Second Chance

the train ride take more or less seven hours, I spend the first two writting all the listing materials that I possibly need out of memory, taking into account that my damn computer still wasn't working, then I try to explain some of the basic rules of the game to a very interested Twilight and Nyx.

"So, you are telling me that there are other ways to winning in the game that doesn't mean to attack directly to your opponent's life points?" Twilight was asking me, Nyx was reading one of my Percy Jackson books that I got for her from my Pipboy, after that, I spent half an hour batting away Twilight from the device. however the ebony filly was half reading, half listening to me, judging by the stiff ear pointed in my direction.

"Actually it is possible, one of the latest decks that I built was a Ghostrick deck focussing on deck destruction, so usually it doesn't do a lot of damage, but on the plus side it could tore appart a standard 40 card deck pretty quickly." I said, showing Twilight said deck, and telling her some of the combos that usually goes with the little ghost's deck, but my explanation was cut short when the ticket pony came into our wagon shouting the last stop for the train: Manehattan.

When we finally dissembark, I wistled and look around, the city was massive!, and I am only seeing the train station just now.

“Ok, now I am impressed” I said outloud, a little frightened, when we exit the massive train station and set hoofs on the metropolis, “though, I really need to build that generator and make it work, that train ride is a kill.”

“And how in Celestia’s name a generator will help you to get here faster” Twilight asked, interested, Nyx however, was hiding behind the older mare as close as possible, seeing the huge city with fear, when we were talking, one of the topics was the city itself,  Twilight tell me that the city was one of the main cities in Equestria, harboring like four thousand ponies,  After Canterlot and Las Pegasus, internally, I wasn't impressed, when I was human, our capitol city holds more or less 35 million people, as far as I was concerned,  this was a little city, anyhow, I kept that information for myself, as I was trying to explain how the Momentum generator operates, I was very pleased to see how the purple librarian's expression changed from skepticism to analytic, and finalized in wonderment about the things I could do if I could build and finish the forementioned generator.

“You should tell Princess Celestia at once, that energy source could revolutionize the world as we know it” she exclaims, very enthusiastically. however, before I could answer, we got interrupted by a third voice, “Excuse me, “I couldn’t help myself to hear about your…eccentric energy generator, and I am very interested in its applications, if they are true” when we turned around, we found a little unicorn mare, with cobalt blue coat and white and silver mane and tail, with a business suit and a pair of earth ponies with black suits and something between a blackjack and a sword on their hips, noticing our wary looks, she smile politely.

“Sorry, where are my manners? My name is Star Darling, and I am a CEO at Celestial Design” she extended a hoof, shaking it politely with mine, “I couldn’t help myself to hear your conversation, and this 'Momentum Generator' would be a great source of incoming for our company, that is, if you want the help to build it.” I haven't walked a hundred meters out of the train station and I already have found a new headache, this one in a little mare’s body package. Smiling politely, but with a glazy tone, I answered, “Sorry ma’am, your offer is tempting, really, but I need only some electronic compounds to make a little project for the princesses” after those words leave my mouth, I find that I have done a terrible mistake, her face lit up, and I was sure that I heard a ding sound somewhere near her, “For the princess you say? Now I am truly interested, we are the biggest suppliers of electronics here in Manehattan, maybe we could get a… mutual benefit, also, I didn't failed to notice that you are traveling with the princess personal protégé” she trailed off, looking at me as a shark looking for its next prey.

“Sorry ma’am, we shall get going” I said with a little more force, moving Twilight and Nyx along, not waiting for the mare to continue, “I bid you a good day”, after that, I turned around and nosing Twilight, we began to trot as far as possible from the little businessmare, when we are far enough, Twilight skidded to an stop and began to berate me.

“Are you crazy!, that lady just wanted to offer you a sponsor for your project, and you run out like she has the trots!, could you please explain to me why in Tartarus you do that?” she yelled, her mane frizzing out in different directions, 'so naive' I thought, my temper flaring out and taking an agressive stance, Nyx now was partially hidden on my mane, “Twilight, are you serious” I growled, to her, effectively stoping her at mid rant,  “that lady only wants the profit that the generator will obtain, and harmony be damned if I allow such a greedy mule behind that technology, because in the end it would cause more harm than good for all of us.” I finish, my nose flaring and my eyes now fixed on the fuming unicorn in front of me.

“By that greedy mule, are you referring to Star Darling by any chance?” an old stallion with a gray coat, a fedora over his fiery red mane and a green tweed sweater asked us, before we could answer, he just nodded to me, discretely pointing to the other side of the street, where, effectively, the goons of the business mare were looking for somepony, “quick, come with me” he says, pointing one little stair that we didn’t notice earlier because our little scene in the street.

Hurrying up, all three of us ended in a little bar called “Bootleg”, the grey stallion closes the door as soon as I entered, and then he goes near the bartender, another lanky stallion very similar to Mr. cake, except for the coloration (Dark purple coat with a seaweed green mane and tail) wich was cleaning one of the mugs besides the counter.

'If only you know' I thought, snickering and gaining a disbelief look from Twilight and a little nudge and a pout from Nyx. However, the stallion who has saved us now was looking us like a bug under the microscope.

“Ok, now that we have lost Darling goons,” he began after a while, “allow me to introduce myself, I am Lonely Tears, the old owner of Celestial Designs, that is, until that damn mare fires me from my own company,” Twilight was looking straight at me, with a disbelief on her magenta eyes, “at least your coltfriend is smart, lass, that lady is a witch in every sense of the world.” I missed the pink blush that Twilight has on her cheeks at the word "coltfriend", but she didn’t correct the older stallion in the table, meanwhile, Nyx was looking with mild interest the pipboy on my left arm like the stallion in front of us, wich was surprised about the odd tech.

“Told you” I said, a smug grin on my face, “however, Lonely Tears, I need some things to do a little project of mine, also I want to ask you if you are interested in starting another company?”, when the surprised stallion looked at me, I looked straight at him, “a company which probably could change the world.”

After a while, he looks again at the pipboy and then, straightening a little on his chair, he put both his forehooves in front of the table.

“I’m listening.”

The next hour was spend explaining all the basic (and I mean VERY basic) concepts of the generator and some of the tech that I have to the older stallion, he politely listened and sometimes he asked a question or did a cooment, but for the most part, he was analizing me, putting both his forehooves in front of him, the tips together, and a lit cigarrete on his mouth.

After I finish, he hops down from the chair, and approaches me.

“Before I tell you what I think, exactly what are you needing for this 'Duel Disk'?” he suddenly ask, out of balance, I pulled out my pipboy and materialized a list of the materials and the specialized equipment I think i would need to create the artifact, looking over the edge of the list, Lonely snorts and pulls out the list, beaming, “ok my boy, the good news are that I have all the materials you need” Twilight and Nyx cheered and bopped her hooves together, "the bad news... are that those materials would cost you” he proclaims, with a straight face.

“How much?” I asked immediately.

“hmmm, one place on your company” he answers, smiling, “I think I could get all the things you need, all I ask is that when we enter the market, and I am sure that we WILL be in it more or less in one year, if we can buy my company back, I want it, if you promise that, I compromise myself and the assets that I posess right now,  to see this project surface, we have a deal?” he finishes, outstretching her hoof.

“Deal” I say, bumping my own hoof to his, Twilight and Nyx, in the meantime, were smiling and seeing each of us.

“Do you have a name for the company?” He asked, looking again a little miffled about the deal he just made.

“Actually I do, a little memento from the original place that make the duel monsters and all the tech we will be making in the future,” I said smiling, "the new company will be called..."

“Kaiba Corporation.”