As Jack stepped off the train he took a deep breath of the fresh afternoon air as he stretched all his limbs, which voiced their complaints of the previous hours in the form of pops and cracks. As he released his breath he slowly levitated a map of Ponyville from his bag, and began to scrutinize it to find a route that would hopefully be the least crowded. Even in a town as small as Ponyville, Jack wasn't partial to crowds and tried to avoid them where and when he could. After a few moments of studying the map he rolled it up and put it back into his bag, and with a slight nod started to follow the path that would take him to Town Hall.
As he made his way towards his destination, Jack examined the pristine surroundings. Clean buildings and streets, fresh air, and no constant noise of the hustle and bustle from a large population of ponies going about their business. He had never seen a place like this before, and couldn't help the giddy feeling that slowly rose in his stomach, and the smile that grew on his face, from the fact that he had finally arrived. As he continued on his way, Jack happened to notice two swallows who looked to be enjoying a game of tag, and the sounds they made confirmed the pleasant time they were having. 'This was definitely the right choice,' Jack thought as he stopped to observe the birds playful game for a short time.
Finally he decided it was time to move on, and pulled himself away from the rather enjoyable display put on by the birds. A few minutes later he spotted the building he was looking for, and before he left the alleyway he was currently in, took a moment to see how many ponies were out and about. Pleased with how small the number was, he left the alley and made his way towards Town Hall. On his way to his destination he made sure to return any looks he got with a friendly smile and nod of acknowledgment, including the rather strange look he received from a mare selling apples not too far away. He may not have been the most sociable of ponies, but he at least knew how to interact and be friendly with others, his mother had taught him well.
As he reached the small set of steps Jack used his magic to open the door which gave off a creak, announcing his presence to the receptionist in the lobby. The receptionist looked up from her desk, smiled, and said, "Hello, what can I do for you today?"
Jack attempted to respond to the nice receptionist in a language she would understand, however all he managed to get out would best be described as a mix between a wheeze and a croak. His face briefly flushed red as he held a hoof up to his mouth and cleared his throat. "Excuse me," he said sheepishly, "I was curious what properties were for sale."
With a nod of understanding the receptionist told Jack to wait for just a moment as she left the room and went through a door that lead further into the building. With this time to himself, his gaze wandered around the room he was located in. The large size of it made Jack feel even smaller than he already did, but in contrast the decorations and interior design made it seem more welcoming and friendly. The receptionist came back a moment later and asked Jack to follow her back to an office where he was introduced to the pony in charge of Ponyville's real estate.
"Hi there, I'm Sterling Lucky, or just Lucky for short," a pony adorned with a stylish blazer said, as he extended his hoof towards Jack, "I was told you were interested in the properties we have available?"
As he gave Lucky's hoof a firm shake Jack introduced himself, "Hi Lucky, I'm Jack, I was considering the possibility of moving here and maybe opening a little shop of my own," he said with a hint of nervousness to his voice. Moving somewhere new to be the owner of a business was no small matter after all.
Lucky gave Jack a quick look over, as a predator might size up its prey before the first strike was made, making Jack a little more nervous than he had been. He gestured for Jack to take a seat in his office as he started to sift through a filing cabinet, occasionally placing a folder on his desk. After he had removed three or four folders, Lucky sat down as well and began to show Jack what he had found.
"First, here's a nice little place that just came into the market. It's located not too far from here, so it's close to everything in town. It was also renovated before it was put up for sale. Because of those details it's priced a bit high at the moment, but I believe it would be a prime location if you were going to open a store. Here are a few pictures for you to peruse," Lucky said with a hopeful gleam in his eye as he passed the top folder to Jack. As he looked at the pictures inside the manilla container Jack was impressed by what he saw.
"It looks very nice," he said, pausing for a moment, "but I don't think it's right for me." Jack slid the folder back towards Lucky. "Do you have anything that's maybe a bit further from town? And preferably something that could use a little elbow grease. That would make it feel more like my home, and remind me of where I'm from," he said as his gaze slowly drifted towards the ceiling imagining the future, and recalling memories of times passed.
Lucky's confident smile visibly faltered, but Jack was too far gone at the moment to notice. Lucky knew that his next pay check wouldn't be as padded as he hoped, but all the same he gathered up the folders that were on the desk and put them back into his filing cabinet before he started his search anew. Several minutes passed as Jack slowly returned to reality, and noticed that Lucky was still on the hunt for potential houses. A moment later Lucky tentatively picked up a folder and looked through it. "Hmm, I guess it's worth a shot," he said as he placed the folder in front of Jack.
"This one has been available for quite a while now, and as you can see by the pictures it certainly needs a helping hoof. Like you wanted, it's a bit further from town, not in the sticks, but it's between the town and the Everfree Forest, which has a reputation and has been a huge turnoff for most ponies," Lucky stated as he rubbed the back of his neck with a hoof. "It's been a hassle to try and sell, so if you were interested I might be able to get you a better deal than what's written there."
Jack looked over the pictures he was given and the same feeling as when he observed the birds returned. Unlike the first piece of property, he almost felt a connection of sorts. And as he stared at the pictures of the worn out little house, his mind's eye was giving him a plethora of possibilities and revealing the potential that it had. In an unusual burst of excitement Jack stood up and shouted, “Yes!” before he remembered his manners. “Oh, um... I think I like this one,” he said with a silly grin on his face that told it all. After one more look at the pictures his mind was made up, “Yeah, this is the one. You said you might be able to get me a deal as well?”
“I think we can work something out,” Lucky said, and while he wished he could have made a bigger sale he was still grateful for the unexpected, and rather quick decision that this pony had come to. Taking the folder back from Jack he looked to where the price was listed. “This says that the house is valued at 45,000 bits, but since we've had it for so long and it's probably a little worse off now than the pictures show I think we can lower it to 30,000. And with the average of 120 payments on a house that comes to...” Lucky punched a few numbers into a calculator sitting on his desk, “250 bits per month. How does that sound?”
'Hmm 250 a month... with the amount I saved before I came I would be able to stay for at least a year, that should be more than enough time to get settled,' Jack thought as he slowly tapped a hoof on his chin and stared at the desk. 'As long as I earn enough money for my payments and some food I should be able to manage.' He looked back up to Lucky and with affirmation to his voice said, “That sounds wonderful!”
