What's Yours Is Mine

Chapter 8- Secrets of the Gods

Secret Script leaned casually against the building to his right as he watched the early commuters trot briskly to whatever task beckoned them, unbeknownst to the dark figure in the alleyway.

Secret was soon joined by another figure who contrasted him greatly. Golden Shine was wearing his usual attire with the addition of a golden-white cloak with a deep hood that just nearly glowed in the rising sun.

"You could be less obvious in your attire you know." Secret Script said on his usual soft breathy voice "You are a Guildmaster after all."

"I think this is a lot more intimidating and mysterious than those rags you call cloaks."

Secret shrugged "These are more subtle in their appearance" he said fiddling with the edge of his cloak as he did so.

"Well I'm not the one doing the subtle work now am I?"

"Mmmm, point to you I suppose."

"Good, now if your done commenting on my fashion sense. I have a job for you."

Secret's ears perked up from under his hood "Do you? Odd, you haven't given me an assignment in a few years."

Golden Shine snorted "Don't get used to it, I need you watching the grapevine most of the time but with Swift in Stalliongrad and Silver Lock still on his way from Trottingham. Your the only one left besides a drunk pickpocket, a thick-headed brute, and a prostitute."

Secret nodded "Fair, now what is the job?"

"Our favourite client has requested another specialty job, something about an amulet of some sort. He'll probably tell you more, meet him at his mansion on the master bedroom balcony about an hour from now."

"Will do." Secret said, already readying his wings to get to his destination.

"One more thing, instead of our usual rate I want you to request information instead. Question him on the nature of the recent interest in ancient artifacts and about that symbol on that letter Swift and Treasure found, the one about the orb."

"Do you think he will know anything?"

"Well it's worth a shot, he is a high-ranking aristocrat after all with a lot of resources. Assuming that symbol represents an organization, chances are they may have approached him."

"Sound logic, is that all?"

"Yes, now away with you before I summon the guards." In a moment the indigo Pegasus was gone in a few silent flaps of his wings, Golden Shine remained to watch the crowd idle about for a moment before he too disappeared in his own brand of golden sparks.

                                                                    ~~*~~

Fancy Pants adjusted his expensive ornate spectacles and studied the documents before him. The expeditions into Saddle Arabia had been costly in the extreme but one or two dig sites had paid off, they had sent reports detailing the ruins buried under the sand in that Celestia-forsaken country. He wondered if...

Fancy's thought train was derailed by a series of knocking at his door which was revealed to be his wife wearing one of her best pink sun hats and a fashionable scarf.

"I am just here to say goodbye love, I have a lunch date with my old friend Star Shine." Fluer De Lis said "We haven't seen each other in such a long time after all."

Fancy Pants nodded, looked back down at the documents. His wife didn't leave though, rather she approached his desk to where her presence could not be ignored.

"Dearest, you have been working so hard lately. Perhaps you should take a break? I worry that all this will drive you mad."

Fancy smiled at his wife "I appreciate you concern my love but this is simply too important to put off."

"Mmm, then promise me that after it is done. We will take a vacation." His wife said and Fancy Pants raised an eyebrow.

"A vacation?" He asked

"Yes, I've been growing tired off the noise and busyness of the city. Not that I won't miss it but I think a few weeks in a nice quiet place would be good for us." At the words of his wife Fancy smiled.

"Alright, after I'm done with my work we can take a vacation."

Fleur smiled and gently held her husbands face in her hooves "Au revoir, until then my love." She said in that special Prench accent that she reserved just for him, landing a kiss on his cheek.

"Have a good day, dearest." Fancy Pants replied and watched his wife go out the door.

"You should not lie to your wife you know." A voice spoke from behind Fancy, the aristocrat turned and spotted the shape of a stallion in the darkness where his wife could not have seen, he made out the vague shape of guild armour on the newcomer.

"You are not Swift Hoof." Fancy said.

"I am not." Secret Script stated "He is on an assignment in the north, so our mutual friend sent me in his stead"

"Very well, I suppose you wish to know the details of the job?"

Secret nodded "I do but my employer wishes for me to discuss the payment of the exchange." Fancy Pants raised an eyebrow at this.

"I am already prepared to pay the usual rate."

"I understand but we wish the payment to come in the form of information."

"Oh? Information about what?"

"Some of my colleagues turned up a few documents that we wish to have your input on, we can discuss this more after the job is done if you wish."

Fancy stroked his glossy moustache "Intriguing... Very well then, I will provide the relevant information upon the completion of our business."

Secret Script nodded "Good, now if you will just give me the details?..."

"Ah yes, well you see there's this amulet I've been admiring for a while..."

                                                                      ~~*~~

The Equestrian Royal Bank was the depository of choice for keeping ones wealth, with small interest rates and a high guarantee on security with state-of-the-art magical detectors and highly trained guards. The bank was popularly used by both the middle-class and the nobility.

Solar Comet walked purposefully towards the marble steps of the back, his heavy coat buttoned tight against the brisk autumn morning. Held closely to his chest was a tightly wrapped parcel with the artifact that his expedition into South Zebrica had turned up, strange was the feeling that he felt when he gazed upon the amulet. He had felt great desire towards it even though It lay in his hooves so Solar Comet immediately decided to place the amulet in his vault while he decided what to do with it.

As Solar Comet entered the bank a dark figure enraged on top of the bank, perched precariously on the end of one of the banks building many Alicorn-shaped gargoyles. Secret Script watched the stallion trot swiftly into the R.B.E before he disappeared, the Pegasus sat still in thought as the wind picked up his cloak and swirled it behind him.

Name: Solar Comet

Gender: Male

Occupation: Owns mildly successful architectural design company.

Values and Strengths: Greedy like all nobility but rather young and lacks ambitious drive, values strategic intelligence but lacks it.

His favourite food is the double hay burger from Donut Joe's, but won't admit it.

Secret blinked and the whispers faded before taking another breath and closing his eyes, concentrating.

Royal Bank of Equestria

Commissioned as the official bank of Equestria in 2035 AC. Magical detectors, Guards that are separate from the Royal Guard. Weakness....

None present.

"Except one." Secret said to himself and opened his eyes and looked behind him to where a Unicorn stallion stood, an open hatch to his left.

"The Ward's alerted me when you flew in, your lucky I was the one on duty." He said

Secret Script snorted "Luck has little to do with it, now I need you to get me inside."

The Stallion eyes widened considerably "Inside? As in... Inside the bank?"

"Of course I mean inside the bank." Secret said in a condescending voice.

"Uhh, I'm sorry friend but that's way above my pay grade. Although... You could raise my rate-" the corrupt guard didn't get to finish as in another moment Secret Script had run over and placed a dagger to the Stallions throat.

"Don't try to weasel more bits out of me." Secret said, his voice strangely lacking in anger

"Your going to get me as far as you can into this bank or I tell White Powder to cut you off."

The Guards eyes widened even further and one twitched with the tell-tale panic of an addict losing his nectar.

"Y-you wouldn't.." He said "I need that! Otherwise I get shivers and I'll get sick! I won't be able to do my job!"

"Then I suggest you do your real job and help me rob this bloody bank." Secret shoved the Guardspony away with surprising force and glared at his contact.

The Stallion gulped "F-fine, but I can only take you as far as secondary security. Past that your on your own."

"I will not be a problem, now let's go."

                                                                   ~~*~~

Arctic Hearth was a simple Stallion really, he wanted nothing past his humble little inn and desired no wife no mare to warm his bed. He had no dealings with any sort of criminal syndicate or drug traffickers, he offered soft beds for travellers and hardy drink for workers.

So naturally two Guildmembers ravaging each other in one of the top floor rooms all night made him more than a little uncomfortable.

At first it hadn't been very noticeable, just the occasional bump or giggle. But after what Arctic guessed to be the fifth round one of them- he wasn't sure if it had been the mare or the stallion -decided to express their pleasure vocally and woke up both the innkeeper and quite a few tenants.

Complaints were made and excuses were crafted, eventually sometime after midnight the noises stopped and everypony was able to get some rest.

Unfortunately that was not the end of the plight of poor Arctic Hearth.

The newcomer had arrived in the young hours of the morning, Arctic had been brewing himself a strong cup of coffee when he heard the front door open. Putting on a friendly face he exited his small kitchen to greet the customer only to immediately feel uncomfortable again.

By her size Arctic guessed her to be a mare, most of her body was hidden by dark purple robes and a brown cloak with a deep hood. The cloak was coloured the shade of tree bark in the autumn and had dark swirling symbols etched into the fabric.

The stranger approached the counter and produced a simple-looking letter and placed it on the clean wooden surface, it was then that she spoke.

"Do not read the words in which you see, for secrecy in this matter is key." She said in an accented voice "And do not say anything by mouth, simply give the letter to the thief from the south." And then she left.

Arctic Hearth left the letter where the stranger had placed it, he also decided to drink his coffee black that morning.

Not far after the strange mare had left Arctic was joined by the resident male thief who to his credit seemed in a very good mood, in fact he seemed to be practically glowing. With a small smirk and a spring in his step the stallion made his way to the counter and sat down on one of the stools.

"Some strong coffee if you would my good stallion." The Guildmember said pleasantly, Arctic swiftly placed a mug in front of the thief and poured coffee into it. Swift Hoof took a generous swig from the mug and smacked his lips.

"Mmm, a good brew this. Much better than I could get back home."

Swallowing Arctic spoke cautiously "Where do you come from, if I may ask?"

"Down south." Swift said vaguely, not willing to give away his home town. A bead of sweat broke out on Arctic's brow but he forced himself not to show any facial signs, rather he picked up the letter and placed in front of the outlaw before silently slipping back into the kitchen.

Swift Hoof regarded the letter over his mug of coffee, he assumed it was meant for him but he couldn't fathom who would be writing. Goldy? No, he didn't like to make contact in the middle of a job unless it was an emergency.

Downing the rest of his coffee and immediately regretting that act as the hot liquid scalded his throat, coughing and choking slightly with his eyes watering Swift grasped for the letter and tore it open his nose beginning to run.

Come to me and you will see, for a small fee.

That the item you hold could be worth it's weight in gold.

My words you must follow, come to Silver's Hollow

Swift raised and eyebrow, his throat still hurt but at least his eyes and nose were done leaking. Logically this must have been from Goldy's contact, Swift pondered this while fiddling with his cup.

Arctic Hearth returned as Swift was stuffing the letter inside his cloak.

"More coffee?" Arctic asked.

"Sure." Swift said, still thinking. Arctic poured the black nectar yet again as the thief spoke again.

"Ever hear of a place called 'Silver's Hollow?'" Swift Hoof asked, Arctic raised his eyebrows.

"Yeah 'tis a large cave just south-east of here, wouldn't go there if I were you though."

"Oh? And why's that?" Swift asked, taking a sip of coffee.

Arctic Hearth shrugged "Folks say it's haunted."

                                                                     ~~*~~

Taxes, more taxes, even more taxes. Why was there so many taxes? And why did every farmer and his mother send in complaints about how they should be excepted from taxes because they provide food for the whole country?

Princess Celestia wondered these things and more as she shuffled the thick stack of papers to the left side of her desk and removed her golden spectacles, rubbing the bridge of her snout with her hooves, the door opened and her secretary stepped in.

"Another stack Celestia" Ink Well said, levitating the papers over to the Princess's desk the grey-coloured mare gave an apologetic smile. She knew how grinding the paperwork could be on Celestia.

"Thank you, Ink Well." Celestia said, her face still held in her hooves. The secretary left and Celestia was replacing her spectacles when she felt a familiar magical signature and a scrap of paper appeared before her in a quick flash of light purple.

Three dead.

House collapse.

Two Guildmembers.

Possible artifact.

Long-ranged teleportation impossible.

Shining Armour, his utilitarian script was unmistakable. Celestia didn't know what house he had been in or why two members of the Thieves Guild had been involved but she knew what she had to do.

Picking up a spare piece of parchment she wrote simply 'Don't Move.' And magicked the thing away to her former captain

"Ink Well." Celestia called, the secretary appearing in an instant.

"Yes Princess?"

"Send word for my sister to meet me in the ritual room, tell her it's urgent. Shining Armour requires our rescue."