//------------------------------//
// On the road again 
// Story: The Great and Powerful Centaur 
// by Viper Pit 
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After my... unexpected (and rather unnecessarily silly) alternate extra-dimensional visit from familiar and unfamiliar individuals, I don't think I will ever forget that moment anytime soon. But strangely enough, luckily they have helped me decide on my new bodyguard which I am thankful for.

I had another stroke of luck as I find out that my chosen candidate, Nightslash was lingering around at my parents' hotel. This just gives me a chance to say goodbye to my parents, even if it is just through a nameless messenger. After all, running a hotel is a lot of work and they can't always be pulled away from it just because of me, their one and only daughter.

Making my way down to the hotel from the park was a little tedious as nothing too exciting happens along the way. But I guess that also means that I didn't encounter anything too stressful for my hearts.

Well, that was supposed to happen because I think I just jinxed myself by thinking that last sentence so confidently.

Anyway, all I could see around my surroundings were just the usual Las Pegasus citizens; talented street performers who were performing amazing feats that no ordinary ponies or other species could perceive and cunning hustlers trying to make a quick bit by preying on the clueless first-time tourist.

I had to be very careful around the hustlers and other lowlives in this city since I can feel their greedy glares on my new wagon, thinking that they could easily scam me out of it. I can tell that they perceive me as just a traveling show magician from a far away small town.

But jokes on the newbies of the hustling world, I've in these streets since I was a little girl. When I was five, I was almost got scammed out of my childhood bits savings if weren't for my dad's intervention and my mom's nosiness. I got an ear full of lectures about not trusting strangers and not trusting their word that they are a distant relative of mine so easily.

After that little ordeal, I decided to keep a far distance from approaching strangers in big cities and any other settlements. I also decided that I should be the one to approach towards others, instead of letting them come to me.

... unfortunately, my life choices were irrelevant as right now as a group of unfamiliar ponies surround me and my wagon.

"Well, well, well. Look who we have here, ladies and gentlemen." One of the ponies boastfully announced to his partners. "A little pony with a box full of treasures."

I guess he's the mastermind of this pathetic encounter. He had a bright crimson fur color and a grass green high mohawk and eyes. I'm just gonna call him Tomato because that is the only thing I can perceive of him.

I guess they're here to mug me and steal my wagon away from me but I'm not having any of that. I reach towards my pockets for my quick getaway smoke bombs but suddenly...

"And what do you think you're doin'?" An unknown mare's voice said behind me. I felt something sharp jab my back, must be a knife or something. I tried to turn my head towards the individual but I felt another sharp jab. "Unh, unh, unh. No sudden movements, you freak."

Okay, that freak remark was so uncalled for. This is Las Pegasus, they must have met some centaurs here. Unless they are singling me out because they must've known that my mom is a human in which case I'm Boned.

"Let's not do anything rash now," I said as I tried to get out of this situation with my life at the very least. I really hope things don't go that far.

"Oh, we won't won't we fellas." The mare says as I feel the knife get a little more pressure behind it, thus causing the others to chuckle.

One of the stallions who had a confident composure and smug expression starts speaking. "You see our boss wants a word with you." I see him giving me a lecherous glare and started to slowly lick his upper lip. I cringed at what I just saw.

I couldn't help but anxiously gulp since I know there are only two outcomes would occur if I actually did their demand. Either the leader is going force me to do his demands or be forced to hand over every valuable I have after... after... after being "assaulted" by every gang member.

I don't want any of those things to happen to me. I have to escape from this situation but how do I do that?

I felt another sharp jab. "Hey fat flank, do you have wax on your ears? Move your ass or..." The mare who had a knife on my side suddenly paused her speech and I could hear her starting to loudly yelp in pain.

Since I could no longer feel the knife on my side, I turned towards mare and I was shocked to see her squirming on the ground with what I think is a large slash wound on her right side. I had to quickly look away from her before I get squeamish from the excess amount of blood vacating out of her wound. Her degenerate partners were completely caught off guard by this and became disoriented as erratically turn their heads on who caused

"You! Did you do this!?" Tomato demanded an answer from me, only to have my confused and frightened expression. He tried to reach for his wounded partner's knife to assault me, only for a shroud of darkness appear right in front of us and a slash mark was inflicted on the stallion's right side face.

"GAHHH!" Tomato yelped in pain as he reached his wound with both of his forehooves and collapsing on the ground.

The rest of the gang members huddled together with their backs sticking together to cover all their surroundings.

"Hark, foul evildoers!"

Suddenly, I heard a familiar mare's voice valiantly echoing somewhere. I turned to the origin of the voice and saw a silhouette figure on top of a hill with something long and slender placed beside her. I immediately guess that it was a sword as it reflected the morning sunlight from the sky, blinding me and the gang members.

The figure grabbed her sword with her mouth and then leaped up to the air, performing a quadruple somersault before successfully sticking the landing in a heroic way.

"Nightslash!?" I shouted in surprise.

"Hey, Trixie." She happily muttered her greeting with a confident and innocent grin on her face and somehow speak properly ever though her rapier was on her mouth. Immediately after greeting me, she turns her attention to the gang members and initiates her namesake slashes all around the thugs who shortly after running away, I'm assuming as to lick their physical and mental wounds.

"That was.....AMAZING!" I exclaimed with full amazement. "Where did you learn to do that?!" I ask in excitement.

Nightslash gives a small giggle before answering. "I learned one of those moves from my swordmaster, silly." Putting away her blade. "So about that Job offer?"

"Oh, Ye,s you do indeed have the job," I exclaim. "In fact, I was just on my way to inform you about it but you just guaranteed your position with that fight." She nods with a big smile on her face. "I hope you already packed your bags because we're leave in about an hour."

"Yippee." Nightslash leaps high up in the air for joy like a foal being told they are getting ice cream after dinner. "Where will I meet you?"

"I was thinking we could meet in an hour on Route Thirty-Six." I used my magic to levitate a small pouch of about twenty bits." And here's a little something for helping me with those delinquents since you were not technically on the job yet."

"Why thank you very much, Trixie." Nightslash squees as she happily accepts the bits. "I will meet you on the road then."

"God speed, Nightslash." I gave her a little bow as she gave her wings a might flap before taking off to the sky at incredible speeds. "I am really lucky she was there when she was. I don't wanna know what would have happened otherwise."