Of Capes and Robbers

by Jet Kusanagi

Sunset Shimmer

“HEY! GET BACK 'ERE, YA SCOUNDREL!!”

Cloak Nefarious Dagger was running as fast as his skinny legs could carry him. This current customer was...less than satisfied to say the least.

It had been about six months since he had scammed Trixie Lulamoon. Since then, business had been even more successful for him than usual. So many more scoundrels and fools had crossed paths with him, all looking for quick disguises or quick fixes for all manner of things. Cloak had been raking in so much money over the course of the past few months, that he even contemplated quitting this business and moving someplace nicer. He laughed the idea off, realizing that he loved doing this far too much to stop. It was more than just a means to survive and put food in his mouth: it was a way of live. He felt more alive than ever when he ripped some poor, unsuspecting rube off from his or her hard-earned bits. There was a certain sense of accomplishment that he gained from this that he never experienced with any other job that he had ever held. The look on the faces of the ponies when they came back to the alley, realizing that they had been had, only to find that he was no longer there.

Cloak N. Dagger was a master of shadow magic. Shadow magic's strongest point is that it allows the caster to vanish in and out of shadows at will and move about them with ease. This is how he was able to get around Taraville with ease. It's also why he was so well suited to what he did and why his cutie mark was that of a black wraith.

And finally, it was why he thought little of trying to get another one over this seemingly old Earth pony that had walked by him. The ancient stallion had a thick, white beard growing from his chin. He had pointed out that it was a chilly night (which it was) and that the old pony might catch his death of pneumonia if he did not have something to cover himself with. He had sold him one of his cloaks for 20 bits, claiming that his supply was running low which was an outright lie. His supply never ran low. Begrudgingly, the old pony paid up and took the cloak and quickly covered himself. Cloak smiled his usual smile and backed away into the shadows, ready for the old pony to discover that the cloak was a fake. It was simply a magical construct that Cloak had created to last just long enough for him to make a sale. He had perfected this ability to better his profit margins even more about a month ago. So far, it had worked perfectly for him.

Until today.

Sure enough, the old pony found out that the cloak was fake and came running back to the alley, screaming bloody murder. Thinking that he was safe and out of sight, Cloak did not even bother trying to hide his laughter. Then, the old pony locked eyes with him.

Cloak's smile faded and so did his happy happy jokey joke time.

The old pony delivered a fierce right hook to his jaw, sending Cloak flying into the opposite wall. The impact nearly knocked him unconscious. He stood up gingerly, barely able to keep his eyes straight. This pony may have been old, but he certainly was no weakling. He tried to focus on disappearing, but he could not even focus on standing upright. The only thing he could think of to do was run. He knew it was foolish to try to outrun an Earth pony, even one as old as this one, but it was all he could do. With nothing on but the cloak on his back and his saddlebags of bits at his hips, he took off out of the alley down the cobblestone road.

And that was the situation Cloak was currently in. Running down a dimly lit street without magic from a crazed, old Earth pony.

Periodically, Cloak kept checking back to see if the Earth pony was still chasing him. Not only was he still on his tail, he was also gaining on him every time he looked back. Dear Celestia, Cloak thought. This jackflank isn't giving up!

Cloak suddenly came to the realization that he would not be able to keep up this pace. Pretty soon, he would not be able to run at all. He could feel his stamina failing and his muscles aching. Earth ponies were built for endurance and strength. Unicorns were built for intelligence and knowledge. He did not have the home field advantage in this situation. In a matter of minutes or even seconds, his legs would give out completely and the old pony would overtake him, beat him to death and more than likely kill him, or worse – take all of his bits.

Cloak realized that he wasn't watching where he was going and looked up, only to see too late the obstacle in his path.

BAM!

Cloak fell to the ground in a heap, landing on one of his saddlebags. The bits inside went spilling out across the street. He cursed aloud, but did not have time to pick them up.

“Watch where you're going, you idiot!”

All of a sudden, Cloak realized what...or who he had run into: it was another unicorn, a mare. She was tannish-yellow and had a bright red and yellow mane. She was standing over him, already recovered from the collision. She was looking down at him in anger and disgust. Cloak was a bit taken away by her striking beauty, before another voice reminded him of his current predicament.

“I GOT YA NOW, YA BLOODY CHEAT!!”

Cloak realized that he wasn't going to get away from this pony alone. He quickly turned to this mysterious and beautiful unicorn. “Please! You have to get me out of here!” His usual calm and raspy voice was now hysterical and panicked.

The unicorn made a face at him. “Why should I help you?”

For once, Cloak did not have a quick answer. “Just...just please! Out of the kindness of your heart, Miss!” He looked back. The Earth pony was so close now, he could almost hear his ragged breathing.

The unicorn was silent for a bit before she rolled her eyes and sighed. “Fine. I'm already behind schedule, anyways.” Her horn glowed and enveloped both of them in yellow light. Then, they were gone.

They reappeared on top of a building in the middle of the town. It took a while for Cloak to recover his breath. He looked around on the ground below. There was no sign of the old Earth pony. He heaved a heavy sigh of relief. Never had he been that close to death. That definitely was not the rush that he enjoyed.

“What was going on there?” the yellow unicorn asked.

Cloak had almost forgotten that she was there. For once, his smile was genuine. He crawled over the unicorn and started kissing her hooves. “Oh thank you so much, Miss. You saved my life!” He kept kissing her hooves, which clearly made her uncomfortable.

The unicorn looked entirely disgusted with this act of thankfulness. She stepped back. “You're...welcome,” she said. “You still didn't answer my question.”

Cloak had begun to regain some of his strength. “Just a...business disagreement,” he answered, standing up. “Umm...I'm sorry, I didn't get your name?”

“My name is Sunset,” she answered. “Sunset Shimmer. And I don't have time to talk to you.”

The unicorn's eyes widened. He knew he recognized this pony from somewhere. “You're...you're Celestia's old student!”

The unicorn turned around. “How would you know that?”

Cloak bowed to her. The name of Sunset Shimmer was legendary among the ne'er-do-wells in Equestria. She used to be mentored by none other than Princess Celestia herself, before her heart drove her to seek something greater. When Celestia would not give her the power she wanted, Sunset left for another world that would. What was she doing back in Equestria?

Cloak decided to play it cool. “Oh, everyone knows who you are, Sunset Shimmer,” he partially lied. The only way anyone in Equestria would know who Sunset Shimmer was would be if they actively searched for information about her. Most ponies did not even know Celestia had a student before Twilight Sparkle.

Sunset raised an eyebrow and then smiled. “Oh they do, do they? This might be easier than I thought.”

Cloak smiled and chuckled. “This wouldn't happen to have anything to do with the crown, now would it?”

Sunset clicked her tongue in annoyance. “You know a lot for a backwater peddler,” she said. It did not sound like much of a compliment.

Cloak shrugged. “It wasn't too hard to figure out, seeing as how there's a fake crown sticking out of your saddlebag.”

Sunset looked at her bag and cursed when she realized that the fake crown was sticking out in plain sight. She tucked it in and turned away. “I've wasted too much time here already.”

Cloak was not finished with her yet. He felt that he could get a little something more out of her. “How was it that you came by this place? It would appear that your destination would be to Ponyville or Canterlot. I know for a fact that Princess Twilight has never set a hoof in Taraville.”

“The portal was not properly aligned,” Sunset explained. “Instead of where I needed to go, it sent me to this stupid place.” She paused and looked at Cloak with disdain. “You clearly want something from me. What is it?”

She's astute, Cloak thought. At least moreso than Trixie. “It's more like...I have something to offer you.”

“What could you possibly have to offer me?”

Cloak smiled. She was eyeing the hook but not quite sure if she wanted the bait. “I was just thinking that if you are planning on stealing the crown of Princess Twilight, you would want to be a bit more...inconspicuous.”

“What are you talking about?”

Cloak acted as if what he was saying made him uncomfortable. “Well...your colors. Beautiful as they are, they are not quite what I covert thief needs.”

Sunset look at herself and smiled. “Quite the observation. What do you suggest I do about it: buy a cloak from you?”

She catches on quickly, Cloak thought. It made him a little uneasy, but he kept going. “It is for the best, Miss Sunset. After all, this is a matter of great importance, is it not? What is a few bits for the Element of Magic?”

Sunset chuckled. “You are a decent salespony. Fine, I'll take on of your cloaks. How much?”

“15 bits.”

Sunset raised an eyebrow. After a few seconds, she shrugged in resignation. “I suppose it's worth it. Deal.” She pulled the coins out of her bag and passed them over to Cloak.

Cloak was surprised that she had taken the deal so willingly. The cloak definitely was not worth 15 bits. Granted, he charged her far less than other ponies. Truth be told, he was a bit taken with her and did not wish to rob her too badly. He had one more actual cloak on his person besides the old, tattered one that he was wearing. He had decided to not to slip a fake one by her. Doing that had almost gotten him killed and his magic was not quite back yet.

She took the cloak and fastened it. “Hm, fine material,” Sunset commented.

“Only the best for my products,” Cloak said, lying again.

Sunset nodded and grinned. Then, she started laughing. It made Cloak very uncomfortable. “What's so funny?” he asked.

“You're too easy,” Sunset said in a deprecating manner. “You're not at all as smart as you think you are.”

Cloak was confused. “What on Earth-” Then he noticed that his right side was much lighter than it was before. He lifted his cloak and gasped. The last saddlebag of bits that he had was gone. “My money! It's gone!”

Sunset held up his missing saddlebag triumphantly. “Looks like I get this cloak for free,” she observed.

Cloak had never felt such a mixture of anger and confusion before. “How did...how did you...?” He could barely get the words out.

Sunset cackled again. “You think you're the only unicorn to master shadow magic? I perfected it when I was a foal!”

Cloak gritted his teeth. He roared and dove at her. Sunset grinned and teleported away with ease, causing him to dive into nothing but stone and dust.

Cloak yelled out in anger and smashed the ground in front of him. He had been outsmarted by that wrench. He had never been outsmarted by anyone before. Even without his magic, Cloak N. Dagger had always prided himself in being able to outwit his opponents in any situation. But this one time he had let his guard down, it had cost him dearly. He had over 500 bits in that bag. Seeing as how the other one had been spilled all over the street, he was now bitless.

“Oh how rude of me.”

Cloak gasped and turned around. It was Sunset Shimmer and she was smiling treacherously. “I can't leave you up here like this. That would be so inconsiderate. Here, let me help you!” She pushed him off of the edge of the roof with a kick.

Comments

[Starlight Nova]

Why does this have a gore tag, but not a dark tag?

[Jet Kusanagi]

4452927 Cause I don't think ahead that well.