Dark Alleys, Bright Hearts

I smile, taking a sip of cider as I sit across from Mark.

He continues speaking, “Anyway, she left for Twilight’s place after I finished telling her it. She looked pissed off.” He takes a sip of cider, “How did your’s go?”

I grin, “I found common ground with Applejack. Her loyalty to Celestia is shaken, and she doesn’t despise me anymore. She also went to Twilight’s place afterwards. She looked like she was thinking deeply about everything.”

Mark smiles, “You think that we’ve done enough?”

I nod, “I think we have. I went beyond Honesty in Applejack, and struck at the deepest part of her. Her family. Nothing to her is greater than family, and she knows what happened to my family. She knows you were ripped away from your family, even if they weren’t biologically connected to you. Her foundation of trust in Twilight is shook, and won’t recover easily. Combine that with Fluttershy confronting her at the same time, and we might have made a rift.”

He nods, “I just hope they don’t hate... actually, never mind, fuck Twilight. I can’t believe I almost gave a shit about her friends going against her.”

I smile, “It’s your good nature, Mark. Even for the mare who ruined your life, you can’t help but feel sympathy.”

He shrugs, “It’s one of my greater flaws.”

I shake my head, “It’s one of your greatest strengths. It’s why you’re a hero and not a villain.”

He chuckles, “Hero? Are we the heroes?”

I smile, “The handsome thief most definitely is a hero.”

He grins, “Then I suppose the beautiful queen is also a hero.”

I laugh, “Well, I guess we have to find her sometime soon.”

He smirks, “Why, she’s sitting right across from me.”

I shake my head, “Always the flatterer.”

He smiles, and shrugs, “I’m good with the ladies.”

I smirk, “Really? How many’d you get back home?”

He grins, “Absolute fucking zero. The biggest zero that ever existed. I only flirt with those who are more clever than me, and that number is very low. One higher now, because of you.”

I raise an eyebrow, “I’m more clever than you?”

He nods, “Fuck yeah. You used me as a scapegoat to pin the robbery and murder on. You played it out so there was no reason to believe it wasn’t me.”

I shake my head, “That wasn’t me being more clever than you, that was me being a bitch.”

He shrugs, “You were more clever than me, which means you’re on the flirt list. Sure, you were a bitch, but you were a clever bitch. And there’s nothing I flirt with more than clever bitches. Well, one thing. That being good friends who used to be bitches, but changed and are still clever.”

I grin, “Well, I suppose I fit that second category.”

He nods, pausing as his eyes move behind me, “Shit.” He reaches into his pocket, “Love, make yourself invisible or something. Don’t act until you have to.”

He affixes his mask to his face, and I shrink down to a small size. I hop onto the table, hiding behind a coaster.

He looks at the door to the building. I look as well, and see a figure like him.

Another human, a female if her form is anything to go by. She wears blood red, form fitting, clothing with a black cloak over it. She has two crossbows at her hips, along with many knives. Unlike Mark, however, she doesn’t wear a mask.

She looks over at Mark, her brown eyes lighting up in recognition.

She grins sickly, and maneuvers over to our table. She leans on it with one arm, and looks at Mark, “Thief M, long time no see. How odd to see you here.”

Mark glares at her from behind his mask, “Hunter X.”

She smiles, “Oh, you recognize me. Wonderful... truly wonderful. It’s always a pleasure when we meet, isn’t it, M?”

He shakes his head, “No, X, it isn’t.”

She pouts, “Aww, I always liked our time together. Remember that one time I killed S? Oh, or when I killed E? I remember your face when you saw their bodies. Oh, absolutely priceless. For being a big thorn in my side, I still like you. I’d say I’d like something else of yours inside me, but I’m not getting paid for that.”

He frowns, “What do you want, X?”

She grins, “Always straight to the point, aren’t you? Well, allow me to tell you. You pissed off some higher up who calls herself Celestia. So she summoned me to come reclaim you.”

He shakes his head, “I’m not a pet to be reclaimed, X, nor a piece of property.”

She giggles, “Oh, I know that, silly. But they’re paying me in gold and hot lesbian sex for this. Apparently they don’t need you alive, they just need your dick and semen. So they sent me here to find you. And wouldn’t you know? I stumbled across you my second day. So, M, you wanna come along alive or dead? I do so love your presence, but I hate your trickery. It’s too clever for me to predict.”

I almost cough as a wave of perverse love flows out of her. Something I’ve never felt before. A mix of hatred and lust that somehow produced an off-love.

Mark shakes his head, “No, X, I’m not going to go with you, and you aren’t going to kill me.”

She smirks, “Oh, come on Mark.” She reaches out with a finger, slowly drawing it across his cheek, “We’ll make it worth your while. Gold, sex, authority, and a chance to lay with me. It’s everything anybody could ever want.”

He grins slightly, “Fuck you, X. I earn my gold by stealing from cunts like you. I have all the authority I could ever want just because I am free. Plus, you are a fucking bitch and you’re ugly.”

She giggles, and presses a knife against his neck, “Ugly, eh? As if. I’m the most beautiful creature to bless this world. You must be going native if you think I’m ugly. What, M, you going to fuck a horse?”

He smirks, “Nah, those horses are fucking ugly as well. I got something a lot more exotic, a lot more clever, a lot better, and a lot more beautiful than you and all of them combined.” He winks in my direction.

I grin, my magic surrounding her magic and ripping it from her grasp. It flies into her chest, puncturing through her clothes with ease.

Mark uses the opportunity to punch her in the face, sending her stumbling back.

I turn back to my natural form and size, flying at her and punching her to the ground.

Mark stands up, “Let’s run.”

I smile, punching her again before I gallop after him as we run out of there.