Everything was connected by rail. The rails to Trottingham was non existent in areas. Nothing was coming by a great steel stead anytime soon. It would be easier to relay an entire new track. The area was well traveled. Old campfires were all over the place from the years spent moving goods.

Shadow slowed down as he approached derailed cars. A half dozen or so. Some were still standing upright, off the track. Shadow slipped into the brush off to the side and stalked forward.

A group of raiders were there, laying in wait. They were at their stations, ready. A caravan was coming towards them. It was a ways off. If they didn’t turn aside, they would fall prey.

Of course, Shadow wasn’t going to let that happen. Especially with them distracted. Shadow just walked forward and slit the throat of the unaware raider. The next three were the same. Except the last one attracted attention.

Shadow vaulted off of the train car and rolled. He came out of it, opening up with his rifle. He dropped two more while the last two took new positions. Shadow took the time to gain a new spot himself.

“Come out! I promise I will make it quick!”

Shadow rolled his eyes and vaulted off one car and then up to the top of the other. He ran, making sure they head his hoof steps. They were in no position to shoot him. Shadow jumped off and drove the combat knife into the back of one, playing off the misdirection.

“One left,” Shadow announced. “Just one.”

Shadow hear the pounding off hoof steps running away.

“Let him run,” Shadow chuckled. “Let him spread the fear.”

Shadow got on top of a train car to check on the caravan. They had disappeared. Shadow took to sorting through their stash. He found ammo for his rifle and some good shotgun rounds. Two of their rifles were in great shape, enough to make it a worthwhile sale.

Their owners had suspenders with slots to hold their magazines. Each rifle had 10 magazines and most of them were full of ammo. They didn’t fit his gun, so he would sell them and their suspenders, including the ammo inside the magazines, as a set.

Their caps stash went into his bags and he continued on.

Shadow cut across the railway to try and intersect the caravan. They were smart with their movements, but he was smarter. Shadow stepped out in front of them on the rabbit trail. They halted. Fear and curiosity on their faces. The last thing they were expecting was a pony in tights and a mask with glowing red eyes.

“Who are you?” One of the three asked.

“A pony who is going to bring the separation to an end,” Shadow replied. “Clean out the old and prepare this land for a greater ascension.”

Shadow opened fire, gunning them down. Future caravans would find their rotting corpses and goods. They would see only a death with no care for the goods. Not even to take the caps.

Shadow backtracked their run around and continued along the rails to find Trottingham. It wasn’t much farther and he camped with it in sight. Since it was still early, Shadow took the time to remove the hunting suit and put his regular cloak on, looking like any regular wastelander.

Shadow consolidated his caps into three unmarked bags. They looked clean. No association with a raider gang, city, group, or anything.

The way into Trottingham metropolitan was straightforward. The path to the surviving city was easy to find as well and clear of any threats. There was no real wall to quarter off the inhabited zone. It was secured by guard posts and automatic turrets. It wasn’t something to be trifled with.

The guards watched him approach and pass through their checkpoint. He wasn’t a threat, but they made it clear that they would have no problem dealing with him if he caused problems.

Out of their gaze, Shadow made sure he calmed his breathing to a regular pattern before heading in. It wasn’t easy for him to walk out into the open like that, rifles relaxed but at the ready to shoot him if he made one wrong move.

The surviving city was centered around three sky scrapers that were mostly intact. The rest had been cleared away and buildings of various quality put in place. The one that caught Shadow’s eye first was a furniture story.

Shadow stepped inside.

“Welcome to Quality Hardware,” A stallion greeted him. He was dressed nicely, but had a tough apron over the clothes. It had some tools slipped into slots designed for them. “We are the premier interior decorating store in the wasteland. What can I do for you?”

“You sell furniture?” Shadow asked confused.

“Ah, a newcomer,” He smiled. His voice was definitely one made to sell. “Yes. We hoof make all of our furniture. Beds, couches, tables, chairs, nightstands, dressers and anything you need. If you don’t see what you like, we do special orders for no extra charge. Want a different color? No extra charge either!”

“So the rumors were true,” Shadow smiled. “Trottingham does have places you can buy and call home.”

“That we do!” He said, not dropping his sales pitch voice. “You have to go to the municipal building to acquire one. Some of them come with furniture that the previous owner just left. Or you can purchase used furniture from the city. But they don’t hold an dozen caps to our high quality pieces.”

“Quality is always worth paying for,” Shadow replied. “You end up paying more in the long run if you purchase cheap stuff and have to replace it.”

“Exactly! A pony who knows how it really works.”

“Are you the only furniture story in the city?”

“No,” He said, still smiling. “Discount Dressers and Dinning Tables purchases and sells second hoofed furniture. Their stock is either stuff we made or stuff made during or before the war. You get what you pay for with them. But here, this store has been the place to get furniture for eighty years now, when my great grandpappy first began. Each of the foals learned and most worked in the shop.

“It’s just me and my two colts, who are both married now, that carry on that legacy. Still, even if it has our quality stamp, it isn’t 100% ours anymore and doesn’t have our guarantee. Our quality guarantee to replace any defective pieces within the first two years of their life only pertains to the original purchaser, or purchasers if you are buying it with your husband, wife, or for one of your foals.”

“That is a good warranty,” Shadow replied. “A good company always has some sort of guarantee their products are worth investing in. I first need to acquire housing.”

“Down main street, on the left. It isn’t in the center of town, but they didn’t build anything in front of it. It is the old courthouse. She has weathered the years very well. Including plenty of time before the war.”

“Thank you,” Shadow said as he left.

It was very easy to find, but Shadow never would have entered without being pointed in the right direction. The windows were beautiful stained glass, depicting a variety of scenes. It had to be the stained glass Blooming Glass spoke of.

Shadow opened the thick wooden doors. The receptionist inside pointed Shadow to the proper office. The door was open so Shadow cautiously entered.

“Hello,” A mare with a pretty smile and plenty of makeup said. “I am Sapphire Crown. Are you here about housing?”

“Yes Ma’am,” Shadow nodded.

“Take a seat,” She said, gesturing to one across from her desk. “How many ponies are you wanting to provide for?”

“Just me,” Shadow replied. “I am a long way from home. For now, I could use a steady place to come back to.”

“I see. The traveling life is hard, but we all have to make a living. If you are not planning to stay too long, I recommend you rent a place. You can either pay per month or prepay for several months. We have some lovely studio bedroom apartments starting at the low price of 32 caps a month. A single bedroom begins at and even 60.”

“How far out can I pay in advanced?”

“A year. No matter what place you choose, If you pay for a year, we give you one month free.”

“And if I were to buy a place? Avoid the hassle of making sure I pay rent?”

“We don’t have any studios available. Our cheapest single bedroom starts at 2000. Those are very limited right now. Demand is high.”

“I am not sure how much I have,” Shadow stated.

“The bank is behind the market. Look for the brick building. It was one of the few original buildings we use. The others are the sky scraper housing complexes. I must warn you, outside of this build is ‘Quick Order’s Helping Hoof.’ The city does not guarantee or protect you from them. They are a private business and we can’t prosecute them for any reason if you enter a contract with them for a loan or any other service the provide. We do have several guarantees that protect you from fraud and mismanagement of funds and such by the Trottingham’s Bank of Equestria.”

“Loans are always a bad idea,” Shadow said getting up. “I will go check in with the bank. Thank you.”

Shadow wandered around more than he wanted to before he finally found the bank. There were a few ponies inside so he had to wait for the single teller behind the bars to be free.

“I need to find out how many caps I have with me,” Shadow said.

“We can help you with that. We have an expert counter. But you need an account with us.”

“Then let me open an account.”

“The far door over there, enter and we will get you all set up.”

Shadow entered the empty room. There was another door that went to the back of the bank so that they didn’t have to go through the lobby with capital.

“Hello,” A young stallion said entering. “I am Swift.”

He closed the door to the lobby for privacy.

“I was told that you were here to open an account. And that you didn’t know what you had for funds?”

“Correct,” Shadow nodded. “It is part of the reason why I need to find a place to stay more permanently. I would like to purchase a house.”

He smiled warmly at Shadow. “Let’s see that you have.”

Shadow pulled out the bags and Swift’s eyes grew big.

“I’ve been here for a while, with no place solid to rest my head,” Shadow explained.

“I can see that,” Swift said shaking his head to focus on the task at hand. “I am the bank’s official calculator. I help manage the hard counts and such. Let me retrieve some of my tools.”

Swift came back with several square trays. He slid a holder onto the table and put a tray on in. He dumped the caps onto the table and began to count. He was fast and good at his job. He switched out trays and began to count again.

After all the trays were done with their set number, he gave the tally. 3232. He dumped the trays back onto the table and began a recount for accuracy. 3218. Again he recounted. 3224.

“This is normal for large sums of money,” Swift ensured Shadow. “I am here to make sure that you do not get ripped off. If you have 3232 caps, then you have 3232 caps. If you have 3218, and we put a higher number in, fees and a hassle can occur from the mistake. And we don’t want to cause you that hassle.”

Shadow nodded in quiet understanding. The numbers were not far off. He wouldn’t mind if it was entered low and lost a few caps.

Swift began again, using the trays. Once they were done, he didn’t touch the excess. Each tray held 200 caps. Swift began to recount each tray individually. He did a third count. Each tray was squared away with 200 caps and then it was easy to properly count the remaining caps on the table 28 caps were left on the table.

“Your total is 3228 caps. I recommend that you keep the 28 caps on you and only put 3200 in the bank to open your account. That way you can cover the cost of most things without having to come back and withdraw. Maybe add another hundred on you to make sure you are not making constant trips back here.”

“I need at least 2000 to purchase a home,” Shadow stated.

“Not to worry,” Swift replied. “We can open the account and give you a cashiers check. A paper that the municipal office will take from you, and then take here and we will transfer those caps to their account. It is safer and easier than carrying 2000 caps around. Do you have a specific place in mind?”

“No, I didn’t look at specifics,” Shadow said. “I was getting an estimate.”

“Then we can give you a blank one that you write the total amount on and give to them. For even safer measures, we will write it to the municipal office so nopony can steal it and write some number on it and cash it themselves. The only one who can cash a check is the pony or business it is written too.”

“That is useful,” Shadow replied. “Yes, let’s do that. And then can I get another for Quality Hardware?”

“Ah, going for the good stuff.”

“It is the wisest move,” Shadow replied.

“Let me just finish filling out the paperwork and we will get your account set up.”

Shadow signed the account as Mtoaji. A photo was taken so that nopony could say they were him. They had evidence of who opened the account and who could access it. Shadow was given a card printed on solid paper and laminated that was his account ID card with his number and name. He would have to present it for any transactions. Shadow only put an even 3000 in, opting to carry the other 200 in solid caps. He had no idea the prices of stuff here.

With the checks in his bags, Shadow headed back to the municipal office. Sapphire Crown greeted him with a smile.

“I want to purchase a one bedroom house,” Shadow said sitting down.

“Okay then. Let me get everything. What is your name?”

“Mtoaji.”

“Mtoaji?”

“Blame my parents. I am not from the area.”

Sapphire Crown pulled out a file from a cabinet. “Well Mr. Mtoaji. We have three condominiums available. These are the floor plans and some pictures of each. Each has one bedroom, a good sized living room, a utility room, bathroom and a kitchen. Electricity and running water are included. But if anything breaks within your walls, the repairs are up to you.”

“ Which has the best kitchen?” Shadow asked without thinking.

“432,” Sapphire Crown said, pushing that specific floor plan forward. “All four burners on the stove work and the oven can go as high as 400 degrees. The refrigerator comes with the kitchen and can get as cold as 33 degrees and will stay below 40. 432 also has a small ice chest that will provide a good freeze to store food longer term.

The floor plan didn’t mean much to Shadow, but the pictures did. The kitchen looked to be in good shape for 200 years.

“Is there better lighting?”

“No. You would have to upgrade that yourself. It shouldn’t be hard. 432 is priced to go. The furniture in the pictures is inside and can be purchased alongside the condominium for a small fee.”

Shadow took his time looking at all three. The lighting wasn’t great for any of them. The insides were about the same, just different colored walls. The kitchen in 432 was easily the best out of the three. Same with the bathroom.

“The price on 432?”

“2600.”

“Without the furniture?”

“2400 without the furniture.”

“I don’t want the furniture,” Shadow said.

“We will have to move it out tomorrow. It is too late to do it today. But by noon it will be ready to move in and you can get the key. We can still give you the deed now, yours to own as soon as you sign the papers.”

Shadow nodded and pulled out the check. “Then let’s do it.”

It took some time, but everything was signed over to him, Mtoaji, and the city put their records away. That left Shadow with 600 caps to buy furniture.

“Ah, there you are again!” He greeted Shadow.

“Yes, I am back,” Shadow smiled.

“Are you renting or did you buy?”

“Buying was less complicated,” Shadow replied. “So, lets get me outfitted with some good furniture.”

“I am Sawdust. I don’t think I introduced myself to you properly.”

“Mtoaji,” Shadow said as they shook hooves.

“Well, what did you purchase?”

“Condominium 432. A single bedroom.”

“Congratulation. 432 is a good buy. I do my best to know each available location to help my customers.

“Pine is our big seller. It is a softer wood and grows fast. That makes it easier to produce. But it doesn’t last as well and is prone to nicks and scrapes if you are not careful. I always try to point out that white oak is our more budget friendly hardwood that will last you for years to come. It will outlast pine with little care.”

“I don’t need much,” Shadow replied. “Just the basics. I plan to be gone most of the time.”

“A working pony still needs a good place to lay their head when they get back home.”

Sawdust began showing Shadow the furniture. A bed wasn’t just a bed. There was easily a dozen different styles. And not just for a bed. The dressers varied even more.

The radio was playing in the background. Shadow almost missed what DJ Pon3 said. He couldn't be sure. The news segment went right into a song.

“What did he say about a harvest?” Shadow asked Sawdust.

“Who?”

“Sorry,” Shadow said. “DJ Pon3 said something about a harvest?”

“Oh, I don’t know. But for the past week or so, he has made comments about some Orange Harvest that is apparently in need of help, or beginning, or something.”

“Huh,” Shadow said, shrugging so he played it off as not important.

Shadow picked a basic bed, and basic still covered several different styles. He picked one with a simple square headboard and footboard. But then he had to choose a mattress. Shadow went mid sized on the dresser and a single drawer nightstand. To save money, he purchased just a single, cushioned high backed chair. His table choice was very basic as well. At least it came with two free chairs. 525 caps later, Shadow had all the basics. They would be delivered tomorrow, in the afternoon.

Conveniently placed next door was a household goods shop. Shadow snagged an alarm clock and a bedside lamp. He grabbed sheets and some towels too. A basic cooking set caught his eye as well. He had nothing to actually cook with, so he bought it.

They pointed him to the nearest hotel and Shadow got an inexpensive room for the night. It would be the last night he needed to sleep with an eye open. At least for a few days.

Shadow patiently waited outside 432 as they removed the furniture. Sapphire Crown was there as the last piece was pulled out. After a quick inspection, she gave Shadow the set of keys.

The empty space felt good. This was the first place that was truly his. The first he had really bought. Not even Rosemary held that feeling. Rosemary was an Enclave operation, not a home. And above the clouds, he never had the time to lay claim to anything as his own.

Sawdust’s crew was fast at delivering his furniture and fast getting it inside through the hallways. They even organized it for Shadow. Shadow thanked them and looked around at his new place. It wasn’t the clouds, and it was missing Cardinal Spitfire, but he felt safe. A home even.

With the furniture in place, Shadow began laying plans. The walls needed a new coat of paint. He would need curtains as well. Shadow had three windows. It occurred to him that he should start window gardens like he had seen in New Cloudsdale. He could grow some herbs and make tea like his mother would. He knew some of the recipes. Especially the one for sore muscles and to sooth a hard day’s work.

Those plans would wait for the next day. He was just going to sleep. He hadn’t had a proper night sleep in a long time. It felt good to just crash. With no immediate cares or worries.

Next Chapter: Chapter 105 - Gambit Estimated time remaining: 9 Hours, 24 Minutes