Scootaloo came to the cutie mark crusader headquarters with a book in her saddle bag. "Hey, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle, I've got a great idea how to get our cutie marks!" she said excitedly.
"It's not a book reading cutie mark is it?" asked Sweetie Belle with an annoyed tone.
"No! It's in this book, it's a game you can play with your friends using your imagination," said Scootaloo reassuringly.
"So we're going to have imaginary cutie marks?" asked Apple Bloom confused.
"Trust me on this would you? So anyway, the game is called Clops & Mobsters," said Scootaloo with enthusiasm.
"Clops & Mobsters? I've played that game before," said Babs Seed confidently as she made her way into the clubhouse.
"So what kind of game is it?" asked Apple Bloom curiously.
"It's a game you play with two group of ponies. One group is the mobsters and the other are the cloppers," said Babs Seed.
"Wow! You played this before Babs?" asked Scootaloo impressed.
"Of course! It's real popular in Manehattan, and I was always the leader of the mobsters. My mob nickname was Babsy 'The Babs' Face," said Babs confidently.
"So do we all get funny names like that?" asked Apple Bloom amused.
"Of course, yours can be Apple 'The Big Bang' Boom, Sweetie's can be Sweetie 'The Pulverizer' Belabor, and Scootaloo's can be 'Trigger Happy' Shootaloo," suggested Babs.
"What are cloppers and mobsters anyway?" asked Sweetie Belle inquisitively.
"Oh, I know that one! The cloppers are the good group, and the mobsters are the bad group!" said Scootaloo confidently.
"That's right Scootaloo, but there's only four of us here though. We need two more for the mobsters and two to be the clops," said Babs.
"Well, we know some other ponies but we don't know if they will want to play," said Sweetie Belle.
"Yeah, there is Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon, and then there are Snips and Snails. We might be able to get them to agree though," said Scootaloo.
"Well, alright then let's go find them! I'll explain the rest of the game once we're grouped up," said Babs with some excitement.
"I don't think Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon will care about playing some game. But, if they get to be bad for the fun of it though they might play along," said Apple Bloom with a giggle.
"You mean they don't do that already?" said Sweetie Belle sarcastically, the group of friends laughed in response.
"Come on let's go find them, I wonder what a cutie mark for playing games looks like?" asked Scootaloo as she trotted out of the clubhouse.
"It's just a game, I wouldn't count on getting a cutie mark for using your imagination," said Babs, who followed behind Scootaloo. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle soon followed close behind Babs. The group trotted together along the path to Ponyville, the kept an eye out for the four they were looking for.
"There's two of them!" shouted Scootaloo who pointed out Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon who exited from Sugarcube Corner.
Scootaloo ran up to them: "Hey Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon, do you two want to play a game?" she asked enthusiastically.
"As if! Why would we waste our time playing some silly game with you?" replied Diamond Tiara annoyed.
"Because it's a cool game where you get to be bad for fun and not get in trouble for it," said Babs as she came up next to Scootaloo.
"Did you say we can be bad for fun and not get in trouble for it?" asked Silver Spoon intrigued.
"That's right, and the six of us are going to play a group of mobsters. We have to find Snips and Snails and get them to play the cloppers," said Babs.
"Well, now you've got my attention. I know exactly how to get those two to play," said Diamond Tiara with interest before she shouted. "Snips, Snails! Get over here!" Sure enough, both Snips and Snails ran quickly over to Diamond Tiara.
"You called?" asked Snails curiously.
"How can we help?" asked Snips.
"You two are going to be the cloppers in our game, got it?" stated Diamond Tiara assertively.
"Um question, what game and what are cloppers?" asked Snails inquisitively.
"Don't worry I'll explain everything. The game is called Clops & Mobsters; one group will play the mobsters who commit crimes and try to get away with them. The Cloppers uphold the law and try to catch the mobsters to put them in jail," said Babs confidently.
"Do we get cool hats?" asked Snips.
"That is a good idea actually. Sweetie Belle, do you think Rarity will have some fedoras for these two and some homburgs for us?" asked Babs curiously.
"I'm not sure, but she does have all kinds of hats and stuff. I'm sure if I ask her nicely she'll loan us some to wear for our game," said Sweetie Belle, who turned and trotted off quickly towards Rarity's boutique. Once there, Sweetie Belle rushed through the door to find her sister. "Rarity do you happen to have some fedoras and homburgs laying around?" she asked.
"Why Sweetie Belle I'm surprised you know what those are! Whatever do you need such hats for?" asked Rarity curiously.
"We need it for a game we're playing, so we're going to wear them of course," said Sweetie Belle.
"Well, help yourself! I'm glad you and your little friends have taken such an interest in stylish hats. There's some in the fitting room with the others hats, just don't make a mess darling," said Rarity perkily.
"Ok, thanks!" said Sweetie Belle as she ran into the fitting and quickly got the hats off the hanger to put them in a saddlebag, and accidentally knocked it over in the process which caused a domino effect. Other hangars with hats and clothes fell over and made a mess. "Oops…" said Sweetie Belle before she dashed out of the boutique.
"Sweetie Belle!" shouted Rarity angrily.
Sweetie Belle ran as quickly as she could while she carried the saddlebag full of hats. When she finally got back to the group, she sat the bag down onto the ground. "I brought the hats! Though Rarity is going to kill me because I made a mess accidentally and didn't clean it up," said Sweetie Belle.
"Heh well sounds like you started playing already Sweetie Belle. Let's take a look at the hats," said Babs and looked through the hats in the bag, then picked out a black striped homburg. "Nice! Your sister makes some good looking hats Sweetie Belle," she said, then placed the hat on her head.
"So you told us about your nicknames, what are ours?" asked Silver Spoon inquisitively.
"Oh yeah, I figure Diamond Tiara can be Diamond 'Sticky Hooves' Heist, and you can be Silver 'The Undertaker' Shovel. As for Snips and Snails you two can be Clean Cut and Dallier Sluggard," suggests Babs.
"Diamond Heist? I like the sound of that," said Diamond Tiara, who picked out a white homburg, then put her tiara on it before she put it on her head. "Look at that, my tiara fits around it! I can wear two pieces of stylish headwear at once!" she announced proudly. The rest of the group picked out their hats: Sweetie Belle picked a gray one, Apple Bloom picked a brown one, Scootaloo picked a purple ones and Silver Spoon picked a blue one. As for Snips and Snails, they picked out matching black fedoras.
"Alright is everypony ready to start?" asked Babs.
"Yeah!" replied everypony in the group in unison.
"Ok remember, the cloppers only get colt pistols as weapons. The mobsters can use the tommy gun, shotgun, magnum and assorted melee weapons," said Babs.
"Isn't it kind of ironic for colts to use colts as weapons?" asked Snails who snorted at his own joke.
"Duh, its supposed to be fun and silly. Now let's get playing!" announced Babs. Snips and Snails ran off together to find themselves someplace to use as a police office. They decided to use Twilight's Library and once there the two began to use their imaginations. The two pictured themselves together in a detective's office.
"Detective Clean Cut, what did you find out about those filly gangsters?" asked Dallier Sluggard, who now wore a black suit and black tie to match his hat.
"I got a lead on the cutie mark criminals' next job, Dallier. They're about to hit the Corner Shop and rob it of its goods!" announced Clean Cut, who was wore a gray suit and tie.
"The Corner Shop?! Those criminals are greedy, but we've got a lead on them, and we're going to corner them at the Corner!" said Dallier confidently.
"Wow, that's a good one Snail…I mean uh Dallier. Let's get our guns and go after them!" said Clean Cut. Before the two could leave though they were lady Rarity entered, who to them was in a dress and matching feather hat. Though she just wore the feather hat.
"M'lady Rarity, how may we be of assistance?" said Dallier, who tipped his fedora in respect.
"I'm looking for Sweetie Belle; she made a mess and I want her captured so she can clean it up!" announced Rarity angrily.
"You mean Sweetie 'The Pulverizer' Belabor? She and the criminals are going to rob the Corner Shop," said Clean Cut.
"Well, I want her brought to me and if you two do so, there's a reward for it. You get to keep those hats," said Rarity calmly with a smile.
"Wow really!? I mean uh, certainly lady Rarity we will apprehend Sweetie Belabor for you," said Dallier confidently.
"I'll meet you two there then," said Rarity with a smile, and then she turned to leave the office.
The two detectives grabbed their colt 45 and 38, and ran out of the police station to their car. Dallier got into the driver's seat, and Clean Cut got into the passenger's seat. Then Dallier started up the car, and turned the police siren on; then the two zoomed off down the street.
Ponies on the sidewalk watched as the police car flew down the highway. In reality though it was just ponies watched confused as Snips and Snails shuffled their hooves along the ground and made siren sounds as they went. Meanwhile, the cutie mark criminals were already at the Corner Shop. The group actually came through the open door of the Sugarcube Corner while Pinkie Pie was at work.
"Hey there fillies, what can I get you?" asked Pinkie Pie.
"Hoof over the goods!" said Babsy Face holding a stick in her leg that in their imaginative world was a magnum.
"What goods? The baked goods, the goodies, goodie gumdrops, goodie two hooves, or the goodie bags?" asked Pinkie with a smile.
"Pinkie we're playing pretend that we're robbing a store here. Just play along ok?" said Scootaloo.
"Ooohh pretend! Okay, I get it, I'll play along," said Pinkie, who went behind the counter and put on a mustache before she popped back up with her hooves raised. "Don't shoot! I'll give you the goods!" she announced panicked.
"Hoof them over, and no funny business!" said Diamond Heist, who went over with Silver Shovel and held out empty bags. Pinkie Pie quickly filled up the bags with assorted baked goods. Sweetie Belabor heard the noise of the siren as it got closer to the store.
"Cheese it, it the cloppers! Grab the goods and escape out the back, I'll hold them off!" announced Sweetie Belabor.
"If you're not out in five we're leaving, remember that!" shouted Babsy Face as the group took the bags of goods and ran out the back.
Dallier stopped the car in front of the Corner Shop. "We've got you surrounded! Put your hooves up and surrender!" shouted Dallier.
"You'll never take me alive cloppers!" shouted back Sweetie Belabor.
"Uh, but Dallier there's only two of us, how are we going to surround them?" asked Clean Cut.
"Don't worry rookie its just a ruse until our backup comes," said Dallier.
"Oh, I get it! You sure are smart Dallier," replied Clean Cut.
"This is your last chance, surrender or we will use force!" shouted Dallier again. The others had snuck out the back and made a run for it with the loot.
"Sweetie is going to be mad we left her," said Shootaloo.
"I told ya, if you get left behind then I'm not waiting for you," said Babsy Face firmly.
Back at the Corner Shop: "I'll never surrender!" shouted back Sweetie Belabor.
"Alright then we're going to send our backup in!" shouted Dallier, who turned to Rarity as she trotted up to the two of them. "We've got her cornered lady Rarity, she's all yours," said Dallier with a smirk.
"Thank you detectives," said Rarity before she cleared her throat. "Sweetie Belle you get out here right now! I told you not to leave a mess in the boutique!" she shouted angrily.
"Oh, come on! Rarity I'm in the middle of playing a game!" shouted back Sweetie Belle.
"You've got a mess to clean up, and I'm not taking no for an answer!" shouted Rarity.
"Sheesh! What are you my mom!?" replied Sweetie Belle in frustration as she came out of Sugarcube Corner.
"I asked for Sweetie Belle not Sassy Belle. Now come along you've got cleaning to do," said Rarity, who waited for Sweetie Belle to come then lead her off down the path towards the boutique.
"Looks like we got one of them in the slammer Dallier," said Clean Cut with a smile.
"Don't forget there's still five more of them rookie. They might try to spring her out too," warned Dallier.
"Yeah, you've got a point, we should head back and wait until they make their next move," suggested Clean Cut.
"I'm getting hungry anyway, besides my mom said she'll make us spaghetti for dinner," said Snails excitedly with a smile.
"Oh boy I love spaghetti! Let's go eat!" replied Snips happily, the two ponies ran off together towards Snail's house. Meanwhile, back at the cutie mark criminals headquarters, Babsy Face talked to the gang.
"Listen up, they got a hold of Sweetie Belabor. I don't want nopony going after her, they're bound to be expecting that," said Babsy.
"Why did we take a bunch of useless goods anyway?" asked Diamond Heist somewhat annoyed.
"Because we need this stuff for supplies. You think you got a better idea?" asked Babsy curiously.
"Well if I were the leader we would be robbing a jewelry store," suggested Diamond smugly.
"If you were the leader you would have gotten us all thrown in the slammer. We've got to be careful, and plan stuff out, you can't just rush into a store and start robbing," said Babsy slightly annoyed.
"Hmph! Well, Silver Shovel and I are going to sort through the loot in the back," announced Diamond, who gave Silver a nudge to follow her.
"Uh right, sort through the loot!" repeated Silver and gave Diamond a wink before she followed her into the back. Once the two of them were in the back room with the bags, Diamond searched through one of them.
"What a lousy leader, there has to be something useful in these bags of junk," said Diamond, who pulled out a jeweled butterfly knife. "Ooh, now we're talking! So sleek and innocent but sharp and dangerous! Just like me," said Diamond with a devious smile.
"And I found an actual silver shovel! Are you thinking what I'm thinking Diamond Heist?" said Silver, who also smiled deviously.
"I think so, it's time for a change in leadership. We will have to plan it out, but it involves me slicing their throat, and you burying them six feet under," suggested Diamond, who flicked the knife out of its holder with a smirk.
"Agreed," replied Silver, who smirked as well.
