I awake from my nightmare to the sounds of thunder and sit up, feeling how my sheets had become moist with sweat. I begin talking to myself aloud, as if I was talking to somepony else in the room.
"The same damn nightmare plays over and over in my head...It's actually a memory rather than a nightmare though...I repeatedly see my mother being murdered, and how I was a helpless little filly...I wish i could have done something...anything."
Tears begin to roll down my cheeks as I continue to talk, sniffling between every other sentence.
"What kind of hell has this city become! What kind of demons do we harbor here! Why didn't anyone help her!"
Now fully sobbing, I curl up in a protective ball and listen to the sounds of the rain as it hits my window. After a few moments, I begin to calm down and ponder about my society. This city can not live on its own...It needs somepony to help...Somepony to protect those who can not protect themselves...As a flash of lightning lights up my room I see the picture of my mother that I keep on my night-table. She is dressed in a beautiful scarlet gown and has a red rose between her teeth.
"Red...Scarlet...Flower?...No...Rose...Scarlet Rose," I mutter.
That's it...A secret identity...Scarlet Rose...This city needs somepony to protect it...And that somepony is me. I am Scarlet Rose, and I will protect this city...because this is my city. But in order to become infamous among the low life criminals, I will need a costume. I trot over to my closet and pull out anything red. I pilled up dresses, shirts, saddles, hoofings, socks, and a few other things. Sorting through the pile of what seemed to be fifty shades of red, I found something...Something amazing...It was the dress that my mother had worn in the picture...It was the perfect color and fabric for my 'tenue' or outfit. I start cutting, sewing, and hemming. Within three hours I had made a perfect disguise for myself...A beautiful hooded cape that would cover my horn, eyes and flank but leave my muzzle and hooves exposed. To remedy the hoof problem, I stitched a pair of red socks for my hooves, which kept my hooves not only warm but silent when galloping about. I did however leave my muzzle uncovered because it was a great aesthetic element. I donned my crimson disguise and put on my saddle bag, which was full of rations for long nights, a small knife, a portable camera just in case I need to take pictures of something, and the most important items: my calling card, or signature if you will. Each card reads:
Ring-a-round the rosie, A pocket full of posies, Ashes! Ashes! You fell down!
~The Crimson Rose XOXO
In addition to leaving my card, I will leave rose petals in the pockets of the criminals. If this doesn't send a message across Cantermane...Nothing will...
Chapter One: Ring-A-Round The Rosie
I set off, out into the dim lit streets, looking to make my first move...My gambit. I jump between roof tops, and gallop down streets and alleys, stopping every now and then to snack on a carrot or apple that I had stuck into my bag. I begin to walk down Whiny Way when I hear a high pitched yell for help coming from a nearby alley. Galloping over to it, I hear two colts talking, and laughing at the poor old mare they had mugged.
"Haha. Dis ol'nag has lots of goods in ere eh?," One of the colts said with a hardy laugh.
"Drop the saddle bag, boys!," I shout.
"Eh...whose da looza in red socks? Heys you missy! We ain't got nutin to fear. Why dun you go take your little pretty costume back home and wes forget bout all dis ruckus eh?"
"You boys have one last chance...Unless you really want to be pushing up roses."
The two colts throw the bag down and begin to walk towards me.
"Chu just don't get it, do you?," They sneer as they pull small knives out of their saddle bags.
"Aww. You boys want to dance with little ol'me? Then let's dance!"
I charge into one of the colts, knocking him backwards. This caught the other off guard, allowing me to give him a good kick in the side.
"Here's a little present for you two," I say softly as i pull out one of my calling cards and lay it next to one of them.
I then pull out a hoof full of rose petals and put them in the jacket pocket of both the colts.
"Farewell. It was fun while it lasted. Oh, and miss...erm...mare, you better get outta here and call the cops to pick them up."
I trot off down the alley and make my way back to the building roof tops. I look back towards the direction I had came from to see a swarm of police ponies galloping down the street towards the alley where i had left the two colts. I make my way back to my cozy house thinking about my new identity...The city's new hope...Everypony's new hope...
Chapter Two: Enter The Don
I take off my socks, empty out my saddle bag and begin to talk aloud again,
"Tonight gave me an adrenaline rush. The fear of being killed, and the exhilarating thoughts of saving somepony single hoofedly...This is who I am now...And I like it..."
I sit down in my favorite chair and prop up my hooves.
"Nothing beats a nice cup of hot cider after a night like this," I mumble softly.
