The Shadows Of A Crusader's Heart

by scootaloo55

Chapter 1

Chapter 1
A key. Why was it always a key? I stared at the lock before me with great curiosity. It was different from other locks, that was true, but with a little concentration, I should be able to forge a key to unlock it. I pulled a lump of clay out of my satchel and began moulding it into the correct shape. An Alicorn paced around impatiently as I continued with the clay. “Look, I know you’re tryin’ to free them and all, but I feel really uneasy about this. What if we get caught?! What’ll we do then?!” As annoying as it was, he kept walking around in circles with a worried look on his face. I didn’t look up. “your point?” I answered in a muffled voice. he just looked at me In disbelief.

“My point?! My point is that if we get caught we could end up rotting in jail, or worse!”

“what’s so bad about rotting in jail?”

“you are unbelievable. How could you not be just a tiny bit stressed? CAUSE I AM!!!”

“Shut it. You’re just gunna draw attention to yourself.”

That made him stop. He may be stubborn, but he wasn’t stupid. Just a few more spikes and there! Finished! The key was absolutely perfect! “YES! WHO’S AWESOME?! I AM!” I yelled out in victory. When I heard hoofsteps galloping towards us, I only just realised what I had done. An armoured Pegasus guard grabbed the pale blue Alicorn and another grabbed me. I struggled under his grasp, I kicked, I attempted to fly, I had to get away before…

“Well, if it isn’t the elusive Scootaloo. You have been quite the problem. you have escaped from all the jail cells in Equestria and been seen thieving from more than three hundred expensive shops. What drove you to do this, I do not know but now that you have been successfully captured, I have a better imprisonment solution for you--”

I stared into the now cold, dark eyes of Princess Celestia. Fear boiled in me for the first time in years. For once I was afraid of her.

“--One thousand years imprisonment in the moon!”
Her horn glowed and my body started to disintegrate. I knew this was the end for me.

-------------------------------------------------- Two Weeks Earlier ------------------------------------------------

My hooves hit the ground hard as I ran. Shadows leapt off my every step and my ears flew back. I turned my head slightly and caught a glimpse of my partners in crime. They were running fast, but were they afraid? No. they were having fun We giggled as we ran. Adrenaline rushed through me as bounced away every time the lizard made a grab for me. With bags of jewels and other stolen goods slung over our flanks and big slimy, scaly dragons in hot pursuit, we smiled. I winked at the girls and they lied down on the ground and the peanut-brained dragons toppled right over them. Dirt kicked up from my hooves as I skidded to a stop. The two ponies got up and we ran back the way we came, Only hoof-prints were left in the dirt to prove our presence. We were the Cutiemark Crusaders, Applebloom, Sweetie Belle and the most Wanted of the group, the leader. Me, Scootaloo.

I felt hot breath on my neck. The lizards had awoken and they had followed us, angrier than before, and they were gaining on us. Their large muscular legs were much faster than our small delicate hooves. One of the creatures made an attack at Sweetie Belle and she closed her eyes and put a hoof to the large bleeding gash across her flank. her eyes opened and glowed red. I knew what was coming. I grabbed Applebloom and flew into the air to watch Sweetie smash those overgrown sewer lizards. Her horn glowed a sort-of purply-green and a huge tsunami came from the depths of the forest and circled around the unicorn . I gave an evil smile as she unleashed it’s full power. It Twisted and turned around the dragons before finally drowning them in the force of the waves. I dumped Applebloom gently on the ground and we ran into the Dragon’s cave to collect more gems and to just talk.

“what gem do ya’ll find more facinatin’?” Applebloom quired looking into the swirls of an opal. Sweetie was quick to answer. “Diamonds. They are a mare’s best friend, after all.” I thought for a little bit. That question had me thinking. I liked any gem that was valuble in any way. “I dunno… uhh…. Emeralds or Sapphires I guess.”

“Let’s see what we ended up getting.”

The three of us emptied out our satchels and looked at its contents. Sweetie had nabbed an expensive gold watch, a floral dress (which if you asked me, did not suit her at all) and an iphone. Applebloom grabbed a whole stack of cash and as for me, I got a whole bunch of food because I was hungry.

“Ooh, Sweetie that dress looks on yah.” Sweetie gave a show-offy twirl. “I know right?!” she said with sparkles in her eyes. I just coughed. “It looks good Scootaloo.” Applebloom said when she nudged me for being disrespectful. “Yeeeaaahhh….. I uhh just choked on my pie.” I really wanted to change the subject. “are you all ready for the heist tomorrow?”

“Of course!”

“As ready as ah’ll ever be Scoots!”

That was settled. After a good night’s rest, we were going to rob the most guarded secured jewellery store for the largest diamond ever mined in Equestria.

As soon as the sun rose the next morning I woke the girls. This was it. This moment would make us famous for sure. The jewellery store wasn’t far from where we were staying, probably a 5 minute trot at least. When we arrived at the shop, we noticed the doors were barred, the windows were double-barred and the whole place might as well be inaccessible. I gritted my teeth. There were guards everywhere. This wasn’t going to be easy. I paced around slightly. It took skill to get past all that security. There was only one possible way I could get in. there was a sewage pipe I could sneak through, but It would be messy. Very messy and Sweetie most likely won’t go willingly. I tried to handle this in a casual way. “Hey, Sweetie, since you are the best friend a gal could ever have and you—“

“I’m not going through the sewer.”

“What? How did you---“

“I am not going.”

I frowned. There was only one solution. “You distract then! ”She just raised an eyebrow and then sighed. “Fine.” Then she went to work her magic around those guards. Disguising herself, she ran up to the guards with panic in her eyes. “Halt!” I heard the guard shout. “P-please!” she pleaded with tears streaming down her face, “you just have t-to h-h-help me! My p-purse was stolen and it h-had my life savings in it!” a guard put his wing around her as she wailed like a three year old filly. “what did the thief look like?”

“ I-It was large… h-had scales… wings… I-it burnt my tail!” Sweetie’s magic was creating a beautiful illusion of a hurt mare with a charred tail and dress. Her hair was also a different colour. The guard looked serious. “we need all our men. Sounds like we have a dragon to punish!” all the guards saluted and ran after their leader. Sweetie smiled and trotted back to the bush we were hiding in. “Go!” she said. “this is your chance! I’ll keep watch.” We nodded and jumped down the slimy drain and plummeted into darkness.

The sewer was dark, damp and smelt absolutely vile. Each step I took made a slight squelching sound in the water. The quicker we got out of here the better. My mane was almost fully covered in some sort of disgusting green gunk by the time we got out and I looked at Applebloom who was attempting to brush it all off her crème coloured coat. She nodded towards a glass case in the distance and a large diamond, almost as big as an Ursaminor’s paw, glittered invitingly.
We tip-toed over to the large box and were about to open it when Applebloom stopped. “What’re you waiting for?!” I said impatiently.

“ah’m worried ‘bout Sweetie Belle. Ah’m gunna wait outside with her.”

“Okay… just make sure she’s alright.”

Applebloom nodded and swiftly left the way she came. It was all up to me. I carefully opened up the box and peeked inside. It was enormous and looked extremely heavy. How could I ever lug it out of here without being seen? I flapped my wings and took flight, perching the diamond between all four of my hooves. It weighed like, six hundred kilos! An alarm began to buzz and I realised I had triggered a trap. I quickly flew down the sewer and into the bush just as the guards came running.

“We got what we came for! Let’s go!” I said, but no-one was listening. No-one was there. “Sweetie? AB?” I instantly became worried and alert. “Ha ha reeeaaaalllyyy funny girls……” there was something I hadn’t noticed before. There was a slip of paper on the ground. Maybe they had left me a note. I dropped the gem and picked up the note.it was made of a strange kind of paper. It looked like an old sepia photo. I began to read it.

'You should never have left. We never fell for your friend’s stupid plea. We were here all along. Your friends tried, but failed in their mission. We weren’t idiots. We knew your plan. Your friends were caught and now Everypony is on the hunt for you. You won’t last one second without them by your side. Turn yourself in and nopony gets hurt. We may even let them go. It’s you we want, not them.'

Signed, The Equestrian Police Service.

I couldn’t believe it. A ransom note?! They were joking right? I mean, that is so old. Why didn’t they just leave me a text or email me? Whatever. I just left the jewel and flew off in search of my companions. But I wasn’t planning on turning myself in. no way. I was panning something much more…

Comments

[Immortal DJ Atom]

In the final sentence:

I was panning for something much more...

Gold?

Har har har. Joke.