Manehattan Clashing Thunder [ENDED]

[ZephyrBurst]

They never listen. Zephyr told them that he wouldn't deliver to Manehatten when he filled out the preferences in his mail pony job application. Yet here he was, delivering to Manehattan anyway. All the other mail ponies that normally deliver there were either on vacation or were sent out on other deliveries. The parcel could not wait till one of the others returned either. This needed to be delivered ASAP. It was the only time Zephyr ever argued with his superiors at work. They wouldn't budge and told Zephyr that he was the only long range flight pegasus available. There was no way around it, he had to take the job. He never wanted to return to Manehatten again, it reminded him of how much he hated his past.

Reluctantly, he took the job, though he had no choice this time. The trip to Manehatten is a long one and he didn't want to stop in Ponyville on the way there, so he packed himself a light lunch for the trip. The day was nice around the north, though he had heard there might be a light shower around Manehatten that day. It was nothing too severe, but he did say he would fly in storms in his application. That was the main reason his boss wanted him to take the job. Maybe a lot of the others didn't like storms.

The flight was calm, it was the only part of the trip that was nice though. The closer he got to Manehatten, the more nervous he became. He tried to calm himself by thinking of the flight itself, but it just wasn't enough to offset the negative thoughts floating around in his mind. Zephyr tried telling himself that he would only be there for a short time. All he had to do was deliver the goods and he could leave. It didn't help.

As he got closer to Manehatten, he noticed the storm clouds were a lot thicker than the weather report said. 'Great, they said light rain, not a full on thunderstorm. This day really can't get any worse can it?' Zephyr thought to himself. And Manehatten was still a ways off. He knew he may have to stop for shelter if the storm was severe enough. This only brought on the realization that he may be in Manehatten for longer than he predicted. The storm clouds were overhead much sooner than he thought too, they must be coming toward him. The rain started to come down. If it got too bad, Zephyr would have to take to the ground, it was too hard to fly in storms with his wings getting too wet.

[Bannhammer]

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. 

[ZephyrBurst]

As the storm got worse, Zephyr began to get a bit worried. This was not in the weather plans, and was outright dangerous to be flying in. He began to get upset that he was sent in such conditions, but a loud streak of thunder interrupted him and returned his thoughts to the current issue. There was no way around it, Zephyr knew he would need to find shelter if he didn't want to risk the storm.

He lowered his altitude to search for a place to hide from the storm till the worst of it passed. The longer he went on, the harder it became to fly as the rain began to soak his feathered wings. He was a strong flyer, but the added weight of the water was beginning to tire him out. Luckily for him, he spotted a cave. Hopefully it wasn't inhabited by a bear or griffon or anything and he began to wonder why he thought a griffon would live in there. Did griffons live in caves? He didn't know much about them and he quickly removed that thought from his mind as well. All these side thoughts weren't enough to shake the nervousness about going to Manehatten again.

The cave was just below and Zephyr took a dive and landed in front of it. The cave was spacious and would provide plenty of shelter and warmth from the storm. He was cautious as he walked in, keeping his senses up in case there was a bear or something else living inside. He was a few paces in and he realized he wasn't alone. Someone or something else was in here. His first thoughts were to hide himself and get the jump on whatever it was. Then he quickly realized that was unnecessary as the form of another pony was seen a bit deeper in the cave. Probably trying to seek shelter as well. The light colored pony had his back to Zephyr. He began to think about how lucky this pony was that he hated the thought of mugging ponies now. This would be all too easy... very easy. He had the advantage of being unseen, the pony was definitely physically weaker than him. The past urge to fulfill the thrill of mugging his victims formed in his mind. 'What am I thinking? This is ridiculous.' Zephyr thought to himself, and upset that he would even consider the thought.

He decided it would be best to announce his presence to the other pony, after all, they were most likely going to share this cave for the duration of the storm, and might as well get the introductions out of the way. He stepped forward a few paces...

"Um... hello there."

[Bannhammer]

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. 

[ZephyrBurst]

When the pony turned around to look at him, Zephyr realized it was a unicorn. Quite a rude one too. He even had the audacity to ignore him and count bits. But Zephyr gave him the benefit of the doubt and figured he was probably upset about being stuck in some cave to avoid the storm. 'Wait a minute, is this pony really counting bits to kill time?'

After Max spoke his name, Zephyr shook off the water as well as he could and stepped further into the cave, going closer to Max. There was something strange about Max, and Zephyr got an odd feeling from him. Something about the way Max spoke his name was upsetting, as if the unicorn thought he was better than everyone else. Zephyr spoke in a normal, inexpressive tone.

"And I'm Zephyr Burst. I don't want any trouble. I'm simply trying to stay out of the storm till it passes."

He kept a slow pace as he spoke to Max. With just a few paces away from the unicorn, he stopped. From this distance, he didn't have to lift his voice to make sure Max could hear him and the other way around. He could barely understand what Max had said due to the noise of the storm outside. He eye'd the bits that Max was counting... that sure was a lot of bits. This unicorn was loaded. His curiosity got the best of him and he had to ask.

"Are you really counting bits to pass the time?"

[Bannhammer]

Maximilian continued counting, and he couldn't help but chuckle at the question. Max would answer it, of course, but only as much as he wanted to. 

"Yes."

He didn't go into detail about why he was doing it. The story of his youth didn't need to be shared with the Pegasus. He could've dragged on about how he wasn't allowed to own toys as a foal, so he used bits as his only method of 'fun'; he could've mentioned that it was his only real way of dealing with stress, but he didn't see the need to. Max simply gave an annoyed snort as if to say 'duh'. 

Now, when he grew older, Max lost the need for toys and he found another source of fun. It was getting under a pony's skin. Getting power over some pony, or just pissing them off merely through words was a good way to pass the time. Of course, it was usually fun for him, and not the poor pony that had to put up with him. It wasn't an easy 'game', go too far and it could end very badly for Max. It required a quick mind and a silver tongue, two things he fortunately had. Maximilian had wasted enough time, and he wanted to get started. 

Immediately after answering, Max wheeled around and approached Zephyr. He had an inquisitive look in his eyes, with the slightest sense of contempt in his gaze. 

"Let me get a good look at you."

Max took a moment to examine the Pegasus, and when he felt that he had enough information, he began to speak his mind. Most of this was pure observation, coupled with some guessing; if he did it right, he might even get it right. 

"Judging from your parcel there, you're a delivery pony, you're probably heading for Manehattan. Now, I doubt you started in Manehattan, because that's where the storm started, and you would've taken shelter much closer to the city. You're flying down the road from Ponyville, but I don't think you started there, considering that you seem more like a distance flier."

Maximilian smiled, and took another step closer. 

"My guess is Cloudsdale, a good distance away, but not too far. Now I think the reason you ended up here is because the Pegasus ponies once again messed up the weather, so some poor schmuck like you gets caught in a squall when all you expected was a drizzle."

When he got closer, Max's smile grew into an arrogant smirk. "But that's not the interesting thing."

"This is usually vacation time for most ponies, but you've been given the job; so I'd say little to no family."

Max smirked and continued, putting fake sympathy into his words. "Everypony else had an excuse, but not you. No way to take a vacation and not enough family to give you a reason to say 'no'."

The rich unicorn kept talking, slowly moving towards Zephyr with every sentence. 

"You packed lightly, so unlike most ponies who do a long distance delivery, you don't plan to stick around afterwards."

With a laugh, Max finally got right next to Zeph and planted a hoof on his shoulder in a mock show of camaraderie. 

"To sum it up, you're a lonely delivery pony who got stuck in a storm delivering to a town you probably didn't want to go to in the first place."

Max just stayed there, his hoof draped over the shoulder of the green Pegasus. 

"Of course, that's just my first impression."

[ZephyrBurst]

Max began to look at Zephyr with an intense study. 'Why does he want to get a good look at me? Does he recognize me?' As Max spoke and walked closer, and with each point he brought up being true, made Zephyr a little more nervous. He seemed to know something about Zephyr and it was very unnerving. Maybe the unicorn had some mind reading spell. Was that even possible? If it was, would he know where to look? Zephyr frowned when Max brought up him being lonely and nearly pinned his ears back at the mention of not wanting to go to Manehatten.

"Of course, that's just my first impression."

So it was all just a lucky guess. Zephyr didn't want to be confrontational, so he tried not to let any of that bother him, despite Max' fairly tone. Still, it did bug him that everything Max brought up was true. Zephyr nudged Max off his shoulder and took a side step away.

"That's quite a good guess there. Manehatten isn't my most favorite place to go. Really though, what was the point in bringing all that up." Zephyr tried to keep his tone as non-aggressive as possible. "And what about yourself. That's um..." Zephyr took notice to Max' clothing. That and Max counting bits must've meant he was a rich pony.

"You must be some rich pony from Manehatten?" Zephyr was already not liking this unicorn.

[Bannhammer]

Maximilian grinned and made a clapping noise. "Oh well done, that took some insight on your part."

The rich stallion stood still, giving the green Pegasus an annoying look of contempt. "To answer your question, there really wasn't any point in bringing that stuff up; other than the fact that I like to make sure I know who I'm dealing with."

Max could see the details a bit better, and his eyes were drawn to the scars and scratches on the green pony's body. 

"And looking at you, I think I'm dealing with a very tough pony..."

He narrowed his eyes, and with an unsettling grin he continued, "Anyway, I'm a born and raised Manehattanite." Max paused for a moment, considering Zephyr's words about not liking Manehattan. 

"It's not a perfect city, I'll admit. But it is the best one, just so long as you avoid the undesirable parts. Where the scum and thieves hang out and wait for innocent ponies to pillage."

"But I'm sure you have different reasons for not liking that fair city."

Max examined his Tux, and with a slight pout he changed the subject. "This storm ruined my Carriage, probably killed my employee, and it ruined my suit. Honestly, I don't know why Celestia put Pegasi in charge of the weather, when she didn't give them the brains to handle it."

The rich pony quickly added, in a falsely embarrassed tone. "Of course, I don't mean all Pegasi."

[ZephyrBurst]

Zephyr continued frowning at Max as he mockingly congratulated Zephyr's guess. The more this unicorn spoke, the more annoying he became and the more Zephyr wondered how much he knew about him. Zephyr returned the look of contempt as Max mentioned the undesirable parts of Manehatten where scum and thieves were. This was simply too much of a coincidence. This unicorn couldn't possibly know of him. Zephyr had never seen Max before and he was sure he'd remember such an annoying pony. He ignored Max' comments about the storm ruining his carriage and anything that followed, as he was focused on trying to remember if he had ever robbed Max in the past. And if he had, why would the unicorn be provoking him? Was he trying to start a fight to get back at Zephyr? He didn't look like he would be able to defend himself very well, so why the provocation when they were alone?

Max indirectly insulted Zephyr with his comment on pegasus ponies. He tried to ignore it and decided an upfront question was in order.

"Have we met before this? I'm pretty sure I would remember such an annoying unicorn. You talk as if you think you know me and I find that incredibly agitating." Zephyr snarled at Max. "You also talk too much, which makes you prone to saying something you really shouldn't. What are you getting at here?"

Zephyr stared angrily at Max, wondering what the unicorn would say next, but he added before Max could speak. "You have something against pegasus ponies?" He couldn't remember ever running into a more annoying unicorn.

[Bannhammer]

Maximilian stared blankly at the pony in front of him, hiding the satisfaction he felt on the inside. This pony was fun. He could see the pony tense up in anger and confusion. This was the tricky part, if Max played the next part right,he could really get under his skin.

He stood there quietly as the Pegasus asked him some basic questions, watching with a smirk on his face. The snarl, combined with the obviously annoyed attitude, combined to further motivate Max. He was about to oblige the green delivery pony with a very condescending answer, but he found himself cut off.

Max paused for a moment, making sure that the irritated pony was finished.

"First of all, I didn't mean to offend with my comment" LIE

"We haven't met before..."

"and I assure you that my being 'annoying' is merely my inability to properly communicate with a pony such as yourself."LIE

"And I do sincerely apologize if you find me too talkative for your tastes." LIE

"I 'speak as if I know you' because it isn't incredibly hard to find out about a pony solely through appearance. It wasn't very hard to 'decipher' certain things about you. I already pointed out that you're a very lonely delivery pony who doesn't like Manehattan, and you only confirmed this with your reaction."

"If I go too far, just let me know where the line is, and I shan't cross it..." LIE

"Because I would hate to 'say something I really shouldn't'." LIE

[ZephyrBurst]

If the unicorn was telling the truth, then he really was making lucky guesses, at least that's what Zephyr assumed. That little smirk on Max' face was annoying as well. It was as if Max was intentionally trying to antagonize Zephyr. 'He couldn't possibly be trying to do this. What purpose does that serve? Why in Equestria would this pony do that. We're both stuck in this situation, why make things worse?'

The thoughts raced around Zephyr's mind and only served to confuse him more. He didn't want to think about this. Max' words spoke that he was trying to apologize, but his tone didn't match that.

"Well that line was almost crossed, so let's just not talk about Manehatten. I would like to get this package delivered and leave as soon as I can." Zephyr figured he would just get it out there that he did not like the city.

"I just don't like the place. Bad memories of it. I'm sure you understand. And you clearly have no idea what you're talking about with 'that' side of Manehatten." Zephyr wasn't entirely sure why he brought up the last point. He wasn't thinking straight, this pony was really bugging him and he continued his scornful look at Max.

[Bannhammer]

Max couldn't help but burst out in laughter. The idea that this pony would be so easy never occurred to him. Even If he hadn't said anything, his body language made the truth quite clear, his words only made it that much simpler for Max. 

Of course, this might prove to be a very interesting point in that day's action. Maximilian could stop now, leave the Pegasus alone, and return to counting bits; but where's the fun in that?

"You seem like a very dedicated pony, intent on doing your job, but..."

Max paused again, remembering something Zephyr had said. 

"For me to Not talk about Manehattan? Even though it's the best place in Equestria? Preposterous!"

The way the Pegasus was built, the scars on his body, his reluctance to talk about Manehattan, and now his admittance of 'bad memories' only served to motivate the Rockefilly further. 

The gears in his brain were working at a dizzying pace, putting the pieces of the green puzzle together. Maximilian carefully retraced the steps of their conversation, putting small bits of information into order to try and paint a bigger picture of the Pegasus in front of him.  

Scratched and scarred = tough life

'bad memories' = tough life in Manehattan

'you clearly have no idea' = suggests first hoof experience

Wondering if we've met before = possible fear of repercussion?

Possible fear of repercussion = guilt or fear

Slow loss of temper = most likely guilt

Guilt of what?

"A bad memory isn't a reason to hate a place for good, you know." 

Once again, Max approached Zephyr Burst and draped a hoof over his shoulder, pulling him in. 

"One bad experience can just be a fluke. Don't judge a town for the actions of a few foals..." Maximilian chose his words carefully, trying to to prod too far or provoke past his means. 

The last phrase Zephyr used was particularly amusing. Just as you shouldn't judge me..."

He pulled Zephyr in, really making him uncomfortable. "I may not look it, but I've seen my fair share of 'that' side of Manehattan. I mean, my offices have a pretty splendid view. 

I get to see the ponies pass by every morning, some on their way to an honest day's work..."

He paused, shifting his tone from friendly to contemptuous. 

"And others, on their way to another day In the streets. Where the gangs do nothing but fight and make it difficult for us ponies trying to do something with our lives. Ponies with no regard for law and order; they do as they please with whom they please. 

The type of ponies who steal, lie and cheat from others in the back alleys at the point of a knife to get what they want. They're preying on the innocents and terrorizing those who are better off."

Maximilian sighed and squeezed Zephyr tight. He was certain that this green pony came from the very streets he as talking about. He still wasn't sure to what extent the Pegasus was involved in the street culture, but he wanted to find out. 

Max suddenly had an idea, and he gasped and pulled back. 

"Oh you poor thing! Did one of those bad ponies rob you? Is that why you're afraid to go back?"

A few more sentences, and then he could properly gauge the response. The rich Unicorn added a slow shake of his head and continued talking. 

"It's sad, ponies doing such terrible things..."

"I mean, I wish I could just do something about it, but getting rid of them is tough. Believe me, i've tried."

"They just stick around, like roaches, and you just have to stomp them out and hope the rest scurry away to a different hole."

Max flashed his most annoying look yet, one filled with fake understanding and sympathy. 

"Don't let some bad apples spoil the whole town for you."

Maximilian's mind flashed, and he remembered a lesson he'd learned recently from the purple pony, Snake Oil. The slightest twinge of guilt hit Max's conscious, and for a moment he considered that maybe, maybe, he had just gone too far. 

It was too late now, and there was a chance that Max might just eat his words. Such a big risk, just for the satisfaction of knowing that you got under a pony's skin seemed like a stupid thing. Then again, that's why you play the game. 

(OOC: geeze, When I typed this whole thing on my iPod, I didn't think it was this much XD)

[ZephyrBurst]

Once again, Max had approached Zephyr, draping a hoof over him and accompanied with that annoying grin. Zephyr still didn't understand what Max was trying to do and it annoyed him greatly. The entire time Max jabbered on, obviously prodding for more information, Zephyr had his ears pinned back. The way Max spoke of thieves was hurtful and it struck a nerve. The storm grew as did Zephyr's anger.

He saw past Max' supposed sympathetic look and nearly growled at him. Zephyr shoved Max away in a forceful and annoyed manner. In a nearly growling tone...

"Get away from me! You think you're so much better than me don't you?" He gave Max a scornful look. As lightning struck, it lit up the cave enough for Max to see Zephyr's fur standing on end. He was angry which allowed himself to slip. "I didn't have any choice in how I lived. I didn't know any better! And I'm not going to stay in this cave and have you talk down to me like this! The storm would be better than you!"

And with that, Zephyr turned to leave. He didn't make it but 2 paces before a loud rumble echoed through the cave. The ground beneath his hooves began shaking and Zephyr took a step back. All around them, rocks could be heard and seen shifting. Was it a cave in? He stood for a moment before realizing that the cave was no longer safe, but it was too late.

Zephyr looked ahead at the mouth of the cave and realized it was being blocked off from a massive chunk of earth caving in. It was took late to try and escape, and instead Zephyr brought his two fore-hooves over his head as he felt a few small pebbles and rocks collide with him. The rumbling didn't last long after and everything grew quieter. The noise from the storm outside no longer echoed through the cave and only a bit of light made its way through the cracks in the now covered entrance. When Zephyr deemed it safe, he stood back up and glanced around, trying to get his eyes to adjust to the lower light. He knew he was stuck, but when the thought that he was stuck in the cave with Max reached him, he grew annoyed.

[Bannhammer]

Max jumped back in surprise as the cave's entrance was sealed. The moment of panic passed, and the rich stallion was quickly back to his regular self.

His attention returned to the green Pegasus. He had definitely gotten under Zephyr's skin, but that surprisingly didn't make him feel that great. The pony had slipped up and basically admitted his guilt, which begged an important question, what the heck was Max supposed to do while in a cave with a thief? 

"I'm stuck in a Celestia forsaken cave with some street scum? Just my rutting luck!"

For some reason, Max was angry, really angry. Once again he'd been trapped with a criminal, first a purple pony and now a green Pegasus. It seemed like the world just had it out for him. 

He narrowed his eyes, refusing to hide behind a grin any longer. It wasn't about having fun or passing the time anymore, this was Max trying to drive home a point.

"I don't think I'm better than you, Zephyr Burst..." Max spoke venomously and full of contempt."...I know I am."

"I hurt ponies, believe me, but when I take their bits I make sure they stood a chance in the first place."

His words slowed to a crawl, and he spat them contemptuously at the Pegasus. 

"You know, it's ponies like you that mess it all up for the rest of us. We try to improve the world, but you just have to drag us down and hold us back!"

Max stomped the ground in frustration. After a moment he took a deep breath and faced Zephyr with a calm expression. 

"Well, get it over with. Just try and knock me out, or stab me, whatever your kind does. I suppose I was a pretty good mark."

[ZephyrBurst]

The verbal onslaught from Max was so incredibly frustrating. This unicorn didn't make any sense. Not only did he continue to insult and sling verbal abuse at a pony who he knew could seriously hurt him or worse, but he payed no mind to the fact that they were now stuck in this cave. This was starting to be too much and now Max knew what Zephyr is, or was at least, because of his slip up. He didn't know what Max meant when he said he hurt ponies and made sure they stood a chance. It sounded like cryptic non-sense to him. The main thing on his mind was getting out of this cave away from Max.

Zephyr returned Max' look of contempt. "I don't know what you're talking about and I don't care! As for 'my kind', I don't do any of that anymore! And you're not just a pretty good mark... you'd be the best kind." Zephyr took a step closer to Max. "But as I just said, that is no longer my life and I would appreciate it if you wouldn't bring it up! Just..." Zephyr turned away towards the cave entrance. "Just leave me alone Max."

He approached the cave entrance and examined it, trying to see if there were any rocks or places in the dirt that he could dig out. The quicker, the better. The pony was infuriating and Zephyr was about ready to lash out if he didn't shut his mouth. It was a troublesome thought. He never wanted to hurt another pony if it could be helped. Other thoughts entered his mind, what if Max lets others know where he is. He knew Zephyr lived in Cloudsdale. Zephyr began to wonder if he would be punished for past sins if he was ever found out.

[Bannhammer]

This pony confused Max. What was he waiting for, why didn't he just get it over with? And just what was this nonsense about 'that is no longer my life' The rich unicorn stared at Zephyr while he looked for a way out.

Change was a very interesting concept to Max. It was an essential concept, and his entire fortune was based on exploiting it. However he dealt with change in numbers, in prices, in commodities, not in Ponies. To him, ponies were a fixed variable; and once set, they don't change. He was a rich, powerful pony; he was simply that way, and he couldn't just change his ways once they were set.

This pony was trying to con him with the idea that he had somehow stopped being a thief. Max wasn't stupid, he knew that ponies couldn't just change like that. With a scoff he called after Zephyr."Not bring it up? How can you possibly expect me NOT to talk about the fact that i'm stuck here with a criminal!"

Maximilian took a step forward.

"Just leave you alone? Is that what your victims said, before you robbed them?" Max shifted his tone to a mock whine.

"Oh please! Just leave me alone! Don't hurt me! HELP!"

He narrowed his eyes and trotted closer to Zephyr."Or were they too scared to say anything? Frozen in fear as you willingly took their bits from them?"

[ZephyrBurst]

Zephyr clenched his teeth and began to shake. It was taking everything he had to not let his anger get out of control. Max' mocking brought up memories of several victims, including his last. He pictured the scared mare crying before him. He tried closing his eyes, but the images became even more clear. Nothing he did would clear away that agonizing voice. Zephyr couldn't stand it anymore and he screamed loudly as he hit the caved in rocks with his two fore-hooves in frustration. The rocks didn't budge and held his weight, only serving to bring a light sting of pain through his legs. Still propped up on the rock, he turned to look at Max with a hateful glare and began yelling.

"Shut up!" Max was much closer than Zephyr remembered. He brought himself down on all four hooves and began to trot closer to Max, keeping the same hateful glare from before, all the while repeating the same angry words at him.

"Shut up, shut up, SHUT UP MAX!!" As he reached Max, he nearly lost control of himself. But it wasn't enough to stop him from forcefully shoving Max back and growling loudly in his face, extending his wings in the process. His heart rate sped up quickly as he knew he was very close to making a choice in direct violation of the code he set for himself. It troubled him more that he desperately wanted to bring as much harm to Max as possible. He could break a leg or two, or all of them, dig his way out, and leave Max there. Zephyr's moral dilemma was only somewhat visible behind his anger presented to Max. His heavy breathing was visible.

In more angry shouting, "I am not a criminal! I made mistakes, but that is not me anymore! What do you want?!" The hurtful thoughts were still racing around and despite his anger, he was nearly in tears.

Zephyr changed to a more worried expression, it was suddenly hard not to cry. "I need to go! I need to leave! I need to get out of this cave!" Zephyr quickly turned around and zipped up to the top of the cave in, desperately digging at the rubble, but to no success. All he accomplished was to make his 2 fore-hooves even more sore. A bit more light seeped in, but nothing even close enough to get out through. If he didn't leave quickly, he wasn't sure what he would do.

[Bannhammer]

Max scowled as he was told to shut up. Who did this pony think he was, telling Maximilian Rockefilly jr. shut up? He was ready to scold him, and as Zephyr trotted towards him Max opened his mouth to speak.

He didn't say much. Before he could utter another sound Zephyr was in his face. The Pegasus' shout hit him in the face, and his hooves were planted in his chest. Max was sent to the ground, with the pissed pony standing over him, visibly angry. 

In that moment, with Zephyr Burst towering over him, wings extended and breath heavy, Max was afraid. He was helpless, he couldn't defend himself, there was nopony to help him; it seemed like he had finally gone too far. Max raised a hoof over his face, waiting for the green pony to strike. 

It never happened.

Instead of receiving the beating he so richly deserved, Max got an earful. The delivery pony was shouting into his face, and all Max could do listen. There were a few tentative moments of silence as Max anticipated violence. 

He opened his eyes, and Zephyr was no longer over him. Max looked to the stack of bits he had counted earlier, and they were still there. He looked up, and saw that instead of beating him or stealing from him, Zephyr was trying to escape. 

Max was dumbfounded. The green pony had him in the perfect position, he could have done anything. he could beat him up, steal his fortune, leave him for dead, and then escape.  It would be easy, any thief could do it. 

So why didn't he?

He could only watch in silence as Zephyr cried out on despair and pounded on the cave in. With a blank stare, Max tried to wrap his mind around this development. 

Was this part of his plan? Was he afraid? It seems so genuine...

He silently observed for a minute, until he couldn't remain silent any longer. Max only muttered, trying to say something without actually saying something. 

"Rut it all. If you're trying to trick me, it won't work..."

[ZephyrBurst]

His continued frenzied digging at the rubble still proved to be useless. If he was going to dig his way out, it was going to take a lot longer than he wanted. With his hooves sore and his sanity slowly dwindling, he stopped digging and dropped to the ground. Zephyr was still torn in his emotions, both anger and sorrow soared around his mind. He plopped to the ground and held his fore-hooves over his head, still nearly in tears.

With mixed emotions, "I don't know what you're talking about. What don't you understand? I'm not a criminal!" Zephyr continued to lay at the cave entrance.

"Just help me move these rocks and I'll leave you alone." His plea carried his mixed feelings of anger and sorrow.

[Bannhammer]

Max was silent. 

He slowly trotted towards Zephyr, who was now on the ground. His pained and angry words stuck in Max's head. The Rockefilly stopped right next to the Pegasus, towering over him. 

The sight beneath Max was pathetic, and normally he would just spit on him and leave, but something was wrong. He was still too suspicious.

"You're a sad criminal, you know that?"

Max lowered his head and spoke into Zephyr's ear. His voice definitely had contempt in it, but there was a hint of confusion.

"I don't trust you, how can I? If I make a way out for you, you'll just take me out and run.

Max sighed and stepped back, giving Zephyr his space. 

"I was just trying to have some fun, just trying to kill the time. I didn't know you'd be so easy, and I especially didn't know what I'd find."

His anger quickly returned. 

"But no time for fun anymore, I'm not going to let you win."

[ZephyrBurst]

Max continued to refer to Zephyr as a criminal and his words pierced him. He picked up on Max' words 'trying to kill the time', which only fueled Zephyr's growing anger.

'This unicorn was only toying with me? What does he mean not let me win? He's going to get hostile now?' Zephyr wasn't exactly sure what Max' actual intentions were, but that wasn't on his mind anymore. He didn't care, he wanted to shut the unicorn's mouth. Every word he spoke was intentionally hurtful and now it was very possible he could get aggressive to Zephyr. Max was also the only pony to know Zephyr's name and his past.

Without warning, Zephyr jumped to his hooves and lunged at Max, knocking him over on his back. With rage filled eyes, he towered over Max once more and without any delay, he slammed his fore-hooves down on Max' soft exposed under belly. Zephyr was no where near satisfied and struck an open spot on Max' side with his right hoof. He struck Max' a few more times in his rage, but less controlled with most of his blows being unintentionally deflected by Max.

Zephyr stopped his fury and pinned Max' fore-hooves down with his and growled in his face.

"This is not some game! I can and will break your legs!" Zephyr was yelling furiously at Max. He kept his weight on Max to keep him from getting up. It hadn't occurred to Zephyr that he had let his anger drive him. He glared into Max' eyes, waiting for him to say something to further provoke the rage.

[Bannhammer]

Maximilian watched, unimpressed, as the pony stayed on the ground. For a moment, it would seem as if Zephyr had been defeated.

That was quickly disproven. 

In a flash, Max found himself on his back, shoved to the ground by the stronger pony. Before he could even utter a sound, he felt strong hooves smash into his gut. The wind was knocked out of him, and when he opened his mouth to shout, no words came out, just a gagging sound. 

All the while, his mind was racing, filled mostly with fear. A frantic panic that seized him and only served to make him gag more. In that painful moment, gasping for air, he realized that he had gone WAY too far, and that he may have just sealed his fate.

Deep within his mind, Max was at least glad that he wasn't wrong about the pony, and that he would die being correct. His thoughts were interrupted as he was struck again. 

Max would've protested, but he had no time to catch his breath. A sharp blow to his side filled his whole body with pain, and he once again tried and failed to shout out in discomfort. The rich unicorn flailed wildly, and he managed to deflect the next couple of hits. 

Max waited for the finishing blow, and he was surprised when he found himself pinned down, and still alive. He looked up at the pony who had just beaten him, his eyes full of fear. 

Maximilian Rockefilly Jr was scared out of his mind, and while he tried to hide it, his eyes betrayed him. The fear he felt kept him from breathing, and he struggled not to throw up. He groaned and writhed in pain, a pathetic display. 

The rich stallion received another earful, this time a blatant threat. The loud shout froze Max, finally ending his frantic movements. Maximilian knew that his next move would be very important, and should not be taken lightly.

An apology, followed by some whimpering and begging, would be the smartest move. Of course, Max was dealing with a violent criminal, so screw it. He might be afraid, he might even be terrified, but he couldn't just give in to scum like Zephyr. 

He blinked, and grinned, barely able to hide the fear in his heart, and his brain's frantic signals to CEASE AND DESIST. Max's logic, which wasn't very logical, was as such:

Well, he's going to kill me, might as well go all out.

Despite his brain's warnings and his body's complaints, Max opened his mouth. His words were choppy and slow, mainly because his chest hurt like hell. 

"B-Break my legs? Max coughed, he sounded scared. That tone quickly faded with the next few words. "I don't doubt it, that must've been how you k-" He wheezed."Kept your victims from running away."

He coughed again, loudly and right into Zephyr's face, making sure to get as much crud on him as possible. Max finally caught his breath, and he continued on.

"I bet you're quite experienced, but I'm not some defenseless mare for you to rob, so I might be something different for you to try"

He paused for a moment, gauging his response. 

"Although, you seem more like the 'kill first' type, you know, because then there aren't witnesses."

Max's anger returned, and he futilely struggled to free himself, held down by the much more powerful pony. He realized that there was no point, and so he simply went limp, using as little energy as possible. 

[ZephyrBurst]

Zephyr stared down, full of rage, at the frightened unicorn he had wailed on. Max coughed in his face, but Zephyr was too angry to care much. All it did was upset him more. Normally he would have done things much differently, but Zephyr knew he didn't have to be careful with Max, who he knew wouldn't put up a fight at this point. It was unfair, but being fair was long gone.

He wasn't expecting any great response, but what was said had shocked him. Max had accused him of being a murderer. It was one of the few rules he had in his previous life, that he would never stoop so low as to kill. To be accused of it was enraging and he followed up with the response with powerful strike to Max' side again.

"I AM NOT A KILLER!" He yelled at Max once more. Zephyr was even more confused by the situation now. He held Max' hooves down again, this time slamming his leg down.

"Why would you even suggest that? Here you are, stuck in a cave with a pony like me and you provoke me! WHY?! Don't you value your life?"

Zephyr quickly moved to the side, off of Max. "Get up!" He shouted while striking Max again on the side in a forceful shoving manner. He stood a pace away from Max, both wings fully out-stretched, and his weight evenly distributed among all four legs.

"I only did as much as was necessary when I robbed others." It was a lie, but Zephyr hadn't realized it at the time. There were times when he was exceptionally brutal to his targets when they resisted or fought back.

"And I didn't just rob helpless mares! Stop making all these assumptions about me! Why would you say all these things when you know what I'm capable of?! And I said to GET UP!!" Zephyr lunged forward and hit Max the same way as before. The force being enough to roll Max over. Zephyr wasn't even sure if he wanted to hear the unicorn speak again or to beat him up more.

[Bannhammer]

Pain flashed through Max's body as he was struck again. Zephyr yelled at him to get up, , Max responded by crying out in pain, but he stayed down.

The green Pegasus continued yelling, shouting some drivel about only doing what was 'necessary'. As he was hit a second time, Max shouted again and flipped over onto his stomach. 

The white stallion gritted his teeth, the pain was unlike anything he'd ever experienced, and he just wanted it to end. All he had to do was exactly what Zephyr wanted, and he'd be fine.

Max would not get up, he merely stayed there, in fact he rolled over so that he was once again on his back. 

It wasn't courage, it wasn't strength, it wasn't due to some honor or sense of duty, Max resisted out of pure defiance. Max did it just to spite the pony he was trapped with. He would not let some scum boss him around. He knew what his father would do, he knew what any Rockefilly would do, resist.

"I know exactly what your kind is capable of. My father warned me, he told me about you scum, and if you think I'm going to comply at all you've got another thing coming."

Max was still scared, and it showed. His body shook and, the rich pony was barely able to hide his fear with a confident expression.

"Aren't you used to resistance by now? I'm sure you're planning on teaching me a lesson...

Max was still on the ground, and as he spoke his anger inside grew. To the point that he didn't care what happened, he just wanted to piss Zephyr off.

Max spat, and it landed right on Zephyr's muzzle. The rich stallion couldn't think of a good reason for doing that, it just happened. He remembered seeing stuff like that in movies and books, but he never thought he would do it in real life. 

"...But you won't dare touch me again, if you do, neither of us is getting out of here." 

Max understood a very troubling fact: neither pony wanted the other to escape. If Zephyr got out without Max, he could also steal his fortune. If Max got out without Zephyr, he would do the one thing any law abiding pony would, alert the authorities. It was a standoff, and Max wouldn't be the one to blink.

[ZephyrBurst]

Max had refused to do what Zephyr said and was met with Max spitting on Zephyr's face followed by a threat. A threat Zephyr knew was empty. Noncompliance was always met with violence in Zephyr's past and all this only sparked that response once again.

Zephyr spoke in a sinister tone, "Normally I wouldn't do this to a pony who couldn't fight back, but for you, I'll make an exception."

And with that, he leapt forward and struck Max fiercely across his jaw. Zephyr was out for blood now and wouldn't be satisfied until he saw it flow. The strike was enough to roll Max onto his chest. No time was wasted and Zephyr was on his back. He stepped on Max' right foreleg with his left and began to lift the hoof end with his right, bending it back at the joint. Zephyr held him just at the breaking point. All he needed was more pressure and he would snap Max' front leg. But Zephyr was out for pain and kept the pressure on him.

He kept his sinister tone, but was yelling at Max again, "Say something else stupid! Do it! I'm not afraid to do this, I've done worse!"