A Slave's Freedom

by Soaring


The Descent

Mr. Burr stirred underneath his blankets. He was semi-awake, drifting between wanting to get himself out of bed and wanting to sleep for a few more minutes. This sleepiness was caused by his illness, something that has slowly felt less and less wearing over the past few days.

It was all thanks to those two slaves of his... 

Mr. Burr couldn’t help but smile. He was happy, something that he hadn’t felt since he had gotten sick. Each day he had felt stronger. He even was able to muster enough strength yesterday to finally go outside, even if it had taken him a minute or two to collect his breath after going down a few steps. It had filled him with a sense of pride. He was getting closer and closer to beating that sickness that had plagued his wife and— 

His eyes snapped open. Mr. Burr grimaced, reaching out to save what little sight he had left from the attack that penetrated his window. The sun had nearly blinded him, but using his arm, Mr. Burr shielded himself from the light, while he hid himself under the sheets to take cover from the sun’s shine. The man grunted, holding his head tightly. He really needed to get some curtains to cover the window. Why he hadn’t gotten any made was a mystery to him.

Mr. Burr sighed and scooted away from the window. He then rolled back over, peeked his head out from his covers, and stared at the ceiling. It stared back, nothing but white paint welcoming the plantation owner’s eyes. The clock chimed in the other room, behind closed doors.

“Ugh…” Mr. Burr groaned weakly. “Where is Dyson?”

As if on cue, the man heard a pair of footsteps walking up to his bedroom door. He smirked, knowing who was going to come walking through the old rickety thing.

Suddenly the door flew open, hitting the door jam with a ferocity that Mr. Burr feared could injure anyone within its range. 

Dyson stepped in first. “M-Master? Y’awake?”

“Y-Yes, Dyson,” Mr. Burr replied, still holding his head. His brow furrowed. “How’re things goin’?”

Another voice chimed in to answer it, one that drew him closer and closer to proclaiming that God was waiting for judgment day. “Dyson and I are doin’ well, Massa!”

In arrived that woman that was darker than any night sky he could think of. She had been a saint, and an advocate of the devil, if he had any say to the labels. She had done well for Mr. Burr, since she truly cared even though her methods… were a bit unsuccessful (or nearing a physick’s level of insanity). Luckily, Dyson was there to keep Miss Sable in check. The tall negro had kept—Mr. Burr paused, and tilted his head. Dyson's lanky arms and tall figure were misleading. Boy was as sharp as a bayonet. He was stronger than most of the slaves there. He had more sense than some of his guards. How he had gotten a slave like Dyson in his possession made Mr. Burr stay still, frozen, as the two approached his bedside. 

“Master?”

Mr. Burr knew that Dyson had called to him, but his mind was too enraptured by these thoughts that ailed him. They told him that he still thought the same before his wife died. These two in front of him? Although he had felt that they were more alike with him, they weren’t of his kind. They were still his possessions, his property, yet, the words felt… vile to even think of. They tasted so dry, even if he hadn’t said the words that plagued his mind. It tempted Mr. Burr, the poor man licking his lips. 

Mr. Burr gripped onto the sheets in front of him and shook his head. He gave the two a slight smile.  “Sorry… thought I saw something behind you both.” He cleared his throat before he continued, “I’m glad you both are doing well. How’s the harvest?”

Sable nodded very enthusiastically. “Harvest doin’ well, Massa! Got all of ‘em in line out there!” Her face, however, slightly fell, something that nearly made Mr. Burr raise an eyebrow. “Little Leo been bit of a pest though…”

“How so?” Mr. Burr asked.

Dyson rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. “He got mad when a guard tried howlin’ at him from the trees out back.”

Mr. Burr’s right hand gripped the blanket tightly. That was a behavior he had never expected from the new arrival. Leo had seemed very responsive when Mr. Burr had met the negro boy, but since he was incapicated due to this illness of his, he had not seen what the boy had become, something that Sable and Dyson had seen first hand. Mr. Burr frowned and loosened his grip on his sheets. “Is he okay?”

Sable was about to answer when Dyson shoved his arm out in front of her. “Leo’s fine, Master. A few words were said, but I got him away, sir! He restin’ under the old oak tree before he returns to the fields!”

For some reason, Mr. Burr noticed how Sable had reacted to Dyson’s tone. She tilted her head and pursed her lips, before she leaned on the wall beside her. She let out a brief snort, almost like a warning shot that she may eventually strike him down if Dyson interfered again, but that wouldn’t happen, not in front of Mr. Burr. He knew she wouldn’t want to cause a ruckus.

Unless it involved bloodletting. Then she would be fine with that.

“If that’s so…”

“That it is, Master,” Dyson said, nodding. He gave Mr. Burr a nice grin. “Ya feelin’ better now?”

Mr. Burr shared his slave’s excitement. “I am, boy! Feelin’ like I could walk down to town today!”

Sable got off that wall of hers and looped an arm around Dyson. She turned her attention to Mr. Burr, giving him a grin. “Ya really think so, Massa?”

He grinned back devilishly. “I do. You two mind accompanying me?”

The words felt so fluent. Yet the reactions felt coarse. “You want... us to go with ya, Master?”

Mr. Burr knew what Dyson was referring to. The both of them were… well, his slaves. He’s heard Mr. Stockton prattle on about not bringing more than one slave with you at all times, unless they either were chained up or he had a couple guards escorting him. However, with his guards being too busy rattling on with Leo, Mr. Burr wasn’t so sure if he could trust them with keeping their mouths shut.

Besides… he needed to show these two something. If he was to get past this, then maybe, just maybe...

Mr. Burr nodded. “Yes. Who else on this plantation is going to keep me balanced?”

Sable spoke up first, “Well the guards could help you with that—”

“Yes, and I could already hear one of them hootin’ and hollerin’ over seein’ that lady down near the Post.”

Sable shook her head, like she was disappointed. She probably understood what Mr. Burr meant, and Dyson… well, he stared on, frozen, his eyes unmoving. Mr. Burr couldn’t help himself, letting out a laugh. “The look on your face Dyson tells it all.”

That got the boy blinking like he just woke up. “Sorry, Master.”

“Pfft… ain’t nothin’ to be sorry about. That’s why Sable’ll be with ya.” Mr. Burr looked over at the woman, who was twiddling with her thumbs. “Right?”

She jolted a tad, suddenly going from that confident smirk to a mouse squeaking in the corner. “R-Right, Massa. Gotta… keep him in line.”

Dyson glared at her when she said that.

Mr. Burr felt his lips curl up again. “That ya do!” He pushed himself upright, and began to slide off the bed. He landed on two feet with a bit of a wobble. Sable was there to catch him if he fell, but he didn’t need her to, he knew what to say here.

“Thank you, Sable.”

She blinked twice before stuttering out a reply, “Y-You’re welcome, Massa!” She looked at Dyson, who simply shrugged, before looking back at him. “You sure ya both of us goin’ with ya?”

He smiled and put a hand on her shoulder. She flinched at first, but when nothing came, she opened her eyes and listened to his words, “If the past few days were anythin’, then I think ya both would’ve given me a reason or two already not to trust ya.” He let go of her. “Besides, I think if I went with only Dyson, he’d have his head stuck in the clouds.”

Dyson shook his head. “No, Master. I ain’t like that! I was just thinkin'...”

“That’s what they all say,” Mr. Burr replied, smirking. He dusted himself off. “How about ya give me a few minutes to change and we’ll head out?”

The two suddenly looked like deer trying to run as fast as they could. They filed out of the room, saying affirmatives louder than they should’ve. The door, this time, closed softly with a little click

Mr. Burr sighed and shuffled to his dresser. “Goin’ have to have an earful with those guards before I leave…”


It had been a while, and nothing had changed. I was still trying to get these two chunks of wood to spark. Unfortunately, there had not been a single one. I was getting tired again, my arms and hands aching from angrily grinding the chunks together, but I pressed on. I wasn’t going to be beaten by them.

Rainbow Dash had watched me this entire time. I could feel her breathing over my shoulder. Every so often she’d snort in my ear, probably making sure she wasn’t falling asleep. I turned around to check on her, but I couldn’t really see her face. However, one time, I did. I caught her nodding off, her pink eyes closing shut, but I nudged her a bit with my elbow, getting a yelp in return. I saw those eyes flicker when she woke up.

I frowned. I knew why she was keeping herself up. I told her she wasn’t allowed to because of her wing. She didn’t want to bend it any more than it already was. It… wasn't something I should be thinking about right now. I should be focused on this stupid fire. Yet, I was thinking about how much pain she was in. How her wing looked. How she still had a headache that really—I needed to get this out of my head out so I could focus.

“Hey, Dash?”

She hummed a response. “Mhmm?”

“What did ya do for fun back home?”

I felt her head rest on my shoulder for a momen, before she pulled away. “For fun, huh?” In the dark, I heard her tap her a hoof on the ground, before letting out a brief blow. “Flying, definitely. It’s the most awesome thing I do… well, besides saving Equestria with my friends.”

“Saving Equestria?” I blinked a bit at that. “What do ya mean by that?”

“My friends and I… we go help other ponies. Sometimes it’d happen in Ponyville, and other times it wouldn’t. It didn’t matter where. It’s something that we’ve always done.” She paused, taking in a deep breath. “I see it as a way of spreading how awesome it is to be happy with others that care, y’know?”

“And what does spreading awesome mean?”

“Spreading awesome?” She squeaked out. I nodded, and watched as she looked at my hands. “Well, it just means… that I want to show others t-that there’s a good side to everything. I want to be friends with other ponies, so I can learn from them, and I want them to learn from me, too. I want them... to know that I won’t l-lead them empty-hooved. I want them to be happy, as I am.” I turned to see her white teeth forming a grin, while her gaze looked into mine. “That’s what I do. That’s why I’m Loyalty.”

“Loyalty?”

She hesitated, pawing at the ground, before she approached and briefly nuzzled my back, which caused me to stop rubbing the two chunks of wood for a moment. “The Element of Loyalty. I’ll never leave my friends behind, and you better remember it.” She smirked, before continuing, “I’m the second best Element of Harmony ever, in my opinion.”

I sucked in a bit of air. It was a lot to take in. This injured pony behind me was like a protector or something. Like a guard, but... better. She cared about others, and… she was my guide. The guide to complete my ‘quest’.

I smirked. “Well I’m glad that I have the second best Element of Harmony ever with me.”

Rainbow Dash giggled weakly. “And I’m glad you’re not some crazy alien.”

“Crazy alien?”

“You know what I mean,” Dash said quickly. I didn’t, but I kept my mouth shut. She took the opportunity to bring her hoof close to my hand, something that nearly made me jump out of my skin. “You know, those logs won’t light up themselves.”

I grabbed at the chunks again. If she could see my face, my cheeks would probably be red right now. “S-Sorry, Dash. Got lost in our conversation and—”

“Don’t worry about it, Dyson. I got lost in it too.” I still felt her behind me, but she no longer was near my shoulder. She moved a bit to my left, if my ears weren’t lying to me. She laid herself on the ground, watching from afar. “I’ll keep you focused on getting this done while we continue talking, okay?”

Gulping, I returned to scrapping the pieces together. “Sure thing, Dash.”

“Great! Now… let me finish answering that question you asked me…”

“Wait, ya ain’t finished?” I asked, putting some more pressure on one of the pieces.

Her snort was all I heard. “That would be totally uncool to think that I only just fly and save Equestria all the time.”

“Well what else do ya do?”

The sounds of the two pieces of wood grinding together made her take pause. Then, she cleared her throat. “Other than the usual cloud-smashing, I... train.”

“You train? For what?”

She sighed. “There’s this e-event in Ponyville coming up. It’s called ‘The Running of the Leaves’. It’s a race that me and a couple of my friends do. Problem is… that although I’m the best flyer in Equestria, I don’t run as fast as I fly, and Applejack knew that.”

I tap the side of one of the chunks. “Sounds like the two of ya are rivals.”

Rainbow Dash chuckled. “Yeah, and last time, we competed for last place.”

“Wait, what?” I asked. “Last place?”

“Y-Yeah…” Sounded like she wasn’t proud of it. “We were too busy with our heads in the clouds that we lost focus of the race.” I could hear the grains behind me shift. “Neither of us won medals that day, but it wasn’t about that. I just wanted to beat Applejack.” She properly neighed at that. “I’ll make sure I beat her this time around, and win the race too!”

I stopped and turned to where I thought she was, smiling all the while. “When we get out of this gorge, I be there to watch ya race.”

However, I was wrong. I felt her presence closer, like she sneaked up behind me once again. She whispered into my ear. “Thanks, Dyson.”

“N-Not a problem.” I stuttered out. I turned my attention back to the two chunks. I heard her retreat to my side once again, giggling to herself. After a bit more rubbing, I saw something. A yellow little light. It bounced off the piece of wood and into the dark. “Did you see that?”

Rainbow Dash gasped. “Yeah, it sparked.” She trotted in front of me, her eyes wide as can be. “It sparked!”

I could hear her trot in place, picking up dust in her wake. She was excited, and I was too. I’m close to getting this fire started. All I needed was to keep at it and…

“You can do it, Dyson! Just keep going!”

Those words of encouragement was all I needed. I ground those two suckers together with all the rest of the strength I had in me, and, suddenly, they became aflame. 

“Holy…” I muttered.

A proud orange and yellow flame rose from my efforts. It stood happily, building up to be quite an impressive flame. It was feeding off the excitement of the pony beside me. “You did it! Dyson, we got a fire!” I heard the pat pat pat her hooves made against the grains. “Quick, get one of those longer pieces, and light it!”

I was way ahead of her. I grabbed a couple of the drier, thicker pieces of wood and brought them close to the flame. I stopped, momentarily, entranced by it. This was of my doing, a fire that I made with my two hands, without anyone forcing me to do so. It… was not because of Master. I did this. This was mine.

This was ours.

Without any hesitation, I plunged them into the fire. The fire roared in response. It engulfed them to the point that I knew they were lit. I pulled them out and there they were: two torches that burned happily.

“This is perfect, Dyson!” I could see her now, twirling in place. “Now we can see… what’s around us.”

I looked at what she saw, and gasped too. The cave was much larger than I thought. A high ceiling with darker grey walls, all with rocks that hung from the ceiling like chandeliers. It was… alluring, yet hopeless at the same time. 

And then I saw the tunnels.

There were three different tunnels. The outer ones both were narrow, and spread out to each end of the landmass. The other, more central tunnel, was large and looked like it curled on itself. The two of us were… taken in by this place.

“Dash, there’s…”

“Three of them. I see that.” She tilted her head, muzzle scrunched at them.

“Yeah…” I said, my voice trailing off. My feet felt frozen where I stood. I waited for her to speak. She was my guide, after all. 

Yet, she didn’t act like one. She piped up, “Where should we go, Dyson?”

She left the decision in my hands. That was not what I was expecting, yet I did not disobey. I was a… 

I sighed. There were three tunnels, we could explore each without going down them fully. It could make the decision easier, let alone safer for us.

“Well, we could split up and see where they lead.”

I could hear her hum a bit as she took in my words, but then, as I looked over, she shook her head at me. “We could, but… separating isn’t the best idea. And plus, if there’s an eel down in one of these…” She shivered, tensely shutting her eyes. “I don’t think I could handle being down here alone.”

“Fair,” I replied. I tapped my chin, trying to think of something else.

Like always, she spoke first, “Oh, Dyson, I know! Let’s pick one at random and take it!”

“Are you sure that’ll work?”

Her lips curled up into a smile. “Of course. You got any other ideas?"

“Nope!”

“Then it’s settled!” Dash announced proudly. She then turned away from me and looked at the tunnels.

The cave was silent. I stood there, unmoving, while I watched Dash closely. She was using her hoof, nodding it off each time she passed one, and then when she got to the last cave in line, she jotted back to the first. She kept repeating this same pattern, all while she spoke underneath her breath. I couldn’t tell what she was saying, her voice was as quiet as a mouse. However, the last three words rang clear:

“You. Are. It!”

Her foreleg was outstretched, and her hoof was pointing down the middle path. The large one with a path curling down.

“Looks like we goin’ down the middle, Dash,” I said. I slowly approached it, waving my torch at the mouth of the tunnel.

“Guess we are,” she replied, coming to my side.

I brought my arm around where her shoulder would be, being extra careful of her wing. “Stay close, okay?”

“Okay,” she murmured and nuzzled my side. “I’ll try.”

“You better,” I said, tussling her mane. She let out a brief blow in response.

Nothing more was said. Nothing else had to be said. It was time. We took our first steps into the tunnel, slowly descending into the world of the unknown.