Bannhammer

Let me be the second person to welcome you to this awesome site! Have fun!

Another investment opportunity had presented itself, and Max was not the type to pass it up. The new town of Appleoosa had only just been founded, yet it was already slated to be an important waypoint in the western trade. Any smart business pony could see the potential bits to be made there, and Max was determined to seize it first. He would like to just buy the town and be done with it, but he had been informed that it may not be so easy. Of course, Maximilian needed a plan. This was just the premier visit, a simple affair that was meant to create 'recognition' with the town's inhabitants. A very important thing for a business pony. Maximilian simply needed to show them that he was an honest pony, who was genuinely interested in the well being of the town and its inhabitants. The focal point of his plan was the tourist trap, a simple business meant to sell worthless trinkets and capitalize on potential tourism for the town. Of course, it would make bits, all tourist traps did. He would use it to make a good impression on the town folk, and then he'd work from there. This was an opportunity to do something his father never did, spread the empire west. The Rockefilly family had influence all over Equestria, with only one part of the country eluding their grasp, but that was about to change. Max would take every precaution to make sure it would work out. It was a long trip, and the rich pony was glad that he had reserved a few of the train cars for himself. Max finally collapsed into bed, able to rest now that he had determined his potential course of action. It wasn't complicated, he just needed to get off on the right hoof with the locals. Max would buy some real estate, open a tourist trap, buy more real estate, open a bank, buy more real estate, and continue the process until he basically controlled the town. Once he did that, any pony hoping to ship goods to the gryphons through Appleoosa would have to talk to HIM first. Of course he would just operate under the pretense that he was spreading the wealth, failing to mention that it was just being given back to him in the end. He woke up the next morning, refreshed and ready to put his completely legal scheme into motion. Eventually, the small settlement rolled into view, the train pulling ponies slowed down, and Max prepared himself for departure. He had a single suitcase which magically held enough items for a long stay, it stayed by his side as the doors of the train car opened. "Hello, Appleoosa, meet Maximilian Rockefilly jr."

Maximilan sighed in frustration as his shelter ceased being solitary in Nature. This green Pegasus obviously was in need of shelter as well, and out of all the places to find, he picks the one Max was in! This wasn't the first time Max was stuck with complete strangers during a bad storm, and he began to wonder is somepony had it out for him in that regard. He wheeled around to face the new face, and Max wasn't impressed. He was just some pegasus, nothing to be worried about. The disheveled mess of feathers and water greeted him, and Max couldn't care less. He didn't reply at first, rather he simply gave Zephyr Burst a brief, contemptuous look. Eventually the rich Unicorn managed to force out a customary greeting. "Hello." Max didn't continue, he just gave a discontented glance to the Pegasus before turning back around to reflect on his own situation. He had a slight scowl on his face, presenting the picture of a pissed pony. On the inside, Max was definitely excited, now he had something to do, the chance to get under a pony's skin. He would normally have spent his time counting his bits in solitude, but he had a pony to play with now. Max whistled to himself and levitated his coin purse out of the inside of his Tux. It was a very tiny, purple pouch, and it didn't seem like it could hold more than a few bits at most. His horn continued to glow as he extracted a steady stream of bits, trying to pass the time and pique the interest of the Pegasus. "Don't mind me, I'm just killing some time." He continued counting, unconcerned about the greedy image he presented. "The name's Maximilian." Max didn't stop counting nor turn around as he introduced himself. "Maximilan Rockefilly..." He paused before adding. "Junior." Without another word he resumed whistling, once again showing his less than kind nature.ÂÂ

Max was left alone with the enthusiastic young filly, whom he had to keep occupied for a while. He turned to look at PeaBea. "Well, you heard Miss Tempest, time for us to stay put for a while..." What do ponies do for fun? He had never had friends to play with as a foal, and he was completely lost. His father had never even bought him toys to have fun with. He looked around, trying to find something to do, but all he saw was his stack of bits sitting off to the side. Surely the young pony wouldn't want to play with those, but what the heck was there to do? "Well, what do you want to do?" Max gave a puzzled look, trying to think of something jovial to pass the time.ÂÂ

Well, i'm about to do it. I'm about to post a thread for Max in Appleoosa where he tries to open a tourist trap. If anypony is interested in joining, just jump on in! I'll either post the thread later today or tomorrow.

The rain soaked the roads, worsening the already miserable road. A large carriage bounced down the way with a single pony inside. Maximilian Rockefilly jr sat in total silence, waiting for his return trip to Manehattan to end. He was on his way back from an uneventful business trip to Trottingham, and Max wanted the memory of that horrid trip gone. The weather did nothing to lighten his mood and the rich Unicorn silently cursed the ponies responsible. Weather ponies, didn't they get my memo about the trip I was taking today? What a bunch of foals. As time dragged on, he started to focus more and more on the intensity of the storm. It was getting worse, sheets of rain pummeled his carriage and the wind pushed it from side to side. At first he wasn't worried, but then the lightning came. It cracked at the trees and lit up the sky. The carriage continued on, bravely, or rather foolishly, fighting the storm. An earth pony pulled it along, the largest one Max had on his payroll. He was a grizzled veteran, a pony that had dealt with a lot of storms, and knew what to do; but of course, his boss wouldn't listen. The smart thing to do would be to take shelter, but Max insisted on continuing, hoping to make it back to Manehattan by the end of the day. The squall had different plans. A flash of light lit up the sky, and a deafening boom shook Max to the core. The loudness of the thunder was soon replaced by a strange snapping sound. A large tree started to fall over, taking a few more with it. The cart pulling pony tried his best to get out of the way, and the carriage picked up speed as it was dragged along. A collection of lumber rained down around the carriage, and in-between the sound of crashing wood, Max could hear a loud whinny. Maximilian felt weightless for a moment, and he saw the carriage flip about, with him still inside. Maximilian stopped, looking up at what was supposed to be the floor of his carriage, resting his head on what was left of the roof. The rain continued to pound the carriage, and the wind caused the overturned transport to creak and shake. Of course, the bottom of a carriage isn't built like a roof, so water started to pour in, soaking Max to the bone. He quickly scrambled out, into the rain soaked wilderness. Max remembered the words of a pony he'd met earlier, and he checked on his faithful employee. The strong earth pony was tangled in the reins, and was struggling to stay awake.  Max bounded to his side, offering a comforting word, the promise of a raise, and the assurance that he wouldn't be left behind. He didn't get a reply, as the large pony finally succumbed to exhaustion and his injuries, slowly falling unconscious. Max couldn't untangle and transport his faithful employee by himself, and he was forced to leave him unattended while he looked for shelter. He had to try and wait out the storm, hopefully able to get some help for the earth pony. The Unicorn took a mental image of the carriage's location before setting out for a place to hunker down. Old habits die hard, and Max quickly found his attention returning to himself and his own problems. The soaked pony trudged along, cursing and swearing quite audibly into the stormy skies. It was a spiteful rant against Pegasi, princess Celestia for delegating the weather to Pegasi, trees for falling over, and lightning for being so dangerous. His speech was littered with expletives unfit to repeat here, due to their explicit manner. Only one thing managed to shut him up, and that was the sight of shelter, a cave, to be precise. The entrance was large and surrounded by trees. Once Max stepped inside he saw that the interior was even larger, and perfectly suited to his needs. This would be a grand place to wait out the storm, it was large, warm, and he had it all to himself.ÂÂ

Max was a little stung by her words. She still considered him to be a rich pony who considered them all common, and nothing more. He shrugged it off, however, remembering that he had to earn respect from those around him. Maximilian didn't like what she said, but he acknowledged that she was at least trying to be nice to him. He could understand her family issues, maybe not to the full extent, but he knew how she felt. "Well, If that was all that I wanted I could have just stayed in Manehattan. And while it might be hard to understand, I desperately wanted to leave that town the first chance I got. It's fine to work all the time, only taking breaks to eat expensive foods and have strained small talk with ponies you can't trust..." Max sighed, he didn't want to act like his life was hard, but he couldn't help complaining a bit. "...but I wanted a break. I guess you could say I wanted a taste of the 'common' life. No business to weigh me down." He chuckled a bit, using the phrase that she herself used not even a moment ago. "I didn't know what I was in for, I thought this would be a small town, but not this small. I was thinking along the lines of Hoofington, and I was caught off guard." Max looks at his hooves, still feeling guilty for what he said earlier. "In retrospect, a small town like this it's... It's better for every pony. There's no rat-race, no hustle and bustle to get lost in, no fancy food that costs too much, no social maneuvering, and..." Max thought for a moment, considering what Tempest had said earlier."...and nopony like me." He paused only for a moment, before continuing. "Nopony to swindle, to cheat, to steal from others. Nopony to lie, to hurt, to destroy; just a bunch of pleasant ponies..." Maximilian looked up at Tempest, with a serious look in his eyes."Honestly better for every pony, don't you think?" He shifted his tone and his focus to PeaBea. "Well, what do you say we tour Ponyville when this nasty storm blows through?"

It's finally done! Or so I thought... It's going to be put up on EQD, they've told me that much. They can't do it until I edit something about the dialogue... I wrote this, so I see no problems, I can't just pick the errors out. If anypony, ANYPONY would grace me with an edit sweep I would be FOREVER grateful to them

Maximilian was back to counting bits, and he did his best to think of other things. Why had he shared something like that with a pony he didn't even know? Max shook his head and tried not to think about it, there were far more pressing concerns to worry about. Like the storm that was currently battering the shelter they currently took refuge in. It wasn't getting any lighter. After a few more minutes of counting his money, he was left with a giant pile of coins in front of him. It was all an attempt to ignore the others, a very ineffective method. He couldn't help but think about them. The green Pegasus isn't too bad, I started the whole thing anyway. And the smaller one, um... Peanut Brittle, is just a lost foal, nothing to be upset at. I'm just doing the opposite of what I want, the Rockefilly name was sullied enough, why make it worse by acting like a jerk? Without a sound he continued the task at hoof, arranging the bits into equal piles and setting them aside. Max sighed, this wasn't getting him anywhere, if he was going to be stuck with these ponies, he might as well try to get along. He wouldn't do anything sappy, just try to start a conversation. "Excuse me..." He paused."Miss Tempest..." Max turned to face the two ponies, ignoring the large stack of bits behind him. "What exactly is there to do in Ponyville? I should know some basics before I start my vacation..."

The XP-56

Updated! Added new random facts and a 'Ponies he knows' section.

Max was astounded. For a pony who HATED him, who LOATHED him to share something so personal and private was simply amazing. He reflected further, hoping to see the point Snake Oil was trying to make. His optimism was ridiculous, yet inspiring. "I would say that I know what you mean, but I don't. I can't possibly compare my life to yours..." Max shook his head, his painful memories flooded his mind but he retained his composure. "For a pony who has seen so much, to remain optimistic... it's... it's unreal. I won't bore you with the details, but my problem was a lack of a father figure..." Max had a glazed look in his eye as he reminisced about all the time he didn't spend with his father. Maximilian looked down from his window and tried to figure out what next to say. He still didn't like the purple pony, but he couldn't bring himself to be rude anymore. "If you think I'll have an epiphany, don't count on it. You've made a point, but I don't regret what I've done, the past is the past." "I was raised to be this way... My father was like this and his father before him..." Max tried to justify himself to the pony, but he couldn't do it. The words of so many came back to him. The last words his mother told him, the scathing reports of journalist, the cries of the ponies in the streets... He just couldn't keep doing it. "I can't use that as an excuse any longer, can I? To fall back on my legacy as a justification for my actions is irresponsible, a way for me to shift the blame." He spoke, not realizing what he had just said. Max sighed and continued. "Maybe It's time for me to make my own legacy, and maybe do things a bit differently... The Rockefilly name shouldn't be synonymous with graft and corruption any longer." With a glare his head snapped back up and he looked Snake Oil dead in the eyes. "Don't think I'll dedicate my life to charity. I simply admit that maybe, MAYBE, i could try to do business without hurting too many ponies."

"My money is ALL THAT I HAVE!" He yelled back."I don't have any family to save! I don't have anypony besides ME!" A moment of reflection followed, why would he tell this pony that? Max couldn't understand why he blurted it out, but he just went with it. "My father's dead, and my mother's a shut in whom i haven't seen in years! I've never had anypony around for me, except for myself. I'm not going to help others, because everyone else is only in it for themselves!" He was screaming now, full of passion and anger. My whole life is dedicated to my work, and I don't need you or any pony telling me how to live my life!" Maximilian somehow managed to calm down. He was still angry, but he managed to hold it back."I may be cold and careless, but that's that's the ONLY attitude that will get you where you want to go..." He glared down at Snake Oil. This puny purple pony was a fool. Idealism made Max sick. He pondered Snake's question for a moment before replying, his words slow and deliberate, with a menacing tone. "If the positions were switched, if I were in your hooves and you in mine; i wouldn't help you. I'd leave you to rot! And i suggest you do the same! If i get out of here, I WILL track you down, and I WILL make you wish you'd stayed back in the mud WHERE.YOU.BELONG!"

Max was dumbfounded by the pony's words. Was he trying to preach to him? This low-life had the nerve to trick him like this and then act all high and mighty? Maximilian took a deep breath and yelled right back at Snake Oil. "Listen here! I don't act mighty, I AM mighty! I can topple families with a signature, I can end dreams with a nod of my head! I get what I want because I have the drive! I may not have earned my fortune when I was born, but I've worked tirelessly to increase it and improve my business!" Maximilian continued to yell."My actions are up to me, and I accept responsibility for them. If you want me to get on my knees and beg forgiveness, it won't happen! What happens to those around me is of NO concern, even at this very moment." He paused, before resuming his rant. "I know that I hurt others, but that's life! Life's a game! Somepony's gotta be the winner, and somepony's gotta be the loser, and I'm the pony who knows the rules." Max flashed his trademark grin before adding. "And I don't mind cheating if I have to." He took a deep breath, calming himself down, before finishing. "You may say I'm 'taking advantage' of others, yet you yourself lied and deceived to get what you wanted! How are you any different than me?"

The plants were growing too fast! There was no way his staff could force their way through the door. With a shout Max ordered his servants back from the door. He had no clue of what to do. His mansion was built of pure stone, and could surely withstand the plant problem... but could he? With a frenzied desperation the rich Stallion galloped up to the highest point of his house, hoping to find some way of exiting. Max managed to find a single unblocked window, but it was far too high up for him to use. From his position up above, Max could clearly see the damage. His grounds were ruined, overgrown so badly that it did not seem like they could be saved. A crowd of ponies stood idly by and watched it unfold, Maximilian hurled obscenities at them that could barely be heard by an attentive pony. He screamed at the passive ponies for not helping him in his time of need. Could they not simply do something? Max noticed something, and he stopped yelling. A familiar pony was standing near the crowd. Purple with brown hair and sunglasses... Maximilian was silent for a moment, and then he yelled as loud as he could, making sure the ponies down below could hear him clearly. "SNAKE OIL!"

The grounds were finally fixed, and yet Max couldn't sleep easy. The idea that somepony had swindled him was enraging, and yet impressive at the same time. Max had a new enemy in Snake Oil (If that was his real name), and he would find a way to deal with him in the morning. He already had ponies searching for any sign of him, checking the papers, Manehattan's records, patient lists at the hospital, every list of names they could find in order to locate this one purple pony. Maximilian finally drifted off to sleep with a grin on his face, Snake Oil may have gotten him once, but Max had the advantage now. Without warning he was violently awoken from his peaceful sleep. A newly hired servant was standing next to the bed, shaking Max furiously. The rich stallion shoved the butler away and got out of bed. "What is the meaning of this?" "The Plants!" Max facehooved. "What now...." He was certain that the problem was fixed, what could possibly be wrong now? "They're growing like crazy! It was so fast, all the doors are blocked with vegetation!" Maximilian grabbed the butler. "WHAT?!" He shoved his servant aside and stomped off to assess the damage. What he saw amazed him. His windows were covered with vines, blackening the hallways; trees and bushes blocked the doors, making any exit almost impossible. A few of his staff were unfortunate to be caught outside, and they were quickly enveloped by the growth and were lost in it, yelling for help. Max didn't care, his mind quickly focused on one thing. That tricky little punk With a bound he headed towards the door, and he ordered what was left of his staff to try and create an exit. Max stood back and watched, formulating a plan to deal with the slimy pony who had tricked him twice. He knew that his problems could be taken care of, the plants AND the pony...

Snake Oil... Max made sure to remember that name, a pony selling good products was always one to keep in contact. He noticed the tenseness of the Sales pony, and had to give him credit for his convincing sales pitch. After his grounds crew was done, they were immediately fired and sent back to their original homes, jobless. Of course, Max was more concerned with how to use their former quarters. Maximilian gave his lawn a final look over, and he was pleased. The formula had worked as promised, and his grounds were beautiful! He slept easy that night, confident that once again, he made a good deal. The next morning was uneventful, a few of his other staff claimed that the plants were acting strange. Max told them to put more formula on them and to stop worrying. A few hours later, around the same time that the odd sales pony had arrived the previous day, a servant busted into Max's office. "Sir!" "What is it? I'm trying to do paperwork here!" "The plants! They're growing out of control!" "What are you talking about?" His question was answered when he saw that a tree was blocking his view out the window... It wasn't like that yesterday... "What the hay is going on!" "I don't know! The whole lawn just started growing like crazy!" "Fix it!" "How?!" "Don't you know how to deal with plants? Where are the groundskeepers?" "You Fired them!" "I'll fire ALL of you if this isn't fixed NOW! The staff were put to work with chemicals, machetes and other various methods of killing plants. The press showed up, wondering what in the heck had happened at Rockefilly manor. They wrote articles, calling it an 'embarrassment for the richest pony in Manehattan', and 'A plant-tastrophy.' The PR disaster soured him even further, and even though his staff finally fixed the wild growth, they were all fired and replaced. Maximilian stayed inside during the whole ordeal, writing two words on a piece of paper over and over again and crossing them out. Snake Oil Snake Oil Snake Oil SNAKE OIL SNAKE OIL Whoever this pony was, he'd just made a powerful enemy...

Max was taken slightly aback. This kind of service from a high end studio would cost many times more than 50 bits. If the pictures turned out as well as he expected, this would be a great deal! Of course, a good customer tips when appropriate. "Ok... 50 bits..." He pulled out his coin purse and levitated a stack of bits out. He placed the first stack on a nearby table. Without hesitation, he pulled out a few more stacks of the same size, until a few hundred coins sat on the table. "Plus tip..." Max didn't wait for Shutterbug's reaction, he simply took a step towards the photographer and looked her in the eyes. "I'm not a pony who usually gives bits away, but you did well. Consider this an investment. Use it wisely..." He turned away and headed for the door. "I'll have an associate pick these up in ONE hour. Good-bye." Without another word the rich Stallion left the photo shop. Although she couldn't see it, Max had a wide smile.

Max Grinned. "Nopony wants to cause me trouble." He sensed that his actions had irked the pony, and it gave him great joy. He rarely passed up an opportunity to get under some pony's skin. "Of course, now I can follow through with our deal." He pulled a very small coin purse out from inside of his Tux. Max levitated a single bit out, then another, then another, continuing this process until a large amount was stacked up in front of the Sales Pony. "700 bits... How you take it with you is your problem." Max gleefully had his staff take the new product and spray it all over his grounds. Little did they know that a few of them would be fired immediately afterwards. He watched as they improved his lawn dramatically. Taking his attention away from the spectacle for a moment, he turned back to Snake Oil. "If you ever find any new products, visit me again. Maximilian Rockefilly jr." He normally didn't share his name with strangers, seeing as the Rockefilly name is one of the most infamous in Manehattan, but he didn't see any harm. "I don't believe i caught your name..."

After Shutterbug finished, Max stopped posing and simply rested in the chair. He was happy, genuinely happy. He hadn't expected to find such a good photographer here in Fillydelphia, nor had he expected to have fun getting his picture taken! He should really get out like this more often. Maximilian reflected for a moment and grew serious, he lifted himself from his seat. "How long until the photos are developed? And how much do I owe?" Max levitated his coin purse out from an inner pocket in his Tux. Any sign of happiness was gone, and he had snapped back to business mode.

The effects were astounding! This pony might be strange, but his product sure works! Maximilian did some lightning fast calculations, trying to determine if it was more cost effective than having grounds keepers. Once he was sure that this was a wise investment, he faced the Sales pony and extended a hoof. "A deal's a deal. I believe that 700 bits is a fair price." Before he could shake Snake Oil's hoof and exchange the goods with him, he had one slight preference that the purple pony should be aware of. Max withdrew his hoof and stated plainly: "I can't make a deal just yet..." His horn started to glow, and he levitated the sunglasses off of the Sales Pony's face. "Father always said, 'Look a pony in their eyes, then do business"

Max was about to sick security on this strange pony. He had a strange feeling about him. The guard could be seen through the doorway, a large earth pony wearing a uniform, at Max's beck and call. The rich Stallion motioned for him to come, but he stopped him when he heard Snake Oil's offer. Normally Max would chew this pony out for criticizing him, who did he think he was? The nerve of that pony to come to him and tell him what he needed. After a moment of reflection and observation, Maximilian realized that there may be some legitimacy to the purple pony's claim. Of all the things he had, his lawn was the only thing he never took much care of. A free trial of this product wouldn't hurt. "You know, you're a better sales pony than the one's I've seen before. Of course, compared to the scum of the slums, that isn't saying much. So... Deal. If this stuff works I can fire my Groundskeeper, that's one less dead weight pony to pay." If it worked, he might actually buy some. Of course, if it didn't, his guards would teach this worthless pony a lesson.

Maximilian was genuinely impressed with her effort, and that chair looked quite regal. He eagerly bounded towards it and plopped down in its cushony goodness. Max sat for a moment in the chair and loving the powerful feeling he had while sitting in it. "I love this chair!" He moved constantly, enthusiastically trying to find the most comfortable position. Max was like a small foal given a new toy, he was restless and constantly moving.When he looked up and saw the odd expression on Shutterbug's face he stopped what he was doing, and quickly did something else. He laughed. A deep bellow from deep in his chest poured out and the Rich stallion shook as his body was taken over by joyous shakes. After a few moments he cleared the tears from his eyes and fell silent. Acting as if nothing had happened, he addressed his photographer: "I like that idea." With all joy drained from his face, Maximilian moved into position. He had a smoldering look in his eye as he rested his chin on his hoof, faced away from the camera, and stared right at Shutterbug.

Maximilian was surprised, to say the least. The rich stallion gave the sales pony a quick look over. Maximilian wasn't impressed. A random pony gets to his doorstep to sell shampoo? He scoffed and rolled his eyes. Just another schmuck trying to make a few quick bits. Max didn't want to waste his time on this insignificant pony. When he spoke, it was as condescendingly as possible. "My good Pony, I do not need to try your ridiculous shampoo. I never have to deal with a messy mane, my stylist does. That is what I pay them to do! I can afford to have other ponies take care of my hair, so why would i need your product?" Max continued on, sneering at the purple pony in front of him. "And I won't be needing your 'aroma sprayer' to freshen up my house. That's why I import the finest flowers and fruits into my home!" The Rockefilly went down to Snake Oil's level and got right into his face. "Unless you have something better to offer i suggest that you get off of my steps, you're dirtying them up.

The halls of the Rockefilly mansion were silent. Maximilian Rockefilly jr was working quietly, signing papers that would, through various legal and not-so-legal means, make him much much richer. Sure, it would involve ponies losing their livelihoods, but it wasn't Max's fault that those ponies had something he wanted. The portraits of his father and grandfather hung above him, a solemn testament to his legacy and expectations. Some ponies were born into wealth, and Max loved it. He was given the chance to do something many ponies could never dream of, make a difference. Not necessarily a positive one, but a difference none the less. He felt no sympathy for the ponies his actions hurt, intentional or not. Max just did what he was raised to do, make bits. Besides, some ponies are simply meant to succeed, and others to fail. With a sigh he placed the quill back on his desk, and prepared to head over to a meeting with some powerful ponies. Before he could leave, however, he heard a knocking on his door. A butler came to his office, bent over in respect. "Sir, there's a pony at the door..." Max didn't reply, he simply ushered the servant away with a gesture and made his way over to the visitor. The door pony bowed and was about to greet his boss, but he was cut off. "Just open the door..." Upon his command the door pony flung the doors open, and Max saw a strange purple-ish pony in front of him. After noticing his briefcase Max remarked: "I don't do charity..."