Guilt, it was the first thing that any thief worth his name would have to deal with and it was one of the sensations that would always return with every theft. At least, that is what Capper told Spike should happen as feeling that small prick at your heart proves that you still have one.
“Being a thief opens many doors to you, Spike, basically the world is yours to take from and plunder as you wish. However, being a good thief means giving yourself some rules, some limits that you aren’t willing to cross.”
“We’re already breaking the law, what’s the point of putting laws on ourselves?” Capper rolled his eyes before knocking Spike on the head with his tail. “Hey!”
“You’re talking like some two-bit crook, you’re better than that. I’m saying that doing this shouldn’t make you indifferent to the world around you or to the troubles of others. Look at the pregnant mare over there now if I told you to go and rob their last bit would you?”
“...no”
“Exactly because you still have a heart, because you are still you even if we broke out of jail a day ago. I’m not saying to go on and be a hero, to be a good guy all the time because frankly, I found that good is overrated. I’m saying to do what you must but not to lose sight of who you are. We may be criminals but we’re not the monsters that they say we are.”
‘You may not have been Cap but me… I don’t know what I am…’ Spike sighed and walked along his path to Maresaw, his stomach rumbling for nourishment but he only rolled his eyes. “Oh well you just shut up? Do you see any jewels around here? Celestia, I’ve been on my own way too damn long if I’m talking to my stomach now.” He rubbed his head and sighed before looking over his equipment and making sure he had all his tools and weapons. The last thing he wanted was to try and break into the home of the nephew of the princesses and find he had forgotten something, that could spell his end.

His ear frill twitched as he heard an unfamiliar sound, a sniffling of sorts nearby. He put up his mask and clawed up a tree before jumping from tree to tree until he was above a ruined wagon where a blue pegasus in a cape and hat was sniffling and trying to put her wagon back together.

“Need some help little pony?” The mare jumped and looked up at the dragon before wiping her eyes and putting her nose in the air.

“The great and powerful Trixie needs no assistance! Especially not from a rogue dragon! How do I know you won’t rob me?” Spike quirked an eyebrow and pointed at the ruined wagon which he now noticed had deep claw marks on it.

“Maybe I would have, but somepony else got it before I did now didn’t they? Look I’m hungry and if you got food then I would be willing to hear your story and see if I could help any.” Trixie seemed to maul over this for a minute before lowering her head and digging through her wagon and pulling out a small ruby.

“Here, you firebreathers eat rocks right?”

“That is a gem and we eat those yes.” Spike jumped down and reached out for the gem but Trixie held it away with her magic.

“First listen and then eat,” Spike growled but sat on the remains of her wagon, making her frown at him but began to tell her story. “The great and powerful Trixie-”

“Are you going to keep referring to yourself that way because it’s rather annoying.”

“Yes now shut up and let Trixie tell her story of woe! Now, The great and powerful Trixie is a wandering magician and she was leaving the town of Trottingham not too far from here when somepony had been murdered in the town and Trixie decided it was time to leave before she could even perform one of her shows. Trixie was leaving on low bits and supplies when a group of nobles approached with a job for Trixie, confusing Trixie for a mercenary instead of a magician. They hired Trixie to get them safely back to Canterlot and they would pay Trixie handsomely. Trixie agreed and we started on our way but as you can see we hit a stag.”

“Yeah looks like somepony really bucked you all good.” Spike interrupted with a small smirk.

“It wasn’t a pony, it was a local gang of bandits calling themselves the Diamond Dogs. A fitting name really. The brutes all attacked at once by digging under Trixie and attacking her when her guard was down. Her wagon was destroyed and Trixie landed in the woods while the dogs took the nobles and stole all Trixie’s valuables.”

“A riveting tale,” Spike said as he leaned back on the wagon and finished licking his fingers as he had stolen the gem as Trixie was talking and ate it.

“What?! Hey! That was mine!”

“Not anymore. Well, I should be on my way.”

“You can’t just leave Trixie here!”

“I can, maybe I’ll send somepony over once I get to Maresaw. I’m a busy drake and I don’t have time to- oh buck me…” Spike cursed as the ground began to shake and he shushed Trixie as she kept yelling at him and grabbed her muzzle to make her be quiet. “They’re coming... move!” He grabbed her around the waist and held her close to himself as he jumped away and the two looked down to see hands grab where they had been standing and three of the Diamond Dogs pop out of the ground.

“Damn, I know that I felt something here! You boys told me that you grabbed every pony!”

“W-we did boss honest!”

“Yeah, we got all five… or was it six?”

“You idiots forgot one.” The boss of the three pointed at the wagon where Trixie’s picture had been painted. “Okay, I know you can hear me little pony! Know that your friends have become part of something great and if you wish to join them there is a mineshaft not too far from here and if you try to save them, well somepony could get hurt.” The boss scratched the picture of Trixie, destroying it, and making the magician groan a bit in sadness before they vanished back into the ground.

“What is Trixie suppose to do now…”

“If we don’t save them quick then they could get in real danger... “

“We?”

“Yeah, bastards can mess with you all they want but no great thief like me could resist such a challenge. Come on, we have ponies to save.

Author's Note

A very short chapter I know but I only had an hour and I like small buildup, anyway I know it's moving slow but it all is getting to it's climax and I think this small part of the story ends at chapters six or seven