Kestral woke up in a small panic, but calmed down once he realized it was just the train hitting bumps. He stood up, with his bags on person, and moved a tall stack of cargo that was up against the wall. He slipped between the two, and entered the full room, as opposed to the nook he was in. Around him was piles of bags and crates, taking up the majority of the room in the caboose. A couple of windows were visible, but mostly it was only the rear door's window that let in a large amount of light.

He still felt the warm feeling in his eyes, but he ignored it in favor of attention to the present. He walked back to the door, opened it, and walked outside. He looked towards the city further up the mountain. It was impressive, to say the least. Tall structures and even a castle stood high towards the mountain, while progressively smaller buildings were built the farther the distance from the mountain. It seemed rather odd that the city would be built out of the ground, instead of into it. Regardless, it was beautiful.

He guessed it would be less than half an hour before he got there, so he went back into the caboose to prepare for arrival.

Once again in the train, Kestral moved over towards the front door, and pulled out his flat bar. He placed it in the handle, ensuring that it would not swing out if someone were to try opening it from the other side. With the whole room to himself, he began to go through bags, and checked for any useful contents.

The first few bags weren't of use. It was just clothing, pictures, and other personal belongings. Every few bags, though, he found a small bag of bits, which he nabbed. There wasn't much worth stealing, so he settled for the small amount of cash.

The sunlight darkened, leaving the room pitch black for a moment, then it brightened again. Kestral moved back towards the window to see what had happened. He saw a tunnel escaping his view, letting him know that there wasn't a problem. A look towards the side, however, let him know that he was already alongside the city's edge. The train even seemed to be heading somewhere inside the city.

Alright. I guess I’ll need to get off soon.

Kestral moved to the front door again, and grabbed his tool. He threw it into his rift and went straight out the rear of the caboose. He didn't know if the local authorities were suspecting he was on that train, but he was almost sure that Luna had an idea of where he was. So far, it looked like the only way he could have gotten here while asleep anyway. Unless they had caravans going from town to town, which he didn't doubt existed. Of course, anyone seeing him walk off that train at the station, added with the fact that no one remembers him getting on the train would be pretty suspicious, and would ruin his disguise quickly.

He jumped over the rail on the back, and held on, watching the tracks run under him. They weren't going too fast, so he ventured to say it was rather safe to jump. To the side was enough grass to make a harmless landing, so he moved over to see if there were any obstacles coming towards him. There were none, letting him know that he could make the jump without planting his face in an inch of iron or concrete.

Kestral took his bags off and tossed them. Immediately after, he leaped. He landed in a forward roll, then slid on the grass some distance. He got up, dusting himself off, and went to get his bags. “Well, that was fun.” He said as he put his items on. “Just remembered I had that damn banana in my bag. Hope it's not splattered.”

Buildings surrounded him, some taller than others, and they all seemed to have individualized themes. He shrugged, and walked towards an alley between two buildings, until he came to a street filled with stands, ponies, minotaurs, griffons, carts, fruits, vegetables, and other things that one could find in such an area. The best guess he had was that he landed in the market.

There wasn't a soul that looked his way as he walked down the cobblestone road. There wasn't anyone shouting 'guards' or 'human'. In fact, the whole scene could be described as apathetic as possible. Not a single person cared that he just walked into the street from an alley. Sure, it was because of the disguise, but it still felt good. With the mask, coat, and gloves, he was suddenly just another face in the crowd. He felt like celebrating, like enjoying himself for the night.

But he was tired. Oh, so tired. The sleep schedule he had established was catching up to him. Even with a good nap in the train, he still had hours before his usual waking time. He needed to find a place to rest, but he didn't trust that nothing would happen if he simply slept in an alley. No, he decided he was going to find a hotel, or some place of that sort.

He walked down the road, taking in the view of the surroundings. The various buildings around him sported different kinds of glamor and advertizement. Some of it was in English, but some of the signs were in either the botched Russian or Greek that he had seen on the egg he stole. For some reason, the hieroglyphics were not on any of the signs, but Kestral didn't care.

The road widened as he walked, opening up to a full market, with stalls and people of all kinds filling the area. He passed by all sorts of groceries that would be stockpiled by anyone that cooked home meals. All the vegetables and fruits that could be thought of surrounded him, each to its own stall, being sold by vigorous and confidant salespeople. Kestral took a whiff of the air, breathing in the scent of cooked meals being sold further down the road.

“Carrots here! Just two bits for three today! Baby carrots a bit per dozen!” One of them called out.

“Fresh oranges! Get your fresh oranges here!”

“Cherries here! One bit per cherry!”

Kestral saw a random pony throw several bits at the cherry salespony's face, then grab a load of his product, before yelling 'ripoff artist' and running off. It was almost funny to watch, because the vendor just looked after the runner, then to the bits, and counted.

“You owe me twenty bits next time, Fleet-Hoof!” The feminine voice called.

He just smiled and walked. The delicious scent of a warm meal sent his stomach into a growl. As he came closer to what seemed to be a predetermined section of the market meant for cooked food, he looked around to spot what was available. From the looks of it, most of it was some kind of grilled or fried vegetables, which Kestral soon realized was a larger staple in the local diet. He skipped over several of the vendors, until he came to one that he just couldn't resist.

The one he stopped at had a large metal pot to the side, over a small fire, along with several stacks of clean clay bowls and spoons. The pony wore a apron, and tied her hair back in a ponytail.

“Care to have some?” She asked.

“Sure.” He said.

She grabbed a bowl and expertly filled it with the contents of the pot, making sure to have the contents mixed well enough. She put it on the counter and looked at him expectantly. “Soup's three bits, the bowl is five. If you bring back the bowl in good condition, you'll get the five back.”

“Okay.” He placed his gloved hand into his satchel, and made eight 'bits' appear into his hand. He pulled his hand out again and placed them on the counter. He grabbed the bowl and began looking for a place to sit.

“Have a good day, sir!” The mare said.

“You too.” He replied. He spotted an empty table several meters behind the stand, so he made his way past the stall and took one of the four seats. It was nearly as tall as his waist, which seemed too tall for ponies, but the chairs around it seemed to be made for multiple species, rather than just them. He guessed that it was easier to build general sizes than one for each race.

He clicked a button on the nose of the mask, and the jaw of it dropped down against his chest. Black cloth fell after it, hanging straight down where the edge of the jaw once was, ensuring his human jaw was still concealed. He looked down inside the mask, and started eating spoonfuls of his delicious noodle soup through the opening, careful not to get any on the cloth. He had found that feature prior to his nap, and he was damn thankful for it. Eating with the mask on was something he saw himself needing to use a lot.

From the side, a stallion and two mares walked over, all three wearing some sort of frilly, showy dress-wear. “Excuse me, sir.” The stallion said, getting Kestral attention. “Would you mind if we shared this table with you?”

“Go right ahead.” He said in a dull voice. As they sat themselves down, he focused on his meal. It was warm, and every spoonful he swallowed down greedily, not even recalling the last time he had such a well-made meal. The liquid made its way down his throat, giving him the comfortable feeling that warmed his body all over. It was rejuvenating. It made him feel more aware of everything, more focused.

“So what's your name?” The mare on the left asked.

“K-” He cut himself off. It would probably be best if I didn't use that now. “Hunter.” He said.

She stuck out a hoof to shake his hand, which he accepted. “I'm Bell. That's Silver.” She gestured over to the other mare, who had a large stomach, but seemed otherwise normal. “And this is Stock.” She pointed to the stallion.

“Nice to meet you.” Kestral said.

The three had all put their meals on the table, which looked to each be mostly made of hay, and began eating. “So where are you from, Hunter?” Silver asked.

I'm going to have to get used to that name. “I, uh....” He had no idea what places would have minotaurs. “...I don't know...”

She just looked at him funny. “You don't know?”

“I have long-term memory loss.” He lied. “After a few years, I forget things. Like clockwork.”

“Oh dear.” Silver said. “That's terrible! Is that why you're here?”

“Huh?” He asked. “What do you mean?”

“Well. Canterlot Medical Center is about the best medicine noble money can afford. I'm sure they have something that could help memory loss.”

“Oh.” He waved it off. “It's fine. I don't have the money anyway.”

“You're so brave.” She said. “I could never live like that.”

“Uh...huh.” He said. He had finished his soup, and while it eased his hunger, it only served to make him even more tired than before. “Hey, you three wouldn't happen to know where a hotel might be, would you?”

“Yes, actually.” Bell said. “Just keep going down the street.” She pointed toward the direction that Kestral had previously been walking towards. “And you'll see it across from the train station. It's called 'The Midnight Hotel', you can't miss it.”

“Thanks!” He said. He stuffed the cloth up in his mask and quickly closed the metal jaw. He stood up and grabbed his bowl.

“Oh, are you leaving now?” She asked.

“Yeah. I'm usually asleep at sunrise, so I just need a place to stay for the morning.”

“Okay. Have a good...night? Morning? Time. Have a good time.”

“Bye.” Silver said, waving her hoof.

“Farewell.” Stock said, giving a nod.

“Bye.” Kestral walked back towards the vendor he got the soup from, and placed the bowl on the counter. “Here you go, ma'am.” He watched as she spun it around once, before putting five bits on the table.

“Was it good?” She asked, a hopeful smile beaming towards him.

“It was great.” He said, while grabbing his five bits.

“Thank you! Have a good day, sir!”

“You too!” He called as he began walking away.

Finally. Kestral thought as he stood in front of the building. It was only five floors high, but it was at least twice as wide as most of the other buildings around it. It had a simple sign placed over the door, stating the name, and a mildly more elaborate paint-job over the brick wall that made up the outside. The midnight blue was highlighted by the hot pink and sky blue outlines of the windows.

It looked like it was placed there with no reason other than the fact that the train station was directly on the other side of the street. The style of it was off from the more formal looking stone buildings that lined the street around him. But he didn't care. It was a place to stay, and he was too tired to look for another.

He walked into the lobby, and took notice of the dim lighting. He walked over the carpeted floor to the front desk. A griffon put down a newspaper and greeted him.

“Hello there.” The deep voice said.

“Hi.” Kestral replied. “I'd like to rent a room.”

“Okay.” The employee grabbed a nearby pencil and a scroll. He unrolled it to reveal a checklist. “Just you?” He asked.

“Yep.”

He checked off a box. “Bath water?”

“Huh?” He asked, confused by the question. “Why? Is that an up-charge?”

“Yes sir. We know that not everyone bathes as frequently as the nobles, so it's not included in the base rent.”

“Oh.” Okay. So, bathing is more of a luxury than a necessity.... Come to think of it, I guess that's why those ponies didn't mind sitting with me. But why doesn't everyone smell bad to me? He stood and thought about it for a second, before he came to a possible conclusion. Oh, wait. I haven't showered in weeks, and now I’m used to my own smell. So I’m now as bad as everyone else, and it doesn't faze me. Great. “Sure. Just for today.”

“Alright.” He checked off another box.

Before the griffon got another word in, Kestral had to ask. “Is there a sink in the room?” He felt like a lazy tourist that had low expectations of the places he visits, but as different as things were, he needed to know.

“There's a sink, a toilet, a bathtub, and a mirror in the bathroom of each room, sir.” He said, starting to get a little annoyed. He pointed behind Kestral. “Hygienics and toiletries and sold in the store behind you.”

“Okay, thanks.”

“Continental breakfast?”

“No thanks.” Kestral replied.

“Regular maid service?”

“If I say 'no', do I still get a clean bed to sleep on?”

“We wash every room when a patron is done, sir. I'm asking if you want a cleaning service on a daily basis.” The griffon eyed him, slightly more irritated.

“Then no.” He said.

“How long is your stay?”

“Uh...two days.”

“Name?”

“Hunter.”

“Alright. Your total is...eighty-five bits.”

Kestral slipped a hand into his satchel, and made several bags of bits appear. He handed them over to the griffon, who started counting them out. As the griffon counted, he eyed Kestral.

“You aren't even going to haggle?” He asked, curious.

“What? I'm allowed to haggle?”

“Uh, yeah. What, have you never spent money before?”

“Pfft. Yeah.” Kestral said. “Just never at a place that allowed haggling. Do you guys barter as well?”

“Yes.” The griffon said with a straight face.

“Wow. Okay.” He thought it may become useful later, but at that time, he wasn't willing to try. His need for sleep had reduced his care of the price drastically. For all he knew, he was being ripped off.

“Alright.” The griffon pushed the leather bags back to Kestral, along with a silver key. “Here's your change. Your room is one-seventeen. Have a good day.”

Kestral grabbed his key and money, and put them in his satchel before making them disappear into the rift. He didn't know if minotaurs were supposed to be able to do magic, but so far, he had only seen unicorns and changelings perform such a feat.

He turned and walked toward the store that the griffon spoke of. He stepped into the snug shop, and browsed through the meager amount of goods available. He grabbed a roll of toilet paper, knowing he'd need it, and moved along. Then he grabbed what appeared to be a toothbrush, and ran his thumb along the bristles. He wondered just what it could have been made of, since the people around him had obviously not created plastics yet. It didn't matter, so he just grabbed it and a glass jar of toothpaste next to it. He took a bar of soap as well, and moved over to the counter, where another cashier was waiting. He placed the items on the table.

“Is this is?” The unicorn mare asked.

“Yep.” He pulled out a bag of bits.

“That'll be ten bits, please.”

He counted out the amount and placed them on the counter. He grabbed his items and began walking off. “Kay-thanks.”

“Oh- uh..bye.”

He was paying less attention by the minute, and simply walked to the back of the lobby, past a set of stairs, and into the middle of a hall. He spotted his room just a few meters down the hall, so he went straight towards it. He took out his key and opened the room, revealing the contents. He entered, and closed the door behind him, setting down a plank of wood snugly against two metal brackets, creating a security bar.

As he walked to the bed, he took off his disguise by just pulling it all into the rift. He set the materials in his hands on the bathroom counter, and moseyed over to the bed.

He saw the window on the back wall was covered, so he fell onto the bed, ready for the rest that he needed. He didn't even move the thick blankets or the pillow as he allowed his body to become comatose. Quickly, his remaining focus faded. His eyes shut, and his vision blackened, leaving him with nothing as sleep began to devour his thoughts.

He had a big night ahead of him, and he was going to be ready.