Thief

Pinkie Pie galloped through Ponyville, but no one stirred from their sleep. She'd picked the perfect time to do her dastardly deed, when every other pony was asleep. She galloped and trotted and finally slowed to a tiptoe as she approached Sweet Apple Acres. This is where she would place the perfect piece of pony pleasure, a special something she'd sought after for days.

The tree house for the Cutie Mark Crusaders creaked and croaked as she climbed inside. Pinkie Pie was a petite pony, but she was still larger than Applebloom and her friends. But the deed had to be done, weight problems or not.

"Just one more step…," Pinkie Pie whispered, taking the item out of her backpack and placing it on a raggedy table the girls had constructed out of old rain barrels and plywood. "There! All done!" she exclaimed, bouncing and booming the tree house like thunder. "Oops," she giggled, carefully leaving the tree house as the horizon started to change colors. She'd be bounced to bed before dawn, just the way she planned.

"THIEF! THIEF!" somepony cried. All of Ponyville awakened to the sound of shrieking up every lane as the victim of some unknown crime ran through the streets trying to get everyone's attention.

"Thief?" Twilight Sparkle murmured, raising up in bed and rubbing her eyes. "Spike, what's this about a thief?"

"Um-num-sprinkles," he whispered, rolling over in his basket as he continued to sleep through the noise.

"Okay then," Twilight sighed, taking off her night cap and moving outside.

"THIEF! THIEF!" screamed a pony-shaped blur that galloped past Twilight so quickly that her wings were tugged from their resting places, knocking her onto her rump. "THIEF!" the culprit continued to cry, but Twilight was fed up with this screaming pony. She used her magic to stop them mid-trot and carry them back.

"Oh, Twilight, I am really sorry for waking you, but SOMEONE STOLE MY PRECIOUS BOX!" Rarity shrieked, bursting into tears. Twilight didn't want her mane to get wet, so she pushed Rarity further away.

"Rarity, you need to calm yourself down and stop a'worryin' about things you have no control over. We'll find that thief, all of us will," Applejack smiled, panting because she'd run all the way from Sweet Apple Acres to figure out what the noise was about.

"But it's a precious family heirloom," Rarity cried. "It can't be out of my sight for more than a second or my great-grandmother might strike me down where I stand!" Rarity pleaded.

Suddenly, a clap of thunder made everypony jump, and Rarity screamed so loud she cracked a nearby window.

"Oh, you're all a bunch of babies!" Rainbow Dash chuckled, moving away the last of the black thunder clouds. "You made the job harder with your yelling today, Rarity. Maybe when we need another thunderstorm, we'll call you to be the thunder."

"Oh stop it, Rainbow Dash," Rarity huffed. "No pony understands what that box meant to me!"

"Good morning, every pony," Pinkie Pie bounced, boinging her way through the crowd. "What's with all the commotion?"

"Someone stole her great-grandmother's box," Applejack replied.

"And she's being really loud about it too, unjustifiably loud if you ask me," Rainbow Dash said, rolling her eyes.

"Well she does need to find her box, Rainbow Dash. Who would do something like that in the first place? Does anyone else even know about the box? This is the first I've heard of it," Twilight Sparkle said, watching as Rarity's face changed emotions again.

"Run! It's about to scream again!" Rainbow warned, ducking behind the library.

"SWEETIE BELL!" Rarity screamed. "COME HERE SWEET SISTER!"

"Oh dear," Twilight sighed, watching as a very nervous pony stepped out from behind a nearby building.

"Y-Y-Yes, Rarity?" she stammered, her knees shaking and knocking underneath her.

"Where is the box? You and your silly crusaders were playing with it, and now it's gone!" Rarity said fiercely, causing a nearby robin to change course before coming anywhere near the angry Rarity.

"We didn't do it! We swear!" Sweetie Belle cried, hiding behind Big Mac as he trotted to examine the commotion.

"Hey, everypony, does anyone-"

"MY BOX!" Rarity screamed, snatching it from Applebloom's hooves. "YOU LIAR!" she hissed at her sister.

"But I didn't touch it, honest!" Sweetie Belle pleaded.

"Rarity, step aside," Twilight Sparkle commanded. "Applebloom, where did you get this box?"

"In the treehouse on the table," she replied, nodding to Applejack, "and I only brought it here to ask my sister what it was. I didn't steal it, honest I didn't."

"Sweetie Belle, did you take it?" Twilight Sparkle questioned.

"Well, of course-"

"Hush up, Rarity, and let the girl talk," Applejack scolded.

"I was asleep until somepony started screaming in the square. I never left my room all night, honest, and we were all in the treehouse before dinner, but there wasn't a box there. I've only seen that box once and Rarity threatened to have Big Mac shave me if I ever tried to touch it," Sweetie Belle pouted.

"I-"

"Stop, Big Mac, we know you'd never take part in such a thing," Applejack said, giving Rarity a stern look. "I think you own your sister an apology, about accusing her of stealing AND threatening to shave her! She's just a little filly like we were once, and she shouldn't have to hear such things from her sister."

"HEY!" Pinkie Pie cried, bouncing above the crowd. No one even looked to her. They were waiting for Rarity to apologize, but she wasn't budging.

"Rarity…," Twilight Sparkle warned.

"HHEEEYY!" Pinkie Pie shrieked, bouncing again, going around different ponies to try to get their attention. When it didn't work and Rarity was still silent, she bounced to the center of the circle in one bounce. "HEY! I have something to say."

"Not until Rarity apologizes," Applejack said, shaking her head sternly. "Rarity, say you're sorry."

"But I'm the one who took the box!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed, causing the crowd to gasp loudly. "I took the box because Rarity was so mean to her sister about it. It's just a silly old box, and before you try to argue with me, I can tell you that everypony in the whole wide world had that box during your great-grandmother's time. Just ask Granny Smith. They have three of them at Sweet Apple Acres. They repainted them red and brown to help advertise cider season."

"But-But, this box was special," Rarity pleaded.

"Not too special for your sister to enjoy, or her friends. So, I took it," Pinkie Pie smiled. "I'm sorry I stole, but I did it to make a point. Look how mean you were to them. You should be ashamed of yourself, as Fluttershy would say. Hey, where is Fluttershy?"

"She-"

"She's by the beaver dam hiding from the noise," Applejack said, blushing as she realized she cut off her brother. "Sorry there, Big Mac. Maybe next time."

"Yep," he said skeptically, rolling his eyes.

"I was a bit ridiculous," Rarity sighed. "I'm sorry, everypony. If everyone's okay now, I should probably go apologize to Fluttershy for scaring her and the animals. I really did make a fool of myself."

"It's okay, Rarity," Twilight Sparkle smiled, turning around with the others as something crashed through the library doors. Spike looked around confused, his blanket still stuck to his tail and trailing behind him. "Maybe we should all sleep a little later this morning to make up for this."

The town agreed, and soon things were calm again. Pinkie Pie was never asked to not steal again, but she wouldn't promise anyway. When it came to mending relationships by showing them how not-so-serious life could be, Pinkie Pie was a pro. She bounced through Ponyville with a bright smile, hoping the others would learn her lessons someday too.

Theme 023: Thief

To complete the themes yourself, I have the list posted on my profile. The list is for any type of fan fiction (one-shot, drabble, etc.) and any fandom. Challenge yourself in other ways to make it more fun, and enjoy!