Power Ponies: The Shadows of Power Collection

Twilight Sparkle awoke to find Spike laying down in the middle of the Library, his face still buried in a comic book.

“Spike?” Twilight let out an exhausted yawn.  “Did you ever go to sleep last night?”

“Yup!” Chirped Spike.   “I had Owlicious wake me up early so I could get a head start.”  Spike’s smile suddenly twisted into an annoyed stare.  “He was supposed to wake me up at six AM sharp, but apparently he decided to let me sleep in.”

The owl didn't make a sound; he simply turned his head and looked away.

“So what’s going on in the comic that made you want to get up so eairly?”  Twilight asked the eager little reader.

Spike’s enthusiastic grin returned. “What ISN’T going on?” He asked her.  “The shadows of power finally started making their moves.  First it was small recruitment jobs and infiltrations, but now they're started getting bolder.  In this issue they've started planning how they’re going to rob an art museum.”

“The art museum” echoed a confused Twilight.  “I thought they destroyed the art museum.”

Spike held up the comic to Twilight; practically shoving it into her face in the process.

“That was the Maretropolis Museum of Modern Art” he explained.  “This time they’re going after the Museum of Legendary Painters.”

“Oddly specific for a museum” Twilight criticized.

Spike shrugged.  Even for someone gifted in magic Twilight’s suspension of disbelief was never anything to write to a princess about.

Twilight shrugged.  “Alright you can read this one, but afterwards try and get some sleep.  Baby dragons need their rest.”

Spike grunted causing a small green flame to spark from his nose.

Anyone can make their mark.

They just need some ink and paper.

But like the paintings in this museum

Only some can truly be legends.

“Remind me again why we're stealing slash vandalizing this paint museum?”  Thunderstep impatiently tapped his hoof against the floor as the four villains and their leader discussed their next course of action.

“Because Madam Encre wants to send a message” answered the effigy.  “And frankly, I think it's a good one to send.”

“What's this have to do with the Power Ponies?” challenged Thunderstep.

“Nothing if we don't get caught.”  Answered Siren Silence.

“So now that we're all together we're just criminals?”  Thunderstep replied angrily.

“As long as society blindly follows their six gods we will be.” Encre huffed.

Thunderstep let out a dissapproving grunt.  “Yeah, well society is a bi-”

“-rd in a cage.  Waiting to be set free to see the truth.”  Terror Two-Hoof approached his new coworkers in crime having finished memorizing the layout of the building and marking off anything of importance in his mind such as security camera locations.

“How are you Hoof?” Inquired Siren.

“I'm doing well.” He admitted.  Although he hadn't much of an opinion on Thunderstep or Encre, Terror found Siren Silence to be...relatable at the very least.  After all they both knew what it was like to be recreated and changed forever.  Granted Siren at least complied with the change.  Terror simply came to terms with it.

“So what's the plan boss?”  Thunder asked their shrouded supervisor.

His answer was a shrug.  “I'm going to take a gamble this time.”

“Meaning?” Asked Thunderstep.

“Meaning this is Madam Encre's message, so you four will be acting this out without my guidance.”

“Are you sure?” There was a hint of worry in Siren's tone, but Terror reassured her.  “He's trained us well, I think we can do this.”

“There's no need to worry” the stranger assured.  “I will still be supervising you.  If things go south I will intervene.”

“Things wont go south.” Terror gloated.

~~~

The mission, at least in the beginning, was a completely silent operation.  Terror Two-Hoof went in first disguised as a museum security guard that he saw while scoping the place out earlier that day.  He approached the guard in the camera room who didn't suspect a thing until after he was out cold.  Once in control of the cameras he guided Siren Silence and Madam Encre through the labyrinth of paintings.

“Encre, are you plugged in?” Terror asked her teammate.

The young madam flipped on a pair of brightly colored goggles with lenses that matched Thunderstep's.  As she and Siren walked along the halls of the museum, dodging guards as they went, their leader who remained behind at their HQ marked a number of paintings to be stolen.

“That one...that one...Oh! The Mare in the Moon!  Now THAT is going to be useful!”

Madam Encre painted several bags to life and carefully removed the loot from their frames.  Placing each in it's own individual bags without making a sound.

“Siren. Automated Camara to your left.”

Siren Silence let out a high frequency shriek.  Too high for a pony to hear, but it shorted out both the automated camera and the one Terror was looking through.

“You're flying blind ladies, move to room 2-B.”  Terror tilted his head and spotted a free roaming security guard heading that way.  “Guard incoming.  2-C.”

The guard entered the room only to find himself tied up and silenced by thick lengths of black rope.  Madam Encre and Siren Silence went about their way as the guard fell to the floor.

“The boss is marking paintings in rooms 2-C and 2-D.  Feed sent to your goggles.”

“Roger Terror.” Encre acknowladged.

“Thunder, how's our exit?”

“Ready and clear Hoof.” Came terror's voice from outside the museum walls.”

“Alright Madam, that's everything the boss wants.  Time to send your 'message.'”

Madam Encre dawned a sadistic smirk as she painted several small figurines on a single page of her book.  Each being fluttered alive as Encre's words slithered out of her mouth.  “Leave nothing unclean.”

One by one the figures marked up the paintings.  Replacing their vibrant colors and beautiful tones with sickly blotches of ink.  That trickled off the paintings as though they were cut and could bleed.

“Art in it's purest form.”  Mocked a satisfied Enrec.  She directed all of her underlings towards a portrait of Radiance, and personally made sure that not a spec of paint remained.  As Enrec marveled in her work a buzz came from their intercoms.

“Guys, bad news, company.”

“What kind of company?”  Inquired Thunderstep.

“The bad kind of company.” Terror Two-Hoof responded.

“More guards?” Asked Enrec.

Terror shook his head off screen.  “THEY are here.”

There was a period of radio silence before the group's leader clarified.

“Suit up guys!  The Power Ponies are here!”