//------------------------------// // Chapter 1: Ponies Still Do This? // Story: Lucky Break // by Ferris the 1st //------------------------------// I woke with a start, nearly falling out of the seat I had been firmly planted in for the last few hours. I didn't remember falling asleep, but a quick glance through the window next to me revealed that the sun had been moved toward the horizon in preparation for night fall. The soft vibrations and hypnotic chugging of the train were my only companions at the moment since most ponies heading for my destination chose to ride in first class. Stretching and popping stiff joints, I shook my head to free up the cobwebs. For the briefest of moments, I tried desperately to remember what I'd been dreaming about. It felt like it had been important, but like the fading light in the atmosphere, the details were getting more and more fuzzy the longer I was awake. Shrugging it off, I rose and paced the car. I still found myself comparing how I had been to how I was now, surprising myself every now and again at my own strength. Gone was the lanky stallion that had left his home a few months back and in his place was a guard-trained pony that still found it odd to consider everything that had happened. With little else to do, I turned my attention to the rolling plains flashing by the window. Eventually the scenery would change into the hills rising toward Mount Canterhorn, but for the moment it was oddly peaceful. Considering that not long ago that a crazy gryphon had attempted to usurp the power of one of the ruling diarchs, it could have been on fire right now. Lifting a hoof, I brushed the scars that marred my left side where a talon-full of claws had tried to use my lung as a stress ball. I still found myself shuddering at how close I'd come to dying for Equestria... It wasn't that the thought of giving it all for my home was bad, I just wasn't a career soldier like some. I begrudgingly had to admit to myself that if I kept up my current path, I'd probably wind up as one. It was just that every time I considered throwing in the towel and calling it good something would happen and tear at my good-natured heart. Still, the perks weren't all bad. I grinned like an idiot, settling back in my seat, as I considered my “reward” for my part in the recent attack on Canterlot. Officially, the record stated that the airships that had appeared to bombard the capital were part of a rogue splinter-group of radicals. Unofficially, a gryphon going by the name of Sunslayer had intended for the attack to be a smash and grab while he used an ancient artifact to steal the magic of the solar princess, Celestia. Suffice it to say that the results were not what he had expected. Namely because I possessed something of a wild card in the form of my “talent.” I spared a glance at my cutie mark during my musings. The cauldron full of bits with a four-leafed clover rising out of it was about as vague as the abilities that came with it. I wasn't called Lucky Signs for nothing, but I just wish it didn't feel so embarrassing from my point of view whenever it decided to activate. Putting that from my mind, I refused to let it bring me down from my elation. After denying Sunslayer his prize, I'd been out of commission for a while, but when I came back around Celestia herself had been there to congratulate me. She also offered me the largest blank check of all time, but... well I wasn't interested in anything grandiose; I was a simple stallion. There was one thing I could ask of her though. I felt myself getting giddy as I thought back to one of the good things about the last few months. I'd met a gorgeous pegasus named Dawn Breeze and during one of my stumbles through life, I may have asked her out. Of course, working as one of Celestia's assistants, she tended to have to work a lot and that made it difficult to see her for more than moments at a time. Then Celestia had given me the golden ticket to freeing up some time for Dawn and the princess had even taken it on herself to mention my interest to Dawn and help us set up a day to meet up. I'll admit, having to ask Dawn out by proxy didn't sit well with me, but she was harder to find than needle in a haystack! I'm still not sure how everypony else seems to be able to find her fairly easily. Either way, it was a first date, just to see of we were compatible, but I had high hopes! If everything went well, the train would arrive in Canterlot just after moonrise and tomorrow would give me enough time to pick up the suit I'd ordered for the occasion and check on the reservations I'd made. I was really excited, but this train wasn't going fast enough! That was the moment that the train decided to shake and squeal as the brakes were applied. With a cry of shock, I flipped head over hooves to land upside down in the seat across from me. Grumbling, I righted myself and scowled. I had no idea what was going on, but there better be a good reason for this stop or I was going to be furious. When the train finally came to a stop, I flicked my ears, trying to listen for a cause. What I heard was not encouraging. After a moment of silence, I heard what sounded like the sizzle of a spell from somewhere ahead of me, muffled by the car's walls. That was immediately followed by the sound of panic and the shouts of an authoritative voice. I sighed. Duty called and I was the only pony around to answer. At least it gave me a way to work off the rapidly building anxiety from the delay. Marching to the front of my car, I slid open the door and hopped the gap to the next, repeating the process through that one as the whimpers of fear and shouting grew louder. First class sounded like it was getting more than it bargained for. Wiggling my body to loosen up, I dropped into a crouch and crept toward the door to the first class car in front of me. Cracking the door open slightly, I looked in. First class definitely lived up to the hype, considering the comfortable looking chairs and built in tables to hold food and drink from the dining car. Currently, the only thing marring it was the mass of ponies pressed low in their seats being menaced by a trio of hefty, scruffy looking stallions and a scowling unicorn mare. What era and time were these ponies from? They would have looked more at home in Appleloosa with their cowpony hats and jackets. Tartarus, from what I could hear from one of the stallions, they even had that deep drawl from the area. Currently, they all had their backs to me, working their way toward the front of the car. Rolling my eyes, I stepped into the car and slid up behind the stallion at the back. He wasn't much bigger than me and it seemed like most of his bulk was fur. Shrugging to myself, I ignored the open-mouthed stares of the rich ponies around me that were currently being robbed and reached up to tap the stallion on his left shoulder before quickly sliding to the right. The effect was instant as we twirled around one another and he hip-checked one of his buddies. What followed was the closest thing I'd ever seen to a Three Stages production as the second stallion bucked out of surprise and sent his friend sprawling. The twitchy mare whirled around and let loose a spell that struck the second stallion and sent him flopping like a fish out of water while the third stallion knocked himself out on the overhead baggage area; one of the cons of being tall. With three stallions down and groaning, I blinked and lifted my hooves to clap sarcastically for the mare. She stared at me, her eyes going wide, “I... you... wha'? Who are you, some kinda guard!?” she shouted at me, her horn starting to glow again. “Something like that.” I responded as I stepped forward and ducked my head. The air above my mane crackled as her spell sailed over me and the grunt I heard from behind me must have been the first stallion getting a face full of magic. Before the mare could charge another spell, I hopped forward and gave her horn a light tap. As she recoiled with a shout of pain from the backlash, I huffed at her, “You know, the sad part is that if you hadn't chosen this specific train, this probably wouldn't have happened. Oh, who am I kidding, things were going way too well for this not to happen to me. That's just my luck, isn't it?” I was ranting at this point and I had to give her another horn tap to stop the charging magic there. Shaking my head, I appropriated some rope from the mare once she was safely in a forced slumber (unicorns had a habit of using magic to cheat while they were awake.) Tying the quartet together, I left the nobles to sort out their belongings while I leaned my head out the window. Oh joy, a blockade. Well, that explained why the train had stopped. With another sigh, I made my way to the door. I better get paid overtime for this... I thought to myself. ** You know, after dealing with an organized group with the equipment and guts to assault Canterlot proper, a hooffull of train robbers was pitifully easy to deal with. The sun and moon were swapped out during the entire thing, making it that much easier to stealth my way into their numbers and do my thing... which mostly consisted of me wandering around while just avoiding their lookouts or barely getting the drop on them one by one until they were all down. After that, it was just a matter of convincing some of the over-privileged, rich snobs to come help me clear the tracks of the various carts, barrels, and other things blocking them. That part was almost harder than clearing out the bandits and stowing them in the cargo car for the guards to deal with later. Seriously, just how arrogant can a pony be? They didn't want to come help because they might get their suits dirty?! Suffice it to say, I told them to bill me when I threw some dirt on them. Best part of my night! Returning to my seat in coach, I let out a yawn and settled down for the rest of the ride. Thankfully, there weren't any further incidents aside from having to check on my captives occasionally. The few unicorns in the group were... convinced to finish a long nap during the ride... Hey, even my luck only goes so far! I was an hour behind schedule when I felt the sense of rising as the train made its way to Canterlot. Peering outwards, I caught sight the resplendent city where it perched on the edge of Mount Canterhorn. Artistic, firm, and open to the world, it really did represent the things that ponies stood for. This was the center of Equestria and it stood as a symbol of a unity forged hundreds of years ago. I chuckled, realizing that after a few forced therapy sessions, I was starting to have a more positive attitude. I'd once looked at this city as my prison when an incident at a Donut Joe's had lead me to being drafted into the guard as penance for vigilante justice. The locator band may be gone, but I still found myself coming back to this city. I'm not sure why, it just felt... right. Leveling out, my ride drew into the Canterlot station. A platoon of guards wearing their purple armor enchanted to make them all appear as white-furred ponies, were waiting. At least somepony on this train had listened to me willingly; the conductor had sent a message ahead via magic to let my co-workers know that I had some presents for them. Of course it was the thestral stallion awaiting me as I stepped off the train that caught my eye. Standing a head taller than me, the dark form of Silent Stroke stared down at me with his predatory eyes. A quick glance at my captives as they were herded off the train drew a comment from the reserved pony, “You're late. Trouble?” I offered him a shrug, “What can I say, it was somepony's lucky day,” I chuckled at his eye roll as the two of us strode away while the main guard force too custody of the robbing band. Making our way into the city, I thought about the difference between night and day in Canterlot. When Celestia's sun was in the sky, it was a packed place with all the nobility, store owners, eager shoppers, and aspiring entrepreneurs filling the streets. At night, there were only a few carriages being pulled between various houses and the patrols of night guards. I stretched a little, looking up at Silent, “So, if you had the time to come meet me personally, I take it that work has been slow?” He nodded, choosing not to respond verbally. I couldn't blame him; he was among a number of thestrals that struggled to speak in tones that didn't shatter eardrums. Something to do with a genetic condition that affected the vocal cords so that their signature sonic screech was their baseline. I wondered what the rest of my co-workers were up to briefly before my thoughts turned to Dawn again. I shuffled nervously, “Hey Silent,” his ears perked toward me, “be honest with me. I haven't known her as long as all of you have, but do you think I have a shot with Dawn? She's an absolutely beautiful mare, but she always seems so busy...” Silent, like most of my “friends,” seemed to think it was funny to give me a “I know something you don't” smirk. He shook his head at me even as he continued to smirk, “Nope. Doomed to failure.” he supplied jokingly. At least I hoped it was jokingly. He was a hard stallion to get a read on. I shrugged, “Oh well, I'll enjoy it while it lasts then... now do you mind showing me to the rooms again? I always get lost in the castle...”