Story by  Dakinu

Original http://www.furaffinity.net/view/13862355/
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The night air was cold and moist, the ground still wet from the rain that just finished pouring down on the sleepy city. A few people in town weren't sleeping that night, however, including a lone meerkat in a suit who was taking a shortcut home through the alleyways. He knew it was dangerous, but how many pickpockets would want to be out on such a dreary night as this?

Two pickpockets to be precise, and both had their eyes on the meerkat's wallet. It practically hung out tantalizingly from his pocket like a free invitation as the two approached from the dark of the alleyways. The two did not know each other though and the night sky dimmed the three's vision so much that they didn't notice each other.

The meerkat stopped to check his phone when the two separate shadows moved to strike. At the same time. Their hands met at the meerkat's pocket, one scaly and red, while another smooth and pinkish. It was then that the two rogues realized that they were not alone.

"Hey, buzz off!" whispered a brown rat clad in a leather jacket, neck bandanna, and jeans, all of it as grey as stormclouds. "Tch, you get lost!" whispered the other, a red kobold with goggles, brown shorts, a deep blue shirt, and a flowing red scarf. "This mark's mine!"

"Yeah right! I've been stalking this guy for hours!"
"Oh yeah? I've been following him for days!"
"Too bad! You had your chance, now get to steppin'!"
"I'm ain't going nowhere! This is my money and you need to butt out!"
"You're making a big mistake..."

Both of the thieves were in error, for by this time the meerkat had noticed the heated whispering and looked behind himself. Of course, finding not one but two shadowy figures lurking near him caused him quite a fright. He dashed off down the alleyway and into the street, the prize gone from both of the thieves hands.

"Aw, now look what you did!" said the kobold out loud. "You scared him off!" "I scared him off?!" replied the rodent, angrily. The kobold crossed his arms in frustration and said, "You're the one who can't keep your voice down!" "Well, if you had screamed when I told you too, this wouldn't have happened!" interjected the rodent, eyebrows furrowed on his face. "Oh yeah, and who made you king of the world?" the kobold replied with a roll of his eyes.

"This." said the rat, pulling out a rather long knife. "And if you don't want to learn more about it, you'd better apologize for screwing up my mark!"
"Ha!" laughed the kobold. "That little stick doesn't scare me!"
"Oh yeah? Well, maybe this will!" He said as he stepped forward quickly and moved to strike at the kobold's neck.

THe kobold wasted no time in defending himself, casting his fire magic at the rodent before he could get closer. The rat ducked under the first fireball, and leaned just out of the way of the second. His arm just barely missed being set ablaze by the spell.

"Hey~ That's a neat trick you've got there!" said the rat, brushing down the embers that fell on his jacket calmly. "Show me how to do it?"
"Ha!" The kobold laughed as he readied another fireball. "Like I'd teach a moron like you!"
The rat sighed and slumped his shoulders. "Oh well, I guess that's one secret.. you'll take to your grave!" He shouted as he rushed forward, knife gripped tightly in his hand and poised to strike.

The kobold was quick to respond, hurling another fireball from his right hand. The rat, however, moved much faster than expected, dodging to his right and letting the garbage behind him erupt into flame on contact with the projectile.

"My turn!" shouted the rat as his dagger sliced at the kobold's neck, a move narrowly dodged by the scaly mage. The rat continued his assault, slashing doward and stabbing upward rapidly to try and damage the kobold's body. The kobold managed to evade his attacks, moving backward more and more into the thankfully empty street.

The rat became more and more frustrated as his attacks missed over and over, every step he moved forward, another step the kobold took to distance them. "Dang, you scalies are slippery! Stay still!" he demanded as his foot lifted and kicked his opponent into the side of a building on the other side of the street. THe kobold grunted and squinted as the back of his head hit the brick wall, and lifted his hands to grab the arm that was poised to stab into his skull. "Ha! Gotcha now!" The rat said, pushing with both and harder and harder into the kobolds weakening grip.

The dagger loomed ever closer to the kobold's skull, but then the kobold had an idea. He tightened his grip on the rodent's arms and set them aflame with his fire magic, much to the rodent's dismay. "Aaahhh!" the rat screamed as he backed away and dropped his dagger to the ground.

The rat hissed and screamed before running to a pothole full of water and dumping his hands in it. As the pain subsided and the water doused the flames, the rat took a long breath in relief... He then held his breath tightly as he felt a heat on the back of his neck. The heat of another fire spell being charged by the kobold.

The rat stared forward for a moment... before chuckling and smirking a bit. "Heh... I guess I lose..." he said with a shrug. The strange rat then raised his bunt hands in defeat. "Alright, you got me. It was your mark. Your money. I screwed up. I ... shouldn't have attacked you either. I've just had a bad week, and thought this would be an easy way to turn things around. I'm sorry. ...Happy now?"

"No..." said the kobold as the heat from his spell got stronger and stronger on the rat's neck. The rodent squinted his eyes for a moment... then raised an eyebrow as he felt no fire... but a hand reaching into his back pocket. The brown one looked back to see his wallet being rummaged through by the kobold, an amused grin on his scaley face as he plucked up all his cash. "Alright... Now I'm happy. Now, scram!"