Sorry about my english.

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BAD INFLUENCES

Right now, I'm standing on Ponyville's bridge; carrying two bags full of bits… trying to figure out what to do with them. But I just can't.

There are exactly sixty thousand bits on each bag; and actually, I'm a little tempted to throw them to the river, because I just simply don't see any use for this money anymore. On the other hoof, I suppose it wouldn't take much time until some pony found it. But… none of this would be happening if I… No. The only thing I have to worry about now is, what am I going to do with all this money? …Maybe the best thing is donate it to charity, or maybe…

"Whoa!"

Some random pony came out of nowhere and bumped against me, and we both fell to the ground, also as thousands of bits. And now that I'm seeing all of those golden coins dispersed all over the bridge, I'm realizing how much it really is. Did I count it right?

"Hey!"

Two guards called my attention. They were approaching from the distance at full gallop speed. They look like bank guards… and they seem angry. That's when I took a second look to the guy next to me. It was a tall middle age pony, with messy hair and a poorly shaved stubble. But even now, it took me a moment to analyze what it was an obvious situation, because there was another bag on the ground next to this pony, and there were lots of more bits lying around. Now I was completely sure that it wasn't all my money. Meanwhile, the two angry looking guards were approaching real fast towards me, and towards this unfriendly looking pony I had next to me. That was the moment, when He finally stood up, only to stare at me with anger; but then he quickly started running away, leaving me alone on that bridge.

"Stop right there!" The guards yelled. And I didn't like how this was starting to look.

Those guards were approaching straight to me, but I only stood still, surrounded by all these stuff out of context. The criminal was getting away, the guards were getting closer, and I was standing there… right in the middle.

"Stop! You criminals!"

Suddenly, they were chasing both of us. And while running, the actual criminal turned to see me. He seemed surprised to see me galloping behind him, but then he quickly turned to look ahead and took a turn to the left, jumping through some bushes. And, well… I had no other choice but follow him.

The criminal made his way through some trees and scrubs, nearly escaping my sight. The guards were still right behind me. And for a moment there, I almost felt like one of them grabbed my tail with his teeth, but it slipped through his mouth, ripping some hair from my behind; but I was so nervous that I didn't even turned to see what really happened. But it was that moment when the criminal jumped trough some other bushes; so I had to do the same, a few seconds after him… And now I finally realized we were on the train tracks; and right ahead, there was a train underway, leaving the station. In that moment, I saw the criminal. He was reaching the train and getting on board on the last wagon; but it was getting away. I had to hurry, if I was going to catch it. So I started galloping as fast as I could, with both guards still behind me.

"They're getting away!" One of them shouted.

The train started gaining speed, but I felt like I could almost reach it; so it was that moment when I decided to jump, on a desperate attempt to get on board, but I only failed on grabbing myself to the handle… But in that instant, right before I hit the ground with my face, I felt a hoof holding me by my throat, puling me to the inside of the wagon; and before I realized, I was already on board of the train. Those guards were now too tired to continue, so I simply stared at them as they gave up and disappeared in the distance, on the train tracks. Then I thought, it was all finally over, so I let go a relief sigh while I turned around. But when I opened my eyes, all I saw was the criminal, right in front of me, staring at me with a terrifying expression on his face… this, was definitely not over.

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A COMPLETE STRANGER

After that incident, there was only me and the criminal, alone on that wagon. So then he started talking to me:

"What was all that about?" He asked me, in a really passive voice, but yet angry.

"I…" I tried to speak, but then he suddenly jumped towards me, threatening me with his hoof.

"Why did you follow me?!" He yelled, very angry this time.

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to…!" I shouted; but again, he didn't let me finish:

"I needed that money, you know?! I've went through a very bucked up day just to get it!" He explained, but by the way he was talking, I started having a very good idea of who I was dealing with.

"I… I'm sorry! I didn't plan it!" I tried to explain myself. But I that moment, he didn't even seem to be listening to me at all.

"All of that struggling for what?!" But yet, I kept apologizing anyway:

"I'm sorry!"

"Don't give me no apologies now, I'm not in the mood." He said then, with a calmer voice. In that moment, he seemed like he had calmed down a little, so I decided to try to reason with him:

"I'm sorr… Look, you don't know me, and I don't know you. So…" And he started staring at me in silence as I spoke. "…I'm just going to leave; and I won't bother you anymore." And then I realized, that he seemed to be getting more and more upset by the second… I think I should shut up.

"Or… I guess I could stay here for a while." I said then. And feeling completely threatened, I started walking backwards and sat on the corner, while he continued following me with his eyes… his creepy eyes.

After that, we spend a lot of minutes inside that wagon. It had been a while since we got chased by those guards, and it couldn't be more awkward. There was nopony else there, and none of us had spoken a single word. He just continued walking from one side to another, babbling something in a very creepy way. And with all of these stuff happening right now, I felt like the train wasn't moving at all. This trip didn't seem to have an end! Besides, he had been staring at me this whole time… But maybe, if I can hold on, and don't move a muscle, I can make it alive to the next station… no matter where it is.

So I tried to distract my mind from this horrible reality; and as I was staring at the window, seeing the sky and the mountains to the horizon, I couldn't help but asking myself. What would have happened to all that money just lying around on that bridge? And so, I continued wandering on my thoughts, until a few minutes later, I noticed that the criminal got completely distracted. I felt like it was my chance; so I stood up very carefully, and really slowly started heading towards the wagon door. But then he stopped me:

"Where do you think you're going?" He said all of sudden, without even looking at me. But then he turned his head, and with a cold expression on his face, he replied:

"Sit down!" His raspy and imposing voice let me paralyzed for a moment. But… in that moment, I suddenly thought: This is ridiculous! I was terrified, but I wasn't going to tolerate this guy for much longer.

"No!" So I yelled then.

And he got notoriously surprised by my response.

"I'm leaving this car right now, and I'm walking away from you!" Then I shouted, pointing straight at him with my hoof.

Somehow, I think that was the bravest thing I have done in my entire life. But then, when I was already prepared for any kind of violent response, he just remained silent, with no physical response at all; so I kept talking:

"Look. It's not that I don't appreciate that you saved me from those guards. But I'm leaving this wagon right now!" Then I declared, as a final statement; and then, with a firm posture, I turned around and approached to the door. I put my hoof on the doorknob and then I turned to look at him one last time. But he still said nothing… so I said the only thing I had to say to him at this point:

"Well, goodbye!" And I was about to leave, when he suddenly talked:

"Wait, wait, wait. Hold on… There's one thing. At least, I think you owe me that." He said all of sudden, right before I opened the door, and he said it in a really calmed way; so I remained in front of the door, still holding the doorknob.

Then he started talking:

"Back there on that bridge. When I ran into you… and we both dropped… a whole bunch of money. Of course I saw that. And then you started following me… My question is…"

"Why I did it? I don't know." I answered in that moment.

"No, no. What I want to know is… Where did you get all that money?" That question took me by surprise. But then he continued:

"I didn't count it, but it seemed to be like… what sixty, eighty thousand?" He guessed.

"One hundred and twenty." I answered, in a dry tone; straight to the amount.

"Wow! …And I'm not impressed actually, because I had a lot more than you. But, how is somepony like you, walking around with all that cash?" He finally asked, which I did not respond right away, but it took me a few seconds to analyze this question.

"And what do you expect me to tell you?" I had no idea of where he wanted to go with all of that. But then he answered me:

"I only want the truth" He said; completely calmed, and with a slight smile on his face.

"Alright. I stole it. You happy?" I answered, in a very impatient way, and a bit arrogant; hoping to fool the criminal, but I only managed to make him angry, because his expression changed in that instant.

"No, I'm not. Because that's not true." He said with very cold words, getting quite more serious in that moment. But without noticing that, I kept insisting on my ridiculous story:

"You don't know that." I said, sounding like a real smart flank. But then he stood up from the floor, and jumped straight onto me.

"Who the buck you think you're talking to?! I tell you, that's a lie!" He exploded in rage all of sudden; and I almost had an embarrassing accident with my bladder.

"Alright, alright! Calm down!" I shouted, at the same time I was curling up on the floor, covering my face with one hoof, and trying to keep him away with the other.

"Then, talk." He said then, containing his anger notoriously.

I was very nervous after that, but I wasn't going to take any more risks with this criminal. So I decided, that it would be better if I just told him all the truth and I end this once and for all.

"I… I was… I was going to throw it to the river. I swear it's the truth!" And after saying this, I stared at the criminal with wide open eyes, sweating in fear from each pore of my body; but he didn't utter a single word. He just nodded in silence for a moment.

"That… I believe you. But you still didn't answer my question."

"I just did!" I yelled, with complete desperation.

"No. You told me what you were planning to do with the money; not where did you get it."

"And what does it matter to you?" I shouted, really nervous.

"I'm just trying to have a conversation." He answered, in a very spontaneous and almost civilized way.

"Well, I'm sorry. But that's none of your business." I tried to impose to the criminal, but after hearing my answer, he just seemed to have gotten angrier than before, because in that moment, he started walking slowly and threateningly towards me, making me walk backwards.

"Listen to me, pal. I just lost a big score, because of you!" And as he was yelling at me, we both were getting closer to the back part of the train, where the door was still open.

"Remember that it was Me who got you on this train, and if I want to, I can get you off right now." Now I was dangerously close to the edge, and the train was moving fast… I think he was serious… he was dead serious… I don't know why I followed him.

"I… I sold my house and all my stuff just yesterday!" I shouted in that moment.

In that instant, the criminal stopped. So I continued:

"…And… and I didn't had no place to go…! Or where to put all that money! …That's why I was carrying it!" I finished talking, but my body wouldn't stop trembling. I think would had never confessed this much about myself if no one would have threatened me. The criminal seemed really surprised. I could see it on his expression. And after a few seconds, he turned around, walked away a few steps, and sat down on one of the seats of the wagon.

I was still quite moved and agitated after that. But in that moment, he didn't seem to be a threat anymore.

"Can I go now?" I asked him then, with a hoarse voice; breaking the complete silence of that wagon; a silence that was followed by the constant patter of the train, which only made more awkward the next instants in which no one said a word.

"I had no idea…" He babbled, staring at the floor. But I… I just simply tried to ignore him, and reach the door once again.

"I'm leaving now." I said, as I put my hoof on the doorknob. But in that moment, he suddenly shouted:

"I had no idea… of how crazy you were!" And as soon as I heard that, I stopped.

"I mean. I just robbed a bank. But you… you were about to end yourself." He said, in a very mocking tone. Then I turned around.

"What?! No, I wasn't!" I said with anger, and quite indignant.

"Ohh, of course you were. And I can't believe it; I actually saved you, from yourself!" He shouted with some irony, making me fly off my handle.

"That's not true! Because you… you are nothing but a psychopath, and I'm walking away from you right now!" I yelled at him with anger, for I had been actually insulted this time.

"You don't have to thank me." He said then, in a condescending voice.

So I approached to the door, determined to walk away from him and leave that wagon once and for all, but when I was about to open it; it opened all of the sudden, and suddenly, there was a train employee standing right in front of me.

"Oh! I didn't know there were any passengers on this car. May I see your tickets please?" The train employee asked to us. But we both remained in silence, and then we looked to each other, with the same dumb expression. And then, the criminal finally started talking to him:

"Sure. Yeah… the tickets… We have them, right… here!" And right after he said that, he jumped through one of the windows, from the moving train; then he hit the ground and then he started rolling on the rocks and bushes on the outside, next to the train track. And right now, I was just as surprised as the train employee next to me; and we both continued astonished, observing through the wagon's window as the criminal disappeared at the distance, in the middle of a cloud of dust.

Moments later, the train had arrived to its destination, and it only took me one instant to figure out where I was now. It was The Crystal Empire.

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This is the first part of an already ongoing story. I'm just still working on the details about my translation, and i would like to know your opinion about both, my story, and how could i improve my english writing skills.