The Year Is 1900:
For most Ponies, this year was nothing but a milestone in how long they've been around.
For NightShadow this was an excellent year, he stole his first ring.
He was only ten years old at the time, he was just strolling down the dark slimy streets of
his home town, Canterlot. The cobblestones felt wet under his hooves, he almost slipped and
fell over a couple of times. NightShadow was disappointed he couldn't be like his role-models,
The Maricates. They stole all sorts of things, gold ingots, steel bars, hell! They even robbed
entire banks! NightShadow felt something inside of him, he had this feeling before;
he called it his "Theft Sense", he always got this feeling when someone with something
valuable walked by him. He looked around, a few moments later he found the source.
A rich pegasus was walking down the street. "he doesn't look like he could give a damn in the world"
Thought NightShadow. He examined the pegasus slowly looking for something-- Aha!
He had a gold ring slipped on to his left wing. The beautiful gold shined in the light,
NightShadow knew he needed it. "But how am I going to steal it?" he whispered.
The stallion then looked around with a bit of concern all of a sudden.
NightShadow was afraid the stallion heard him, if he did his entire operation would be ruined!
He waited... the stallion then continued walking. NightShadow then silently let out a breath.
"Alright, what do I have to work with here?" He looked around the alleyway he was hiding in.
A lead pipe sat inconspicuously next to a dumpster. NightShadow shook the idea out of his
mind, "I don't want to kill him, I just want his ring." There was a paper bag thrown next to a drain.
NightShadow walked up to it and looked inside, a mirror.
"Aha! If I can distract him with the beam of light I can make with this I have
a window of opportunity to snatch his ring and run!"
NightShadow trotted back into the street, the Stallion hadn't gone far,
he was walking rather slowly, like if he went any faster he would keel over and die.
NightShadow walked behind him and shined the mirror at a metal plate infront of
the stallion. He stopped and looked at it, bent over and picked it up.
He raised his wings in suspicion, now was NightShadow's chance.
NightShadow slipped it of his wing slowly and gently.
"careful...careful!" he screamed in his mind, he couldn't mess up now.
"YES!" he managed to get it off. NightShadow then silently backed into the alley
and scurried home. His first successful pick-pocket attempt!
