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// Prologue 
// Story: Scarlet Rose - The Mare Behind The Mask 
// by Skatter 
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	I awake from my nightmare to the sounds of thunder and sit up, feeling how my sheets had become moist with sweat. I begin talking to myself aloud, as if I was talking to somepony else in the room.

"The same damn nightmare plays over and over in my head...It's actually a memory rather than a nightmare though...I repeatedly see my mother being murdered, and how I was a helpless little filly...I wish i could have done something...anything."

Tears begin to roll down my cheeks as I continue to talk, sniffling between every other sentence.

"What kind of hell has this city become! What kind of demons do we harbor here! Why didn't anyone help her!"

Now fully sobbing, I curl up in a protective ball and listen to the sounds of the rain as it hits my window. After a few moments, I begin to calm down and ponder about my society. This city can not live on its own...It needs somepony to help...Somepony to protect those who can not protect themselves...As a flash of lightning lights up my room I see the picture of my mother that I keep on my night-table. She is dressed in a beautiful scarlet gown and has a red rose between her teeth.

"Red...Scarlet...Flower?...No...Rose...Scarlet Rose," I mutter.

That's it...A secret identity...Scarlet Rose...This city needs somepony to protect it...And that somepony is me. I am Scarlet Rose, and I will protect this city...because this is my city. But in order to become infamous among the low life criminals, I will need a costume. I trot over to my closet and pull out anything red. I pilled up dresses, shirts, saddles, hoofings, socks, and a few other things. Sorting through the pile of what seemed to be fifty shades of red, I found something...Something amazing...It was the dress that my mother had worn in the picture...It was the perfect color and fabric for my 'tenue' or outfit. I start cutting, sewing, and hemming. Within three hours I had made a perfect disguise for myself...A beautiful hooded cape that would cover my horn, eyes and flank but leave my muzzle and hooves exposed. To remedy the hoof problem, I stitched a pair of red socks for my hooves, which kept my hooves not only warm but silent when galloping about. I did however leave my muzzle uncovered because it was a great aesthetic element. I donned my crimson disguise and put on my saddle bag, which was full of rations for long nights, a small knife, a portable camera just in case I need to take pictures of something, and the most important items: my calling card, or signature if you will. Each card reads:

Ring-a-round the rosie, A pocket full of posies, Ashes! Ashes! You fell down!

~The Crimson Rose XOXO

In addition to leaving my card, I will leave rose petals in the pockets of the criminals. If this doesn't send a message across Cantermane...Nothing will...