The chaos began with the sound of a beastly kick reverberating around the city skyline.

"Hey lady! What do you think you're doing?" complained a now airborne pegasus, rubbing his flanks to try and get the hoofprints off.
"Oh, sorry! I thought you were being savaged by an angry cat or something!" Sky cried, trying to sound as concerned for the pony's safety as possible.
"That was me singing, you ditz!"
"That's what they're calling it these days?" she replied evenly, fighting back the urge to smile and failing miserably.
"You didn't have to buck me off the roof!"
"I kind of did." she shrugged. "That racket could wake the dead, and I really don't want to learn if there are any of those lying around down there, okay?"
"What are you saying exactly?"
Sky sighed slightly. "Look, nothing. I'm sorry for kicking you in the flanks. Now come on, get home before Mrs Tone Deaf starts worrying about you."
The dejected pegasus fluttered away, still rubbing his flank. Big baby.

Sky descended her staircase to the ground floor, still trying to massage away the headache that godawful noise had given her. It was bad enough that he'd been a terrible singer, but that he was singing a song that was rubbing it in? That was low.

Oh well, it didn't matter so much any more. Lots of ponies can get by without the use of wings, and she'd learned to cope without them. Sure, they'd been nice to have, but she'd always been a weak flyer. Not a big deal, really.

Unbarring her door, she tucked her wings in and made her way out into the marketplace. It was time to do a little shopping.

Just the essentials, you know...

She brushed a couple of apples into her saddlebag.

I mean, it's not like I take more than I need...

...and those carrots...

Frankly the shopkeepers are doing charity work...

...ooooh, those home-made muffins look nice...

I am, after all, a poor starving mare...

...oh hey, a jewellery store...those necklaces would look nice on me...

I'm a minimalist...whatever that means. It sounds good in case anypony asks, though!

...they do look nice on me...

Heck, I've got a little sister to take care of!

...they are definitely coming home with me...

It's practically criminal to not accept a hoof-out or two!

...look...at...that...

Sky froze, biting her lower lip as she spotted a sight that made her incredibly happy indeed.
A most rotund stallion was advancing down the street towards her, each hoof-fall accompanied by a clink sound that she knew all too well. His own saddlebags were loaded with bits, such that they were as voluminous as himself. Sky grinned. This was going to be fun.

It was quite irritating, thought the unicorn. Why couldn't ponies just watch where they're going?
It had been bad enough that the nice ponies at the stallionwear store had been out of those special bowties he liked, but this was just uncalled for. That ditzy mare had just been skipping along down the street, not paying any attention to anypony around her. Of course it was only a matter of time before she'd crash into someone, and it figures that it would have been him.
"Oh my goodness, I'm so sorry! Are you okay?" the mare clapped her forehooves to her mouth in shock.
"Yes, yes...I'm fine..." he replied irritably. She looked apologetic. There was that, at least.
"I'm so sorry...I wasn't looking where I was going..."
"So it seems."
"Are you sure you're okay? Nothing broken?" She did look quite pretty, with those big shining blue eyes, even though she seemed awfully shy.
"Nothing broken, my dear. I'm quite all right." he smiled understandingly. "These things happen, don't they?"
"Oh, thank Luna..." the mare looked genuinely relieved. "It's just that I've had a really hard week, and now I might finally be getting help with my wing, and I was really excited, so..."
"Yes, I can imagine you're thrilled." he interrupted, a bit more flustered. "However, I'm quite busy today, so if you don't mind...?"
"Oh, OH! Y...yes...of course...sorry, it won't happen again." she smiled guiltily, slinking off while mouthing "Sorry!" over and over again.
What a strange mare. Perhaps it was some kind of pegasus thing to have one's head in the clouds all day long. He briefly wondered if her wing had been damaged by her own clumsiness.
No matter. He was feeling very gentlemanly indeed for allowing to get off scott-free like that. Why, he even felt lighter...
Wait...
"Hey, where the hell did my money go?"

Sky ducked into an alley and pulled out the large bag of bits, giving them a cursory check for authenticity. They were completely real.
"Ohmygoshohmygosh!" she whispered, popping the coins back in her saddlebag and sealing it shut. This was too perfect! She was never this lucky! It just didn't happen!
Still unable to fully believe her luck, Sky peeked out from the alley to see if anypony was following her.

The stallion was talking to a guard, complaining about something...no prizes for guessing what...

Aaaand they'd spotted her.
Damn.

Sky was moving before the guard had even begun to shout "Halt!" She was faster than any of them, weighed down by heavy metal armour as they were. She could gallop faster, jump higher, and get into spaces where the guards couldn't. Now was when she got to show off her special talent, running.

Leaping through a market stall to put an obstacle between herself and the guard, Sky took off down the street, picking up some proper speed. This was an amazing feeling, one that she cherished. The dull thud of her padded hooves against the cobblestone was a welcome sound, and the feeling of the rushing air tugging at her wings and mane were some of her favourite sensations in the whole wide world.

"STOP RIGHT THERE, THIEF!"

Oh yeah, well that was a less pleasant sound.

Stretching out her wings, Sky gave a single flap, propelling her onto a low rooftop. Up here, she'd be harder for the unicorns to target with their spells, and the earth pony guards would be completely unable to pursue her further. The only thing she really had to worry about now was...

Yep, he's a pegasus. Damn.

She kicked up a few tiles as she galloped faster. Most pegasi were actually capable of catching up on her on a straightaway, but Sky Runner hadn't gotten this good by playing fair.

Leaping onto an adjacent rooftop, Sky started sliding down it, her hooves rattling on the tiles as she spread her wings. Just as the guard snatched at her tail, she made another jump, launching herself across the road and onto somepony's upstairs balcony.
The guard came shooting towards her again, and Sky sidestepped as quickly as she could, sending him barreling straight through the door in a hurricane of feathers and splintered wood.
She poked her head in. Clearly he had rudely interrupted a very important tea party. Two very eminent madams were still sitting in shock, teacups raised, while the table that had occupied the space between them lay shattered at the back of the room with the concussed stallion.
"Sorry about that!" Sky squeaked. "He's a scumbag. Only wanted me for my money. You know what stallions are like."
And with that, she clambered up onto the rooftop, leaving the two mares to try and piece together the strange events themselves.

There were more guards down below, and Sky ducked out of sight as best she could. Unicorns could grab her tail or wings too easily if they had a clear line of sight, and she most certainly didn't want to risk that. Last time it had happened, she'd lost a wing...
"COME BACK DOWN HERE!" one of them roared.
"Make me!" she called back, trying to get some real momentum.
A few spells impacted on nearby chimneys, launching pottery and brickwork high into the air around her.
"Okay, don't make me! Don't make me!" she corrected herself.
Two pegasus guards took off and gave chase. They were faster than than that last one, and probably more maneuverable too. She needed to take them down quickly or she was caught.

With a flick of her hoof, the small crossbow snapped open. It was a concealable weapon, short-ranged but capable of delivering a very special payload.

Taking a moment to load a dart into the crossbow almost cost Sky her tail, as one of the guards dropped out of the air and snatched at her. Before he could get a good grip, however, she was away again, galloping straight towards what looked like too far a gap for her to make properly.

She spread her wings again, cringing as her bad wing extended painfully. She knew right away that she wasn't going to make it, but she launched herself off of the rooftop anyway.

As the first pegasus came soaring down towards her again, she twisted in the air and triggered the crossbow. The little hypodermic dart, filled with the glowing green formula, sprang out of the weapon, sailing towards the guard too quickly for him to take any evasive action.

She righted herself as the dart struck the pegasus in the neck. She kept her wings out to act as air brakes, just enough so that she didn't land too hard. A moment later, he thudded into the ground next to her, unconscious. The second pegasus broke off to help his companion, leaving Sky free to start sprinting down the street again. She didn't stop until she was safely tucked away in another alley, well out of harm's way. She reached into her bag and checked the bits.

They were still there, shiny as ever.

"Too easy." she blew her mane out of her face as she took off down the street.

Author's Notes:

I feel that this chapter desperately needs something, perhaps some expansion or some better choreography. I intend to make it presentable before moving onto the next one.