When Lieutenant Captain Shining Armor is finally able to get a good look at the front of the boutique, he can hardly believe what he sees. Three ponies, one unicorn in a cloak and stockings and two pegasi in full suits, are standing among the shards of broken plate glass that once composed the front of the boutique. Several well-dressed ponies are running or cowering, and Shining wondered where in Equestria the two Royal Guards that were supposed to be at the door had disappeared to.
An irate Hoity Toity approaches the threesome as Shining watches in shock, but before Shining can intervene or even call out the two pegasi jump the fashionista and ram him sidelong into a wall, leaving a sizable dent as a result and also knocking off the purple glasses Hoity Toity was wearing. The glasses land near the hooves of the attackers and are promptly shattered by the hoof of one of them.
Shining can see the blow has knocked the wind out of the high-esteemed earth pony, but also sees another threat: the cloaked unicorn has raised a loaded crossbow pointed at Shining via unicorn magic! The crossbow fires, and Shining has just enough time to generate a shield to deflect the incoming arrow into a rack of clothes. However, this maneuver distracts him long enough for the two pegasi to slip past the point where a shield Shining could generate would block their further progress. They proceed into the store, knocking over racks of clothing and horrified upper-class ponies as they go.
Shining Armor is debating whether to charge the cloaked unicorn or assist Hoity Toity back up when the former drops something at his hooves. Immediately a black smoke envelopes his figure, hiding his location and presumably cloaking his escape. Without any idea where he was going, Shining could only hope that the Guards that should've been at the door were not AWOL and would go after him.
"Ohhh... I'd hate Sapphire to see me like this..." Hoity Toity moans as Shining stops in front of him and helps him back up. Although his appearance was quite disheveled, he seemed to be alright.
"At least you're alright. Now if you'll excuse me..." Shining explains, galloping back into the store.
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When Shining arrives, he sees the two attacking pegasi attempting to grab a hostage - Cadance has cast a protective bubble around herself and Lemony Gems, but Diamond Rose had become separated from the other two mares in the confusion. Buck Withers, in his full Guard armor, gets into a shoving match with one of the pegasi, but the other slips by him and grabs Diamond Rose, starting to drag her back out of the shop. As Shining approaches, moving to block the path out, Rarity suddenly springs into action, launching off her hind legs and attacking the pegasus with a kung-fu style kick!
The kick connects, causing the pegasus to wobble off-balance and drop Diamond Rose to the floor with a hard thud. Shining Armor is now right behind the pegasus, and yanks him down hard with a tug of his magic. The pegasus sprawls to the floor and is pinned by Shining as Diamond Rose slowly gets back on her hooves, staggering over to join Cadance and Lemony Gems inside the light-blue shield bubble. When Shining looks up from the pin, he sees Rarity attacking the second pegasus, another dramatic kick breaking the deadlock and allowing Buck to pin his opponent.
"Most impressive." is Shining's quick compliment to Rarity as the unicorn mare levitates out a brush from her kit to fix her deep-purple mane and tail.
"You're too kind, dahling. A proper lady must be able to defend themselves as well as others in a time of crisis." Rarity modestly replies, the levitating brush running through the hair of the tail.
"WHO SENT YOU?! WHY ARE YOU ATTACKING THIS PLACE?!" Buck was yelling out at full volume at the pegasus he had pinned, as the rest of the shaken upper-class crowd watches the scene from a safe distance.
"It is in your best interest to start talking, pegasus." Shining coldly adds, putting a choking hoof on the neck of the stallion he has pinned.
The two pegasi briefly choke and try to squirm out, but when the two Guard stallions press down harder they immediately cease resistance. For the first time, Shining and Buck notice the now-dirty and ripped suits did not fit well on the pegasi wearing them, suggesting a good deal of improvising in the attack plan. Perhaps these two pegasi were being forced to do something against their will?
"WHO SENT YOU?!" Buck yells out again, both him and Shining staring into their pinned opponents with fiery expressions.
One of the pegasi opens his mouth to say something, but at that moment both are immediately enveloped in a bright red glow - different from the sparkling glow of a unicorn's magic and growing in intensity - and the Guard stallions push off. Several high-class mares shriek in horror as the red glow envelopes the two attacking pegasi, now writhing in obvious agony.
Shining Armor now fears something else bad will happen and quickly encases both pegasi in a shield bubble. Just moments later, a bright red flash fills the bubble - a contained explosion - and all that is left is thick, black smoke. The witnessing crowd is wondering whether they just witnessed a thwarted suicide bombing when a whoosh goes over the heads of the witnessing ponies.
Shining, keeping the shield bubble intact for the moment in order to contain the smoke, witnesses another crossbow arrow bounce off the bubble and embed itself into the nearest wall. Rarity, nearest to where the crossbow arrow hit the wall, pulls it out using her unicorn magic as the two Guard stallions and Cadance rush to behind her. The rest of the crowd in the store, including a recovered Diamond Rose and Hoity Toity, are watching with baited breath.
"There's something attached to this." Rarity comments, pointing to the crossbow arrow, which does indeed have a parchment scrap rolled up and tied to the arrow shaft. A quick tug of the string holding the parchment to the shaft causes the parchment scrap to fall to the floor, unrolling as it falls.
The Guard stallions and Rarity, as well as Cadance, lean over to read the scrap of writing scrawled on the parchment laying on the floor. All are perplexed by the single word that is readable on the parchment scrap.
"'Hoofer'? Who's that?" Rarity asks Shining Armor as the others looking down exchange glances at each other.
"I wish I knew, young mare. I wish I knew..." Shining replies morbidly, finally allowing the shocking scope of the recent events to sink in. The Agents of Chaos had attacked yet again, and this time with a horrifying new strategy...