[Appleoosa] Meet the team [Pm to join]

[Bannhammer]

Another morning in Appleoosa. 

Maximilian Rockefilly shifted in bed and eventually was able to work his way out from under the covers. For such a warm place, it sure gets cold at night, he thought. Sleep had not come easy, the complete silence at night was unnerving, and Max had laid in bed hoping for something to erupt so that be could finally fall asleep. Alas, the western town was as quiet as ever.

Sleeping habits aside, the rich Unicorn was slowly becoming attached to the town where he now lived. It would take a while for his summer home to be built according to his standards, but his current accommodations weren't bad, they felt quite plain and simple, and he didn't mind. 

Finally out of bed, Max stood for a moment and waited for a servant to bring him his morning paper, sent in from Manehattan. The Rockefilly glanced at the clock, and once he knew he had ample time, he jumped back in bed and read the business section.

After finishing his little morning ritual, Max finally got dressed, sporting a fine tux, of course. Unusually, the Rockefilly also selected a set of very rugged saddle bags he got from the surplus store. Maximilian didn't buy them because they looked nice, he bought them because they were perfect for the job. Tucking a large, round object into his bags, he prepared himself for the task at hoof. He checked the time, and bristling with excitement the unicorn stepped out of the door to his abode and made his way to the train station, waving and bowing to those he passed by. He finally reached it and took up position.

The sun beat down on the creaky wooden platform as Max waited for a particular train to arrive. He yawned and stretched his back in the Appleoosa morning as he looked around at the barren wasteland that surrounded the town. Maximilian was soon lost in thought, and the potential deals and profits swarmed his mind. Business relaxed him, and the upcoming plan had massive potential for Aquellian-Equestrian relations, not to mention the domestic economy.

"Next train, one minute"

Max readied himself, preparing to meet his guests. They were supposed to accompany him to Stalliongrad, and Max wasn't stupid, he knew that he needed protection in that town. One pony was hired, the other was 'acquired'. The first pony was a trained professional, an obvious choice. The second was a wild card whom Max knew quite a bit about, perhaps too much.

The train came into view, pulled by a team of large earth ponies. Unfortunately, such teams would prove a hinderance for the new line that Max wished to build. Any thoughts of business were shoved aside as the train came even closer and eventually reached the platform.

Adjusting his tux, Max stood quietly and waited for the train to stop. It was a few cars long, with the one at the very back quite different from the rest, being small and windowless. Eventually, the train stopped and Max trotted towards one of the cars, having seen a specific pony step down from inside the train.

"Ah, brave knight, it is a pleasure and an honor to meet you!" Maximilian bowed courteously.

[Appliance]

Silversword was on a train, once again. It seemed to her that she never really settled in one place for a while, always off to help somepony or the other in some strange land.

This time, they were going from Appaloosa to Stallingrad.

A strange, and perhaps difficult journey, but then again, the one she was sent to defend was probably some sort of oddball himself, full of ambition and the crazy desire to go through lands where he could get killed.

So he had called for a Destrier. Strong, agile, and able to slash and hack if necessary to keep the others safe. They had sent her because she was skilled with her sword, and needed some experience working with others. For the most part, she firmly believed that she could handle this task and keep the businesspony safe.

She just hoped he wasn't too arrogant, even for a business pony. Silversword flexed her wings, flapping them a bit to rid herself of the urge to do so.

Must cut back on the nervous habits, she reminded herself. Professional. Elegant. Poised, she thought to herself, before feeling the train begin to slow down and stop. Her wings shuffled once more in anxiety, and she steeled herself.

The truth was, she wasn't a pony who enjoyed to work in teams, and that was a large part of the reason that they had been sent.

"You must work on your social skills. This will teach you to work in teams, and then you won't have to function independently on the field," they had said, and that was that. They hadn't understand that she liked to work alone, to function on her own.

She mustn't let then down. Her temper must be kept in check, and Silver would have to try her best to be social, at least to some degree between polite and accepting of other ideas.

"Everypony off!" somepony had said at the front of the train, as the doors opened. Nimbly, Silversword fluttered down, landing, for the first time, on Appaloosan soil. Quietly, she watched the others get off, too, if only for a moment, before she heard a voice.

"Ah, brave knight, it is a pleasure and an honor to meet you!" The voice had said, easily recognizable as that of a stallion. Carefully, Silversword composed her features into a polite smile and a tranquil gaze. She bowed back, her pose formal and elegant, one that was a match for the rather formal stallion himself. She noticed his styled mane and expensive-looking tuxedo.

"It is a pleasure to meet you too. I hope my services will be fine for you," she murmured, glancing over her shoulder at her sword, which she had nestled safely sheathed onto her back with a harness. She wore a dark green cloak to cover it, as if under the guise of a simple traveler pony. After reassuring herself that the sword was mostly hidden by the cloak, she turned back to the stallion.

"My name is Silversword. I will help you get through the more.. dangerous parts of your journey," she finished smoothly, keeping herself tranquil.

[ZephyrBurst]

Zephyr wasn't happy at all about this, not happy at all. His initial punishment had been extended. Apparently upon reviewing the situation, he was found that he should have gotten much longer than a simple one week sentence of imprisonment for what he had done. Assaulting three royal guards and resisting arrest. Since he was let out early and given the community service time, they didn't put him back in. Instead, he was assigned to assist in this project until it was finished, or his community service time requirement had been reached, which he didn't want to think about. The extension on that was ridiculous in Zephyr's mind. Zephyr would have fought such things, but he knew he wouldn't be able to articulate his argument well enough and knew it would simply fall on deaf ears because of that.

He knew he would be away for a few weeks before they would give him a break, which was greatly upsetting. All he wanted to do was spend more time with Mal again, but now this was getting in the way. He found it ironic that if he didn't get punished, he wouldn't have met the mare at all.

He didn't even know what the this project was, only that it was privately funded. He was simply told to take a train to Appleoosa at a specific time and meet up with a white unicorn named Maximillian. The name was incredibly familiar. His first thought was the Max that he had gotten stuck with in a cave near Manehattan, but that was impossible. What would a rich snob unicorn like that be doing out in some dusty hole like Appleoosa? Zephyr had no ill will toward the town, in fact, he was somewhat liking the idea of being able to come out here. But he knew it was not a place that Max would like to be, he was sure Max would think the town was beneath him. So no, he was definitely meeting up with another white unicorn named Max. Zephyr hoped so...

The train ride was uneventful. The car he was in was luckily very quiet. There weren't many ponies around. He did glance about a few times at the few that were in there. Some blue earth pony stallion, a silver earth pony mare that Zephyr noticed had a sword under a cloak, though upon having a second glance, he was sure he saw wings under the cloak. There were a few other ponies with various arrays of colors.

"Everypony off!" Zephyr heard somepony yell it from the front. He waited for everypony else to leave the train before him as he was in no rush to get off the train. There were still a few ponies on board when Zephyr decided he would get off the train. He wanted to stretch his legs and wings anyway. Zephyr wasn't prepared for what he had just seen as he walked out of the train doors. There stood Max, the one he was hoping very much wouldn't be the Max he remembered. He was talking with that silver pegasus mare that he had seen before. He knew now this was who he, unfortunately, was supposed to meet up with here. Well, at least Max was simply the middlestallion in all this. Max would just be bringing him to his 'real boss' in this. Oh he so hoped that was true. This unicorn knew his secrets, and worse, he had crippled the pony during their last encounter. Hopefully Max did not know the reasons for his being here.

Zephyr's legs reluctantly began to bring him closer to Max and the silver mare. When he was within a decent speaking distance, and in Max' line of sight, he stopped and said nothing, only looking at Max. There was no way this could end well.

[Bannhammer]

Maximilian smiled at the knight, "I'm sure your services will be more than fine, I chose a Destrier specifically for their stellar record in getting the job done. Of course, I also needed somepony totally trustworthy to counter out the other pony I brought along. I have nothing to fear with you around."

The rich stallion would've continued praising the holy order, but a very, very familiar green pegasus had walked right up to him. Without a word, Max levitated something out of his saddlebags, the large, round object from earlier. The Rockefilly opened the bracelet wide and swung it around from behind himself and brought it right onto Zephyr's left foreleg. It immediately snapped shut, and a faint glow emanated from the newly activated device. 

Maximilian expected a response, and he stood his ground, ready for any sort of movement from Zephyr. Max was totally afraid of Zephyr, but he couldn't let it show.

"Do not be alarmed,  Zephyr. It's merely a tracking bracelet, nothing more."

"You were placed under my care for the entirety of your sentenced community service. I'm merely taking precautions to ensure you see it through."

"Also... Hello."

He narrowed his eyes and stared down the criminal. "I remember somepony saying they were trying to change. I see how well you've been doing since our last meeting."

"Now, whether you were actually genuine in what you said, or you were just manipulating me to get my sympathy and help you out of that cave, I DON'T CARE. I am going to give you the benefit of the doubt. If I didn't trust you at all you wouldn't be here."

"BUT, this project is too importent to risk, so I must make sure any 'wild cards' are accounted for."

He looked at Silversword. "That is where you come in. The failsafe, the dependable knight who will not fail. Your job is not to babysit the criminal over here, your job is merely to do what you do best."

"Now, as a matter of principle, I should give you your instructions."

"Knight, you are free to act as you please to accomplish your mission. You are in charge of planning routes through Stalliongrad, and acting as a body guard wherever we may be. You are free to give orders to Zephyr Burst, but of course, my orders take precedence. Now..."

Maximilian whipped his head back towards Zephyr.

"You will follow orders when they are given. You will always stay within a hundred yards of me unless you are ordered to do otherwise. You will listen to knight Silversword and act according to her instructions. My orders are the end-all, you will defer to me when given conflicting orders."

"Or so help me you will go right back to jail where you came from. I'll even make sure you get transferred to Manehattan penitentiary."

"Do you two understand?"

[Appliance]

So there was somepony else on the train that was part of their little expedition group.

"...counter out the other pony I brought along. I have nothing to fear with you along."

Trouble. Somepony dangerous.

But this stallion, Maximilian, if she had remembered correctly, had faith in her.

She must not let him down. Quietly, she turned her head slightly to see this new interloper.

A green stallion, and a Pegasus, at that. Silversword pressed her wings against her body even more stiffly now, determined to hide them away for as long as she could. Weakness was not an option, and if the green one was a danger, she could not let him have the advantage of knowing of her weak wings.

Silver listened to Maximilian speak, keeping her gaze trained on the horizon, having turned her head back to face forward, having already gotten enough of an eyeful of the green stallion with the bracelet clamped upon his hoof.

Why take such a risk? She thought, having noticed the stiff posture of the unicorn.

He is frightened of the other one, and so, I must keep an even more wary eye upon him. There mustn't be any foul play here..

She snapped back to attention when he mentioned her as a failsafe, going on about her job. Silver turned to face the two, watching Maximilian, his voice confident.

He must have his reasons to bring the other one in. To teach him a lesson in humility, perhaps?

She would have to plan routes, something that surprised her. For a brief moment, she had merely stared at him, doe-eyed, her wings shuffling for a second or two before she composed herself and pressing her wings against her side even more firmly, attempting to cover up the brief shuffling movement under the guise of a leg stretch.

"Yes, understood." She murmured politely to Maximilian, before sliding her gaze over to Zephyr. There was a bit of a challenge in her eyes, as if daring him to do anything that would endanger somepony, as she would be the one to stop him.

If it ever came to a fight..

She felt that she could handle it.

Silversword gave the stallion a small smile, her flame-colored eyes bright with the prospect of a challenge.

[ZephyrBurst]

Just as Max noticed Zephyr was close, without warning, Max levitated an object toward Zephyr and snapped it to his left hind leg. "What the hay is this?!" Zephyr shouted instantly the moment it snapped onto his leg, as he started giving it a shake to knock it off, which it did not budge.

"Do not be alarmed, Zephyr. It's merely a tracking bracelet, nothing more."

Zephyr just knew there would be much more to this than was originally told to him. He wasn't happy, in fact, he was angry about this. This rich snob was now his boss for all of his community service time. As Max continued, Zephyr began to wonder if it would be better to simply beat Max up again and take up the remainder of the sentence along with another assault charge, in a cell. He quickly threw that thought to the side. It can't be that bad, and that cell was terrible for even that one night, or at least it would have been if his cellmate wasn't there for most of the waking time of it. Plus he wouldn't get to see Mal again for an even longer period of time. Periodically, Zephyr would poke at the bracelet with his right forehoof or shake his left slightly, hoping the bracelet would give a slight budge, but it didn't move a single millimeter.

Then Max mentioned something worse for Zephyr. This silver pegasus, who seemed to be hiding her wings, was a knight. Even worse, he would have to take orders from her. Zephyr did not do well when around authority of any kind, and now he would have to take orders from one for an extended period of time. This wasn't going to be good at all.

'I should take her out now while she's not expecting it, then break ALL of Max' legs. Yes, take out her hind legs first, maybe one of her wings, then fly up with Max and drop him.' These thoughts whirled through his head as Max spoke and the knight looked at him. This whole situation was unexceptable, but he had no way out. It was this or a cell. It wasn't even freedom, he was almost literally chained to Max. He chose to stick with it.

Silversword glanced to him and smiled. 'Don't smile at me you self-righteous twit.' Zephyr simply frowned and gave her a glare before returning his eyes to Max. The mission wasn't exactly clear to him, but he still reluctantly replied. "I understand." It hurt to say it.

Zephyr had to add his confusion to the statement however. "I'm a little confused though. Why me? If I'm such a 'wild card', why do you want me here? I mean, it's me and this... her here." He pointed his left hoof toward her, the bracelet rubbed against him as he did so. Already this thing was beginning to show just how annoying it was going to be. "Are we protecting you from something?"

[Bannhammer]

"Zephyr, I didn't hire you to point out the obvious. Of course I hired you to protect me from something! The streets of Stalliongrad are filled with thieves and gangs. I'd be a foal to walk through downtown without some sort of bodyguard!"

The Rockefilly adjusted his tux. "I'm going to try and strike a deal that could revolutionize the way our country's domestic economy works, and while I'd normally go by myself, this project is too important to risk." He was about to enter rant mode, but he saw the expression of anger and loathing on the green pegasus' face. 

Max sighed and looked at Zephyr. The older stallion had a tired look on his face, and he was barely able to force a smile onto his muzzle. He changed his tone, hoping to seem less...like himself. "It's big stuff, you know? Bigger than me, bigger than all of us."

"So, I thought that this was so big... That I couldn't let personal issues get in the way. I hired you, Zephyr Burst, because even though I have no reason to like you and you're still a criminal, I know you. I know that you're capable of bad, but you're capable of good. So I plucked you away from civilization and dragged you out here so I could boss you around until you probably kill me!"

"That's another reason why I hired Silversword. She's here to protect me from everything, even you. I don't know her, and she doesn't know me. She'll tell me if i'm doing something stupid, and she'll do what's right, whatever the circumstances."

"So..."Maximilian observed the two and noticed the obvious animosity they shared. 

"That's why i hired you two, and you'd both better get along, or I'll ditch you two in the desert together. I want..." Max paused, did Zephyr just roll his eyes?!

With a sudden shift in tone, Max advanced upon Zephyr and looked the green stallion right in the eyes. By no means had the Rockefilly overcome his fear, he was just smart enough not to show it. "I swear, do NOT make me regret bringing you here. Your life will be infinitely more worthless and miserable than it already was. I am giving you the benefit of the doubt and I will not be made a foal of. Show some bucking respect, if you can."

With a snort, the rich unicorn pulled back and stood firmly in front of Zephyr. Max was so afraid that he was barely able to contain it, his legs barely wobbled and he glanced quickly over at silversword.

[Appliance]

He seems to be thinking rather violent thoughts, judging by the look on his face.

......

Good. Let him try, she thought. I'd slice him with the sword. We'd be rid of a hassle..

He glared at her, and she gave him another cold, polite smile, her dislike of the criminal visible in her eyes.

The mare listened to the stallion in the tuxedo speak, giving an impressive speech, if that was what he was going for. Her ears twitched at the mention of her name. Ah. So she would be the neutral party in this event, the one that made sure that these two didn't kill each other.

"Unlike this one, I could actually survive in a desert.." she grumbled, raising her head to look at Maximilian, polishing a hoof idly as he delivered a tongue-lashing to the green pegasus.

Quite frankly, he deserved one. His lack of discipline was just not safe. Silversword would have to be shrewd with this one, and keep a close eye upon him, much as the thought repelled her. She lifted her head from the task of polishing her hooves when she heard him finish talking, and saw him glance at her, as if for reassurance.

"You really must be careful." she said, her voice casual and quiet, as she didn't often raise her voice unless provoked. Her tone, however, conveyed her disapproval towards the green pegasus.

"There are many.. dangers from here to Stallingrad." she finished, watching the green stallion coldly. As the pony of the smallest size of the group, and the only mare, she must make herself as big a threat as she could, so as to not be stepped all over.

"...would be a pity if anything happened to a certain pegasus."

[ZephyrBurst]

Zephyr was hating this situation even more as Max was now talking down to him as if he thought he was better. He felt himself getting angry at Max' condescending tone, but he kept himself in check, he didn't need this silly knight here for that. Whom he could feel staring at him with those cold eyes and that annoying smile that he really wanted to smack off her face. Of course she'd have a weapon, she's probably not a decent enough fighter on her own. Though Zephyr wasn't assuming this to be the case, he was sure she had some martial training.

He couldn't help but roll his eyes at Max' desert comment. Like Zephyr was scared of being left somewhere. He knew how to take care of himself. Even in the desert, he was sure he'd figure something out. Though Zephyr wouldn't have done so if he knew Max was simply going to use yet, another condescending tone with him. His last words stung however, even from Max. Zephyr wasn't sure how a simple eye roll in response to what he saw as a rather ridiculous statement could be considered disrespectful.

"Unlike this one, I could actually survive in a desert.."

He knew it, she DID think she was better. Of course she'd join in and kick him while he was down after Max' whole ramble. He wanted to explain to her about his being able to take care of himself and survive on his own, but seeing how Max had just told him to get along with her and to be 'respectful' or whatever, he didn't and remained quiet. Yet she didn't stop, she kept making small quips toward him. Zephyr was beginning to feel... bullied. It wasn't a good feeling. He didn't know why he even cared, but he felt oddly alone and horrible that everypony here hated him, neither of them even know much about him. Maybe it was due to knowing he was going to be spending an extended and unknown amount of time with the two of them. He didn't want their approval, he didn't care for that, but he felt he didn't deserve the treatment he was getting.

Zephyr thought back on what had happened so far, and he realized all he's done is ask a simple question for clarification and an eye roll to Max, maybe a glare or two to the knight. He sighed after Silversword made the last verbal jab toward him and his ears drooped down. If this was the way it was going to go, he would simply interact with the two of them as little as possible.

Zephyr ignored the mare once again, he didn't pass her a glare or any mean looks, and glanced to Max. He spoke softly, looking down somewhat. "I understand Max. I won't be a problem for you."

He would try to get through this with as few incidents among them as possible. That mare had better watch what she says though, Zephyr felt her lucky that he was under such strict conditions. He wasn't scared of her, he simply hated her, he hated everything about her. Everything she said and did only reinforced his self-given perception of her job.

[Bannhammer]

Max facehooved. He just finished telling Zephyr to show respect, only to have Silver basically threaten his life. If Maximilian really wanted to be in control, he had to assert his dominance and show that he meant business. 

Max faced Zephyr.  "Zephyr, I apologize for the... verbal assault on your character. But I just cannot allow anything to threaten my plan for this county and the gryphons."

He took a deep breath and wheeled around, giving Silversword the same contemptuous glare.

"But you..."

"Do not threaten him. I'm asking him to respect us, the least we can do is respect him as well. I don't care if you're the bravest knight in Equestria, I am in charge here!" The Rockefilly moved closer to her.

"I know you two don't like each other very much, but that does not excuse poor behavior, Knight. I want you two to work together, do not think I won't reprimand or punish you if you step out of line..."

"I thought that a Destrier would at least have the dignity to avoid petty threats and insults, please make sure not to let it happen again. Or I may have to take the REA up on their offer for a whole squad of troops."

With that, Max backed away and bowed slightly. He still respected her, but if he wanted to have control of the situation, he had to squash all problems before they got bigger. An eye roll was insubordination, a vague threat was a threat to the plan, everything needed to be stopped before it could begin. Maximilian Rockefilly knew he had a tough job ahead of him.

[Appliance]

Perhaps she'd over-stepped her boundaries, Silversword mused to herself as the tongue-lashing was directed instead to her.

She had thought nothing of her words, merely speaking her opinion, and here was Maximilian, insulting her.

Her social skills needed work, that was sure, as a few simple statements said with a hint of challenge had landed her on this stallion's bad side. She could tell already that the green one hated her, but it didn't bother her.

This was not a popularity contest.

She didn't need to be loved, or accepted. She merely had to do her job, keep them safe, and get rid of threats.

Maximilan snapped at her, and she felt him move closer to her. She restrained herself from merely walking away, out of her discomfort, and kept her eyes focused on the horizon, watching the skies with a careful tranquility, keeping herself as still and unaffected as she could.

She didn't like being scolded like a foal, and she certainly did not enjoy being so close to somepony else. Her lack of social interaction made her feel trapped if anypony approached, especially an angry one.

"I merely stated my opinion. While I recognize it may have seemed arrogant.." she cut herself off, deciding that she was speaking too much already. Sliversword reached a hoof under her cloak, as if checking that her sword were still there.

Mustn't openly challenge the green one. You can't go looking for a fight, even if you want to.. she reminded herself, before stopping her tail from flicking in agitation.

When he mentioned the REA, however, her eyes widened, and with a spark of annoyance at that.

She nodded at his bow, bending her head slightly in return, his words echoing in her head.

Glancing at her employer, she decided to give another honest opinion, yet kept her words carefully thoughtful, keeping her tone even and pensive, voice soft and unassuming.

"It would be far more dangerous for one to go in a large group." she murmured, because this was the honest truth. A large group would create a large target.

She put her hoof back on the ground, idly wondering what they would do now, and whether she would get along with any of them.

She could certainly try, but as she was unaccustomed to working in teams, her hopes were not very high.

[ZephyrBurst]

For once, Max said something in Zephyr's favor and actually apologized for Silver's threat, even reprimanding her. It was a bit assuring for him and he didn't feel quite so down as before. As long as nopony was unfair, Zephyr felt they could possibly get along. Though he couldn't help but think what could happen if the two of them were alone. Then again, she had her honor to protect, surely she wasn't stupid enough to just start a fight with him over nothing.

"I merely stated my opinion. While I recognize it may have seemed arrogant.."

'May have seemed arrogant? This mare sure is full of herself.' Zephyr hated her more with everything she said. Seemed arrogant, it WAS arrogant and ignorant in his eyes. She nothing about him and made these big claims. He wanted to hurt her so much.

"It would be far more dangerous for one to go in a large group." Zephyr did agree with that however, but kept to his previous thought and said nothing, so he simply nodded in agreement with her statement.

Zephyr just wanted to move on with this, but he didn't want to say much, hoping to not upset anypony again. If he just remained quiet and did as he was told, he could get through this with as little trouble as possible. "When do we leave for Stalliongrad?" It was a simple question and to the point. He stopped at that and waited to hear the rest of the plan and hopefully his duties, but he wasn't expecting that much. He figured his job details and duties would change as this went along.

[Bannhammer]

Max shrugged off her comments. Of course a larger group was less effective, law of diminishing returns. He would allow her to offer advice, but he still knew he couldn't let her have too much freedom. The knight would have to watch her step just as much as Zephyr.

The green Pegasus asked a completely logical question, and Max had no problem answering him.

"Good question. The trip will take a few days by train, but that will be a first class trip."

"Well, I think we'll be leaving in a week or so. I want to give you two time to get to know each other. Also, I need to send my invitations out for the meeting."

The Rockefilly turned away from the two.

"You will be rooming together in my guest room. But the day's young, let's not worry about the details just yet."

With a flick of his mane, the rich stallion started trotting away from the train platform and towards town. "Let's grab something to eat."

[Appliance]

Time to get to know each other..

Silversword merely watched the tuxedo-wearing unicorn, refraining from making any more comments.

She had spoken too much already, and look where it had landed her.

At this rate, she wouldn't be surprised if there were poisoning attempts on her, or something of the like.

Another train trip? I'd rather go now, on hoof.. She thought to herself, before shrugging.

It would be safer, and shorter, to go by train, despite the long wait.

A lot could happen in a week.

She cringed slightly.

"You will be rooming together in my guest room. But the day's young, let's not worry about the details just yet." The Rockefilly had said, a bold look on his features. He trotted away from them, inviting them to go "grab a bite".

Rooming together with a pegasus that hates me, and my employer? Gee, what could go wrong with that? She thought bitterly, wondering whether she'd get better sleep on the roof.

With an almost inaudible sigh, she trotted after him, the tip of her tail flicking like that of a cat.

She was agitated, yes, but she wouldn't let it get in her way.

Keep your friends close..

And your enemies closer.

The old saying didn't really apply to her, but she must keep a wary eye out.

She wasn't a very trusting mare, and she was certain that with such a large project, there was bound to be problems along the way.

And she would be there to stop them.

She only hoped that the train wouldn't be held up along the way.

[ZephyrBurst]

Leaving in a week so the two of us can get to know each other? Zephyr couldn't believe this. Of all the bad luck. Couldn't they just get to know each other on the train there since that's also going to take a few days? Bleh, he didn't want to get to know her at all. Sure he had to work with her for a few weeks, but that was it and then they would go their seperate ways and hopefully never have to speak with each other again.

Zephyr wasn't ready for what Max said just before he started trotting off. Rooming together with that... thing? Zephyr was sure this wouldn't end well. He'd rather room with Max instead if there were only two rooms, or her with him would be even better. Plus, he had a marefriend and he knew she would not approve of him sleeping in the same room with another mare. This whole situation was a disaster just waiting to happen. Every moment it just got worse and worse.

Just as Silversword started her trot after Max, Zephyr began his as well, trotting faster than her and going passed her closer to Max, not even glancing at her as he passed her by. And great, the three of them eating lunch together. It was starting to get pretty obvious that Max had no idea what he was doing. It was as if he wanted this to fall apart before it even began. He had thought about warning Silver, as he passed by, that he had a marefriend, and to not get any ideas, but knew there was no point.

Upon getting closer to Max and thinking of food, he realized he hadn't eaten for the entire trip to Appleoosa, and was hungry. He spoke lightly on the subject. "Lunch sounds great, what are we eating?"

[Bannhammer]

Max sighed, this was going to be a crazy and ridiculous situation he found himself in, but he could overcome it. The two of them might prove to be a bigger problem than he expected, but Max had a plan for that.

"Zephyr, we'll be grabbing sandwiches and apple pie. If that's ok. I expect you two to get along and not to embarrass me in front of the other ponies that live here."

The Rockefilly whipped his head around and glanced at Silver before returning his focus to his destination.

"You are not just protecting me, you are representing me. And I will accept nothing less than pure professionalism, even at meals. You will show each other respect... And you WILL bucking get along and be happy, so help me..."

Max looked behind him and saw Zephyr following close behind, and he unconsciously picked up the pace to the restaurant.

"But I digress... Let us first just get some food. Maybe I can get to know you two better as well"

[Appliance]

Silversword watched as Zephyr cut her off, trotting closer to Max. She said nothing, and merely shook her head in disapproval.

She trotted on at the same pace, and as the two were in front of her, she used it as an opportunity to stretch her wings.

Max turned his head to speak to her, and she tucked them in quickly before he noticed her wings.

He snapped at her again, and she merely raised an eyebrow, watching him appraisingly.

She said something, and merely kept walking, her pace slower than that of the others, as if she were on a pleasant stroll.

But, of course, this wasn't anything pleasant.

Except for the prospect of lunch.

She listened to Maximilian continue speaking, ears pricked and forward, his words stinging. However much it irked her to be scolded like a foal, she must remain tranquil and composed.

He wanted to know them better? He seemed to know the green one well enough as it was, and she didn't enjoy speaking. Besides that, she found nothing interesting to speak of.

She wasn't one for small talk.

[ZephyrBurst]

Something needed to be done about this dreary atmosphere between them all. Max seemed to want to lighten up the mood and Zephyr felt compelled to follow suit. He was surprised and a bit impressed with Max, despite his seeming lack of experience with this sort of thing. He could tell Max wasn't that great with getting others to work well together. Or at least it didn't show. Forcing the two into the same room when they already hated each other didn't seem like a good idea. Despite this, Max was honestly trying and Zephyr found it deserved respect, so he would comply without question as long as he remained fair. Though he still wanted to hit him for the tracking device. Zephyr was going to try and remove it when he got the chance and discard it in a hole in the desert somewhere. Or the Manehattan junkyard.

Zephyr saw Max picking up the pace after he glanced back to the two of them and did the same to keep up. He decided to keep a lightened tone as they made their way into town. "Looking forward to that apple pie, I suspect you'll be taking care of our food expenses?" Zephyr really hoped the answer was yes as he was sure Max wouldn't be cheap. Since they were going to be spending a lot of time together, Zephyr was sure he would be eating where Max ate, which meant good food. As they made their way further into Appleoosa, Zephyr glanced around at the town's sights. Wow was it ever... sparse. Zephyr was used to big cities like Manehattan, Cloudsdale, and Canterlot. Being in such a small town was actually a nice change of pace. This place was even smaller than Ponyville, which Zephyr found small.

A few times, Zephyr had to flick his ear and shudder his back slightly as a fly would land on him. Of what he knew about Max, Zephyr couldn't believe that Max would be found in a place like this. Why wouldn't they just meet in Manehattan where Max lived? This dusty desert town was just so... unlike the Max he remembered.

[Bannhammer]

Maximilian trotted quickly, and a small restaurant could be seen up ahead. It was a pathetic place by most standards, and the lack of windows or doors really accentuated the type of place it was. Max spoke to the ponies following him without turning around. "Of course I'll cover the costs. You're my guests here and I can't just expect you to defend me on an empty stomach."

The rich stallion approached the tiny establishment, and casually entered as if he had been there a hundred times. A few of the locals greeted him, referring to him as 'Maxi', or 'Max', or even 'Mack'. Without pausing, the Rockefilly nodded to each of them as he reached a lone table. He stood beside it and waited for the two others to join him.

"Well, I don't suppose you two have eaten here before. I'd suggest the alfalfa and watercrest sandwich, it's pretty good." They didn't really respond with much enthusiasm, and the unicorn found himself trying to lighten the mood all by himself.

Max smiled and looked at them both. "You could at least try to smile. It won't kill you. I mean, not smiling will, because I'll kill you. But smiling won't hurt you." He could tell that his humor was lost on the pair, so he just sighed and looked at the table.

"I really didn't expect this much animosity right out of the gate. I guess I should have expected this sort of behavior. I can't let it get in the way of my plans, however. If I'm going to get this railway built, i can't get distracted by the petty disputes between a completely submissive criminal and an uptight knight. I'll tell you right now, I have no qualms with merely disposing with the pair of you and trying again, but i'll give you a chance."

"Appleoosa is my home now, and this is my big chance to put it on the map. I won't bore you with details, but you have to understand that this project means more to me than anything right now. Honestly, I don't give a crud about your feelings. You can go rut yourself if you think I'm going to pander to you and stop what I'm trying to accomplish because of some bruised egos."

"Now, order some bucking food and promise me you'll at least try to be civilized with each other. I'd hate to replace you two on such short notice. Especially with all the cleanup involved. If I can hire a Destrier whenever I want to do whatever I want, and get a criminal out of the government workforce and into mine, think of what else i can do."

Maximilian signaled the waiter and grinned, acting as if he hadn't just threatened a knight and a criminal in the same sentence.

[Appliance]

The place looked like a damn prison.

With no windows, Silversword would either be forced to look at the other ponies in the restaurant, or her travel companions.

Difficult choice.

When she heard Maximilian say that he would pay, she frowned slightly. Unaccustomed to letting others pay for her, she resisted the urge to protest, determined to keep her mouth shut. Much as she disliked it, she realized that she must learn to compromise.

She raised an eyebrow as the others in the restaurant greeted the unicorn warmly, before following him to the table, seating herself quickly, before yelping and standing: she'd nearly sat on her sword.

Averting their eyes, a blush spread across her cheek as she adjusted the sword in its' harness so she could sit, having turned her back on them before doing so.

She said nothing regarding her little 'outburst', and averted their eyes, putting her hooves on the table and tapping them together absent-mindedly, listening to Maximilian deliver yet another impressive monologue, with threats of his ability to replace them if needed.

The others would maim me if I got sent back.

She frowned a bit, before looking up and watching the unicorn, who spoke so confidently, despite his lack of knowledge about the pair.

Well, lack of knowledge about her, at least. He knew the other stallion, who seemed to be much more respectful now.

Either he feels bad, is planning something, or really wants that food. I wouldn't put either past him.

With Maximilian's closing statement, however, she felt as if he were calling her a maid. A look of surprise, and then a scowl crossed her features for a moment, before she composed herself and went for a "light-hearted, calm" look.

She wondered if it was even mildly convincing, and nodded to what she was supposed to promise to, before remembering that she must practice soon, having been unable to so far because of the whole train ride.

Let's try to make it through lunch, first, dear, she reminded herself, before looking at her two companions, both strong personalities, both having threatened or challenged her in some way. If she was going to make it through this trip, she must be very careful with her words.

[ZephyrBurst]

As they all walked toward the restaurant of Max' choosing, Zephyr had been eyeing Max as something was off about how he walked. He kept a close eye for awhile and as they entered the restaurant, he realized what was wrong. Max had a slight hobble coming from the leg that Zephyr had nearly broken back in the cave. Seeing his handiwork affect Max for such a long time didn't make Zephyr feel that great and reminded him of why Max was probably treating him like dirt for most of this.

The lack of windows made the place rather drap as it was completely reliant on artificial lighting and no view, but other than that, Zephyr didn't mind it. He was certainly happy to hear that Max would be paying. Max was on his way to having a reliable protector in Zephyr if he fed him well. Zephyr thought about speaking it out loud, but kept that thought to himself. He paid no mind to the other customers inside, though their greet was rather odd. They spoke as if they knew Max on a personal level. Did Max frequent this place or live in Appleoosa? No way, that was impossible. Not Max.

There was an awkward silence and then a sudden outburst from Silversword. She must've sat on something unpleasant from the looks of her. It was hard, but Zephyr managed to hold back a laugh. When she sat, Zephyr averted his eyes from her and remained quiet. The atmosphere being somewhat tense and awkward as none of them smiled or spoke. Which then led to another decently sized speech from Max...

'Wait a minute... Max LIVES here?!' Zephyr couldn't believe that. Max living in a place like this? He had a bit more respect for the rich stallion. Zephyr didn't know Max was capable of living in places that weren't a big luxurious mansion probably made of gold and diamonds. He knew his thoughts about Max were wrong and unfair, but he felt ponies like Max were why he had such a hard life in the past. It was hard breaking this misconception.

Zephyr thought about everything Max had said. He lived here in Appleoosa and they were going to Stalliongrad to discuss something. It must be about the railroad he mentioned that he would have built. All Zephyr was supposed to do was protect him in Stalliongrad and do whatever else he was told. Though Zephyr didn't understand why Max would need the protection of two ponies there, it was probably no better or worse than Manehattan in terms of crime. He had heard the place was a bustling economic center. Zephyr put all the pieces together in his head to something that made sense to him and verbalize his thought to Max.

"So you're having a railroad built from..." Just then, the waiter approached and asked to take their orders. Zephyr took Max' earlier advice, saying it exactly as Max had said it, as he had no idea what that was except for the alfalfa part. "Oh! I would like an alfalfa and watercrest sandwich and an..." Since Max was paying and he DID mention it. "apple pie! Those would be great!" He turned back to his two table companions with a smile, ready to eat, as he was hungry from the long train ride. Silversword seemed to have calmed down, from the expression on her face. Good, he hated her, but it would be nice to get to know her a bit better without scornful remarks from either of them. If Max was going to make an effort for this, Zephyr felt it only fair to try as well. In a sense, Max could be doing him a favor.

[Bannhammer]

The two other ponies at the table continued their strained interaction, and Max just sat and watched the pair. He stifled a chuckle at the Knight's outburst, keeping a solemn and serious expression etched on him face. It would take some serious effort, but he could keep them in line, Max knew be could.

The waiter looked at him, and the Rockefilly nodded at the service pony and ordered, "I'll have the cactus sandwich with hay fries and some whiskey to chase."

The waiter jotted the order down and and turned to face Silversword. Max waited for her to order, and for somepony else to try and start conversation.

"I may need to drink a bit more if i'm going to be spending a lot of time around you." He chuckled to himself and tapped on the table anxiously. Max's gaze kept shifting back and forth between the two other ponies, and he would look Silver in the eyes, but not Zephyr.

[Appliance]

They're not laughing.

They want to, though.

Silversword watched the two, keeping her self-imposed silence as long as necessary. She wrapped her cloak tightly around herself, and put her hooves in her lap, tapping them on her knees, her mind wandering.

This wasn't comfortable for her, to be in the presence of others for so long, and so close, too. She kept her expression blank, before noticing the waiter wanted to take her order. She blinked in surprise, before quietly clearing her throat, and murmuring, "Cider, please. And.. er.." she glanced at the menu, before noticing the cheapest thing on the menu: apples.

She was determined to not become a burden to anypony, and if she couldn't pay for herself, then she wouldn't impose on her employers' budget.

"And a couple of apples, please," she murmured politely, before looking back down at the table, and tracing strange designs onto it with her hooves.

Nervous habits.

Working with others strained her, but she wasn't becoming sullen and morose, and was polite so far. At least they hadn't asked her any questions yet, which was good. Speaking was not her strength, and she felt that she needed to prove herself again, after having been reprimanded twice already, and threatened once by her employer.

Silversword was doing well so far at containing her anxiety, the only sign of her discomfort being her twitching tail.

[ZephyrBurst]

The waiter took their orders and left the party of three alone in their awkward silence. Conversations wasn't something Zephyr was very good at, especially with ponies who had almost nothing in common with him. He ignored Max' comment about the drinking, and wasn't sure what he meant by it. The one time Zephyr indulged too much with alcohol, it left him sick and in an altered state of mind that he did not enjoy. After that situation, he never touched any such drink again nor had any interest in doing so. He never understood the drinking habits of others and chose to avoid being around it. The social implications behind it further destroying his interest in such activities as Zephyr preferred being in quiet places away from crowds.

Zephyr didn't want to go back to jail and if Max' threats were true, he knew he needed to get along with Max, and unfortunately Silversword as well. Something needed to be said among them and if Max was the only one making any effort toward this, this awkward atmosphere would definitely continue on longer. Zephyr decided to look at Silversword and pick out anything about her that caught his attention that could be used for a conversation. Her sword, Zephyr always found weapons to be odd. While Zephyr understood why getting the upperhoof in a fight was important, he himself would often employ many means of leverage on his opponent, but a standard weapon always confused him. His preference was a good old fashioned hoof beating whenever possible. He kept his look at Silversword, trying to keep his glance neutral. He didn't care to look friendly, but he didn't want to look intimidating.

Finally he spoke... "Is that sword you're carrying your preferred method to fight? Seems a bit impersonal to me, but I guess in your line of work, that wouldn't matter. I've always preferred more direct methods if it comes to a tussle." Maybe, just maybe, this could lighten the mood. He didn't know what else to talk about. Fighting was something he felt he was good at and seemingly, the only common ground he shared with the mare.

(( OOC: I don't know if that would make it hard for Max to do much since Zephyr went straight to Silver. I wouldn't mind the posting order periodically changing if someone sees that it wouldn't mess things up. Anything that works as long as everyone is fine with it. Sorry for the late reply (well late for us), this may happen periodically this week. ))

[Bannhammer]

[i'll just keep it short ]

Maximilian tapped the table a few more times, and finally his drink arrived. At least that would bring him relief. The rich unicorn lifted the glass and chugged it down in one quick motion. He slammed the glass down on the table and looked at the still silent ponies.

Sighing, Maximilian nudged the glass aside and lifted a hoof, trying to signal the waiter. Eventually the uniformed pony came over to the table.

"Your finest salt lick, please. And another shot as well."

Giving a nod, the service pony turned and went to fulfill the order and Max returned his attention to the table. He opened his mouth to speak, but it was Zephyr who really broke the silence first. Of course, he had to talk about fighting and weapons. He cringed a bit when Zephyr mentioned 'more direct methods'. It looked like Max wouldn't be joining in on this. He was ok with that, Max was mostly proud of Zephyr for trying.

The appleoosan socialite, or appleoosite, leaned back in his seat. If he wanted silversword to respond well, he had to keep the casual atmosphere, and that meant not putting pressure on her.