My Kind of Town

The room was illuminated in sunlight and left streaks of yellow across the floor. Outside, a pony's sight would be met with bright green and explosions of color from the flowers dotting the landscape.

"Fresh start." Blackout whispered to himself. He readied for the day before plopping himself in his dinning room chair.

Now what? He tried to think about the day ahead of him, but he couldn't. He could hang out with Dash, but she probably hates him. Fluttershy is terrified of him, Twilight is kind of boring, Applejack is always busy, Rarity and Pinkie Pie are out of the question.

"What do you think I should do?" Blackout questioned the pony he was walking with down a back alley.

"Why are you telling me this?" the worried pony asked.

"I mean, what if I just sit at my house and do nothing?" the pony beside him didn't answer. "I could get fat, or go crazy..." he paused, "what if I like blew up Ponyville?"

"Why are you following me, I don't even know you!" the colt ran off leaving Blackout behind, who was thinking of what to do next.

"Hey take a hike!" the owner of a shop yelled.

"Good idea!" he exclaimed, "thanks friend." The shop owner rolled his eyes and continued as the pegasis headed for the woods.

White Tail Woods was empty and relatively bright for a gloomy cursed forest. Blackout observed his surroundings and for once could enjoy nature without having something attacking him. Beams of light would pierce the canopy and create pools of white on the ground. The only sound was the clop of hoof and dirt and the animals carrying on with their normal lives. The world was at peace and harmony. The air was fresh and crisp, it also had a thin scent to it. It was a clean smell, like vapor from a river. Blackout tried to identify the smell, walking closer to the source. A twig snapped under his hoof, then a crack that echoed through the forest.

Blackout snapped his eyes open, a horrible burning pain could be felt on the back of his head. A branch fell, strange. Disoriented, Blackout headed forward. Finally regaining some sense, he began to tread lightly. It didn't work, he felt a rope tighten around his ankle and a sudden yank sent him into the air. He hung there, a bit mad but calm. He studied the knot that held him up, it was horribly done and actually undid itself after shaking it. He fell to the ground, pulled himself up and kept walking. But again, he fell into a trap. A wisp could be heard. A bolas cut through the air and headed towards Blackout like a missile. The rope wrapped around his head and the ball smashed into his face. He fell to the floor lifelessly.

"Ugh..." Blackout groaned in pained awakening. "I am... upside down."

"Well lookie here, we got ourselves a genius." a sarcastic voice called with a thick "Outback" accent.

"You sure got him boss." a young, unintelligible voice called out. The character moved to Blackout and did his best to stare menacingly at him. "Your not getting out of this trap."

"That's 'cuz I made it ya idiot" the other chastised.

"What's going on?" Blackout questioned.

"You, my friend, are now my prisoner." a tall, thin, and tan pony said. He wore a vest with forest patterns on it and a boonie hat.

"Yeah, so don't try to escape." the second captor added. He was a griffin, stout with broad shoulders and a stupid, arrogant look on his face.

"Well, I've been in this situation a few times already." Blackout said, "This is normally the part were you tell me your name and plan." He looked at his captors expectantly.

"Too bad for you I ain't one of the idiotic peons who do interrogation work..." he looked back at the griffin, "well, he is but I'm in charge."

"But ya have admit, you want to tell me right?" Blackout asked with a friendly smile.

"We captured you for General Vict-OW!" the griffin yelped in pain as a hoof slapped the back of his head.

"Shut up ya idiot!" the leader hissed.

"Who's Victor?" Blackout questioned.

"Well now that the extra pay of anonymous client is gone, I might as well spill the beans. Victor is a gargoyle, ugly fella, said he met you on one occasion back about three months ago."

"Oh, he's a general now?" Blackout looked around the area for something to use.

"Major General."

"You might as well tell me you and your partner's name." Blackout came up with questions to stall him.

"That dipstick is not my partner. I'm Crock. He's... Joey." He sighed.

"Joey?"

"Yeah, not much intimidation but he follows orders."

"All of your orders?" He said while eyeing a knife next to a campfire.

"To some extent."

"Well I hope he tied me up well." Blackout grunted in effort as he swung over to the knife when he felt himself fall. He picked himself up only to be caught in a net that fell from the trees.

"No, he didn't, which is why I put in a few more countermeasures."

"And how many would that be?" Blackout said while looking at the multiple traps perched in the branches above.

"More than I can remember, and enough to keep you pinned for a week."

Blackout examined the tree that housed the net trap he is in. It has multiple other traps, enough to bring down a full grown dragon. A few groans of strain could be heard from the trunk, it was ready to come down. That's convenient. Blackout wrapped his hooves around the rope suspending the net and yanked it towards him. The tree groaned and cracked as the overwhelming stress caused it to collapse. Underneath the chaos, Blackout struggled to lift and free himself from the net. Lifting the rock pinning a corner to the ground, Blackout scuttled away from the tree and his captor. He hurried to grab his gear and flee the area before he gets caught again.

"In a while crocodile-OW!" Blackout's taunt was interrupted when his lips met the ground, effectively shutting him up. He glances around in a slight panic, noticing what looks like a giant eagle heading strait for him. Blackout scrambles to get up, finding his hooves and putting them in motion. Stop taunting and watch where you're going. He turns to see the underling almost literally on his tail. Wait. I can fly!With a liberating realization, a pair of pitch black wigs expanded and pushed its owner skywards.

"Yeah, you better run, and don't come back!" the witless griffon shouted. He returned to his employer with a smug grin. "No need to thank me boss, I just like making you happy."

"You were on his tail..."

"I sure was."

"and you let him go."

"I got him away from our camp."

SMACK

"ARE YOU CRAZY!" the mercenary lashed out and struck his lackey across the face, which sported a hoof print. "We were trying to keep him here, not chase him away."

"Sorry boss." the griffon said while rubbing his cheek.

"Pack-up camp, and leave the traps." the hunter ordered, "I'm not letting that seppo give me the flick just yet."

Blackout landed in front of Sugar Cube Corner, spotting a griffon storming out. He instinctively placed his hoof on the gun around his waist. A hesitation was felt and questions were asked; did they follow him? Should he even worry about the griffon?

"Move it dweeb!" the griffon brushed him off.

"Jerk." he mumbled before sighing in relief. He looked at the bakery and noticed that there is a larger amount of decorations than normal, and a lot more sound. Blackout sighed again and stepped forward to the door.

I'm really sorry for the massive amount of time I've been gone. For those of you who still read my series, thanks, and I'm am not expecting any more periods of absence so this hopefully won't happen again.