can’t even afford to feed them...”

The Mare Do Well stood for a moment, considering the words of the stallion. Finally, she raised her foreleg again and flicked her fetlock, as if shooing him away.

“Re... really?” Hope and relief filled his voice, a combination that was reinforced as the creature before him nodded her head in confirmation. The thief quickly stuffed his goods back into his bag, and took one last glance toward the Mare Do Well as he galloped away.

The Mare Do Well sat on her haunches, a grin adorning the sweaty face which lay underneath the dark blue mask. Necessary evils, she thought. The thief had needed that bread far more desperately than the shopkeeper. I guess we are not so different, hrm? This thought led her back to her own bag and the heavy content within, inevitably causing the incessant fidgeting to resume. She rolled her head in annoyance, but there was nothing she could do about it for now.

At least the shivering had stopped.

The sound of shattering glass awoke her from her thoughts. She turned her head toward the source of the disturbance. No rest for the wicked, she thought with a touch of humor, and once more galloped into the night.