Honor of Thieves

Family Legends and Customs

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Twilight was still dancing with the stallion when the three returned, and Rarity had started to dance with Spike.

Crimson looked to the Twilight and her dance partner and said, “She seems to be enjoying herself. As well as Spike.”

Rose looked at him with a soft smile and asked, “Then why don't we join them?” Crimson smiles back at her and took her hoof, leading her to the crowd of ponies.

As time passed other stallions came to ask the other four if they would dance with them. Applejack and Pinkie Pie accepted the first request, and Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy accepted the second pony to ask. Each of them enjoyed themselves while they danced. Soon the current song ended and was replaced by a waltz.

Twilight smiled at the pony she was dancing with, “So what's your name, you haven't told me it.”

He gave her a soft smile, “My name's, Somber Night, Miss Sparkle.”

“It's a fitting name for a thief.” Twilight replied, giggling a bit

Somber chuckled, “I guess so. So what do you want to know about our family? I'll be willing to answer what questions you have, only if you agree to not tell anypony outside my family and the other Elements.”

Twilight thought over the offer for a few moments, “I agree with your conditions.”

“Then follow me.” He walks through a few groups of ponies and heads to the library, Twilight followed close behind, “Tell me Twilight have Crimson or Rose told you any details about our family, and why the head is called the immortal thief in the first place?”

Twilight shook her head, “Well Rose told us what their time was like a century ago, but they kept most things about the family to themselves.”

Somber sighed, “Well the rules have changed over the years. Many of the family aren't thieves anymore, but some find the life exciting, myself included.” He gets to the manors library and looks through the bookshelves, “Ah here it is.” He sets the book on a table. Twilight looked at the book's title, ‘The Shadows and the Light’.

She looked at it in awe, “I haven't heard of this book.” She looked through it.

“This is the story of how we became who we are today, here let me show you the portrait of the pony who began it all.” He flips through the pages of a picture of a scarred stallion, with the name Black Dagger, “There are two books, one is here under the family's protection, and other is in an unknown location.”

“Why is he called the immortal thief though?” Twilight asks tilting her head.

“Because his experiences are passed to the heads of the family, so they can be added to and perfected.” He looks out the door, “Dagger's memories of his teachings and those of the other heads are in Crimson. No personal memories are there, just what they learned, then the chosen are put in special training from the leader before them.”

“So, the reason the patterns of the thief have been the same one hundreds of years is because of memory transference?”

“Correct.” Somber replied smiling at her.

“But what was he before a thief?” Twilight asked looking through the book.

“We don't know, but seeing how was buried, I'm guessing a soldier.”

“What about spells?”

"Dagger was a unicorn, so he knew a variety of them." Somber looked at the bookshelf, "And they are transferred like memories, so Crimson knows them, but can't use them."

Twilight looked at the portrait in the book, “Well we don't need to worry about Crimson using spells.”

“Yep.” Somber chuckled and smiles at her. The music started to fade, “Looks like the party's over. Let's head back.” He walks out the library, with Twilight walking next to him.

Crimson was standing at the top of the stairs looking down at the family members, “Ladies and gentlecolts, I have an announcement. I have proposed to my special somepony, Blue Rose, my new fiancé.” Most of the family cheered at the two ponies, including Twilight and her friends.
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The masquerade was over a half hour after the announcement. Most family members had left the manor, but few stayed. The keepers stayed in several rooms on the floor below. Crimson looked to Rose, sleeping by his side. He kissed her cheek and left the room. He went to the garden and looked around.

He looked to the night sky and smiled, “Try calling me a coward now Silver Cross, I asked her.” He sat down as tears ran down his cheeks, “I just wish you two were here to see it.”

He lies down in the ground and stayed there for a few minutes. His ears twitch and he sighs, “You can come out from the shadows.”

Rose went to him, then pets his head, “I miss them too Crimson. Come on let's go back to bed.”

Crimson nods and stands up. He kisses her cheek and walks with her.

The morning came soon when the two got to bed. Crimson was the first to wake and he went downstairs to tend to his garden. Crimson picked a few large branches of rosemary from the garden and went back inside. He lit a fire and threw the rosemary into it causing its scent to fill the house. Everypony was awake in a few minutes.

“Crimson why are you burning rosemary?” Rose said as the element stood behind her.

Crimson smiled at her, “It's a nice fragrance, and it cheers me up.”

Rose hugged him as the others were wondering what happened.

“Come on girls let's head home.” Crimson gets up and heads to the front door, “Anypony in the family is welcome to stay as long as they want, just be sure to clean up after yourselves. I don't want this place to be a sty."