Treasured Trinket: Friendship is Profit (closed)

[Bramble Rose]

Maximillian Rockefilly Jr. kept offices in all the major cities in Equestria, each one appropriate to the city it was in. In Canterlot, he kept a building - old, well-kept, representing the age of the capital city, and filled with small bits of art, none of it younger than a hundred years. The top floor was kept mainly for Max's use - a small apartment, a conferance room, and a large and elegant office with a balcony and a view of the castle.

Now, some artwork is meant to be put away and looked at - and some artwork is meant to be used. In this case, it was a particular favorite of Max's - a three-hundred year old paperweight. It has appreciable heft to it, an old, stone statue of a cloud, and a pegasus mare laying across it. The detail was amazing, and when Max was stuck on a problem that kept circling around in his head, he often ended up just lazing back and staring blankly at the statue, wondering about the businessmen who had possessed it before him, about the original artist and what he or she had intended.

Baron von Hoofington grinned eagerly, his wings slowly beating, looking down on Max's building far below. The perfect crime, surely. He waited, watching, at the slow pacing of the unicorn security guard on the top of the building. The guard seemed more a formality than anything else, and there was so little activity in Canterlot, he really wasn't paying too much attention to the roof - often just staring over the edge of the wall to the street below. Ha. Big ponies, small minds.

More clever was the unicorn guard also standing atop the roof two buildings over, staring down at the rooftop. A lesser pony might have missed that one, but Baron von Hoofington knew of Max's cleverness. But even that pony wasn't perfect - he, too, was bored, and often ended up getting up and taking a walk around his own rooftop, just to loosen up legs stiff from sitting too long.

The Baron counted the time over and over in his head... and then, as both unicorns approached the point where they were turning away for five seconds, he pulled in his wings and dove. The Baron plummetted like a rock, a fierce grin on his face, the wind pulling the grin into a grimace. His eyes watered, and the building flew up towards him. At the very last second he flared his wings, pulled back out of the dive, barely missing the edge of the roof as he pulled up into the smallest lift, then pulled his wings in again and dropped noiselessly to the roof. He slipped up to the rooftop access, peered around the corner - the guard was, again, staring down into the street below. Baron von Hoofington grinned and slipped around the corner, a pair of lockpicks already in his mouth. It was no more than a second and a half, and the Baron was slipping inside, tucking his lockpicks away under his wing and pulling out his hat to perch lightly atop his head.

Today, he was wearing an old Germaney military hat from the time before it had united with Equestria. He had taken it from a very large military pony in a bar who had tried to push the Baron around. He soon learned that size wasn't everything. But it was a *very* nice hat. He used it with his brown suit with the red tie, which he adjusted to make sure he was looking good.

This was too easy. the top floor was completely dedicated to Max's use, and there was rarely a pony up here other than Max. The Baron listened carefully. Yes, Max was in his office. He waited with simple patience, listening to paper rustling, and a squeaky chair, and soft sighs for an hour and a half, before Max finally got up to stretch his legs or run an errand or something. The Baron heard the door open and shut, hoofsteps moving down the hallway.

On noiseless hooves, the Baron went up the hallway, even before Max was around the corner, and was into the office in two shakes of a pony's tail. Ahhh, there it was. The coveted paperweight. The Baron scooped it up and was gone three seconds later. Like taking candy from a foal, but without all the annoying crying!

[Bannhammer]

Out of all of his offices, the Canterlot one was Max's favorite for relaxing. His large oak desk sat in the middle of his ornate office, and he sat right behind it on a large, imposing chair. Sighing heavily, he once again took a look at the paperwork before him, racking his brain for the answer that had eluded him. Business was more than just a job for Max, it was his life, and coming across something he couldn't solve both infuriated and motivated him. The stack of papers mocked him, and the Rockefilly started mindlessly picking up papers and glancing at them, hoping that some random word or number would lead him in the right direction.

He rested his head in his hooves and sighed again, thoroughly upset by the lack of progress. Maybe a break would clear his mind and get him on the right track. With a squeak, Maximilian got out of the chair and rounded the desk. Before he left the room, he stacked the papers again and set them on his desk.

Levitating it over with magic, the rich unicorn placed one of his prized possessions, an ornate and golden paperweight, on top of the stack to keep them in place. He had fond memories of it, the form and craftsman ship drew his attention the first time he saw it, back when he was a foal, touring the antique shop with a dear friend. They spotted the object, and both of the young ponies wanted it, but Max was able to make the higher offer, he would tease his friend about it for a while after, but that was years ago. The memory was a bit hazy, but Max could still remember the frustrated yet happy look on his friends face as Max out-bid him for it. Chuckling, the Rockefilly turned away to finally leave his office.

The trademark tuxedo sat uncharacteristically loose on him, and his tie barely stayed around his neck as he trotted upstairs towards the kitchen for a drink. He didn't stay long, only a brief sip of some aged scotch and the Rockefilly was ready to go back to work. With a deep breath, the rejuvenated stallion bounded downs the flight of stairs, intent on getting his work done. Forcefully pushing the door to his office open, Max advanced towards his desk, filled with confidence. He looked down at his papers, but something wasn't right.

Maximilian put a hoof on top of his papers, and his eyes widened with realization. The paperweight was gone! He was sure that he had put it right there... but where was it now? He couldn't have lost it, there was no way! Did somepony come into his office and steal it? But who would want to steal a paperweight when he had things that were ten times as valuable? Max's mind raced as he started to look around his office, opening drawers and looking under the desk, hoping that he was overreacting about the whole 'theft' thing.

Frustrated, Max eventually just started pacing around the room, muttering to himself. After a few moments of that, he snorted and slammed the door to his office open, looking around wildly. "Ok, where is it?" he shouted at nopony in particular.

[Bramble Rose]

In the hall, the small pegasus leaned against the wall, his suit impeccable, his hat low over his eyes, and a smirk upon his lips. In one hoof, he carried the gold-plated stone statuette that Max had used as a paperweight since the two of them had been young. The paperweight had changed hands several times since that day in the shop, as the two kept sneaking in and stealing it from the other. But it'd been a good three or four years since Max had last stolen it from the Baron. The Baron had been busy. "So, Max, hyu shmott guy! Hy t'ink Hy haff un artifact for hyu to buy! Verra goot price, too!" He bounced the paperweight negligently on his hoof, tossing it up into the air and catching it again.

[Bannhammer]

Max didn't have to go far to find the pony responsible for the disappearance of his paperweight. He was about to call for security, but something about the Pegasus made him hesitate a moment, he just seemed so familiar. Before the Rockefilly could say anything, the pegasus tossed the paperweight into the air and caught it, but Max was more focused on the pony's words.

He gaped slightly, more out of shock than anything else. Could this really be...? "B-bell curve?" The look of surprise on Maximilian's face slowly dissipated, and the rich unicorn took an apprehensive step foreword, angling his head slightly. "Is that you?" The look on the other pony's face told him all he needed to know, and a wide smile broke out on Max's face as he quickly closed the gap between them.

"You old scoundrel! Four bucking years, you know that?" He wrapped a hoof around the pegasus' shoulder and brought him in for an embrace, using his free hoof to expertly tear the paperweight from the Baron's hooves.

"An artifact, for me? I'll take it!" Max chuckled warmly and tucked it into one of his pockets. "Don't tell me you're still sore about this thing, I made the higher bid, I bought it fair and square!"

The unicorn pulled back to smile at his dear friend. "My goodness, it's been far too long." He motioned with a hoof towards the stairwell. "Please, go downstairs, let's have a drink, we need to catch up! Max stepped in front of the Baron and led the way to the stairs.

[Bramble Rose]

Baron von Hoofington blinked in surprise as he heard the name. Bell Curve. Then he laughed, and smiled, as Max rushed forward to hug him. He clasped a foreleg around Maximillian and hugged him back, letting out a chuckle as Max wrung the statuette from his hooves. "Vell, vell, vell! Hy haff no heard dat name in four years, either! If it was anypony but hyu, Hy vould be qvite upset! Hy am Baron von Hoofington, now! Dey haff taken mein title, but Hy vill no allow it!" He laughs softly. "Dat is vy I haff no seen hyu for four years, since zey kicked me out of my family. It hurt. But Hy haff been vorking on getting it back!"

He strode along with Max, smiling, letting him lead the way ... and when Max's back turned, his hoof slipped quickly into the stallion's pocket and snaffled the paperweight, slipping it into his own pocket. "Hyu haff done qvite well for hyuself! Und hy vould gladly enjoy a drink. Hyu haff alvays had good taste!"

[Bannhammer]

Max smiled as his friend spoke, as a foal, the Rockefilly found real friends in short supply, and Bell Curve was the only other pony his age that Max really enjoyed being around. His friend's story, however, made Max's jaw drop. "They what?!" The Rockefilly was so surprised that he almost didn't notice the baron taking the paperweight out of his pocket.

As they went down the stairs, Max kept the conversation going. "What happened? How could they do that to you?" He motioned towards one of the chairs with a hoof and allowed the Baron to sit as he levitated out a bottle and some glasses. It was one of his finer whiskey's, an aged one that had a very smokey finish; the perfect conversation drink for two buddies.

"Here, an aged whiskey, oak barrel, a few decades old, smokey finish, just a simple drink. Now... you have to tell me what happened!"

Pouring a glass, he trotted over towards the chair opposite the baron, taking care to 'accidentally' trip over, almost dropping his glass. He caught himself right next to the Baron, and on the way up, he slipped a bit of magic into his pocket and pulled the paperweight out. Tucking into his pocket, Maximilian finally took his seat and passed a filled glass to the Baron.

"I mean... what could you have possibly done?!"

[Bramble Rose]

The Baron smiled, relaxing, settling into the chair across from Maximillian. He trusted absolutely no one ... except Max. Throughout his entire childhood, Max had been the only one who had never looked down on him. Max had challenged him, true. They'd scuffled from time to time, even fought. Sometimes Max had won, and sometimes the Baron had triumphed. But in all that time, Max had *always* treated the Baron like an equal, had never underestimated him. More than that, he ... actually enjoyed his time spent with Max, even when they were fighting.

He took the glass, sipped at it respectfully, let it sit on his palate for a time before swallowing. "Ho, yes, a goot year." He sighed, and swirled the glass. "Vut did hy do?" He snorted, and shifted in his chair. "Hy had zese." He flicked his wing meaningfully. "Zey said hy vus not mein father's son. Zey wanted mein title, mein power, un zey came up wit' a reason. Zey are theives, zat is all."

The Baron sighed, took a deeper drink, gasped softly, shook his head. "Hooo, goot shtuff." Then he lifted his head, smiled up to Max. "But zat vill change. Hy finally haff ze perfect vay. Zey vill haff no choice. All I haff to do ... " he grinned eagerly, "Is beat zat cursed Doktor Nut."

[Bannhammer]

Max listened carefully, giving the Baron his undivided attention. The story shocked him, and he nodded respectfully as the speech continued. The Rockefilly took a small sip of his drink, also enjoying it as a connoisseur, letting the strong mixture sit on his tongue before swallowing. He gently placed the glass down, and when there was a small pause, Max tried to squeeze a word in.

"Well, I would certainly call them thieves! Stealing your title simply because you're a pegasus? They must never have studied genealogy! And another thing..." He was cut off by the baron's words, and he froze up when he heard them.

"Bra... Brazil Nut? How do you know him?" Max looked at the Baron, returning the pegasus' smile with a look of pure amazement. "I have a history with that stallion, but I didn't know you had problems with him as well!"

Taking a moment to recollect himself, Maximilian sipped his drink again. "Well... this is an interesting development... he muttered to himself as he waited for the answer to his question.

[Bramble Rose]

Baron von Hoofington shook his head. "No, hit vus true, in its vay. He vus not mein father by blood. But he accepted me. He taught me. He vanted me to follow him. But zey did not accept zis." He sighed softly.

Then, he let out a smirk. "And yes, hy remember zat. Zo when hy run into him, in my travels... hy take ze opportunity to tweak him a bit. Und he bullies me. Und zen he bullies me more. Everywhere Hy go, zere he is, stopping me."

He drew a small broken half-sphere from his pocket, dangled it from a chain before Maximillian. "Zis, mein friend... is one half of ze key to ze Vault of ze Sisters. Hyu know ze legends. Hyu know vut it vill mean for any who find it. Vell. Hy haff one half... Hy kin find ze ozzer. All Hy need is a unicorn who can cast a finding spell... " he grinned. "Hyu know anyvun like zat, mein friend?"

[Bannhammer]

Max blinked a few times, trying to get all that information in at once. "That's terrible, why wouldn't they respect his wishes simply because he adopted you?" Not wishing to press the matter further, Max changed the subject.

"Brazil is just a bully, isn't he? He tormented me at school, and that foal simply doesn't understand what we're trying to do." The Rockefilly grunted in frustration and sipped his drink, practically spitting it out when the Baron pulled out his artifact.

"Dear Celestia, don't tell me that's actuall-" His words were cut short when Bell Curve confirmed his suspicions. "How in Equestria did you get your hooves on that?!" Maximilian shook his head. "Never mind that... you want my help? I'm just a business pony, I'm not very useful outside of the office.... why not get somepony else?" He swished the whiskey around in his glass, looking a little concerned.

[Bramble Rose]

Baron von Hoofington sighed softly. "No, no, iz all right. If hyu kin belief it, it vus in ze hooves of a barkeep in ze west. She had no idea vut she had! I offered her a lot uf money for it. But zings... got out of control. She lied to me, threw things at me ... and zen, zat Doktor Nut showed up. As usual. Zings got ... confused. Zen zey started a fire, und I grabbed ze key and flew out ze burning building!"

He frowned, then his eyes widened. "Oh ... oh no. In ze fire an' Brazil kicking me, Hy forgot to pay her! I should fix zat... Even if she *did* insult mein hat." He scowled darkly. "But hy am an honest pony. Hrm. Vell, it should not be hard to hunt down zis mare."

His face cleared as he looked up to Max. "Und vy? Mein friend... it iz because hyu *are* mein friend. Mein only friend. Zis is ... zis is a chance zat comes vunce in a lifetime. A chance to be part of sumzing big. An adventure! Hy could no leave hyu out of it, no without giffink you chance, ya?"

[Bannhammer]

Max listened intently, and his eyes widened at the mention of a fire. "Brazil's an arsonist too?" The Rockefilly leaned back in his chair, trying to understand everything. He raised his glass and tipped it slightly while nodding. "I think a bit of reparations would go a long way, misunderstandings can really make future business harder than necessary."

The rich unicorn put a hoof to his chin, deep in thought. "I... I just don't know. I'd love to help you, but I simply need more details. This is something too big to rush into, but it's important to you, and I don't want to let you down..."

Maximilian sighed and moved his hoof from his chin to point towards the door. "How about we grab some lunch and discuss things further, then I'll be able to make up my mind."

[Bramble Rose]

The Baron snorted. "Eet vus either zat blasted Doktor Nut, or his leetle sidekick. Eet certainly vas not me, no matter what zey have been telling uzzers. Now zey spread lies about me." He sighed mournfully. "But zat is mein lot, alas." He nodded in agreement. "I vould certainly like a bit of lunch. I am almost zo hungry I could be eating mein hat. Und zat would be a tragedy, because zis is a verra nice hat."

He hopped up and heads past Max for the door. "Hyu vanna eat here? Or hyu know a goot place ve kin get a bite? Zere's a nice Germane restaurant in ze third ward." As he went past Max, his hoof once again dipped into Max's pocket, slipping the heavy paperweight out and replacing it with a pouch of sand. He adjusted his hat, and the paperweight discretely disappeared underneath.

[Bannhammer]

Maximilian nodded, listening to the baron's tale. "Ugh, spreading lies about you like that? Simply shameful!" He shook his head in disgust and got up from his seat, brushing against the baron as he did so. A quick tap of his pockets told him that they weren't empty. "And I thought he couldn't go any lower... does he have nothing better to do?"

He trotted towards the door. "I wouldn't mind some Germane food, maybe a good beer would help me make up my mind... I've never really had too much food from there, admittedly, aside from the times I went to your house as a foal. The sauerkraut was divine."

Max sighed and started to trot, tapping his pocket again without thought. He noticed that the gold paperweight had a bit too much give, and putting his hoof into his pocket he gave it an experimental squeeze. Sand? That tricky *******! He grinned and continued trotting, he really did miss his old friend.

"Lead the way, sir!"

[Bramble Rose]

The Baron trotted merrily through the streets, feeling a little odd not having any of his thugs about, and even odder being with his old friend. It was like ... better times. Though it was surpassingly odd thinking about his foalhood as 'better' times. Yet, in amongst the bullies, the family looking down at him, his mother staring at him like he'd ruined her life ... there had been those happy moments, with his father, with his friend Max here. Happy moments he hadn't really had in the last four years. He'd had successes, he'd had a feeling of victory, but he felt ... he didn't know exactly ... but ... relaxed? With Max. Like he could let his guard down.

Well, relatively. There was the paperweight, but it was almost a relief to be using his skills in such a manner, where there was no risk to life or limb, or to anything important, but just a playful competition.

He looked up at architecture, as they strode through the capital, gesturing to this or that facade and making small comment. Architecture had always fascinated him - it was a combination of art and utility, it both looked good and was effective. And, of course, he commented on the hats he saw as he walked down the street, though sadly it seemed it was more the mares wearing hats than the stallions. Where was the *style*?

And, of course, as they headed into the old third ward, he smiled to see the older buildings being repaired - faithful to the original buildings, to the historical value. "I'm zo glad zey started rejuvinating zis area," he said happily. "Zese buildinks are treasures, zat cannot be stolen except by neglect. It iz goot to see zat somepony finally has some sense! Ven I haff mein title back, I must start a similar project in Hoofington. Zere are many streets vich could use just zis sort of attention!"

[Bannhammer]

Their stroll continued on, and slowly, a genuine smile creeped onto Max's face. For the first time in a few years, he felt like he could really relax. There was no need to keep up appearances; there was no pressure to watch what he said. Nopony was here to insult him, or steal from him (except for the paperweight), and his smile only grew wider with every step. The normal pressures of everyday life were gone, if only for

a few minutes.

Growing up, Max faced almost unbearable expectations and pressure from his own parents, who were intent of turning the young Max into a carbon copy of his father. For a time, he wanted it to happen, even going so far as to dye his normally brown hair to a bright blonde to match his

father's. In fact, the first pony he revealed it to was Bell Curve, he was the only pony he was comfortable with, even at that age. His parents were stoic, seeing the young Rockefilly as more of an investment than a child, an investment they were determined to cash in for more than they put in.

He faced trials from all sides. Memorizing constantly changing stock prices and being forced into parties to learn how to lie were just some of the ways they groomed Max into a true Manehattanite. His own father even went so far as to put poison joke in the young pony's pillow to see how he would react to adversity. His mother took him into town and left him there, telling him he could only come back after taking the one bit he was given and turning it into at least thirty. He shuddered at the memories and quickly turned his attention back to his friend.

Of course he had enemies as a child, mostly the other foals who simply saw a rich, spoiled pony and nothing else. Even at school as a colt, he faced adversity, most notably from the infuriating jerk named Brazil Nut. Every pony he met drove him deeper and deeper into his own shell, far away from others as he heart grew cold, the only pony that could bring him back was Bell Curve. Max smiled to himself and looked at his dear friend, remembering how they would play together as foals, and how even those few minutes together each day would stretch into hours and make the Rockefilly feel like a normal foal for once.

A few more moments of reflection caused Max to slow his pace, thinking more deeply about the Baron. He was really his only friend back then, he didn't know if he was the same for Bell Curve, but it didn't matter.As they continued walking Max considered the offer he had been given. Why

wouldn't he help his friend? He owed it to Bell Curve to do this for him, he deserved it. The only thing that kept him from deciding right then and there was the fact that the details were a bit hazy, he still didn't know everything he needed to. Intent on giving it a bit more thought over lunch, he simply lowered his head and caught up to the Baron, just in time to hear his speech.

"Funny story that, the restoration of Old Canterlot was really one of my first public works projects. It's so beautiful, it would be a shame to lose it. You know I'm not a fan of History or the Arts, but damn it, this is culture."

Maximilian paused and blinked a few times. "Back when we were foals, I would never have even considered giving money to charity, or doing public works, but now... I don't see what else I can do. I've hurt so many ponies throughout my life... I thought it would be time for me to give back. Almost 40% of my income goes directly to charity or to funding other such things, like an orphanage in Stalliongrad. I don't know what happened to me, or if I'm on the right track, but I just think that maybe you had something to do with it. Maybe, deep in my mind, I remembered the good times I had, and they changed me. Without you... I'd be just like my father. A powerful pony that did whatever he wanted to get what he wanted."

"Dear celestia this may be years late but I just... I just need to say thanks. For being a friend." Max smiled warmly and nudged the Baron playfully, knocking off his hat and revealing the paperweight. He nabbed it with his magic and galloped off, intent on getting some distance between him and Bell Curve.

[Bramble Rose]

The Baron was surprised to find out that his friend was involved with the restoration project - not to mention other charitable works! He remembered a focused, eye-on-the-prize colt who always was trying to do better than his parents wanted. To hear that he got out of that trap ... Baron von Hoofington was about to say something, but then Max was knocking his hat off of his head!

"Mein Hat!" he cried, grabbing desperately for it, and pushing it back up on his head! He was seeing red for just a moment, ready to destroy his friend for the insult! Then he realized ... the paperweight! Why, that devious, underhanded old scoundrel! He laughed, and suddenly he was six years old again, and a grin on his face as he chased after Max down the street, flexing his wings to let his strides take him longer and further. "Hy get hyu for dat, hyu see!" he chortled. There were too many ponies in the tightly packed little streets, so he let himself glide up above their heads, and ran across the tops of the stands, his hooves touching only lightly here and there as he glided down the street, following Max's passage with a fierce grin.

Ahhhh, it was good to have a friend!

[Bannhammer]

Wasting no time, the Rockefilly ducked down and weaved through the crowd of ponies. The paperweight was held close to his chest by magic he continued to gallop through the Canterlot streets. The Baron had wings, that was definitely an advantage for him, but Max knew it, and he knew how to exploit it. Using his temporary cover, he sneaked through the crowd to a building, not very tall, but it would do the trick. He clamored inside, checking quickly to see if he'd been followed. Maximilian sighed in relief and headed for the stairs, hoping that this plan would work.

He reached the top floor and looked outside, looking for roof access. The Baron was up above the streets, he'd never check above himself. Max closed his eyes and grimaced, ready to take a leap of faith out onto a lower roof across the way. He leaped, and there was a brief moment where he felt like he was floating before slamming into the his target, the roof. Max scrambled back to his hooves, gasping to reclaim the air that had been knocked out of him. He recovered quickly, picking up a fair pace on the rooftops as he ran behind the Baron, watching his friend fruitlessly gallop on the top of the stands.

The Rockefilly couldn't help but grin to himself, this was going to be interesting.

[Bramble Rose]

Bell Curve, no longer thinking of himself as Baron, grinned eagerly as he hopped from cart-top to cart-top, ignoring the startled shouts of the unicorns beneath him. The last four years, he'd used the skills learned from their old games, but it had never had quite the same charm to it as when he'd competed against Maximillian in the contests for whom the only score was how much fun they'd had - or who came out with a better story about it later, over a bottle.

He blinked. Between one corner and the next, Max had disappeared! Bell Curve frowned, but kept going, the small pegasus thinking quickly. Now, usually, when Doctor Nut disappeared, he tried to get away. That blasted earth pony was always trying to steal away the ancient artifacts the Baron had found, give them to museums himself, claim all the credit and all the glory. So what if the Baron wanted to sell them instead of give them away? Doctor Nut didn't have a title to buy back, an honor to reclaim. He didn't have the Baron's sense of responsibility. He could just adventure and live off the glory, while the Baron had a goal in mind.

But Max ... Max wouldn't try to get away. Bell Curve let his mind drift back, trying to recapture the mind of the young colt he'd played with, back in the day. They were going to go get dinner ... Max would want to rejoin Bell. And he'd want to gloat over having won. That meant he had to be following - but there was no way the unicorn could follow through that crowd. Not without Bell noticing. What else was there?

How would the Baron defeat Bell Curve? The one big thing the Baron had learned to do that he'd never fully utilized in his younger days ... was take advantage of his wings. Bell Curve had always tried to fit in by remaining ground-bound, ignoring the pegasus heritage which had caused him so much pain - but the Baron had been freed of the need to blend in. The Baron would defeat Bell by ... rising above. But Max couldn't do that ... or could he? Bell Curve felt a fierce grin spread over his lips, tensed himself, and suddenly flared his wings, and beat them fiercely, climbing upwards with a sudden change of direction. He shot past the rooftops, looked down, and grinned to see Max's startled expression. Then he dove, with a delighted, foalish glee, laughing merrily, with a relaxed air about him that he hadn't felt in years.

[Bannhammer]

Max kept up the pace, running along the roof and watching his dear friend. There was no better feeling than watching a competitor struggle. Back in the day, whenever they would play, the young Rockefilly would look for any way to get a leg up on Bell Curve. Wit was Max's greatest weapon, maybe he wasn't smarter than the Baron, but he always managed to stay at least one step ahead. Sometimes he would lose, but Max would learn from those loses and come back with even more force and tenacity.

Of course, most plans don't last. Without warning Bell Curve opened his wings and leapt into the air, turning around to head directly for Max. He had barely enough time to gape, and then Bell was upon him.

 

Max unleashed a burst of speed, hopping from roof to roof, relying on agility to counter Bell Curve's flight. It served him well for the first two blocks, but then another unexpected obstacle appeared. He ran out of roofs. 

There was nowhere else to go. Leaping off might not work, Max had no idea what was below. The edge appeared, and the Rockefilly was running out of time. With no time to think, the Unicorn fell to his chest and rolled to the side, right off the edge. 

That wasn't smart

The street rose up to meet him, and Maximilian clutched his face, waiting for impact.

[Bramble Rose]

Bell Curve crowed with delight. A clever ploy, mein old friend, but to no avail! There was no way Max could get away from him, now! Especially since he would soon run out of rooftop! Wait ... Bell Curve gaped in horror as Max seemed to trip, then fall over the edge. His eyes widened, and a jolt of panic ran through him. MAX!

The Baron von Hoofington would never be a competitor in any of the pegasus races - he never much appreciated the speed a pegasus pony had the potential to produce, and had never much practiced. But he was still a pegasus pony, and he was small, and light, and his wings carried him swiftly through the air. Now, though, he poured it on like never before, flying faster than he ever could have done for just the joy of competition. The passing wind pulled the hat from his head, and there was a brief, anguished feeling for that, but he accepted the sacrifice and ducked his head as he dove over the side of the building, towards the falling form of his friend below. Distantly, he saw the faces upturned towards them, the pointing hooves, the gasps and shrieks from the fillies - or was that a stallion over there shrieking like a filly?

He was almost shocked to actually manage it - getting underneath Max, his hooves catching the falling form and pushing upwards. The heavy weight of the much larger earth pony shocked him, bearing him down no matter how hard his wings beat. But they were slowing, yes. Any minute they'd reverse direction, and -

The wind shocked out of Bell Curve as they hit the street, Max's much larger weight slamming into him and knocking him senseless. He lay there, groaning, as pain reported back from most of his body.

"Mein ... hat ..." he groaned quietly, the missing article bringing more pain than anything else.

Why was it so quiet? His eyes cracked open, blearily looking up at a street full of silent commoner unicorns, all staring at them ... oh, great. He'd attracted attention ... here came the angry mobs ... He tried to get to his hooves, to get away, but his body wasn't responding too well. All he needed was ten seconds to recover ... would he have that long?

[Bannhammer]

and I'm sorry for arson, and coercion, and bribery, and theft, and assault, and...

Max's eyes were still tightly closed as he waited for certain doom, no amount of his unicorn magic could save him. He did note that the four story drop was taking a bit long, and then he felt it. For some reason the cobblestone streets felt softer than usual, almost like... 

Bell!

Opening his eyes wide the Rockefilly scrambled off of his fallen friend. Max wasn't hurt too badly, one or two scrapes, that was all, and the Baron didn't seem to be in critical condition... probably because Bell Curve took so much speed off of their plummet.

"Dear Gods, Bell!"

Max bent down over the Baron, pressing his face to the other pony's chest, using what limited first aid he knew to check on him. A strange sound distracted the Unicorn, was it stomping? He turned to see the entire crowd whooping and hollering, stamping and clapping their hooves in wild adoration of the hero.

A few moments passed before Maximilian registered what was going on. Smiling weakly, he looked back to his friend who was trying to get away. Most ponies wouldn't understand what he was doing, but Max did.

He trotted over to the baron, and helped him to his hooves, forcing him to stay in place. Max nudged him with a hoof. "They don't hate you, Bell. You're a hero to them. You saved my life!

The Rockefilly took a step back, allowing the Baron to bask in the glory he was being offered. He whispered from behind, barely audible to the Baron but to nopony else, "You're a good pony, Bell, no matter what anypony else says. This crowd can see that."

Max wasn't used to showing any form of affection, and he was only able to manage a weak pat on the back as he turned away.

"Now let's grab something to eat, I think you need a rest. And I'll buy you a new hat, too!"

[Bramble Rose]

Bell Curve staggered to his feet, and Max was helping him. There was a roaring sound in his ears, like an angry mob stampeding towards him. He blinked, and shook his head, and Max's words sounded strange. No one ever liked him.

But their faces looked happy, and their hooves clopped against the ground in applause. Bell Curve looked left, and right, and saw praise on those faces. The Baron swelled under the adulation, and stood up straighter, and lifted one hoof to modestly dismiss their praise. "Eet vus mein duty, zank you, zank you. Any pony vould haff done ze same. Baron von Hoofington *serves* ze ponies."

He didn't make any move to walk away, though, standing proudly, letting the ponies look their fill. He ran his hoof through his blond hair, making sure it was nicely in place, after that tumble, and brushed over his jacket, brushing the dust off, without losing his noble, head-high pose. This was what it should be like. Crowds of ponies, eating up his words, praising him for his deeds. There should be a stage, a podium, a band playing inspirational music. A problem that his brilliance and organization could solve. A flag waving behind him. Yes, it was moments like these that reminded him what his end goal was. To regain his power, to serve the ponies, to make things organized, a place for everypony, and everypony in their place.

Finally, though, he walked off with Max, glancing up into the air, then around. "Zank you, mein friend... it eez appreciated, but no. Vun cannot simply *buy* a goot hat. Vun must *vin* ze hat, or earn ze hat. Eet must haff a story, eet must say somezing about who hyu are." He walked off, still feeling his spirits tremendously lifted, with Max at his side. And there, in the street, was laying the hat that had blown off his head. He picked it up, perched it at a proper military straightness upon his head, and headed off to the Germane restaurant with a good heart. Lunch would taste *especially* good, now.

[Bannhammer]

Max smiled warmly and watched the Baron receive the praise he deserved. He really loved to see his friend be happy, and he half hoped that the moment didn't end. After only a few moments of watching, Maximilian started to look closer at Bell Curve. He saw something in his eyes, something he wasn't if he should fear or respect. Max trusted the Baron, even with his life, something that had been proven earlier. There was just something about his dear friend that unnerved him, he could see past it to the stallion underneath, but the Rockefilly couldn't help but worry that others may not be able to see it.

He shook his head, ridding himself of any doubt before starting to walk, with his best friend by his side. What could he be worried about? Sure, Bell Curve could get a little intense, and sometimes his lack of restraint could be worrying... but he wasn't some vengeful stallion that was power hungry, not Bell Curve. His ferocity and drive was honest, he had been wronged! Once he got his title back, he would stop, it was that simple. Max just couldn't bring himself to start digging deeper, he cared too much.

As they continued walking, Max couldn't help but glance over at his compatriot. That military hat only completing the illusion in Max's mind. He had to ask him about his greater goals, but not yet. Maximilian still trusted the baron, and he just wanted to get rid of this nagging doubt in the back of his mind. If Bell Curve was willing to trust Max, despite all the terrible things he'd done, then the Baron deserved the same. He was his friend! Why was he doubting him all of a sudden?

"I owe you one, Bel- I mean... Baron." He cleared his throat and looked away. Using a bit of Unicorn magic, he tried to manipulate the paperweight that was now in his pocket. Focusing hard, he managed to duplicate it. It was a spell that had gotten the young Rockefilly kicked out of Celestia's school, but now instead of copying bits he was copying larger things. Given it's size, the duplicate wasn't very good, it looked the same, but given enough time and suspicion anypony could tell it was too light to be the real thing.

With quite the theatrical and yet totally convincing shout, Max 'stumbled' and fell face first onto the ground, the 'paperweight' spilling out of his pocket and skidding forward a few feet.

[Bramble Rose]

Bell Curve smiled gently, "for hyu, mein friend, hy am always Bell Curve. Let zere be no titles between us!" He blinked and reached out his hoof as Max stumbled, catching him and righting him. "Mein friend!" he said in startlement! "Are hyu all right today? Zo many shtumbles." Only once he was sure Max was all right, did he scoop up the paperweight. He flipped it over in his hoof as he'd done so many times ... and nearly dropped it! He blinked, juggling it briefly before catching it and holding it close. That was weird. It was like ...

Bell Curve grins, hopped it in his hoof, and patted Max on the side. "Mein friend, I almost want to giff it back. To drop it? Really?" He slipped the statuette in his pocket, shaking his head. He wondered how long it would take Max to notice that it was the one in Max's pocket that was too light, now ...

The Germane Restaurant was close out along an outlying arm on the mountainside. It was surrounded by trees, and had an upper balcony that looked out over the building across the street to give a beautiful view across the entire countryside - if you sat on the left side of the balcony. Bell Curve made sure to get one of those tables, and settled in happily. "Hy am goink to get ze mushroom veggie brat, hy t'ink. Und as you say, ze saurkraut, it eez vundabar!"