Cape and Cowl IV: Smoke and Mirrors

Chapters

Prologue: Out of Retirement
Chapter One: Reunions
Chapter Two: Best Laid Plans
Chapter Three: Dropping the Ball

Prologue: Out of Retirement

March 20th, 1008,

It’s spring time! That means it’s time for spring cleaning, new beginnings, and a new season of oranges to grow!

But, first thing’s first. The Guard Captain’s Ball is tonight, and the Oranges are going to be the guests of honor! I’m also gonna bring Maelstrom as my guest - we’ve been getting on more and more lately. I guess I’ll always wonder why she did what she did, but at least I can forgive her now. I’ve been angry for too long - this year is gonna see a brand new me!

Anyway, I gotta get ready. Today’s gonna be the best one ever - I can just feel it!

-Snow Storm.

The sun shone brightly down onto the Gallopagos Islands, bathing the white-sand beach in its warm glow. All over the beach, ponies ran around, built sandcastles, and played various games while the more adventurous types jumped into the ocean for a swim with the local wildlife.

Mirror Shield reclined comfortably on her chair, her eyes closed behind a pair of dark shades. The sounds of boisterous laughter, animals calling, and the waves gently rolling onto the beach all served to relax her completely.

In short, life was good.

The sky darkened slightly above Mirror. She frowned - why did the pegasi choose now to make the skies cloudy? She opened her eyes, grumbling under her breath, and as her vision focused, she realized what was blocking her sun was nothing more than a newspaper.

“What’s this?” she asked, reaching for the paper with her magic. Beside her, her husband sounded practically giddy.

“Our new job,” Smoke Screen said, flashing a very toothy grin.

“We’re retired, batboy,” she said, dropping her favorite nickname for him. He flapped his leathery wings, nearly dancing on the spot.

“But read it!” he whined, scooting around to the back of the chair and wrapping his forelegs gently around her neck. “This is going to be the job of a lifetime!”

Mirror Shield sighed, rolling her eyes, but reading a paper was harmless. Besides, she’d still be able to say no. She perused the paper, her mouth moving silently, her eyebrow raising slightly with each word she read:

‘The Solar Scepter, the ancient artifact which is said to solidify the union between Princesses Celestia and Luna, has made its way across Equestria, and is now on its way to be hosted at the Manehattan Museum of History, where it will be prominently displayed for a limited time…’

The paper went on, but that small paragraph was what Mirror Shield kept reading over and over. She rolled her head up, staring blankly behind her shades at the upside-down face of her husband. “Are you insane?” she asked quietly. “An object directly related to the Princesses, probably guarded heavily, in the middle of the most active city in Equestria!?”

“Isn’t it great!?” Smoke Screen blurted out, nuzzling his wife. “We won’t even have to fence it - the client wants the object directly.”

“No,” Mirror Shield said flatly. “No amount of bits is worth… this! This would get us hung in a second!”

“Not even…” Smoke Screen flashed that damned toothy grin again. He knew she couldn’t resist that grin. It was weaponized cuteness, and she hated it. He moved his muzzle directly onto her ear, whispering, “one million bits?”

Mirror Shield blanched. She lifted her sunglasses, looking Smoke Screen directly in the eye. “O-o-one million?” she repeated breathlessly. That was far more than all of their previous heists combined. Her hoof began to twitch. “Who in Tartarus wants this thing that badly?”

Smoke Screen shrugged. “Said her name was Abacus. I didn’t ask any further - questions get ponies killed.”

“And how do you know for sure she will give us the bits, and not just a bunch of lip?”

“Duh,” Smoke Screen said, as though it were the most obvious thing in the world. “Because we’d have the Scepter. We’d have the leverage.”

“Hm…” Mirror Shield rubbed her chin, trying to think all of the ways this could go horribly wrong. “I do have a cousin in Manehattan. She’s a guard, so if we get in good with her, we can keep all of our suspicion off…”

“That’s the spirit, sweetheart! I’ve already accepted the job and booked our boat.”

“You what!” She rolled up the paper and hit him over the head with it. He flinched away playfully. “We agreed to always discuss a job before taking it!”

“I know, I know, but she was pushy, and this was too good to pass up!”

Mirror Shield grumbled, but her mind was already made up. “Alright,” she said. “Let’s go pack our bags.”

Springtime came quickly to Manehattan. The weather teams, led by Weather Captain Bolt Buck, ushered in the new season smoothly, melting all but the smallest pockets of snow.

Snow Storm opened her bedroom window, letting in the gentle breeze, and looked down upon the massive orange grove. A flurry of activity could be seen as the field workers returned to their jobs, ready for another bountiful season of tasty citrus fruits.

She smiled as she spotted a mare in the grove who looked just like her, although slightly older and lacking the silver streak in her mane. Maelstrom, whom had returned to the grove only a couple of months ago, had already worked her way up to becoming a Foremare. She was standing in front of a group of bright-eyed ponies, gesturing to the orange trees. The ponies nodded and took off, fulfilling their duties, with Maelstrom supervising them.

Snow Storm pulled away from the window, dancing giddily in place. Today, she and her mom were going to go dress shopping. The Captain’s Ball, the annual celebration for the City Guard, was coming up, and the Orange Family were to be honored for their safe rescue from the clutches of the Red Hoof.

Snow Storm was also to be honored, and she had immediately invited her real mother to come along, to which Maelstrom gave a teary-eyed yes. She practically bounced down the stairs, humming to herself, and was stopped by the voice of her adopted mom.

“Breakfast, dear!” Annabelle Orange called out. Snow Storm hopped into the kitchen, her stomach growling with anticipation as she saw the stack of syrupy pancakes awaiting her.

“Thanks, mom!” she said, taking her seat at the table and chowing down. Annabelle smiled, shaking her head.

“Are you just going to call us both ‘mom’?” she asked teasingly, to which Snow nodded.

“Why not?” she retorted. The only answer she got was Mosley Orange snorting amusedly behind his paper. “You’re both my mom!”

“You can’t fault the logic, dear,” Mosley said, and both mares knew he was smirking.

“No, I suppose not,” Annabelle agreed, refilling Snow’s already empty plate. “Don’t get too full, now, or your walk into the city will be absolute torture.”

“I’ll be fine,” Snow said, gobbling up her seconds. “I’m gonna need my strength. Lots to do today. And tonight. I have to be me and the Mare do Well for the Ball… and hope the bad guys take a break for once.”

“Surely not..?” Annabelle sighed, shaking her head. “Can’t you rest from that even once?”

“Sorry,” Snow said, shrugging. “I hate to admit it, but, with the Red Hoof gone, crime has spiked. A lot of the little guys want the throne he sat in. I can’t just stop now.”

Mosley lowered his paper at that, leveling a stern gaze at his adopted daughter. Clearly, he still didn’t approve of her lifestyle. “What your mother means to say is that we want you to be as safe as possible. That’s all.”

“I understand, dad,” she said, standing up. “If I may be excused, I have to go get my mom.”

“Of course,” he said. “Enjoy your day with Maelstrom.”

Snow Storm walked out, leaving the two Oranges in the kitchen, separated by a tense silence. Mosley resumed reading his paper, and Annabelle focused all of her attention on the dishes.

After a short moment, Mosley spoke up. “We can’t stop her, you know.”

“I didn’t say anything,” Annabelle replied curtly.

“We owe her our lives,” he pointed out.

“I know that.” Did his wife just sniffle?

“Dear, we’ve been married how long? Tell me what’s wrong already.”

“Nothing,” Annabelle lied. “It’s just hard watching her grow up, that’s all.”

“Ah,” Mosley muttered, understanding finally coming to him. “You don’t need to be jealous, you know. She will always see you as her mother.”

“I am not jealous!” she said harshly. “How can I be jealous when we’ve done all the hard work, and her ‘real mother’-” Annabelle raised her hooves in very exaggerated air quotes- “comes waltzing back into her life just as quickly as she left it!?”

“Are we not the ones who pushed her to meet the mare?” Mosley said, his voice insufferably calm and rational. “Or did you think the meeting was going to go a far different way?”

“I… That’s not fair!” Annabelle blurted out, wiping at her eyes. “I just want her to be careful, that’s all! She’s already had her heart broken so many times.”

“With many more to come,” Mosley said matter-of-factly. “I think we can trust her to deal with her own feelings. You can’t protect her forever.”

“I can’t protect her at all! That’s the problem! No normal filly should ever have to rescue her own parents from some crime lord!”

Despite the somber feeling of the room, Mosley gave his wife a smile. “Then let’s be thankful that Snow Storm is no normal filly.”

“Nein nein nein! You are cutting too deep!” Maelstrom said, stomping up to a teenage pony, who yelped and cowered beneath the older mare’s furrowed brow. Maelstrom sighed, exerting a great effort to soften her face, and spoke in a gentler tone.

“Like this,” she said, taking the pruners. “You must look for discolored branches, little sprouts, and such! Cut at the collar, not the trunk, like so.” She demonstrated, while the teenager looked on intently, nodding his head.

“I got it,” he said, eagerly taking the pruners back. She watched his first cut, nodding approvingly as he corrected himself.

“Mom!” Snow Storm’s voice rang out throughout the grove. Some ponies looked up, looking to identify the source of the call, but most kept on working. Maelstrom, satisfied that the boy could work on his own now, left him to his own devices and ran to meet her daughter.

“Leibchen!” she practically yelled, galloping to Snow Storm and wrapping her up in a hug. “Or, should I say, boss?”

Snow Storm giggled. “No, just uh… libe whatever,” she said, to which Maelstrom shook her head.

“I will yet teach you the language of your forebearers,” she told Snow Storm with a smile. Her daughter’s only response was a noncommittal nod.

“Sooner or later,” Snow said. “But, for now, we have to get ready and get our dresses! Are you excited for the Captain’s Ball?”

“Oh, ja! Forgive me, my love, I’d almost forgotten our little appointment! Teaching these kids… aye…”

“They’ll be okay,” Snow Storm reassured her. “I just really wanna go hang out.”

“Mmhmm,” Maelstrom agreed, nodding her head. In truth, she was refraining hard from bursting out crying - she’d never thought she’d get the chance to be with her daughter again, let alone become friends. “But, are you ready for the Ball? You know, what with that Arschloch-”

There was a snicker from behind her - the teenager certainly didn’t speak Anhalter, but anypony could’ve known what ‘Arschloch’ meant. Maelstrom wheeled around, giving him a look. He gulped, diving back into his work, his hoof shaking. Snow Storm covered her mouth to hide her laughter - her mom could look positively mean when she wanted to. A trait that, quite obviously, ran in the family.

“He's not... that, mom,” Snow said, shaking her head. “Joules is still in Canterlot, on a very important mission. Captain Murdoc told me himself. Simple as that.”

Maelstrom nodded, though with a frown. “If you say so, I believe you,” she said.

“Then let’s go!” Snow said excitedly, nearly hopping in place. “I’ll go wait by the front gate.”

Maelstrom chuckled. “Very well, dear. I suppose my workers will be fine on their own, for a little while.”

Chapter One: Reunions

Smoke Screen and Mirror Shield filed off of the boat with the other passengers. For Mirror, it was almost like a homecoming - she hadn't been in the city since she was just a filly, peddling wares on the street and performing parlor tricks at birthday parties.

Smoke Screen, however, was an entirely different story. Somehow, he'd never made his way over to Manehattan, and now it showed very obviously on his face. His nose was scrunched so hard, it may as well have been concave. His mouth sat slightly open, and his eyes began to water.

"This place stinks! How could anypony live here?"

Mirror Shield was biting her lip to keep from bursting out laughing. "I'm sorry, love. I'd forgotten about your heightened senses. You get used to it, I promise."

"So what's the plan?" he asked, his voice slightly nasally from pinching his nose.

"The plan is simple: we set ourselves up in a hotel, and then we go find my cousin."

"What if she doesn't want to see you?"

Mirror snorted. "Amber? Please. She'll lose her mind from excitement. She was always the cheery one. She might even try to get us to stay at her place."

"That'd be a lot cheaper," Smoke Screen pointed out.

"And a hell of a lot harder to plan a heist underneath a Guard's nose," Mirror retorted. "No, we'll politely decline should the offer arise."

"And just… how exactly are you planning on finding her?" Smoke asked, not sure if he really wanted the answer.

"How else?" Mirror replied. "We, or I, go right to the station and ask. You can stay behind, set up our room. I know you don't like Guards very much." Of course, nopony would like Guards after they've caught you and beaten you into the ground. Mirror had never asked why that happened, she only knew that it did.

"Yeah," he said quietly. "I think I'll do that."

Snow Storm and her mother strode into the boutique. The younger mare looked around expectantly, trying to find Rarity. Maelstrom, however, had never set one hoof in such a place, and so now she looked around with slack-jawed amazement.

"These… these kleider! They are so beautiful!" she said, nearly prancing in place.

"Yeah," Snow replied dismissively. The only dress she wanted was for tonight's Ball, and even that was pushing it. She'd never been the type of mare to enjoy all that frilly, girly stuff.

Thankfully, she was similarly built to her mother, if a bit stockier with finer muscles. She'd ordered a pair of matching dresses a month ago, intending for them to be a surprise.

She trotted up to the desk, ringing the bell once while her mother gaped, going from rack to rack like a filly in a candy store.

"Coming!" Rarity's voice came from the back in a singsong manner. She practically floated through the doorway, but stopped as soon as she saw her client.

"Oh, my!" she uttered, a wide grin spreading across her face. "Snow Storm! And just who is this young filly with you? Dear me, I never knew you had a little sister!"

Maelstrom giggled uncontrollably, while Snow merely rolled her eyes at the very thick (and very obvious) faux-charm. "Rarity, this is my mom, Maelstrom."

"Your mother?" Rarity asked, visible confusion forming on her face. "But isn't your mother- ohh, I understand now. Well, it's certainly none of my business, now, is it? No, my business is all around me. Speaking of which, are we looking for anything… special today?" The unicorn grinned toothily at the last sentence, but it was uncomfortable, and she not-so-subtly glanced towards Maelstrom.

"It's okay, Rarity, she knows," Snow said dryly. "And no, I've been keeping up with it on my own. I'm here for the two dresses, for the Captain's Ball."

Rarity let out an audible sigh of relief, and then quickly perked up. "Of course! How silly of me. It's just that I'm not used to you ordering something so normal!"

"Neither am I," Snow said.

Rarity spoke, more to herself than to her customers, as she went and fetched the dresses. "This year's Ball has me so overworked, I can barely keep up with the demand! Why, I haven't gotten proper beauty rest in weeks!"

Never one for small talk, Snow Storm merely nodded her head, dropping an occasional 'uh-huh' while Rarity ran around the shop, proclaiming her non-woes even as more ponies filed into the shop.

"Here we are!" Rarity said gleefully, dropping a pair of light boxes onto Snow Storm's back. "One pair of matching dresses. Now, then, I demand you change into them at once! You may use my personal dressing room."

Snow groaned, but her mother's face lit up instantly. They made their way into the back of the store and, after some fumbling and figuring out whose dress belonged to who, they emerged.

Snow's dress was surprisingly more comfortable than she had anticipated - it was breathable, flexible, with very few frills. Its hem barely grazed the floor, but still hid enough of her feet to give anypony the illusion that she was gliding over the ground.

It was as blue as her eyes, and sparkled brilliantly even in the artificial light of the store, as though it were a sapphire made of fabric rather than stone. Snow wouldn't have put it past Rarity to incorporate the rocks into her work, though when she'd have the chance to acquire them, Snow couldn't fathom.

Until, that was, a familiar voice pierced through the store's backroom. "Alphamom!"

Snow Storm looked around immediately, her eyes widening. "Figaro?" she called out. Out of nowhere, a gangly Diamond Dog ran full force at her, leaping and catching her in a tight hug. "Figaro, what're you doing here?!" Snow asked excitedly, laughing as the pup nearly hopped in place. "Man, you've grown up a bit! It's not even been a year!"

"I'm working for Miss Rarity!" he told her. "I fetch gems for her, and I help out in the back!"

"Leichben, who is this?" Maelstrom asked, coming up to her daughter. Her age seemed to work for her rather than against her, Snow thought - she looked as regal as any of the Princesses. Maelstrom's dress had been allowed a couple more frills, with a longer hem that dragged into a short tail. Clearly, it was a ballroom dress fit for the upcoming Ball.

"Oh, mom, this is Figaro," Snow said. "I saved him from a vicious band of Diamond Dogs back in Ponyville, and he's been my friend ever since. Figaro, this is my alphamom, Maelstrom."

"Hmm…" Figaro rubbed his chin thoughtfully, and then smiled wide enough to show his fangs. "Alphagrandmom! It is nice to meet you!"

"Indeed," Maelstrom said, chuckling.

"I'm sorry, kiddo," Snow said, offering a sad frown. "We gotta get going. Big night tonight. But, uh, stop by the farm sometime! And I'll be sure to come back more often now that I know you're here!"

Figaro nodded his head, giving her a thumbs up. "You got it, alphamom! Can I come by tomorrow?"

"Of course you can. See ya then!"

The two mares left the shop shortly thereafter, having changed back into their regular clothes and safely storing away their dresses. They talked about various things as they walked, both still trying to catch up with each other.

Snow turned her head as Maelstrom talked, and she suddenly stopped. It took the older mare a moment to realize her daughter was no longer with her, and she double-backed. "What's wrong?"

Snow said nothing, simply staring at an empty building with a 'For Sale' sign resting in the front window. She'd been formulating an idea for a while now, about how she could more directly help the citizens of Manehattan.

"Sorry," she said, closing the thought off for now. "Just thinking about stuff. My future."

"Oh," Maelstrom replied. "Well, whatever it is you decide, I will do all I can to help you."

Snow smiled. "Thanks, mom."

Mirror Shield's heart skipped a beat as she walked into the Guards' headquarters. Stay calm, she told herself; acting suspicious would only get her into trouble. Besides, she had a perfectly legitimate reason for visiting. Still, it was strange to be seeing a place like this from the other side, and not from behind a set of bars.

She walked up to the receptionist, a small brown unicorn who was busy filing a stack of papers. Around her, Guards trotted about, some with detainees, others chatting amongst themselves.

"May I help you?" the receptionist asked. Her face was stern and tired, but her voice was surprisingly sweet.

"I'm looking for somepony," Mirror Shield said. "Amber Shield? I think she works here."

"Second floor, medical wing," the receptionist said immediately. She pointed down the hall. "Head up the stairs, and then take a left. You'll run into her."

"Thank you," Mirror Shield said, trotting away. She followed the directions, her heart beating in her ears now. How long had it been since she'd seen Amber, anyways? Too long, maybe. She had to show herself, though; it would help their plan.

After a moment, she came upon a familiar sight. "Amber?" she asked, her mouth feeling dry.

"Yes?" Amber picked her head up, and then nearly squealed in excitement. "Mirror! Ohmigosh, what're you doing here!? Wait, you're not in trouble, are you? There's only so much I can do-"

"No, no trouble, I promise." Mirror offered her cousin an honest smile. "I've been a good filly. Smoke Screen was just talking about how he's never seen the city, and I figured this was as good a time as any to go sightseeing."

"Smokey's here!?" Amber asked, looking around.

Mirror chuckled. "He's setting us up in a hotel, but I'll be sure to bring him by. I know you and him get on well."

"Hotel? You sure? Me and Petunia got plenty of room at our place, if you want."

"Nah, we're good," Mirror Shield said dismissively. "We gotta have our privacy, too." She offered her cousin a sly wink. "So, who's this Petunia you mentioned?"

Amber grinned widely. "She's my marefriend. We all gotta hook up, maybe have us a double date!"

Mirror nodded. "That sounds fine to me, little cousin. You want us to swing by later?"

"Can't tonight," Amber said, frowning. "it's the Captain's Ball tonight - Guards and their families. I'd say come to that, but…"

"Oh, yeah, no," Mirror said almost at once. A room jam-packed with lawmen? Not her cup of tea, and definitely not Smoke Screen's. "That's cool. Have fun tonight, cuz. I'll hit you up soon?"

"Looking forward to it," Amber said. After another quick round of goodbyes, they parted, with Mirror Shield hitting the streets again.

Damn, it felt good to be home.

Chapter Two: Best Laid Plans

Murdoc shuffled in place, trying to find any way to make his dress uniform comfortable. It was far too stuffy for his liking, offering little mobility, and made him look more professional than he'd ever felt in his life. Give him a nice set of armor over this prim and proper nonsense any day.

"Why, hello there, Captain," his wife purred, slinking into the room. Silver Song clearly disagreed with his attire protests - she eyed him up and down with a certain longing, as though they were on a first date rather than their tenth year of marriage.

Out in the living room, Stanza and Sonnet each let out a playful scream, giggling as they ran around the room. Aureate Leaf leapt out of her hiding spot, chasing one filly and then the other. "I'm gonna getcha!" she said to nopony in particular.

"No!" both girls echoed, splitting up and fleeing randomly.

Murdoc and Silver Song walked into the living room, each wearing a small smile. "Aureate?" Murdoc called out.

The young mare stopped in her tracks. "Yeah?" she asked.

"Are you sure you don't want to come to the Ball? There's still time to find a foalsitter."

Aureate bit her lip for a second, thinking deeply about it. Murdoc had asked her before, the day she moved in, and she had said no then. Truth be told, she had only vaguely thought about the Ball - there was going to be a formal memorial for her father, but she'd already grieved for him. She was still sad, of course, and that'd never go away, but she didn't want to deal with the seemingly unending line of pity and condolences. She got enough of that at school already.

"I'm sure," she said. "I'd rather stay home and take care of the girls, if that's okay."

"It's perfectly okay," Murdoc said, smiling wider. "The girls love you, anyway. You both be good for Aureate, understand?"

"We understand, papa," they said in tandem, shooting quick glances at each other.

Murdoc eyed them both suspiciously, but Silver Song only chuckled. "I'm sure they'll be fine, honey. Come, let's finish getting ready."

"Alright," Murdoc said, turning back to Aureate. "Dinner's in the fridge. Lock the door behind us. If anything happens, I've left the address of City Hall on the fridge."

"Got it," Aureate said, giving him a passable imitation of a salute. Murdoc returned the salute, and added a wink before heading out the door.

Snow Storm groaned, swaying along with the carriage she sat in. Beside her sat Maelstrom, looking absolutely delighted in her new dress, and across from them were the Oranges, who fidgeted anxiously with their respective dressings.

“Are you okay, dear?” Annabelle asked Snow. “You’re looking rather green. Are you carriage-sick?”

“Uh-uh,” Snow responded, shaking her head with a wobble. She knew the word for what she felt, but it was just out of her grasp, eluding her. Plus, if she didn’t get out of this awful death trap soon, she was going to pass out. Or vomit. Or both. Most likely both. “Walls too close.”

Now everypony was looking at her, making things much, much worse. She could feel her brain devolving back into the ages of the caveponies, where their only concern was survival on the daily. By the Goddess, she wanted to kick down the carriage door and bolt, but she held back the creeping madness only for the sake of her family, whose concerned faces were boring holes into her ever-degrading psyche.

Somepony had said something, but Snow’s ears felt like they were deep under water. The only thing she could hear clearly was a constant ringing. She was thirsty, so thirsty, why wasn’t there any water in the carriage? Passengers got thirsty, after all. This was clearly an oversight on the-

As always, it was Mosley who knew what to do. He tapped twice on the carriage wall, signaling for them to stop. The pair of muscular ponies pulling the carriage obliged, pulling over to the side. “Everything okay in there?” one called back, trying to turn his head. “We’re gonna be late!”

Mosley popped the door open, waving his hoof in a small, ‘here you go’ motion. Snow looked at him with the most grateful look she could possibly muster, and stumbled out of the carriage, taking deep breaths, occasionally dry heaving.

“We’re fine,” Mosley said. “My daughter’s just claustrophobic. I presume she’ll simply follow us?”

Snow Storm nodded, eternally grateful, motioning for them to get going. Mosley closed the door and tapped the wall again. The two drivers started up again, chattering amongst themselves. The Oranges went back to fidgeting with their attire, and Maelstrom simply stared out of the window.

Snow Storm followed on the sidewalk, taking care to keep the carriage within her sight. She was still slightly wobbly, but her faculties were quickly returning. Her legs felt like steel coils, and she wanted to burst down the sidewalk, galloping at full speed, but she had no idea where she was going. The Captain’s Ball was to be held at City Hall, but as she thought back to her previous adventures, she realized she had never actually gone there. Neither had she interacted with the mayor as the Mare do Well - perhaps she should change that? It wouldn’t hurt, being on the good side of a politician.

She wanted desperately to climb onto the rooftops, don her costume, and follow the carriage that way, but such an indulgence would be pointless - she’d just have to swap back to the dress again anyway. Still, it was enough just to have the fresh, city air and the relatively open space. Crowds never bugged her, for she could weave in between them like she wasn’t even there. When was the last time she was even in an enclosed space like that? The gem mines of Ponyville, perhaps, but she had been far too focused on rescuing Figaro to worry about anything else.

Had she acted that way as a little filly? She couldn’t remember. Did her parents remember? She could ask them later. Maybe they simply forgot…

Her thoughts kept her company while she sauntered down the sidewalk, following the carriage all the way down to city hall.

Mirror Shield finally made her way to the hotel that Smoke Screen had chosen. She had taken some time to herself, galavanting around the city, going by old haunts and reminiscing about the simpler times of youth.

The hotel room was completely dark as she entered - the only lightsource was a harsh red glow from the bathroom. It seemed like Smokey was well into his work developing photographs. He was an adorable goofball, but when it came to whatever job they were on, he was the overachiever of the two.

“Babe, I’m home!” Mirror Shield called out, shuffling through the dark towards the bathroom. “Can I come in?”

“Of course!” he called back. “I’m almost done!”

Mirror Shield slid into the impromptu darkroom, quickly shutting the door behind her. Photographs hung from awkwardly placed strings, and a few floated within the bathtub. Mirror Shield inspected them all, whistling impressively. Some were genuine shots of interesting artifacts, but most were of security ponies, vents, alarm systems, and the like. “What’s this one?” Mirror asked, pointing at a photo of ornate double doors.

“That, cutie, is where the Solar Scepter is being kept.” Smoke Screen shook his head, snorting in amusement. “Can you believe this city? The most important artifact of all time is going to be publicly displayed tomorrow, but the museum is still open! I had a 3 hour tour! These guards are either very confident, or very stupid.”

“Little of both, probably,” Mirror said casually, checking out the rest of the photos. “So what’re we lookin’ at? Piece of cake or impossible scenario?”

“Depends on when we do it,” Smoke replied. “We could let them show it off, have everypony snap their pictures, everything goes off without a hitch, they let their guard down, then boom we swipe it.”

“Mm…” Mirror Shield scrunched her face, tonguing the inside of her cheek.

“I don’t like that look of yours,” Smoke said. That look meant his wife had other plans. That looks almost always got them into trouble. “Last time you had that look, I got shot with a crossbow.”

“Tonight,” was all she said. Smoke barked out a sound that was some mixture between a laugh and a groan.

“Tonight!? Dear, you weren’t even on board with this job a couple days ago, now you wanna bullrush it!?”

“And you were quite literally chomping at the bit, my absolute love,” Mirror responded coyly. “Tonight is perfect. The Guard is holding some sort of shindig - my cousin told me about it. They’ll all be distracted with that. If we’re lucky, the Princesses will be there too. They can’t pass up a good PR stunt like that. No, when they open the door, raise the curtain, or whatever tomorrow, they’re gonna get the shock of a lifetime.”

“What about this Mare do Well I keep hearing about?” Smoke Screen pointed out. “What if she catches on, just happens to see us being someplace we’re not supposed to be?”

“Some silly filly with a costume can’t handle the two of us.” Smoke looked into his wife’s face, and saw only a steel resolve. He shook his head, but what the hell, he’d always been down for now-or-never situations. That’s how he got married, after all.

“All right,” he said, nabbing his photos. “I set up a whiteboard in the living room. Let’s at least plan this out.”

“Thanks, honey,” Mirror said, grabbing a marker with her magic. “And don’t you worry. The night is still young.”

Chapter Three: Dropping the Ball

Snow Storm stopped in her tracks as she rounded the corner of Main Street. City Hall was being swarmed by countless ponies, all with flashing cameras. The mass was split down the center, being only barely contained by metal barricades which were at their breaking point. Several newsponies stood near the curb, ready to ambush the occupants of each carriage. The carriages themselves formed a line almost the length of the street, with more pulling up.

Talk about claustrophobic, Snow thought, feeling a shiver go down her spine. She had never been one for these social functions. She looked over at her family - Mosley looked back and nodded. She understood. It’d be a while before they got out, so she may as well go in by herself. They could just as easily get out right here, but that would not be proper etiquette. Besides, something told her that they were even less ready than she was.

She trotted on, her heart and her mind both racing. What if one of the newsponies cornered her? Bombarded her with endless questions? Maybe she could sneak in… No, not with that many cameras around. Somepony would see her. She didn’t mind pictures when she was Mare do Well, but here she was vulnerable. Did her bun undo itself? She felt like her mane was coming unraveled. And the dress - why was it so tight?

She reached the opening right as an almost incandescent carriage stopped. The noise of the crowd erupted exponentially - the barriers were straining hard against the swarm. Some posh pony opened the carriage door, releasing Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, and their entourage.

Snow Storm felt like she could have a heart attack at any second. This was possibly the worst time for them to appear. Newsponies swarmed the Princesses like in the zombie movies Snow enjoyed. She could bolt right past them, but would that be uncouth? Was cutting a Princess in line some sort of punishable crime?

She blinked, and she was inside the foyer of city hall, being ushered along by a mare in a black cowpony hat. “C’mon now,” the mare said with a mild Appaloosian accent. She guided Snow Storm to a less crowded part of the room, right by a wall. “Have yerself a sitdown. I’ll be back in a flash.”

The mare took off, leaving Snow Storm to sit there. The room was tilting slightly to the left, throwing her off balance. All of a sudden, she decided she didn’t want to be here. She would just have to tell her family to go on without her. This was too much. How did she even get here? An entire sequence of events had just been erased from her mind. One second she was gawking awkwardly at the Princess, and now some cowpoke was wrangling her.

Before she could get up to leave, the mare was back with a glass of water. “Ain’t much,” she said a little sadly, offering Snow the glass. “Should hold ya over for now, though. You doin’ okay?”

“Better,” Snow said, downing the water in one go. It felt like the best glass of water she had ever drank. “I guess I just got startled by the Princesses.”

The other mare chuckled. “Yeah, they do that to ya. I work for ‘em and I still get a little floaty. Say, the name’s Ember. Ember Plume. How ‘bout you?”

“Snow Storm,” she answered. The heat in her head was cooling down now. She was feeling more and more herself by the second.

“Well met, Snow Storm.” Ember flashed a smile. A bolt of lightning flashed through Snow’s brain. Was that the cutest smile she’d ever seen? It might have been. “Hm, you look like you’re ‘bout ready to bail on this fancy-pants dance.”

Snow Storm snorted. “I’m already halfway out the door,” she said.

Ember laughed. “Aw, I promise it ain’t that bad.” She threw a foreleg around Snow, who let herself be led again. “Once we get to the food, and the drinks, you’ll be right as rain. I been to a hundred of these things, and I’m still alive!”

“Shouldn’t you be with the Princesses right now?” Snow asked. It was her, admittedly weak, attempt to try and get away.

“Naw, they’re fine,” Ember said. “Besides, they’d want me to help you out.” She led Snow Storm into a grand chamber which had been converted into a ballroom. Tables lined the walls, leaving a large empty space in the center for dancing. Each table held a vase of flowers, and empty plates, waiting for their future occupants. Ponies filed in behind the two, each of them looking for a free table to sit at. At the other end of the room, a long table was already host to several guests, including the Princesses themselves. Their entourage, besides Ember, had all seemingly disappeared. More likely, they had blended in with the crowd, hiding in plain sight.

“D’ya wanna meet ‘em?” Ember asked excitedly. Before Snow could even answer, she was being dragged towards the long table. This was going to be a very long night.

"How's the security looking in there?" Smoke Screen asked. Around him, a couple of guards were laid out, unconscious. Beside him, Mirror Shield ran her glass cutter on the museum's skylight, creating an entrance for them to sneak through.

"Hard to tell," she answered. Her entrance was almost complete, and soon they'd be inside the museum. "Think I see movement, but it could just be shadows."

"No chances," he told her. "This job's too important."

"That's why I hate working for somepony," Mirror growled. Clients almost always meant trouble. Soon enough, her circuit was complete. She grabbed the suctioned handles she had attached to the glass, and pulled it away. They both sat silent, listening for any hint that they'd been noticed, but nopony down below seemed to realize anything was amiss.

“But you love the money,” Smoke pointed out, grinning that too-damned-cute grin. He reached into his saddlebag, pulling out a picture of the Mare do Well he had clipped from a newspaper.

Mirror studied the picture intently. After a moment, her horn glowed. She enveloped herself in a bright light, and just as suddenly it was gone. Apparently, so was Mirror Shield, and in her place stood the Mare do Well.

“Whoa, weird,” Mirror said, waving a hoof around. She could see the costume on herself, but her illusion magic didn't let her feel it. She had given herself different faces before, much like the Changeling magic, but she'd never made anything this complicated. “How do I look, babe?”

“Like a superhero,” Smoke said wryly. “You sure this is gonna work?”

“Work?” Mirror repeated. “It's better than we could've hoped for! We have some faceless pony to pin the blame on. All I have to do is go down there, make a scene, knock out the guards, and we're home free! They'll think - no, they'll know this weirdo did it!”

“I still have a bad feeling about this,” Smoke Screen grumbled. Though he couldn't see her face, he could still sense Mirror's annoyance.

“You took this job, dear,” she said, a little more snippish than she meant. “Alright, I'm going in. Keep those cute eyes open for me.” Before Smoke could respond, Mirror Shield leapt through the skylight and into the museum. With his heart pounding in his ears, Smoke Screen followed suit, hovering silently in the air and sticking to the shadows.

Snow Storm shuffled awkwardly in front of the head table. Princess Celestia offered her a polite, yet casual greeting, which she returned. Meanwhile, Princess Luna simply stared at her. The knowing look from the Princess was far more uncomfortable than even the dress. It was flat; completely devoid of any emotion or intention. Of course she'd know me, Snow thought, trying to avert her eyes from Luna’s gaze. The eyes of the Princess were hypnotic, however, and she couldn’t pull away.

Scattered thoughts burst forth through Snow’s mind - was the Princess a mind-reader? Was it actually Nightmare Moon staring at her? Was it approval, or rather disapproval of her lifestyle? Did Princess Luna watch her every night? Was she, Snow Storm, actually under the protection of Princess Luna’s magical night?

As if on cue, Luna gave Snow a small smile. Is that it? Are you watching over me? A chill colder than the deepest winter ran through Snow Storm’s spine. She nearly jumped out of her skin when Murdoc spoke up.

“You're moving up in the world, I see!” Captain Murdoc said. “I never knew you had friends in such high places.”

“She does now!” Ember blurted out, squeezing her new friend in a vice-like hug. “I found this one right outside, nearly passed out!” Her Appaloosian accent came out more and more as she grew more excited. Snow resigned herself to her fate of being squished by this surprisingly strong mare - in fact, she kind of liked it a little bit.

Stop it, silly-filly! she admonished herself. You’ve only just met! This was true, but if the last year had taught her anything, it was that she should live a little more.

“What’d’ya say, Snowy? Wanna go find some drinks?” Ember asked, loosening her grip enough for Snow to breathe. The question, however, felt entirely rhetorical. Before she was even allowed to answer, Ember was talking again. “D’yall mind if we mosey?”

Captain Murdoc looked slightly bewildered, but Princess Celestia simply chuckled. “Of course. Go enjoy yourselves.”

“Will do, ma’am!” Ember gave an exaggerated parade salute, and pulled Snow Storm away from the table. “C'mon Snowy, let's go find some drinks!”

Mirror Shield's plan went smoothly for far longer than she expected.

She saw two kinds of guards in the museum - the apparent regulars, who seemed like they'd rather be anywhere else, and a couple of ponies that were clearly from Luna's personal stash. There were only two of the latter, both Fulake, and they stood before a large vault door, unmoving. They almost looked like statues, if statues could kill you with a flick of their hoof.

The regulars, however, were easy prey. Mirror Shield patrolled the museum as though she belonged there. Most of the regulars gave her a cursory glance, then went back to their routes - apparently, this Mare do Well was really trusted.

“Hey!” somepony said. Mirror froze in her tracks, holding her breath. An older stallion sauntered up to her, practically beaming. “They even got you making rounds here? Must be super important.”

“Uhh, yeah,” Mirror said. She hoped to every goddess that nopony here knew what the Mare do Well sounded like. “Yeah, y'know, I'm just an extra bit of insurance. The mayor personally asked me to be here. Say, d'ya think I could see the Scepter? I wanna double check that there's no way in or out of the room it's in.”

The older security guard frowned slightly. Damn, he caught me, Mirror thought. She was just getting ready to knock him out when he finally said, “I don't think so. Princess Luna's guards look at us funny if we even get too close. Not very talkative, those two.”

“Oh well.” Mirror shrugged nonchalantly. “I can still try anyways.”

“Good luck,” the guard said, and went back on his patrol. Mirror let out a sigh of relief - now she'd been established, and she didn't have to knock anypony out. Doing so would've drawn suspicion.

She turned, walking up to the pair of Luna's guards. Their eyes locked in on her immediately, though they remained silent. A shiver ran down her spine.

“Hey, fellas,” she said, trying to keep her voice friendly and casual. “I was told to check in on the Scepter. Is that cool?”

They said nothing in response. However, they crossed their spears when she placed a single hoof closer. She backed off, offering up a nervous chuckle.

“Hey, hey, it's cool,” she said. “I'm Manehattan's number one super hero!”

The guards were, predictably, unmoved by her proclamation.

“Erhm…” Think, damnit! “Princess Luna ordered me to personally inspect this vault.”

“Her majesty gave no such order,” one guard said, glaring daggers at Mirror. “Leave. This is your only warning.”

“Okay, okay! Damn, you guys play hardball.” This was it. This was the moment where Mirror's beautiful plan was going to go to shit. There was a blinding flash of light, and the two Fulake collapsed into heaps. “Boring conversation anyway. Let's go, Smokey!”

The regulars began running towards the commotion. Smoke Screen swooped silently through the dark sky, picking them off one-by-one. Whoever he missed, Mirror hit with a magic spell, sending them into a deep sleep with vivid, and not always pleasant, dreams.

After a brief moment, they stopped coming. “Go make sure there aren't any stragglers,” Mirror said. “I'm gonna crack this door.”

“You got it, babe,” Smoke Screen said, disappearing into the night.