…

He caught me breaking into somepony’s house once. Made me put it all back. But instead of arresting me or letting me go (even though I was an older filly I could still sometimes play on their sympathy), he asked me if I was okay. If I needed any food, a place to stay, did I have any friends. Naturally, as a street urchin you never trust normal ponies and I’d been tricked by the guard a few times already. I dismissed myself as soon as I could, but I remembered him.

That was not a good week for theft. Few opportunities and a lot of being chased off. And the specific group I was being forced to work at the time for didn’t particularly favor my other skills. They came down hard on me in punishment. Beat me half to death. They wouldn’t have meant to, but they might have finished the job if he hadn’t come. I’d later learn that he’d been following me around most of the week; that’s why the opportunities were so awful.

He’d had the whole thing planned. This wasn’t just some random act of heroics, this was a raid. They had the alley surrounded with soldiers; even covered by air. There was even a member of CUE present, though I wouldn’t find that out for a long, long time. It was the biggest gang raid in Canterlot history, possibly in all of Equestria, at least at the time.

No pony escaped from that, and every prisoner or slave was freed. I was rescued and transported to a hospital for my wounds. I’d probably have a ton more scars than I already do if not for that.

As I was being transported I sort of faded in and out of consciousness. But I recognized him standing over me. He said… “It’s okay now. It’s over.”

And for a little while it was. It was only one gang they hit; the others were still around. But they all went into hiding. Everything was calm, quiet… safe. I experienced something I hadn’t in a long time. I felt at peace.

After I got out of the hospital, I hung out with him all the time. And he wanted me around. We talked, laughed, I met his wife. We even joked about him adopting me. His wife wasn’t too keen on the idea at first, but she seemed to be growing on it.

… Then it happened. A few of the gangs had formed a loose alliance and attacked him in broad daylight. They were going to kill both of us, but he told me to run. He died to give me enough time to run away.

And by all accounts I shouldn’t have made it. But as luck would have it, I was found by a smaller gang that hadn’t been involved in the alliance. Small, but they had some very strange talents. Talents that would eventually draw my second coltfriend to them. After close to a full year, I’d finally meet him again soon after they dragged me in.

But I was changed after that. I had grown almost accustom to life as an abused thief. But no more. That brave, virtuous guard’s real final act, the legacy he would leave in me, was righteous revenge. If it cost me my life I would see the entire gang lifestyle wiped out from Equestria. A lofty goal, but I played my part.