//------------------------------// // Chapter 5 "The End of Act One" // Story: The Spirits of Mana // by Camlio //------------------------------// I do not own the rights to My Little Pony Friendship is magic or the Mana Series games. Please support the official releases. It was another quiet night in Canterlot and as the residents slept a young man did what he did best... Relive stuck up higher class of their wealth to give to those in need. *Click* "I miss the days when the Navarre thieves guild was as noble as I am still. Back then this was fun." The blue haired man commented after taking several hundred bits from the vault of one Prince Blueblood. "Well, I guess this is as much as I can take for now... Not like this guy needs it from what I heard." He said with a smile as he placed his stolen goods on his back, and started to leave the manor only to be ambushed by it's owner himself. "Halt! Who are you and why did you just leave my vault room?!" The arrogance in the stallion's voice was easy to pick out of his tone. "Y-Your a thief! You've stolen from me?!" The shocked look on the stallion's face caused the blue haired thief to laugh loudly. "Wow... I thought I would have to explain that... But, seeing as you've figured out what I did, allow me a moment to explain why. You see I only take from those who take their lavish lifestyles for granted and give my hauls to those who are more deserving." The thief said with a smile as a bird call sounded from outside. "And from what I've heard a pack of beasts would be more deserving than you. Take care now and thank you for your donation." The thief said with a smile and liberal application of a smoke bomb before dashing out of the mansion's second floor window and vanishing into the night. -MANA- "That was awesome Blue Hair! I've never seen someone do something like that before. Well at least not for good reasons." Rainbow Dash said as the pair approached Ponyville's Town square. The Thief had given his entire haul to the orphanage on the edge of town getting a tearful hug from the pony who ran it. "It's the oath of the Navarre thieves guild Ms. Dash, we are sworn to only steal from those who would not miss what we take and give to those who need it more." Dash could see the visual change in his expression as he finished his little speech. When it started he was happy and after he muttered something under his breath he looked like someone just poured poison joke on his head. "What's wrong Blue Hair? You look a little down in the face..." Dash said with a concerned tone, while not usually one for being overly concerned stating that being soft "Isn't Cool" she was still the element of Loyalty and that meant making sure her friends were alright. "I was just remembering what happened to them, it all started when the master of the guild. My best friend's father met a woman called Isabella." He then explained the story of how Isabella killed his best friend and framed him for the deed, how she cursed his lover with an enchanted collar that would kill her if he proved he was innocent to her. How she was actually a spy sent in by an evil man called the Dark Prince that wanted to take over the world. "Wow... That's just... Wow... you've had it pretty hard huh?" Dash said with a sad look as she placed a comforting hoof on the thief's shoulder. "Yes. The past is the past though and it's time to look to the future, the guild can always be started again as long as one remembers the ways it was run." The thief said with a smile as he began to pick up speed as they entered the town square proper. "Thank you for your time Ms. Dash, my name is Hawk by the way, so don't hesitate to give me a shout if you need me. A bird call will always get my attention. It was the way we called each other in Navarre." He said with a wave as he jump up the side of a house and vanished into the shadows of the night once more. "That guy is... SO AWESOME!" Dash said with a smile as she returned to her cloud house thinking of how she look in the garb of the Navarre Thieves guild. -MANA- Deep within the Everfree forest the Crimson Lotus wizard Koren learned of the defection of his minion the Chobin Hood 'Robin'. "So Robin has abandoned us for the peaceful pony folk eh? Very well. She may meet her end with them as well! Mantis Ant!" At the call the giant insect stepped forward it's mandibles clicking in anticipation. "Go to the town that Robin entered and kill everything. Leave nothing alive in your wake, do I make myself clear?" The beast let out a noise that could be considered laughter and nodded before tunneling it's way through the ground towards the exit of the forest. "And so the game begins. You chosen fools of Mana may have stopped my lord the Dragon Emperor but, you will not be rid of me so easily." Koren laughed manically as he summoned a crystal sphere that showed him where the mantis ant was and the area around it. "And I get the best seats to the show for free." He began laughing again his laugh going unheard in the night as our hero's slept peacefully. Will Ferrik and Hawk be able to stand before the might of the Mantis Ant? Will our hero's quest end before it truly begins? What does Celestia actually know about these events seeing as she summoned Ferrik to begin with?! Do you all like Bananas?! Find out the answers to all these questions and more as act two begins. -Act One End-