Swift walked down the busy streets of the Canterlot market hoping to find what he was looking for. Something sweet to bring back to his little sister, Tender Heart. She was his everything. He had cared for her ever since their parents were banished from Equestria for crimes against the crown. The kids were never told what those crimes were, but only that they couldn’t see their parents ever again. He would never forgive Celestia for what she had done to their family. She had caused endless sorrow for Swift and his little sister.
But all that was in the past now and Swift only cared about get food for his hungry sister.
Finally he spotted what he wanted. He crossed the street towards a stall whose keeper was making a deal with someone else. He stopped and looked at what the man had put out. Loafs of bread, baskets of a dozen different fruits piles of fresh vegetables. He picked up a loaf of bread and felt it for weight smelled it for freshness. It had been baked that morning. The merchant had finished his deal and was now focused on helping swift.
"Hello, what would you like to buy?" he asked
"Just looking for some fruit for a pie." Swift replied
"Well look no further for as you can see I've the widest and freshest fruit in all of Canterlot."
"Oh really?" Swift replied "Do you have any Everfree Forest Zap Apples?"
"Oh it's you one sec, I've got them in the back I'll grab'em."
The merchant went into a door behind his stall. Swift looked around the market to see if anyone was watching. He stuffed the bread under his shirt and was about to walk away when he heard someone yell thief. He turned around to see a girl about twenty pointing at him. Everyone in the market had turned to look and moments later he heard the sound of armor as the guards moved to apprehend Swift.
He turned a bolted down the street the guards close on his heels. He turned off into an alley and pressed up against the wall. The guards ran past.
Swift relaxed believing he had escaped arrest when two men easily older then Swift and much, much bigger came around the corner.
"We've been lookin for ya." the first and uglier one said in a heavy Manehatton accent.
"We saw what you did and we don’t like it." Said the other one.
"You see if we let ya get away with that, then we don’t get paid and we don’t like that. So now if you would be so kind as to call the guards over we won’t have to beat ya and leave ya for dead." The ugly ne threatened
"Well you see gentlemen that I have no stolen objects on me and there for could not have been the thief that you are looking for." Swift replied
"Don't be a smart ass with us boy we know what we saw." The slightly prettier one said
"Ok then, oh look at the time I have got to go. So how bought we forget this ever happened and move on with our lives." Swift turned and casually started walking out into the street.
When he made it out into the open he was surprised at how they had made no attempt to stop him. Then came the expected screams of stop and get back here from the hired thugs. Once again Swift bolted down the street into the crowds of people.
The thugs might have had the brain of fleas but they were fast on their feet. Well fast enough to out run him, which isn't saying much. They caught up with him in seconds and dragged him into an alley and threw him up against a brick wall.
"You shoulda known ya can’t out run us."
The ugly one punched him in the stomach and Swift coughed up
Some blood into his face. This was answered with a swift kick to the ribs, knocking the air out of Swift. He curled up in the ground and was kicked mercilessly by the men.
After they were satisfied with kicking the very literal crap out of Swift they pinned him to the walls and threw glass bottles at him. There were a lot of glass bottles. Next he was meet with an old chair. Swift was about to give when he heard something that he couldn't believe. The Scream of Tender Heart. He rolled over to see his little sister hiding behind the legs of Shadow Wings. He hadn't seen him in years ever since Tenders seventh birthday when he had said he was going to enlist in the Pegasus Flying Corps.
"I'll be taking him thank you gents." Shadow demanded.
"What? We were paid to make sure he don't steal nothin again and we intend to make sure he don't and we ain’t got any qu...qua...any problems with killiin civilians either." Said ugly
"Oh but I am no civilian, but this man is my friend and I would like for you to stop beating him and leave before I put both of you in intensive care." Said Shadow
"No." said one
And with that Shadow Wings jumped at the men. He lept up into the air and landed between the two men. They jumped back in surprise at this man's agility. The ugly one pulled out a knife and lunged at Shadow Wings. Shadow Wings dodge the knife and grabbed the man’s wrist. He twisted his wrist, making the thug drop the knife. Shadow kneed the man in the stomach making the man double over. He kneed the man in the face again sending him to ground crying most likely from many, many broken face bones. Shadow Wings then turned to the other who had pulled out his own knife and was standing, shifting his weight from one foot to the other waiting for the army special operations man to attack. Shadow picked up the knife on the ground and threw it at the man, it wasn’t balanced for throwing and fell short but the man was distracted and that was all Shadow needed. He lunged forward punching the man in the gut. The man fell to the ground coughing up blood.
“Well,” said Shadow Wing, wiping blood from his jacket. “That was not needed. How you doing old friend?”
“Well, all things considered, I would say pretty goddamn shitty.” Replied the near to death thief.
“I can tell’ you look like you were just lost a fight with a timber wolf.”
“I really hate you sometime. I hope you know that Shadow.”
“What? Leave for four years then come back feed your sister and save your life and this is the thanks I get? Maybe I should go to the castle and beg Shining Armor for some work?”
“Please don’t leave just yet uncle Shadow.” Tender Heart pleaded
“Ok, but just for you little one.” Shadow looked at Swift. “Come on let’s get those cuts looked at then how about lunch?”
“You know I can’t afford a doctor, or insurance, or medicine, right?” Asked Swift
“That is why, my sticky fingered friend, I am bringing you to the military hospital. I’ve got a friend there that will help you at no charge, to you at least.” Shadow Wing said.
He helped Swift up. he could barely stand and they continued out into the street and turned left.