//------------------------------//
// Chapter 21: Out on the Town 
// Story: Well, this is new... 
// by CommunistTaco 
//------------------------------//

In a dimly lit room at an unknown location a stallion sits behind a truly massive desk that imposes his form into one of power and intimidation. To most he was simply "boss" or "sir" but those closest to him knew him as T.M.. None who worked for him knew his real name, not yet anyway. He feels as if the world is at his hooves as he sits, looking down upon the ponies in front of him. It would only be a matter of time before he could give his benefactor what they wanted. Then he could finally be allowed to peruse his calling in life without hindrance.

In front of his desk stand two of his subordinates. A red unicorn mare with a nervous look on her face and a gray pegasus stallion who displayed no emotion whatsoever.

"Do you have any news regarding the target?" T.M. asks his voice echoing slightly off the marble walls of the office.

The mare steps forward sweat evident on her coat and addresses him in a trembling voice. "Yes sir! Target has arrived in Canterlot as expected. Do you have any further orders?"

T.M.'s face wretches into a grin as he stares down his nervous employee. "Yes, you both read the operation plans I sent out last night correct?"

The gray pegasus simply nods his head in affirmation while the mare's eyes widen in surprise. "Sir you can't possible wish to try this so soon? There are too many moving pieces to get together in such a short period of time!" she exclaims.

"I don't care Agent Blaze. I don't pay you to sit there and babble about what you think of my leadership, I pay you to follow orders. And I am ordering you to go forward with this operation are we clear?" T.M. growls contempt now adorning his face.

Agent Blaze furiously nods her head while the stallion next to her clears his throat. "Sir, I will pass along the word that we are green on this assignment. We have already found a suitable pawn to do the dirty work, all they need is a little 'convincing,'" he says in a gruff voice.

T.M.'s face returns to a grin looking at his more composed underling. "Excellent Agent Windfall. I will await news of the operation's success tomorrow. You are both dismissed."

The two agents quickly exit the room to set the plan in motion while T.M. leans back in his chair and stares at the ceiling. While Blaze's insubordination is unacceptable she does raise a valid point. If any small piece of the operation goes incorrectly then nothing would come of it at best and at worst... disaster. He can only hope that his agents are able to get everything in order in the very short time window he has given them.

This operation will be a test more than anything. T.M. could not risk directly interacting with the target after his last blunder. Princess Luna was no doubt onto his meddling after too many careless mistakes in the early going. He could barely observe the target much anymore without the fear of the night princess capturing one of his agents. This latest move would be a test of both the target's ability and Luna's response so T.M. could plan his next maneuver accordingly.

T.M.'s thoughts turned to his benefactor. While they were patient in most regards, if he had any more large-scale setbacks he doubted they'd be happy. T.M. was still unsure of his benefactor's motives, only that they benefited him. He would finally be able to live his dream and take back the legacy that was so unfairly ripped from him. He just knew that his current target was the big break he'd been hoping for all these years. He had to have patience though, any further missteps could lead to his discovery and an end to everything he had worked for.

A knock at the door startles T.M. from his thoughts. He stares at the offending piece of wood wondering who could be bothering him.

"Enter," he states simply.

The door slides open and reveals a green pegasus mare with a satchel on her side. She quickly scrambles up to his desk before opening said satchel and producing a sealed envelope.

"Message for you sir. It's urgent," she pants clearly out of breath.

"Thank you Feather. Please stick around outside, I will have you deliver my reply if needed," T.M. responds taking the letter before motioning to the door.

Feather takes the hint, quickly retreating out of the office leaving T.M. alone once again. He grabs his golden letter opener and rips open the envelope revealing the message inside. After unfolding the paper he quickly reads over its contents, a frown forming on his face as he does.

"This is the last thing I needed right now," he grumbles producing a quill and stationary from his desk.

While the letter brought unwelcome news, it wasn't anything he hadn't dealt with before. He just needed to get a message to the right ponies and he could prevent this from causing further issues. He dips his quill in the inkwell before jotting down his reply.

"Hopefully one of these days I can relax. I'm getting too old for this," he muses as he signs the bottom with his alias before walking towards the door.

It was going to be another crazy day tomorrow. But it would be all worth it in the end...





I awoke at eight-fifteen in the morning having gotten way more sleep than I intended to. I had forgotten to request a wake-up call from my guard escort the previous night so I was left to sleep for as long as my body wished. After getting a quick shower and making myself presentable, I had opened my door to be greeted by the ever bored face of Straight Spear. He had informed me that the princesses had already eaten their breakfast, but that I was welcome to order anything to my room I wished to have.

I ordered the same thing Luna had the previous night as it looked pretty damn good. While I waited for the kitchen to prepare my meal I pulled out my invitation/itinerary to see what I was supposed to do all day. The time period leading up to the ceremony was filled with a bunch of "recommended" activities that I could busy myself with.

'Lets see... "Meet the Canterlot Nobility?" I think I'd rather jump off a bridge. "Observe Day Court Proceedings?" Might be a good learning experience... but I have a feeling it'll be a bunch of morons either trying to manipulate Celestia or asking her to provide answers to menial issues. What else...? "Attend Canterlot fashion show?!" Hell to the no. I guess I'll just call it a free day cause all of these sound awful.'

After a brief deliberation I decided that I might as well use the day to explore Canterlot. I especially wanted to return to the business district and see if there was anything worth buying while I was here. Ponyville only had so much variety of goods due to its size. I grabbed my saddlebag and emptied it out save my bits and ID and walked out of suite intent on making the best of the time I had.

After having Spear lead me to the castle gate, I set out into the streets of Canterlot. The guards had been really pushy about having somepony escort me around all day, but I got them to compromise by simply giving me a map of the city and assuring that I'd be back at least an hour before the ceremony. I may be new here but I'm not some toddler. I had only myself to count on for the past ten years, I can handle it just fine thank you.

After hurriedly making my way through the noble district to avoid any potential confrontation, I slowed my pace to a leisurely trot and headed back towards the train station. The streets were as jam packed as ever when I arrived at the bustling commercial hub. The vendors who had setup shop with carts or stalls on the street were mostly selling either food, touristy knick-knacks, or weird odds and ends that sounded like either gimmicks or scams. I wasn't particularly interested in any of those things so I started perusing the proper shops for something that piqued my interest.

It was a lovely autumn day outside with the temperate being cooler but definitely not cold. Despite it being early June in my world when I left, I had soon learned that it was late September in Equestria at the time of my arrival. It was now the first week of October and the leaves on the trees were just beginning to change into their colored hues for the fall. I always had a fondness for colder temperatures, so the fact that the sweltering heat of summer was behind me was welcome news.

After searching for a good thirty minutes I came across a small shop nestled in-between a bakery and a bookstore. It was called "Hammer's Industrial Supply." Sounded like the exact kind of thing I would be interested in considering my future business prospects so I quickly darted inside. A little bell jingled as I pushed the door open and entered into the cramped showroom.

Inside was an interesting array of items that varied from simple tools to full on heavy machinery. I had noticed since I came here that Equestria was a weird technological enigma at least by human standards. While in some instances ponies had many modern amenities like refrigeration, modern medicine, and indoor plumbing, they also seemed centuries behind in others. Almost all transportation was by either train, cart, or airship, weapons were medieval at best, and electricity was in its infancy. This was all thanks to the effect magic had on technological development. It was really strange, but I had gotten mostly used to it.

Such was the strange mix of technology laid out before me. The shop offered all sorts of equipment from massive boilers to a simple wrench. Behind the counter in the front was a middle aged rust-orange unicorn mare with a gray mane/tail and a sledgehammer on her flanks who eyed me curiously upon my entrance.

"Welcome sir, can I help ya? Do ya need directions somewhere?" she asked in a scratchy voice.

"Uh, no I'm not lost. I was hoping to look around for some equipment," I replied with a confused look on my face.

The mare's expression immediately turned more jovial as she perked up upon hearing my words. She quickly tidied up her messy mane with a hoof and brushed aside the loose paperwork she had laid out on the counter.

"My apologies sir. Not many folks outside my regulars come in here that aren't lost in this crazy town. I'd be more than happy to help ya find what ya need. The name's Hammer, nice to meet ya," she said as she held out her hoof which I promptly bumped with my own.

"Vladimir, nice to meet you too. I am looking to start up a construction firm of sorts back in the town I recently moved into and need some good tools to get me started," I explained.

"That's quite an unusual name you've got there, ya ain't from around here are ya?" Hammer responded with a chuckle.

"Uh, no I'm not. It's quite a common name back in my homeland," I swiftly returned trying to end that particular chain of conversation before she pried any further.

"Well no matter where you're from, I'm always happy to help a new customer. What did ya have in mind that ya needed?" Hammer questioned motioning to her array of products.

"I've gotten most of the basic stuff from the hardware store already but I'm looking for something more... err... advanced that might help my operation," I replied.

"Well considering ya said you're going be in construction, I think I might have somethin' that tickles your fancy," Hammer stated beckoning me over to the far corner of the shop.

"These babies just came out a few months ago but they're all the rage," she explained motioning to a product that I immediately recognized.

It was a circular saw unless my eyes were playing tricks on me. While rather crude looking and clearly designed with ponies in mind, there was no mistaking the purpose of the device. If my business was successful I could look into hiring contract labor in the future, but for now I was going to have to do all the work myself. Having something like this would make my life a whole lot easier. I stared at the object in question for probably longer than I should of before Hammer decided to speak up again.

"This baby can make cuttin' a breeze. Runs on thaumite crystals so all ya have to do is flick this switch and you'll double your productivity in no time," she pitched playing up the product.

"How much?" was the only thing I could muster hoping that it wouldn't break the bank to buy this thing.

Hammer caught my longing gaze towards the saw and let out a chuckle as she put a hoof around my neck.  "Colt, ya remind me of my younger self. Beady eyed and bushy tailed and ready to take on the world. Tell ya what. I'll give ya a good deal on this here beauty. Only a hundred bits and a good word if anypony asks where ya got it."

Her price while seemingly reasonable was a majority of what I had brought to Canterlot with me, not to mention a big portion of my total funds. I knew that trying to haggle her down any lower was likely a lost cause as she was already giving me what appeared to be a decent discount. I had no idea what circular saws normally went for in Equestria, but Hammer seemed like an honest mare. Especially since she was asking for a good word which kind of hard to give for somepony who scammed you.

"I think I can do that. But I have no real way to transport this back..." I remarked sighing loudly. My saddlebag wouldn't fit something as big as this and it wasn't like I could lug it around everywhere I went.

"Don'tcha worry. I ship any products free of charge for purchases over fifty bits. Just give me an address and I'll have it to ya within a week," Hammer returned grinning at me.

"You have yourself a deal then!" I exclaimed bumping my hoof to her's once again the solidify the agreement.

"Well then come on then, I'll ring ya up," she replied leading me back over to the counter.

After some paperwork to arrange the delivery and parting with most of the bits I had on me, I walked out of the shop the proud owner of a magic circular saw. Hammer had explained that the crystals powering the thing would need occasional replacement as would the blade. She gave me the address to her shop to which I could send mail orders to get replacements for both. I thanked her for her help and promised to return. A few other items in the shop had caught my eye while I was inside and while I couldn't really afford them now, once I got a reliable source of income I could indulge a little more.





I walked down the street whistling a tune looking for a good spot to eat lunch. I had spent a good few hours window shopping and it was now nearing noon. Having only a few bits left after my purchase, I was looking for somewhere cheap and out of the way to satisfy my growing hunger. I soon happened across a small diner serving comfort food at a good price near the train station and gave it a try.

The food was amazing considering the cost and I definitely took note of the place for future reference. The waitress had been a little too flirty for my comfort but the meal itself was great. I ordered "The Lunch Special" which ended up being a daffodil sandwich and hay fries as well as apple pie à la mode for dessert. I still had no idea how flowers and fried hay could taste good but they just did. There isn't even a good comparison to liken the taste to, it was completely alien but somehow delicious.

After strolling through the streets once again I checked the time on a nearby clock. It was nearing one-thirty p.m. which meant I had about three and a half more hours before I needed to be back at the castle. Day court concluded at six p.m. so I was expected to be back by five. I decided I would do a nice long walk around the city and take in the sights. I started off back the way I came but upon reaching the central plaza continued on towards what my map called the "airport." I was interested in what exactly that entailed so I wandered on to check it out.

After a good twenty minutes of walking I came to what appeared to be the so called airport. It was situated on the edge of the platform holding up the city and all around me airships and pegasi were coming and going. Equestria had yet to really invent heavier-than-air flight machines, so zeppelins and hot air balloons were the primary air transport for large shipments of goods and non-winged ponies. 

Canterlot Airport was as hectic as the business district with ponies frantically working to dock, unload, and depart airships. Pegasi flew in and out carrying all manners of things like letters, packages, and goods. I watched curiously as two airships nearly impacted each other trying to dock but the team of ponies working the port acted quickly to pull the ships away and prevent collision. It was the exact definition of organized chaos but it obviously worked well. I observed the spectacle for a little bit before turning back to head for another destination on my map.

I decided to see Canterlot Falls next as it seemed to be a popular destination for tourists. The falls in question were fed from snow-pack atop the mountain the city was situated on and cascaded down several hundred feet before branching out and flowing into the city proper. There was a path that led up the mountainside a bit where one could view the majesty of the waterfall up close and personal. I began heading in that direction before quickly finding my way blocked. Where the streets had been busy but not too crowded just a moment ago, now ponies were packed side by side across the entire road captivated by something.

I squeezed my way around several ponies and finally got a glimpse of what had caught their attention. Two street performers had set up in the middle of the road and were putting on a show for all to see. They were acrobats of some sort as they were doing all manners of crazy flips and stunts to the delight of a ever-growing crowd. While I would definitely admit I was impressed, I didn't have time to stay and watch if I wanted to see the falls and get back to the castle in time. I looked around for a way to bypass the clogged main road and soon spotted a small alleyway about twenty feet to my left.

I wormed my way through the crowd and out into the alleyway which appeared to go on for about fifty feet before taking a right turn and continuing out of sight. I hoped that meant it came out to another street from which I could continue on my way so I trotted down the dimly-lit alley and made the turn. After about ten feet further, what greeted me made me curse under my breath in disappointment. 

The high wall of a building abruptly brought an end to the alley and I was now faced with a dead end. A locked door was the only thing in the vicinity and I wasn't about to go knocking on it. While not what I was hoping for it wasn't the end of the world. I would just have to double back, find another way around, and pick up my pace a bit to make up for lost time. Before I could begin to do just that my ears caught a barely audible clop of what sounded like hooves directly behind me. I spun around to be greeted with a pony who's intentions were clearly not friendly.

An earth pony stallion stood about eight feet in front of me with malice in his eyes. He looked as if he had seen better days, his brown coat matted and filthy. Scars littered his body and his black mane and tail were wild and unkempt. What concerned me the most was the dagger he held in his mouth, its blade glinting in the dim light of the alley. After noticing that I had turned around he spit the knife out into his hoof and addressed me with a gravely voice.

"Look dude. I don't give a damn about you or anypony you care about. I just want your money, so if you'll just hoof it over this can all be over with," he threatened making sure emphasize the dagger he held in his hoof.

'So he's a mugger... Great, just when I thought I had left shit like this behind. I only have ten bits left on me after buying the saw and lunch so I don't know if he'd take kindly to receiving so little. I can barely glide let alone fly so escape is off the table. Calling for help is probably pointless right now considering the noise that performance is making and also a great way to get stabbed. That only really gives me one option...'

I didn't like it, but I was probably going to have to try and fight this guy. I was no stranger to fights, having dealt with my fair share of assholes in the orphanage growing up. I didn't win very often, but I slowly gained the respect of my attackers as I never backed down from any who tried to tussle with me. After a while they stopped harassing me especially after I smashed one guy's face in for insulting my parents. That being said, I had never attempted to fight an opponent with a weapon or fought as a pony before. My best chance of success would have to revolve around taking him by surprise.

"Okay, okay! I'll give you what you want. Just give me a second to get my bits from my saddlebag," I replied putting on a frightened tone to try and lure the mugger into a false sense of security.

"Hurry up then. And don't try anything stupid," he barked eyes still steeled on me.

I reached back and pulled my saddlebag out careful to not make any movements that might trigger the stallion into attacking me. I began pretending to rummage around as if looking for my bit bag when in reality it was the only thing inside besides my ID and the receipt for my recent purchase. All the while I slowly crept closer to my target. He soon became impatient with my delay tactics and spoke up again.

"How long is this gonna take?! Just give me the bag if it's gonna take you ten minutes to find your money," he ordered returning the dagger to his mouth and reaching out a hoof indicating for me to give him the saddlebag.

"Okay here. Just take it!" I returned keeping up the scared-shitless act closing the flap and tossing him the bag.

The attacker caught the bag with his hoof and moved to open it. He pulled the flap open and turned his gaze to look inside. His face morphed into surprise when he saw the nearly empty state of the interior but he had given me the opportunity I needed.

I lunged at the stallion using my wings to help propel me forward. I slammed into him and while he was sturdier than I had expected I hit him with enough force that we both went tumbling to the ground. The dagger became dislodged from his mouth and flung off to the side clanging as it hit the stone floor of the alleyway. After tumbling end-over-end we came to rest up against the wall of the alley with my body laying on top of his.

After getting over the initial shock of being tackled, the pony underneath me began thrashing and kicking attempting to push me off of him. I did my best to keep him pinned but I knew it was a losing battle his strength clearly greater than mine. I reared up my foreleg and prepared to give him a knockout blow to the head but foolishly provided him with the opportunity to free himself. His hind legs lurched into my stomach and I flew off of him slamming into the opposite wall grunting in both surprise and pain.

Let me tell you, getting bucked in the stomach hurts like all hell. Not to mention being bodily thrown into a stone wall. I writhed in pain on the ground while my opponent shakily got to his hooves. He edged his way over to retrieve his weapon and held it in a hoof glaring at me in disgust.

"Wrong move pal. You're gonna regret pulling stunts like that," he spat then returned the dagger to his mouth and began advancing towards my position.

Knowing that I was about to end up with a blade in my side I rose to my hooves as quickly as I could despite the lingering pain. The stallion stopped his movement just a few feet away from me and my eyes met his. I watched him closely waiting for him to make a move. The element of surprise was now gone and my opponent was still armed. I needed to separate him from the dagger if I wanted any hope of winning.

The mugger lashed out with blade clearly aiming for my neck. His coordination was sloppy so I was able to quickly dodge out of the way of the inbound strike. Despite my efforts, the blade managed to graze my muzzle as I ducked underneath it leaving a small cut an inch or two in length. I took the opportunity of his missed attack and slammed my hoof into his throat. He sputtered and gasped releasing the blade from his mouth once again. As the weapon fell to the ground I quickly kicked it off to the side hopefully out of his reach for a good while.

"Hey! What's going on over there!?" a voice suddenly shouted out from the alleyway entrance.

I dared not look as to give my opponent an opportunity to counterattack instead shoving him onto the ground once more and attempting to pin his legs. He was quicker to react than last time and we soon found ourselves in a wrestling match with neither of us gaining a significant advantage for now.

"Sweet Celestia! Somepony call the guard! Hurry!" the voice rang out again and I heard the muffled responses of whoever they were shouting at.

It was the best news I could of hoped for at this point. If I could keep this guy occupied for just a little longer the guard would be able to put an end to this. That would be easier said than done though considering his superior strength was starting to overwhelm me. He soon gained the upper hoof landing several punches into my side, knocking the wind out of my lungs and pinning me to the ground holding on for dear life. He raised his head clearly intending to headbutt me when I remembered I had one thing he didn't.

He could pin my legs down with his own but being a pegasus he left one pair of limbs free, my wings which were currently splayed out to my sides. Before he could bring his head down I flapped as hard as I could leveraging my body upward quickly enough that he lost grip on my legs and I was able to roll free of his grasp. My wings ached from being used in a way they were never intended but I was free once again. The mugger was clearly not expecting my latest move and had toppled over on his side. I exploited his momentary vulnerability by rearing up and bucking him as hard as I could.

He wheezed and rolled around on the ground groaning in pain. I quickly ran up ready to finally incapacitate him when a flash of white and gold caught my eye from the entrance of the alley.

"Halt! Stop right there! You're both under arrest!" a voice shouted as six Solar Guards rushed into the alley.

I ceased my attack and attempted to indicate I wasn't going to resist but that didn't stop three guards from tackling me to the ground. My already aching body was given a few more bruises for good measure as my hooves were shackled and my wings bound to my sides to prevent my escape. After determining that I was no longer a threat, the guards helped me up which gave me the chance to survey the scene.

The three remaining guards had mostly subdued my attacker who was still squirming underneath them trying to escape. He was spouting profanities like a sailor and threatening the lives of the ponies on top of him. After attempting for several minutes to get him to calm down one of the guards lit up their horn and he fell silent clearly out cold. After cuffing him, the guards loaded both of us into a paddy-wagon with two of them joining us in the back in case I tried anything or the mugger woke up. The knife and my saddlebag were confiscated and taken somewhere out of sight.

"I hope you have a good explanation for this," one of the guards sitting with me said as we took off towards wherever they take criminals for processing.

I remaining silent for the time being not wanting to say anything that might be misconstrued against me. The princesses would certainly sort all this out and I'd be free in no time, I just had to be patient. I gave the guard a curt nod and idly looked at my hooves waiting for the journey to be over. I then suddenly remembered what I was supposed to be doing in just a few hours and let out an audible groan.

'Shit, I'm going to be late to the ceremony aren't I?'