Magic Support
Ponies knew that the world was a strange and ever changing place, but there were still fundamental truths that every pony knew to be true. The sun rose every morning. The moon rose every night.
Lord High Tower's house was impregnable.
His guards were experienced professionals at the top of their field. His home was a bewildering maze of well lit passages and dead ends. He kept up to date with the latest advances in security technology.
Stratus bared his teeth in a savage grin in anticipation of the challenge.
Stratus was there for one simple reason. Lord High Tower had recently come into possession of a rare antique. A necklace, crafted in the ancient days of Equestria by the master unicorn smiths. The chain was made of the finest silver in the land, and the jewel was said to be a star brought down from the heavens by Luna herself. The piece was beyond priceless. It had been recovered on an archaeological dig sponsored by High Tower himself. The rumors were that he planned to make a gift of it to the princesses.
The pony who had hired the Thieves Guild disagreed with that plan.
Stratus sat in the shadows just outside of High Tower's estate. He timed his approach to coincide perfectly with the rotation of the guard, scaling the wall in mere moments and dropping to the other side. The main door was too heavily guarded to risk, but a smaller servant's entrance provided an enticing alternative. The rumors about the twisting corridors proved true, but so too did the floor plans he had copied from the royal archives.
Check Mate, Stratus and their newest companion, Brawn, had poured over the plans for hours the night before, successfully narrowing down the possible hiding places for the jewel. Stratus was forced to weave his way around patrols of guards for almost three hours as he searched each place. Each time, his search turned up nothing. Finally, he approached the last location.
It was at the top of a tower on the very edge of High Tower's mansion. Stratus crept up the stairs, winding his way to the top floor. Finally, he passed through a thick wooden door and into the upper chamber. Inside, he found his target. An ornate wooden chest pressed against the wall, concealed among another dozen of it's kind. But Stratus' keen eyes picked out the miniscule symbol carved onto the side, and his instincts told him that this was it.
He examined the lock carefully. It was complicated, no doubt, but still within his ability. With the care one might expect from a surgeon during an operation, he drew forth his lockpicks and inserted them into the lock.
The second they touched the chest, a small rune illuminated itself on the lid. Before Stratus had time to wonder what it was, a bolt of lightning shot out at him. Stratus yelped and threw himself to the ground. The electricity missed him, but passed close enough to cause his mane to stand on end. Stratus nervously threw a glance at the doorway. He craned his ears, but could hear no hoofbeats. For a moment, he thought his cry had gone unheard, but his hopes were dashed. The pounding of metal boots on the stairs filled the tower.
Stratus slammed the tower door shut, threw the bolt down, and turned back to the trapped chest. The time for subtlety was through. He seized a pry bar from his belt and wedged it into the crack of the lid. The hoofbeats from outside were drowned out by a banging upon the door. Stratus threw his weight upon the pry bar, only to jerk back from another bolt of lightning. This time he was less lucky, and a glancing strike from the lightning launched him across the room. He woozily struggled to regain his hooves, the room spinning about him. His head was filled with pounding- no, he realized, that was the pounding on the door.
The door broke in and the guards poured in after it. The door was blocked. Stratus realized that there was only one way out. He remembered the window was just a few feet behind him. He stepped back only to discover that the window was, in fact, less than an inch behind him. He stumbled over the lip and plummeted towards the ground.
In an act of pure desperation, Stratus spread his wings to slow his fall. His right wing quickly filled with air, but his left wing extended only a few inches at a crooked angle. A lance of pain shot through it as he went into a tailspin. Far below him, he could see a clump of swiftly approaching bushes. He leaned towards them, and whispered a quick prayer that his landing would be soft.
…
Check Mate looked up at the sound of his office door opening. Stratus slowly limped in. The pegasus was covered in small cuts and scrapes, and presented quite a miserable figure.
"I presume something went wrong." Stratus glared at Check Mate.
"What gave it away?" Stratus sank into a chair with a groan. He lay back and closed his eyes. Check Mate watched him for a moment.
"Are you forgetting something?" Stratus opened one eye in confusion. "The amulet?" Stratus closed his eye again.
"Couldn't get it."
"I am sorry, I must have misheard you. I specifically remember you giving yourself the title of 'best thief in Canterlot.' That was, of course, shortly before you promised me that you could steal anything."
"Look, there was magic there. Some weird zappy thing blasted me when I tried to open the chest. And then I fell out of a tower!"
"Oh dear, a weird zappy thing. That changes everything. I shall simply inform our client that the object he desires is impossible to obtain. While I am at it, how about I post an article in the paper requesting that all ponies remove magical defenses from their homes?" Stratus glared at Check Mate
"A little less sarcasm, a little more concern might be appreciated."
"Duly noted and ignored. Still, this is a problem we shall have to remedy. Neither of us has any knowledge of the arcane arts, and I feel confident Brawn is equally oblivious. We need some pony smart, good with spells, and not afraid to break the rules. Fortunately for us, I have found a pony who meets all those criteria." Stratus sat bolt upright.
"Whoa, whoa, hold up. You've been looking into some pony new to bring on?" Check Mate nodded. "And you didn't tell me? What happened to being partners?"
"I felt that you were already busy enough. I did not wish to distract you until I was certain of this course of action. If it would make you feel better, I have all the information about our candidate here. Would you care to hear it?" Stratus nodded. "Very well." Check Mate cleared his throat and lifted a folder. "Name, Light Show. Occupation, former professor of Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns. Current occupation, private researcher-"
"Back up a second there. 'Former' professor? Do we really want some pony who couldn't even hold up a teaching position?"
"The reason of his termination had less to do his abilities, and more to do with his violation of the school's code of ethics." Stratus raised an eyebrow.
"What did this guy do?"
"According to my reports, he was charged with inhumane experimentation. The specifics aren't listed, but it seems to be something to do with rabbits." There was silence from the chair. Check Mate looked over to see Stratus staring at him with wide eyes.
"WHY exactly are we looking at this guy?"
"He has extensive experience working around magic. He has no friends or relatives, and he comes from a modest background, meaning his financial outlook is growing increasingly desperate. He already broke one set of rules, and convincing him to break another should prove simple. He fits the criteria we need."
"And when he starts poisoning bunny rabbits in the basement?"
"We shall deal with that if it comes up. Now, would you care to meet him? Or would you rather continue to be foiled by 'weird zappy things'?" Stratus grumbled, then rose to his hooves.
"You and I are going to have a serious talk about our hiring criteria after this."
"I wait with bated breath. Now I suggest you make yourself presentable. I want to be gone in the next hour."
…
A few minutes later, the two ponies found themselves outside a modestly large home in the suburbs. The most distinguishing feature of the house was it's lack of remarkability. It could just as easily have belonged to a small middle class family as a powerful wizard.
"Are we sure this is the place?"
"Positive." Check Mate stepped up to the door and rang the bell. There was no sound of response from within. Stratus and Check Mate waited an entire minute before Check Mate rang the bell again. Again, they were met with silence.
"Oh, this is ridiculous," muttered Stratus. He pushed past Check Mate and repeatedly slammed his hoof against the door. As his hoof descended for the fourth strike, the door abruptly swung open. A young unicorn mare glared out from the other side. She appeared unfazed by Stratus' hoof coming just inches from striking her nose.
"Let's get things straight," she snapped. "We do not need a new set of encyclopedia's, we have no interest in hearing the good word of Celestia, and we already paid our bills this month. That cover it? Yes? In that case, get off the porch." With that, she slammed the door shut again. Stratus and Check Mate were too stunned to speak.
"Was... that wasn't the guy you were talking about, was it?" Stratus asked.
"No, Light Show is most certainly not a mare, nor is he that young. I believe that may be the apprentice my sources spoke of." Stratus turned back to the door and resumed his pounding. This time, however, the door staid resolutely shut.
"Okay, we tried the nice way, let's do this the hard way." Stratus whipped out a set of lockpicks and crouched down by the door. "Tell me if any pony is coming, would ya?"
"Stratus, this hardly seems wise," cautioned Check Mate. "Light Show is a highly experienced wizard, after all. It seems unreasonable to assume that his door would be unguarded against-" He was cut off as Stratus let out a yelp. A small bolt of lightning had discharged from the door and struck his hooves.
"Again!" The pegasus shouted. "Again with the zapping! Why are wizards obsessed with zapping!" The door opened again to reveal the mare.
"I thought I told you two to get out of here!" Her gaze drifted to the fallen lockpicks. "Oh, you've got to be kidding me. Did you seriously just try to break in? You two better shove off, or I'm calling the guards on you."
A voice came from somewhere back in the house. It was a deeper voice, obviously that of a stallion. "It is alright, Ms. Swirl. Please escort our guests to the study, I will meet them there."
"Are you sure, sir?" The mare called back. "They don't exactly seem trustworthy! Also, they did just try to break in! And they didn't even do a good job of that!"
"I do not pay you to question me, Ms. Swirl, I pay you to follow my instructions."
"You don't pay me at all, sir!"
"Bah! Just escort them to the study! And then go make some tea!" The mare rolled her eyes.
"Yes, sir," she called over her shoulder. She turned back to Stratus and Check Mate. "You two, come with me." She led them inside. They followed her to a large room, presumably the study. Every wall was covered in bookshelves, and a desk sat in the corner. In the opposite corner were a couple of cushy armchairs. A roaring fireplace kept the room pleasantly warm.
"Just wait here, Light Show will be in shortly." She turned to leave.
"Wait, can I get something for my hooves?" The mare glanced back at Stratus, who held up his hooves to show electrical burns.
"Sorry, I don't have anything that can cure stupidity," she responded with a phony smile and walked out. Stratus glared after her.
"Freaking sarcastic no good rotten-" his tirade cut out abruptly as a small bottle flew through the door and smacked him in the head.
"Put some of that ointment on them, you'll be fine," came the mare's voice. Stratus glared in her direction, then smeared the substance over his hooves.
The two thieves sat in the study and waited. And waited. And then waited some more. Finally, their host entered the room.
Light Show appeared much the way they had expected. A unicorn just past middle age, the hint of gray just beginning to enter his blue coat. His smile was cold and hard.
"Do excuse the delay, I had experiments to perform which simply could not wait. I do hope you understand."
"Of course," responded Check Mate pleasantly. Stratus merely muttered something uncomplimentary under his breath.
"Wonderful! Now, as I understand it, you have something you eagerly wish to speak to me about?"
"Indeed we do. What we have to offer is a business proposition-"
"One moment," Light Show interjected. His horn lit up with magic, and the study door abruptly swung open. The mare from earlier stumbled through with a yelp. She clutched a tray of tea with her magic, which she just managed to keep from dropping. She regained her balance and sheepishly glanced at Light Show.
"Your tea is ready, sir," she said with a forced grin. Light Show stared back impassively.
"Ms. Swirl, what have I told you about lying?" The mare's face fell.
"Sorry, sir."
"Now, what were you doing?"
"Eavesdropping, sir." Light Show nodded.
"I thought as much. Well, seeing as your curiosity has clearly conquered you, I feel it would be best for you to remain." The mare's face lit up with a smile and she took a seat near the desk. Light Show took a sip of tea. "Please, continue," he gestured to Check Mate.
The guild master frowned. "What we have to say is a private matter. Do you trust your assistant?"
"Anything you have to say before me can be said before my apprentice. Now, if you would?" Light Show impatiently motioned Check Mate to go on. The earth pony shrugged.
"Very well. Let me begin with a question. Have things been difficult for you, cut off from your university the way you have been?"
"I have enough money saved to keep myself and my experiments going. I suppose that I have had a greater deal of difficulty in the acquisition of several rarer materials, but that is an obstacle I can overcome."
"Suppose it was no longer an obstacle." Light Show's face betrayed no flicker of emotion.
"I am listening."
"Suppose, if you would, that there were a certain group which could help you obtain whatever your experiments may require, as well as provide funding."
"I suppose I would like to know what this organization would require from me."
"The performance of certain services which may be deemed questionable, from a legal or ethical standpoint." Light Show nodded slowly.
"I believe I understand your meaning. Still, while I do experience the occasional hurdle, it is nothing I cannot overcome on my own. Why should I throw my lot in with you and risk punishment?"
"I understand your concerns," Check Mate responded. "It is true, you are capable of performing your research without any outside assistance. But we offer something much more than mere supplies. We offer something far greater-the chance at immortality. The chance to live forever in legend, not just as an above average magical researcher, but as one who defied an empire." The two ponies locked eyes for a few tense moments. Then, Light Show's mouth curved upwards into a smile.
"I believe your conditions are acceptable." Check Mate smiled back.
"Excellent. We already have a room set aside for your laboratory at our headquarters. We can arrange the transfer of your equipment later."
"That sounds acceptable."
"Then we have an arrangement." Check Mate rose from his chair. He began to walk towards the desk, then paused. He studied Light Show carefully for a moment, then turned to Stratus.
"Stratus, may I borrow that ointment for a moment?" Stratus cocked an eyebrow.
"Why? You didn't get zapped."
"Indulge me, if you would." With a shrug, Stratus handed over the tube. Check Mate accepted it and turned to Light Show. "Catch," he called out abruptly, and tossed the bottle underhand. The bottle flipped end over end and struck Light Show in the forehead. But rather than bouncing off, the bottle continued forwards, disappearing into Light Show. His forehead flickered for a few moments, then he vanished from sight.
Color Swirl frowned. "Ah, damn." She gave Check Mate a look of grudging admiration. "What gave it away?"
"The eyes. At several points in our conversation, his eyes remained motionless. It is true that some ponies have a closely guarded poker face, but none have that level of control." Stratus merely stared in confusion at the empty chair, then at Color Swirl, then at Check Mate.
"Wait, I'm confused. What is going on?" Check Mate gestured at Color Swirl.
"Stratus, it is my pleasure to introduce you to miss Color Swirl, who, in addition to being a lovely young mare, would seem to be one of the most talented illusionists I have ever met."
"Oh, stop, you'll make me blush." Color Swirl casually shifted to the chair behind the desk. She threw her rear hooves up onto the wooden surface and leaned back. "So tell me. Was that offer you just gave for 'Light Show' only? Or is Color Swirl good enough for you?"
"Are you still interested in our offer?" Color Swirl tilted her head and looked up. A smile played across her face.
"Yeah, I think I can work with you guys." Check Mate extended his hoof.
"In that case, Ms. Swirl, welcome to the Thieves Guild." Color Swirl shook it energetically.
"I promise, I won't let you down."
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Hmm, so a thieves guild... I would be correct in assuming they aren't going to be generally interested in jobs that would bring down the wrath of the princesses or carry out the sort of thefts that would create instability that make their jobs harder and less profitable?
9786644
Not at the moment, they're not. But maybe in the future...
9786653
So smart criminals who might get less so in the future from overconfidence or getting too greedy causing them problems that they created themselves?
This is going to be interesting.
Please do more! I don’t want a year to pass
9786750
Well, probably a bit, but more so that they don't plan to stay a 4 horseman team forever. They do plan to expand eventually, and take their criminal empire to the point where they are fully capable of dealing with the threat of the princesses.
I don't want to give spoilers, but let's just say that Check Mate already has a plan in motion that could take the Guild into direct confrontation with the princesses...