The Obituaries

Scarlet turned away from the wanted posters on the wall of the bar. Sometimes just a description of her old gang members made her feel lonely, and even though she was a “hardened criminal” maybe a tiny bit sad. She shook her head, closing her eye briefly. A bar in the slums of canterlot was a dangerous place to shed a tear. If anypony found out they would beat the stuffing out of her. Not that they could, she thought a cruel smile curling her lip. She tightened her grip on her soft cider and wandered out into the flickering lamplight of the filthy bar. Two mares walked past, arguing about nothing. Two teenage colts hoofwrestled in the opposite corner, and at the nearest table two stallions conversed in low voices. Scarlet took a sip of her cider and inched closer, pricking her ears. “…Not there, he’s a tough guy. Know him personally.” Said the green one.

“Yeah, What about Prancer’s? We both know that he’s a….” the red one stopped suddenly. He tapped his partner on the shoulder and jerked his head behind them. Poo thought Scarlet. The two stallions turned quickly, giving her no time to slip away.

“Well, well, well. What do we have here?” The red one asked. Now that she could see their faces scarlet recognized them. Honey and Cream Cake, cousins of Carrot Cake. They definitely were cakes. But they saw their names as to girly so they preferred to go by Boom and Snag.

“Say girly, ya’ll didn’t hear anything we was sayin’? Did ya?” The green one (snag) asked her, trying to see through the quarter inch gap between her hat and the high collar of her trench coat.

“And if I did?” she answered coolly. By now a small crowd had gathered, all eager to see a fight. Seeing this, Boom pulled a switchblade out of his saddle bags.

“If you did we might have to, let’s say, shut you up.” He said. Scarlet chuckled slightly.

“And you think that you could? Do you even know who I am?” Boom just shrugged.

“Probably just some backyard, teenybopper, sideline squatter.” he said.

Scarlet smiled evilly. “Think again.” And she threw off her coat, tipping up her hat. A small yellow puddle began to grow from where Snag’s back leg was firmly planted.

“B-but, Your S-slick. Aren’t you supposed to be in prison?” he whimpered.

Scarlet took her hat off her head and stroked the brim, smiling. “Let’s just say that I can be very persuasive.” Then without warning she flung her hat at them. A razor sharp blade slid out along the brim. Boom and Snag ducked just in time. The deadly hat sailed behind them and, Scarlet holding her hoof out, caught it deftly.

Suddenly a muffled cry sounded from the street. Everypony froze. It was the royal guard. Some of the mares looked suspiciously at each other, each wondering, who was the snitch? This place was full of wanted criminals and nopony, and I mean Nopony, rats out another criminal. Because, they will get even.

Scarlet picked her coat of off the floor and tugged it on. She strode across the bar and pulled open the heavy wooden door. Outside there was a very interesting scene. Six unicorn guards chased a cloaked pony down the deserted street. One of the guards shot a jet of green magic at the cloaked pony. They dodged it and flew up into the crisp night air. An overhanging branch caught hold of the edge of the fabric and tore it off the pony’s back, to reveal a pure white Thestral with a ragged black mane. A small tear in the webbing of her wing stood out to Scarlet, as did the cutie mark. A dark green python wrapped around a depiction of the sun. Scarlet would know that mark anywhere. Monty.

Scarlet’s lip curled into a sneer and she narrowed her eye. Then she closed it and stamped her front hooved hard on the ground, loose dirt clouding up and around her hooves as she sent a spike of magic digging through the earth.

She willed the magic to flow towards Monty’s dirt covered hooves. Small specs of earth floated up and into Monty’s bulging saddle bags, from which a strong magical aura was emanating. She then sent an image of the contents into her mind. In the bags two sets of regalia gleamed. One gold and one black, both inlayed with colorful gemstones. Shocked, Scarlet stumbled and the connection broke. Well that explains the guards. She thought as she watched Monty fly away.

“Having fun?” She asked the wheezing guards.

“Buzz of scum.” One of them panted. Scarlet raised an eyebrow.

“There’s no need for that! Besides, I might be able to help you. See, I know the pony who stole the Elements of harmony.” The guards head snapped up at these words.

“How did you...”

“Know that the Elements were stolen? I have my ways.” Scarlet cut across.

“Who was it?” Another asked.

“A Thestral by the name of Monty.” They all shuddered. Scarlet cocked an eyebrow.

“I see that you’ve heard of her.” One of them began to nod.

“That crazy broad killed a lot of decent ponies. One of them was my pa. I was only 12 when it happened.”

Scarlet let a seed of sympathy grow inside her. “I know how ya feel. Killed my parents to. Almost killed me.”

A gleam of rage flashed in the guard’s eye. “I wish that I could be the one to get her, but, last time the Princess said that she already had somepony on the job. Looks like we’ll need them again.” He said.

Scarlet grinned behind her collar. “Well you better take me to Tia then.”

“What?! You mean…you…What?” He stammered.

“Yup.” Scarlet said, tipping her hat slightly. He squinted at her suspiciously for a moment, then he sighed.

“Ya’ll seem like a good pony so I guess I can let you see the princesses. Would ya mind showin’ us who ya are?” he asked.

“I’d rather stay anonymous.”

“Ok fine.” He said a slightly annoyed tinge to his voice.” He kicked one of his comrades in the side. They all reluctantly began to lift themselves to their hooves. When none of them were on the dusty ground, they began to trot up towards the castle.