Even with a new world and a new home, she still couldn't escape her past. No identification, birth certificate or social security meant no prospect for work or college. She kept lying to her friends and anyone who would ask for her future prospects, which would be going to a 'small college' upstate. In reality, her future was to survive in the streets. Panhandling was her new trade, asking the well-off and those who can afford to give her a twenty or forty. On good days, she had enough to spend the night in a cheap motel, away from the rapists and thieves that infested the homeless encampments of the city. The hotels were also literal lifesavers during the unforgiving winters, although there were the homeless shelters, but drugs and violence were common in those shelters, so Sunset never felt safe in them.

There was also the p-word in her mind. Prostitution was always in the back of her mind when it came to making a buck. She saw the many of them: worn, used, old-looking by the time they were in their thirties, dead by their forties if they were lucky. Even if that was the easiest way to make money, there was still pickpocketing, a craft she picked up by an older striped man by the name of "One-eyed Jones." When the going got tough, it was her trump card. She knew it would land her in jail or worse, but it was better than having sex with complete strangers for money.

Up until that one fateful day, she had one of the best pickpocketing techniques in the game, it wasn't a natural ability like most of the guys there; it was for her sheer determination to survive.

The job was normal: sized up her mark, a well-off man looking like he took the day off work and could afford to do so. his wallet was in his back pocket, ripe for the taking, and he looked easily distracted in the large marketplace. The wallet was connected to a chain, but it only meant the difference between a quarter of a second and a half second. It wasn't until she actually took the wallet is where she realized her mistake: he was too perfect of a target, he was a trap. He chased after Sunset Shimmer, who tried to elude her chaser, but somehow he knew her escape route, so much so she took the big risk of an improvised route, which went against her since she ended up cornered. He was tall, pale white skin and yellow hair. his eyes were as blue as the sky.

"You! You took my wallet!" he roared.

"I'm sorry! I'm living on the street and -"

"How did you take it without me knowing, it was tied to a chain, and how did you take it off without ripping it off?!" he questioned.

"What? I just-just know how, instinct."

"How did you know when to strike?!" he asked.

"What?!" Sunset asked, further confused by the line of questioning.

"Answer the fucking question!"

"I t-tailed you for a bit and waited for you to be distracted."

His anger turned into an evil grin.

"Well well. Impressive. Say, would you like to come with me?"

"Look, I might be in need of money, but I'm no prostitute," she replied.

He charged at her and pressed his body against her, pinning her against the rough brick wall. she was swinging, clawing, biting, trying to free herself of his mass. She didn't see the rag in his hand. He pressed the rag against her face, the second he did, Sunset began to feel woozy. She collapsed on the floor, as she began to pass out, he saw him cover her with cardboard that was stacked next to her.

"Now you stay right here while I get my car."

***

When she woke up, she found herself in an unfamiliar place. It was a massive living room, the sound of classical music was piped in through white speakers in each corner and was playing through the spacious mansion. Hardwood flooring, expensive decorative pieces, the works. She looked down to see she was stripped of her ragged street clothes, replaced with a new pair of jeans and plaid button-up shirt that felt expensive.

She also smelled the rich aroma of cooking food.

She went to investigate, passing through more art and pottery. Whoever lived in the mansion was loaded and was not humble about it. The man who drugged her was in the kitchen. His suit was replaced with a wifebeater and his slacks replaced with a new pair of jeans.

"Welcome back! Dinner will be ready soon,” he said, moving the stir fry around with a wooden spoon.

"Thanks! How was fucking me while I was unconscious?" Sunset growled.

"Sweetheart, I fuck models on the daily. No offense to you, but I can do better. I didn't want your dirty clothes ruining the mink couch. You're welcome for the new clothes and shower, by the way."

"Whatever, so why would someone with a job and apparently fucks supermodels when he pleases, drug, undress, and cloth a bum like me?"

He stifled a giggle. "Despite my appearance, I haven't had a job in four years."

Sunset took a seat on the stool, watching him slap rice from the rice cooker and the stir fry on their plates

"These days, I am something that might be your alley; Jewelry thief."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, as you can see, it's very lucrative," he said as he placed the plate in front of her. Sunset took the fork from the man and scarfed down the food as if her life depended on it, a fresh change to the five dollar burger combos she was accustomed to. he handed him the plate, which he just gave his plate hers and helped himself a new serving of food.

"Look, kid. I am looking for someone to continue the occupation. My lavish lifestyle can't continue forever, and you obviously don't have a name apparently."

"Sunset Shimmer. I'm not documented anywhere. I'm not from here."

"Exactly, untraceable, like most of the vagrants in the homeless district. there's no name to a face or a mailing address, or at least officially anyway. You can thieve like the best, and I think you would be someone I could train to pull million dollar heists. Of course, I take the lion's share, but you will have a free room, food, and spending cash. With the spending cash I'm talking about, you can do a few of them successfully and you can leave the business with enough money to never be in need again. What do you say?"

Sunset didn't even bat an eye, "I'm in, I have nowhere else to go."

Author's Note

I have a skype group for fans, writers, and editors. If you want to join the madness here is the link https://join.skype.com/MkJbzfI1D8o2