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// Found: Home 
// Story: Dressed to Steal 
// by Tatsurou 
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A brown coated unicorn stallion walked carefully down the street in the suburban parts at the edge of Manehatten, levitating a basket of oranges as he walked.  The street was deserted, and only the sounds of his hoof falls echoed in the night air.  He looked around nervously as he walked, and froze when he heard a can bouncing quietly along the street.  Turning worriedly, he spotted the can and relaxed...only to find a shadowy figure completely hidden by a black cowled robe in front of him, breathing heavily.

"Very sorry," the stallion offered apologetically.  "You came out of nowhere."

The figure shifted.  "Is he friend or is he foe, the pony wonders?" the figure whispered, his voice soft and gravelly yet reedy as though it hadn't been used in a long time.  "I can assure you, I am no friend."  The figure extended a thin red arm with clenched fist from beneath the robe, and a white-bearded red chin became visible.  "I am Lord Tirek, and I will take what should have been mine long ago."  As he spoke, the magic levitating the basket was drawn into him...and nothing else.  "...umm..."

Coco chuckled as she pulled off her disguise, revealing her Cooper thief outfit.  "Wow.  Flushing out the one who's been stealing magic around here was even easier than I thought.  Lord Tirek, was it?  With a name like that, I'm guessing you have a rap sheet a mile long, hmm?  Probably a pretty big reward for turning you in, I'd guess."

Tirek snarled angrily.  "Your overconfidence will be your downfall, pony," he growled angrily.  "I can drain an Earth Pony as easily as a unicorn.  It just needs a different focal point.  And I already have a taste for your magic..."  He lowered his gaze to her hooves as he started to take a breath...and froze as the spell failed to work.  "What?"

"Oh, you mean this?" Coco asked, holding up the horn from her disguise and revealing circuitry within.  "Self contained magical field.  Not my magic at all.  Though if you really want my magic..."  She calmly pulled on her Mask and pulled out her Staff.

Tirek stared in fear as his magical senses went into overdrive.  He could feel the power in each artifact, rivaling the magical force of an alicorn individually.  And on top of that, they were blood-bound, and could not be taken by force from their chosen wielder, only passed to one deemed - by wielder and artifacts - as a worthy heir.  On top of that, he could see the Resonance Reaction beginning as the artifacts fed their energies into each other, drastically amplifying their power.  When he saw them sync completely with each other and the pony holding them, he began to back up nervously.

"Oh, don't go on my account," Coco offered teasingly as she gathered the magic.  "The night's still young..."





Officer Crumb Key was a slightly overweight unicorn stallion, his dark brown coat graying at the roots, his mane and tail long turned silver.  His handcuff Cutie Mark had sent him into law enforcement, where he dedicated himself to cleaning the streets of Manehatten and protecting the citizenry from the dangers of street toughs, gangs, and the ever present wheelers and dealers that sought to take advantage of the innocent.

...nopony on the force or the streets had the heart to tell him the only place Manehatten saw such things was in plays put on by the street theater.  Besides, he was a genuinely good soul who did do good for everyone and had a record of reuniting lost foals with their parents, and everypony hoped he would distinguish himself enough to make Desk Sergeant before he killed himself trying to walk his beat.

As such, he was unsurprised when a Cooper mask fluttered down towards him as he walked his beat.  Catching it in his magic, he turned into a nearby alleyway.  "What have ye got for me tonight, Miss Cooper?" he asked calmly.  All his instincts told him the masked mare was most definitely a thief...but those same instincts also told him she was good for the community.

'Miss Cooper' - as he knew her - hung upside down from the base of her cane, which was hooked on a few power lines.  Below her, a crimson centaur was bound and gagged, unable to move or speak and looking like he'd just been put through the wringer.  "I found out who's been stealing magic around town," she offered readily.  "Seems he was ready to start stealing it from ponies tonight.  He called himself Lord Tirek, so he probably has a rap sheet."

Crumb Key doffed his hat in respect.  "I'll just take this feller in.  Though if he's as dangerous as all that, there's probably a reward fer his capture."

"You know where to send it if there is," 'Miss Cooper' offered warmly.  "Pleasure seeing you again."  With that, she raced up her cane and vanished.

Officer Crumb Key whistled jauntily as he dragged the recumbent figure off to jail...and eventually to Tartarus via Royal Guard escort.  Sergeant Crumb Key then happily sent on the reward to the account he'd sent previous rewards to.  He knew that money would go to a good cause.





'Miss Cooper' dropped easily down in front of the orphanage, startling the matron as she appeared.  "Oh, Miss Cooper!  I wish you wouldn't do that.  I'm not as young as I used to be."

"Oh, you're fine," Coco teased playfully.  "How are the youngsters?"

"Doing much better, I admit," the matron allowed as she looked over the recent repairs she'd been able to afford before turning her eyes to where new blankets and tables filled the halls.  "I don't know how you're making that money to help us...and I'm not sure I want to."

"Nothing immoral, I assure you," Coco promised.  "My family just prefers our...anonymity."  She glanced in at the orphans within.

Each of them was a perfectly healthy and happy child...but there was also something slightly off about each one.  Whether wings or horn were an off size, or the mane or coat wasn't growing in quite right, or they weren't ponies to begin with...this was where those orphans who didn't fit in at other orphanages wound up, and - unfortunately - were rarely adopted from.  It also got the tail end of funding from the city as a result.  Because of this, Coco and the rest of her family had decided to do what they could to improve things there, and was thus one of the primary places they funneled any excess 'loot' from their heists on worse criminals to.  This particular donation ought to keep things stable for quite some time, and might even make it so the children could have a few luxuries.

As she looked, however, her eyes caught on one particular orphan.  Seeing her gaze, the matron smiled sadly.  "Ah, that's poor Guila," she offered softly.  "She's a demi-gryph.  Er, that's what the griffons call it when the kid isn't quite a griffon, whether the parts are backwards or...aren't quite a bird of prey and feline in nature.  They...aren't really accepted in griffon culture, and...so young, she wound up here.  I...don't think she'll do well, though.  Already she's been given the nickname 'Guila Monster' by the others..."

"I personally think Guila Cooper would be a much better name for her," Coco mused softly.  It was the only thing she could think to say as she stared at the little child...front half owl, hind half raccoon.

"Oh...are you sure?" the matron gasped in delight.  "To get her a real home..."

Guila turned towards Coco, and she saw how the feathers around her eyes were darker than those around them, forming a natural mask.  "Yes," Coco said firmly.  "She's definitely a Cooper."





Somehow I know she's yours, Klaw.  Yours and Cara's.  She found her way here...here to me.  And I'll take care of her, raise her as my own.  She will learn what it means to be a Cooper, and the history and stories that comes with.  And when she's old enough to understand...I'll tell her your story.

And when she's ready, she'll add her own story to this book.  The book that is my Cooper record, for the family I start in this, my homeworld.

Finishing her entry, Coco closed the book at last, tucking Guila in as her family crowded around the little one, ready to give her all the family and rearing she needed.  Coco smiled as she looked from her to the book she'd closed...and the title across the front.

Thieviues Eques Raccoonus