Bannhammer

The confusion and contempt radiated off of his company, and Max could easily sense it. It was obvious that the two ponies still weren't comfortable around each other, and a sense of despair set in on Maximilian. He wasn't the sort of pony to give up, but he sure felt like doing it right then and there. Without a second thought he gulped down his Appleoosan sunrise, only to follow it up with the cactus juice. The Rockefilly slammed the glass down and stared at the bartender, making it obvious that another round was in order. "You'll be in bed soon enough, but let me get my money's worth first." His eyes seemed just a bit more tired than usual, and his usually commanding body language was reduced to sagging and leaning back in his chair with all the apathy he couldn't care to muster. "And you'll both be rid of me, don't worry. I can tell that neither of you seem fit for this job. I'll make sure we get it over with, so I can hire some more competent ponies for the next assignment." As soon as the second round arrived, Max grabbed the sunrise and held it aloft, ready to down it in one go.

Max straightened out his tux and took a deep breath before addressing the pair of ponies. He was a bit tired, and he thought that maybe a drink before bed would be best for all. "I commend you both, and I believe now is the time for us to grab a nightcap before getting to bed." With that, Maximilian turned and motioned for the pair to follow him towards one of the town's saloons. The three ponies push their way into one of the watering holes, and the crowd of stallions turned to watch them walk in and find a seat at the bar. It was completely silent as they were stared down, the gazes only moved once Max had taken his seat and nodded to the watching ponies. The Rockefilly tapped on the bar three times, summoning the bartender. "I would like a shot of cactus juice and an Appleoosan sunrise." The barkeep nodded and looked at the other two ponies, waiting for their orders.

Maximilian smiled and sipped his coffee, happy to hear what Bastion had to say. "You know what they say, nothing ventured, nothing gained." The Rockefilly put the mug down and looked at the other pony with a wide smile and bright eyes. "I'm quite pleased to know that I'll have a dependable pony assisting me in this." "And yes, you will need to present it. You are going to the anniversary celebration of Northern Storm Industries, there you will find and greet the Snowfall, the CEO. You will politely inform her who sent you, and why you are there. Once you have the floor, you will read the note aloud. Then... then we see what happens from there."

The rich Stallion sipped his coffee and grabbed a nearby napkin and pulled out a pen from the inside pocket of his Tux. He scribbled a map of Equestria and drew a few lines crisscrossing it. "This is our country." Max pointed to the lines on the napkin. "And these are our railways. A few sporadic lines of steel that span short distances and serve as nothing more than transportation for those unwilling to go by carriage." "Appleoosa is out here, on the periphery, and the entire western half of Equestria is isolated from the more advanced, and therefore more prosperous, East." "I came here to Appleoosa, because I saw potential. A gateway to the west and the gryphon lands through which the products of Stalliongrad could flow through. Of course, there is one problem." "Appleoosa isn't connected to Stalliongrad. Even if one were to use the twisted system, one would have to make many stops and transfers, simply to get from one place to the other. These are passenger rails, not fit for freight." "My goal is to create a new rail system, spanning the entire country and finally linking up the farthest east to the farthest west. The products of Stalliongrad will finally reach the west, and the food of the west will nourish the ponies of the east. And, to top it all off, I plan to tunnel through the mountains to connect us to the gryphons at Rockwington." "This is the most audacious project anypony has undertaken. This is why I need you to go to Stalliongrad and deliver that letter. I can't do this alone, and I need the help of the big industries." "And that is what I have up my sleeves."

The beverages arrive, and Max looked at the waiter as she asked them about any food they would like. "I'd love a frosty cream puff." With that, the waiter left and the two stallions were alone again. The Rockefilly had heard Bastion's comment. "Why yes, this is the place where I go every morning for a cup of coffee." He levitated his mug up towards his mouth and took a gulp of the black elixir. "Strong, just how I like it." Max set the cup down and grinned at the pony across from him. "Did you know that Madame Bistro is from Manehattan? She's a nice mare... The first one to support my project here in Appleoosa. I guess visiting here all the time is my way of repaying her for that." "Do you have any idea of what I'm trying to do, or have I not clued you in yet?"

Maximilian had been watching the fight without much interest. Mostly he just sat back and lazily tried to follow the action. He didn't feel as if there was really much going on other than a simple spar. Sure, it looked painful, but he was certain that scars and scrapes were what a pony was supposed to get in these practice sessions. Max didn't know for sure, it wasn't like he'd ever seen anypony fake fighting before. The Rockefilly would get distracted and look around, but there was nothing of interest, and he was forced to watch the two ponies locked in what appeared to be fierce combat. As the battle raged on, he started to get worried. His fears and curiosity peaked when Silver decided to bite Zephyr. Maximilian was no expert on fighting, but he was fairly certain that such things were frowned upon. He got to his hooves and trotted over, just in time to catch the two in another stand off. "Ok, that's enough. I can see that you're both worthy fighters. I just hope the two of you learned a little something about each other, and will at least try to work together..." Max sighed. "...but I'm not getting my hopes up,"

Max nodded as he entered. "Thank you, Bastion." The Rockefilly moved towards a table for two, trotting slowly, but with a certain air about him. The few ponies that were also inside tipped their hats to the pair, and Max took a seat off to the side. Maximilian waited for Bastion to take a seat, and he motioned for the waiter to approach. Once his employee was comfortable, the rich Unicorn placed his order. "Coffee, strong, hot." The waiter nodded at Maximilian and turned to face Bastion for his order.

Max's ears flattened a bit at Bastion's comments. He had never really thought of himself as insecure, he just considered it a sense of realism, if not cynicism. The words stung, but the Rockefilly quickly shrugged them off and continued on. He wouldn't hold it against the stallion for saying that, rather, he was glad that at least this pony was willing to speak honestly with him. "Bastion, in the coming months, you'll learn that I am not the usual pony. Speak when you wish, do not silence yourself merely because you were told that it was a rule. As you'll come to know with me, there are always loopholes." Max smiled and lead on, looking for anything of interest. "Well, I suppose we could grab a quick cup of coffee, that would be nice..."

Max stopped and looked at Bastion. "I am merely presenting you with the chance to do as you please. If you, like so many other ponies in my life, decide that they would rather leave than stick around, then I will present no challenge to your desires." The stallion sighed and continued on. "If you think that I am pushing you away, then that is once again my fault. You may be here to serve me, but that does not mean that I will not respect you and your wishes. I will continue to put that ticket with your paycheck, and you may refuse is as many times as you like. If you ever feel the need to leave, I will not stop you." With a disgruntled sigh, Maximilian passed Bastion and headed away. "I think you may have questions for me, so ask them."

Max nodded. Whether or not Bastion liked it didn't matter, the Rockefilly felt that it was only fair to give the stallion a choice. He would have liked to qualify his position, but Bastion stormed off in a hurry. Maximilian quickly followed and caught up to the younger stallion. "I hope you understand... I only wish to offer you a fair chance to leave if circumstances change."

There was a pause as Max mulled ver what had just been said. Bastion was correct, but Maximilian had a different approach in mind. "I don't wish to cover up the stone, Bastion, I wish to destroy it. That legacy should be brought to light and then eradicated without mercy." Passion sparked in the Rockefilly's eyes, and for a split second he allowed his own sense of righteousness and repentance consume him before forcibly moving it back to his deeper depths. Once the fervor subsided, the rich Unicorn looked at Bastion blankly. "What were we...?" He facehoofed. "Ah yes, the ticket. Well Bastion, I appreciate your humor, but this ticket will be in every pay check you receive. It is not that I wish for you to leave, I just believe that I should be fair about this. At any time, you can pack up and leave." "Of course, you'll still need to at least make the trip to Stalliongrad to kick off my newest project. The journey will unfortunately take longer than it should, mainly because of the modest rail system we have. That's what we're going to fix, Bastion. The future of this country is in its rails, believe me." Maximilian looked around. "Once we finish this problem, the Equestrian railroads will be the veins of this world." His eyes glazed over, as if he was staring into the future itself. It only lasted a moment before he shook his head and chuckled. "But listen to me, rambling about business when we've still got time to spend here in town." Maximilian looked at Bastion. "So I assume you don't want the ticket?"

Max sighed. "The rumors are true, my house was lost because of my own foolishness. A scoundrel showed up and decided to teach my a lesson by selling me some magical growth formula for my plants. Needless to say, it worked." "There are many ponies out there who have no love for me or my family. It is not an understatement to say that there are quite a few that would take great pleasure in seeing me fail. I do not blame them, my family has done terrible things in the past. However, I am trying to change. I am not foalish enough to believe that ponies will forgive me quickly, but I do know that I must try and do good." "I am not sure if you were aware of my less than pristine legacy, and I do not wish for you to continue serving me if you feel that I am unworthy of it. Also, I would not find it fair for you to get in trouble against your own wishes simply by being in my service." Max reached into his Tux and pulled out an envelope. "With that said, I will once again offer you this ticket. You are free to decide whether or not you wish to serve me, after learning about the circumstances."

Max rubbed his chin with his hoof. "Bastion, you're going to have to trust me. I know exactly when you are going to leave for that trip, and I'm going to ask you to simply go with the plan." "You are going to Stalliongrad to announce my intentions to some of the most important minds in the world. I will be joining you there a few days afterwards. I have all of this under control, believe me. You'll leave Appleoosa on time and in control." The Rockefilly smiled and patted Bastion on the shoulder. "I do appreciate the enthusiasm...." His mood quickly shifted, and he took on a more serious tone. "I have a question for you, come to think of it. How much do you know about the Rockefillys?"

Max stopped to look at Bastion. Meals certainly weren't a problem, but he appreciated his new employee's concern. "While I'm sure that you are more than capable of providing good coffees and fresh teas, I assure you that Madame Bistro's does a great job in and of itself. Also, ingredients are a luxury around these parts, and Madame Bistro's is the only establishment in these parts with coffee beans and tea leaves on demand. If you wish, on occasion I can procure the necessary ingredients" "The meals we have here aren't very complicated, usually just eggs for breakfast and a sandwich for lunch. Most of the time, Scarlet is in charge of meals, but on rare occasions I'll take over and prepare something myself. For Supper..." Maximilian shrugged, "we usually just eat someplace in town." With a snort, the Rockefilly continued to trot. "I'm glad to see your enthusiasm, but rest assured that I didn't hire you to perform such menial tasks as brewing tea or coffee, not when there are ponies here much more qualified to do it." Max looked around, stopping again. "Any questions about Appleoosa?"

Maximilian smiled as Bastion spoke. He certainly wasn't a boring pony, that much could be said. "You're exactly right, I'll always be looking for good opportunities for you to be tested. But for now, let us simply enjoy a nice day here in your new home." "To answer your question, there are many uses for cactus needles, there's sewing, record players, combs, etc... But the best use is just go give somepony something to do!" With a warm chuckle Max brushed past Bastion to reach for the door. "I'll give you a quick tour of the important places you need to know." The older stallion bounded down the stairs with all the energy of a young colt, and he was quickly at the door. With a nod to Scarlet, the front door was opened and the rich unicorn stepped out into the hot Appleoosan air. He waved a hoof in the air and started trotting. "Follow me." It was a quiet day, and not much was going on in the entire town. Every now and then Max would stop and point at a building. "That's Madame Bistro's place, if you ever need a cup of coffee, go there." "Sheriff's Office. Let's just say that I hope I never have to visit you there, and even less so that you'll have to break me out." "We've got Honey thread's shop and the rest of Appleoosa's small businesses." Maximilian placed a hoof to his chin. "There's not really that much else to see, other than the apple orchards. I think this is the best time for questions, if you have any."

Max wasn't surprised by when Bastion returned, he was simply impressed by how quick he was. He never suspected that his new employee would leave on that train, but he had to give him that choice. Max turned away from his desk to his newest servant, and he was delighted to see what he was wearing. Growing up, Max had always seen the family servants in coat tails, and while Max had never required such an archaic uniform from his employees, he had a soft spot for the classics. "Well, if your act is as classy as your clothes, I can see you becoming the staple of my workforce." The Rockefilly's grin quickly faded as he approached Bastion and started to circle him, getting closer with every pass. "But do not allow yourself to start coasting. You performed well on your first task, but there is more to come, and I will not always be so patient. Too many mistakes, and the next train ticket you see will not be a choice." With that, the rich unicorn stopped in front of Bastion and smiled. "Do you understand?" Without waiting for a response, the Rockefilly took on a more solemn tone. "Your next task is of crucial importance, and I will give you ample time to prepare for it." Maximilian opened a drawer of his desk with magic before levitating a large envelope out of it. "In this envelope is a letter of the utmost importance. You will be delivering it to Stalliongrad in the coming days. I cannot stress how important this is to me, this is the foundation of my newest project, and if it is not delivered on time my task will become infinitely more difficult." "However, you have a few days before you have to deliver it, so in the mean time..." Max's smile returned. "How about I show my newest employee around his new home?"

Max was trying to work, but he couldn't help but check the clock ever couple of minutes. He was a bit worried about how Bastion was going to perform. Would he be on time? Would he have completed every task? The Rockefilly shook his head, trying to focus on his work, and set to completing more paperwork and writing more letters. Maximilian had to admit, the sorting system had made his work much easier, by sorting invitations in their own category, Bastion had made sure that the letters pertaining to business were easy to spot. He had high hopes for his new employee. Time continued to pass by, and Max once again glanced at the clock, noticing that it was getting perilously close to the two hour limit. Just as the second hand was nearing that fateful point, two taps could be heard coming from his office door. Sighing in relief, the rich unicorn backed away from his desk to see exactly how Bastion had done. The door swung open and a disheveled, messy, tired, sweaty pony stood before him. Maximilian simply blinked a few times, trying to get used to the image. Bastion managed to ask him where he should put everything, and Max simply pointed, "Put my clothes in my bedroom on the bed, and put everything else here on my desk." The rich Appleoosan smiled warmly at the younger Stallion. "Then you may wash up and collect your reward." Max didn't want to tell him what it was, since part of it was a surprise. The envelope contained a few things, and Max knew that each one would be important to Bastion. The first was his paycheck, it was a thousand bits and some change, just to show him exactly the kind of salary a pony working for the Rockefilly's could expect to earn. The second item was a bit harder to procure, it was a letter from home, in the two hours that Bastion was gone, Max had written something short to his family. His mother sent a short but heartfelt note in reply, and the rich stallion had placed that inside of the envelope as well. The final item was a bit of a test, it was a train ticket, on it Max had scribbled,Last chance.

Max was indeed behind his desk, he heard Bastion knock twice and it made him grin. This pony knew how to follow instructions. He didn't really care about the number of knocks, Maximilian just wanted to test whether or not the pony was actually listening. The unicorn was also pleased to hear the younger stallion refer to him as 'Mr.Rockefilly'. The Rockefilly turned around to face Bastion. He was still trying to figure out exactly how he felt about the other stallion. He certainly appreciated the pony's formal wear and pleasing attitude. However, there was a sense that this pony might not have enough experience to be effective. He was good, but he had only just graduated. Maximilian looked Bastion up and down, giving him a quick look over. It would take time to properly appraise him, but Max felt like he had made the correct decision in hiring, at least so far. "Ah, thank you. That was quick!" Max levitated the tray over towards himself and set it down on the desk. He took a moment to examine it. "Interesting sorting system... not exactly conventional..." He put a hoof to his chin and levitated each stack into the air, turning them around and getting a closer look."but it is effective." Grinning wide, Max drops two of the stacks into a wastebasket and moves the remaining to a corner of his desk. "Well done, Bastion, but I do believe you have a few more tasks to accomplish if you want that reward, no?" With a nod of his head and a flick of his mane, Max turned around and faced his desk, silently dismissing the pony to finish his work.

The Rockefilly stood and listened as Bastion caught on quickly, making sure to ask questions. Maximilian nodded as his new employee spoke, "Bastion, I trust your judgement completely. Do as you see fit, and if I see a need to correct you, I will. Honestly, I don't see anything that could cause an issue, i'm not usually a stickler for details." Bastion brought up the envelope on the pillow, and Max grinned. "Oh, that? That's your reward, but rewards must be earned." The unicorn motioned with a hoof, beckoning the Pegasus to follow him. The rich Stallion led Bastion out of the room and down the hall. Max pointed towards one of the doors. "That is my office, you may enter at any time, and we already discussed how you signal your presence. If you decide to do some cleaning, do not[/] clean the office. That is the only room that you will leave untouched." Maximilian pointed towards the adjacent door. "This is your office." He used his magic to open the door and the two ponies entered. It was a little bit bigger than his bedroom, with a large desk in the middle, covered with parchment and books. "Don't worry, you won't be spending much time cooped up in here. I'm trying to get out more, so if you play your cards right, you'll be coming with me." Maximilian pointed to a huge stack of envelopes on one side of the desk. "Well, Bastion, I have your first job for you. I've been so busy with my newest project that I haven't been able to check my mail in weeks. I need you to go through and sort it all by importance and then alphabetically." Max didn't want Bastion's first job to be annoying, so he pulled out another piece of paper and put it on the desk. It was simply a list of items, the paper read : Pick up blazer from cleaners, my order of salt licks, 103 cactus needles, a cowpony hat, a new vest, and two apple pies. "Also, I have a few items that need to be fetched. Once you're done with all of this, go find the few items on the list for me." Maximilian turned and grinned. "Well, I'll leave you to your work. By the way..." Max pointed to the clock."You have three hours." With that, the Rockefilly left the room and left his new employee perform his tasks.

Maximilan couldn't help but smile as the younger pony appreciated his home. He knew that Bastion may not get used to the town of Appleoosa very quickly, but no adjustment would need to be made for his new home. "Thank you, Bastion, I had the materials shipped here from all over Equestria. I've decided that mansions are a bit cumbersome. At least here every room gets used!" He gave a warm chuckle as he approached Wick. "And to answer your question, I only employ one other pony. Her name is Scarlet, and she simply performs the menial tasks i'm too busy to do. In fact, she's from Appleoosa, I just employ her part-time. This job gives her a place to stay and a source of income, but she only works in the morning and in the evening, the rest of the day is hers." Max could see that Bastion needed to put his luggage away, and he motioned with a hoof. "Ah, let's go see your quarters, and I can tell you about your job." The Rockefilly led his new employee up the stairs. "You will have a few jobs. One, secretary. You will take incoming messages and handle them accordingly, you will also be in charge of my appointments. If you do well, I shall make you my right hoof pony." The two finally reached the top of the stairs and Max pointed down the hall to the left. "That end of the hall is my room and my office." He turned and pointed the other way. "Your quarters are over here." The unicorn opened one of the doors, revealing a small but lavish room. A decent sized bed took up a large part of his quarters, but Bastion would also see that there was a desk, a sink, and all the other modern necessities. The entire room was a striking color combination of burgundy and white. On the bed were a few pillows, on the largest pillow was an envelope with Bastion's name on it. It had been waiting for him. "If you're not a fan of the color, just say so and we can have it all repainted." Max seemed to ignore the envelope. Maximilian turned to face Bastion. "That reminds me, let me lay down the ground rules for my house." "One, call me 'Sir' in public only. You may call me 'Maximilian', or 'Max', or even 'Mr Rockefilly' when we are here." "Two, do not be afraid to ask me for anything. You may work for me, but that does not mean I cannot do something for you" "Three, knock twice on my office door before entering unless it is an emergency." "Four, unless it is a holiday, no drinking." "Five, do not be afraid to speak your mind. I did not hire you so you could just be a yes pony. If you have questions or comments, speak." Max scratched his chin as he tried to think of any more rules, but he couldn't think of any important ones. "Any questions?"

Maximilian smiled, he hadn't expected his new employee to be so well dressed. He gave the stallion a look over, holding a hoof to his chin as he examined the new arrival. After he was properly satisfied, Max nodded and smiled. "Of course, I myself took a few days to get used to the... rural atmosphere. I'm certain you'll get used to it." Max waved a hoof and turned around, signaling for Bastion to follow him. The rich Unicorn trotted at a comfortable pace, looking around and pointing out important buildings and ponies to his newest servant. Max suddenly slowed down and spoke in a much more serious tone. "Now, there are a few ground rules you must know about Appleoosa. First of all, don't be too formal. A nod is all that is needed, do try and refrain from being extremely formal. Another rule, if somepony offers you something, say no. If they ask you again, say no. Only if they ask you athird time may you accept. I don't know why, but that is just how it is." Max continued trotting along, listing more rules of etiquette and minor things to consider. After a short while, the rich Unicorn stopped talking, mainly because they had reached their destination. It wasn't the largest of houses by Manehattan standards, but it was surely an imposing structure here in Appleoosa. From the outside, it looked like most of the other buildings in town, wooden and square. On the inside; however, it was as elegant as any mansion back in the city that never sleeps. A smaller pony opened the door for the pair of them, and Max entered first, allowing Bastion to follow him inside. Maximilian stopped and turned around, smiling. "So, Bastion, how does this suit you?"

Maximilian stood on the platform of the Appleoosa train station, waiting for his new employee to arrive. He was wearing a Tux of course, but there was something else he had on, a smile. He was excited to hire such a promising young talent, and he was anxious to meet the stallion. Max mentally went through their first meeting at the academy, and he couldn't help but feel just a bit lucky for landing his new employee. The Rockefilly truly appreciated not only the talent that Bastion had, but also his respectful attitude and obvious devotion to his work. It was usually risky to hire a pony so soon after graduating, but Max could not let a great opportunity pass him up. If Bastion had gone someplace else, he felt that the stallion's talents would be wasted by being given the job of doorpony or something even less admirable. The sun beat down on him, but his smile still did not fade. The rich stallion tapped his hooves idly, and he eventually reached into his pocket and pulled out his magical pouch. He extracted a few coins and jingled them around, counting them and putting them into stacks into the air as a method of passing time. Maximilian's mind wandered again, back to his new employee. Would Bastion be able to cope with the very unusual circumstances of living in the desert? Max's summer home was nearing completion, but it still was nowhere near as large as his old mansion in Manehattan. He simply hoped that the stallion wouldn't mind too much. He knew that this was going to be a different experience for both him and Bastion. In the past, Max was not kind to him servants, firing them on the spot for even the slightest mistakes. Now, the Rockefilly had matured and felt that a different sort of management was in order. His employees deserved respect, and that was what they got. Bastion may find things a bit informal, but it was the new method for Maximilian, and he was not about to go back to his old ways. A train appeared over the horizon, and Max's smile widened even further. As it approached, he neared the tracks and waited calmly for it to stop and for his new employee to exit. He didn't have a sign on him, but he felt that it wouldn't be too hard to identify the Rockefilly, mainly because he was wearing a tux, but also because practically nopony else was at the station. The train eventually slowed to a stop, and Max found himself scanning the cars for any sight of Bastion. He managed to spot somepony through one of the windows, and he quickly trotted over to the door of the car to meet him. As the ponies were getting off Maximilian bowed his head, still smiling, "Welcome to Appleoosa"

Awesome! by the way, i noticed that this character was placed in the 'pegasus' section of the approved applications when he is in fact an earth pony

EDITED for what Pony_Sage said!