Chapter 4: Resistance

Another interesting feature of Dust-at-Dawn was the use of trolleys.  Operating twenty-four-seven, grids of rail scarred the city as if it were a metallic Venice.  One would simply hop unto a trolley - free of charge - and hop off whenever one's destination was reached.  Advertisements located on the trolley peddled passengers.  Stall holders from the streets had their fair share of captivating the consumer’s attention.  A common occurrence, of course.  Yet this was such a great defining trait of Dusk-at-Dawn that tourists on chance clog this mass transit system.  The constant commotion made the trolleys a haven for thieves.

In the early morning there weren't many visitors of the trolleys.  This suited Ampere finely.  Ampere entered the city limits and jumped onto the nearest trolley with a running start; a thud broke out as he landed.  Two other passengers existed within his presence.  Another thud.  He didn't bother.  The metallic reverberation pinched the other passengers' ears.  The recent third passenger was a foal - though Ampere did not notice it - while the other two passengers were a mare and an elder stallion.  Ampere then heard hoofsteps and the accompanying metallic thuds.  There was a quick snatch and the old stallion yelped.  A young colt, quite small, hopped off and sprinted for the alley.  Ampere gave off a quick sigh and ran after the petty thief.

The cold morning air did not dissuade him from chasing the colt.  The pickpocket ran for the alley and Ampere followed suit.  Most unfortunately for the hooded colt, a dead end stopped him in his tracks.  The red brick wall stared eerily at him - he started to panic - and then Ampere stepped steadily towards to meet him.  The thief's hind leg touched the wall as he reared and then he stepped forward, with bravado.

"So?  What do you want?  Can't you mind your own business?"

Ampere stood like a stone wall.

"Not talkin' tough guy?  Didn't your mother tell you to stay out of other ponys’ business?"

"The wallet," was the quick reply.  "Enough games.  The wallet.  Hand it over."

"Not on your life!"

"If you give me the wallet now, then I'll forget about this."

"Didn't you hear me the first time?  Are you that stupid I said NO!"  The colt pulled out a balisong and wielded it with his mouth.  Ampere stood like a stone wall.

"Tough guy huh?  Let's see how you like this!" and thus the hooded thief rushed at him.

Ampere snorted air briefly through his nose - a beckoning gesture of superiority - and then proceeded to side-step to right at the last second before impact.  He artfully positioned his left hoof so that the thief would trip.  The maneuver was well executed on such a rash, lowly prey.  Napoleon would have been proud.

Capitalizing on the situation, Ampere swung rightly as the colt was still falling.  The maneuver had succeeded doubly as the colt was disarmed.  Ampere turned his neck and caught the balisong before it hit the ground - the thief was still falling in mid-air.

Time began to speed up again and the crash of the colt's face to the cold, dirty ground signified it.  The colt, surprisingly not shocked at Ampere's swiftness, immediately charged Ampere again in a vain attempt to retrieve his beloved blade.  Twice, the maneuver worked on him.  The colt's hood had been displaced and his face shown an x-shaped scar on his left cheek.

The young colt's reddened spirit diminished as Ampere coolly walked to the entrance of the alley.  The wallet had slipped out of the colt's hood pocket and landed at the side of a trash can.  Ampere blatantly dropped the balisong carelessly before moving over to the trash can.  He picked it up and placed it into his pocket.

The young colt had the strength to get himself up and stabilized himself, and then saw the stallion walking off.  The young colt scowled and shouted to him, "Hey!  Where do you think you're going?  I'm not through with you!"  The young colt was furious and demanded a response.  Ampere halted suddenly.  The thief growled, "You chicken, you're not even going to take me to jail?"

Ampere sighed once more.  "I said if you gave me the wallet, I'll forget about this.  You're nothing to me now."  Ampere continued on to the end of the alley as he left the colt in awe.  The colt had never felt this kindness before.  His life, one of misery.  The shreds of dignity that Ampere so graciously bestowed to him was not forgotten.  The colt was no stranger to merciless beatings - in or out of jail.  He had the bruises and scars to prove it.  Yet just once, he was let go.  He looked down at the cold ground.  Then, he looked up at the steadily vanishing stallion.  Gone.

The colt was intrigued by one of the kindest stallions to ever meet him.  He walked to the start of the alley and spied on Ampere's transaction with the old stallion.

"Why thank you sonny!" the old coot graciously sang.

A brief pause.  "I was just walking by."

"Oh stop with the modesty!" the old stallion convinced as a thin mist of excess saliva invaded Ampere's face.  "We need more fine gentlestallions like you."

"I really must be going."  Thus Ampere retreated from the scene.

"Take care now you hear!" as the old stallion concluded and who's voice faded like a distant memory.

These disturbances had brought Ampere to be on time.  That was considered late to him.