Chasing Thieves

by Yukito

2 - The New Foe, the FBI

“I was certain! I’m never wrong! There’s nobody else it could possibly be!” Sunset Shimmer grabbed her notepad and threw it against the wall, scattering its pages across the floor. “It must be a trick! Or an apprentice! Or maybe a twin!” Sunset groaned and sat down on her bed, clutching her forehead. “No, that’s ridiculous. Come on, Sunset, you have to think rationally here.”

Sunset’s laptop began to beep, indicating that it needed to be charged. Sunset Shimmer glanced over before looking around for her charger. “Where did I put that? Ah, it’s here.” Sunset Shimmer leaned down to pick up her charger, plugged it into the machine and flicked it on. As she checked the battery metre, something else caught her eye. A message from Rainbow Dash, with the subject ‘new kaitou moon heist’. Sunset opened the email and read it.

“… I guess I’ll just have to ask her myself,” Sunset said to herself with a grin. “And this time, I’ll unmask her for all to see!”

---

Shining Armor stood outside of the gates to the Rich manor, accompanied by a team of five other agents, keeping an eye out for suspicious individuals. As he heard the sounds of the gates opening behind him, Shining Armor turned around to find Chrysalis and Gild approaching him. “How’s it look?”

“The fool won’t let us take the jewel into protective custody,” Chrysalis said with an exasperated sigh and a shrug of her shoulders. “Some nonsense of how it has ‘sentimental value’.”

“It’s gonna be hard to post guards around the whole manor, and we can’t cramp in one room ‘cause it’d only take one tear gas canister to take ‘em all out,” Gilda reported. “We’re also havin’ trouble evaccing the residents ‘cause of the guy’s bratty kid! If I still had my nightstick…”

“We could demote you back to security, if you’re unhappy with your new position,” Chrysalis suggested with a smirk, earning a scowl from the new agent.

“We’ll just have to move the jewel away from their bedrooms,” Shining Armor said, getting in-between the two women before one tore out the other’s throat. “What about the security system? Is he allowing us full use of his monitors to keep constant watch of his manor?”

“Everything but his daughter’s room,” Chrysalis answered. “He said he’ll keep her in her room until the heist is over. From the shouting and screaming I don’t gather she was very happy about that.”

“I want to go in with as few agents as possible.” Shining Armor tuned to Gilda. “As you said, too many people in such a cramped space will only cause chaos. I want the rest of our agents watching from a secure location, ready to move out at a moment’s notice to pursue the thief. Has our other request been accepted?”

Gilda shook her head. “They’re only gonna give us one sniper on this, since it isn’t a high-value target in the Bureau’s eyes.”

Shining Armor huffed and crossed his arms, tapping his foot as he ran the information through his mind. “Alright, I want him armed with a tranquilizer round and positioned somewhere where he’ll be hidden and given a full view of the rooftop.”

“Captain Armor!” The group turned to the agent calling out to them. “We found somebody sneaking around the gardens!”

“Let go of me! I swear I will-”

Shining and Chrysalis’ eyes widened. The agent dragged the intruder before them – a young girl with flame-coloured hair, wearing a black jacket over an orange shirt and a pair of blue jeans. “S-Sunset Shimmer?!”

Sunset gasped, and pulled her wrist free of her captor’s grasp. “What are you two doing here?!”

“What do you think?” Shining replied, motioning for the agent standing behind Sunset to be at ease. “This is our assignment. The question is why you’re here! Don’t tell me you’re trying to get Kaitou Moon’s autograph! You didn’t bring Twilight, did you?”

“Uh, Shining?” Chrysalis said, putting a hand on Shining Armor’s shoulder and pulling him back. “I don’t think that’s our Sunset.”

Sunset Shimmer took a step back, a mixed look of confusion and disgust on her face. “You can’t be serious. I’m a supporter of that thief?!”

Shining Armor gave a sigh of relief. “I think you’re right. But man, what’re the odds?”

“Hey, want me to get rid of her?” Gilda asked, cracking her fists as she approached Sunset Shimmer. She was stopped by an extended hand from Chrysalis.

“That’s fine. She’s a friend.”

“No. I’m not,” Sunset said with a glare. “Though it does seem we’re here for the same purpose.”

“Yes, and this is a job for the authorities,” Shining Armor said firmly. “You should go home and leave this to us.”

Sunset Shimmer scoffed. “I don’t think so. I have unfinished business with that thief, and I’m not leaving until I unmask her live on camera!”

“‘Her’?” Chrysalis asked. “You mean, you know Kaitou Moon’s identity?”

Sunset Shimmer folded her arms and turned away. “Perhaps.”

“Well which is it?” Gilda asked, clenching her hand into a fist. “If you’re withholdin’ information-”

“Easy,” Shining Armor cautioned. “Sunset, please, if you have any information at all, we need to know.”

“… All I can say is that the thief is a magician. Not magic like what you saw in Equestria. Smoke and mirrors, designed to fool you. Keep that in mind, and remember that conventional means of capturing her won’t work.”

Chrysalis put a hand to her chin. “A magician, hm? That would explain the ‘miracles’ I’ve heard so much about.”

“Whatever tricks the thief is using, we’ll see right through them through CCTV,” Shining Armor assured everyone.

“By the way, of all of the people who have tried to capture her, I’m the one who’s gotten closest,” Sunset revealed with a grin. “Because I’m a genius, simple tricks like that do not fool me.”

“Yet you didn’t catch her,” Chrysalis pointed out.

Sunset’s grin fell instantly. “Hmph! I simply did not have the manpower to subdue her all alone, that is all.”

“Then maybe we can help each other out,” Shining Armor suggested. “If what you say is true, then we could use your help as much as we could use yours.”

“Seriously?” Gilda asked. “What could this kid do that we couldn’t?!”

“Why not give her a test, then?” Chrysalis offered.

“Fine! If she can get that brat to stop screamin’ and stay in her room so we can focus on the mission, then she’s in!”

“I assume you’re referring to Diamond Tiara?” Sunset Shimmer took out her phone and pushed a few keys, before standing in silence for a minute. Her phone vibrated and she smiled. “There. Problem solved.”

Shining Armor raised an eyebrow. “What did you do?”

“I cut her a deal. She stays silent, and I’ll talk with her teachers into bumping up her grades.”

“… Well, a deal’s a deal,” Shining Armor said to Gilda, who simply huffed and stomped off away from the group in response.

Comments

[Emperor]

Sunset Shimmer's blackmailin' as usual, I guess? This time with DT and/or the teachers.

Also, I'm honestly a little surprised that, given Shiny or Cadance revealed in the last story that they know Sunset's human counterpart, that she didn't appear to track her down ever.