//------------------------------//
// Disapointing shades 
// Story: Earning Freedom 
// by Daxisle 
//------------------------------//

  Mac walked behind; Spike, Sin and a new dark pony that was merely introduced as "Stare Shade." He hadn't been around the pony for more than a couple of hours, but that was enough to give the stallion a great deal of judgement. His randomness put Pinkie Pie almost to shame, mix that with the dark purple ponies almost demonic look and maniacal yellow eyes; and you have one of the few individuals on this earth Big Mac could actually consider himself fearful of. But with his current state of anger for the leaving the first mare who ever showed him affection in such a way, and so abruptly no less, he was more angered than intimidated.

"Soooo..." The shaded pony began, finally breaking the uncomfortable silence he allowed. "Where 'we goin'? 

Sin simply kept walking, ignoring Stars words. Star narrowed his eyes at his old associate and place himself infront of the silent pony to block his path. "I asked a que-"

"Canterlot." Sin replied passing by, with Mac and Spike not missing a step. Star looked on as the three walked by as if he were making a decision. He placed a blackened hoof to his chin in thought of Luna-knows-what before he shrugged and caught up with the trio. He trotted next to Sin and looked up to the cloudy skies over head, the air was growing cold again; and defiantly giving the warning signs of winter. A heavy win shot out of now where and ruffled the travelers cloaks, pushing Spike slightly off balance.

"YAYZ!" Star exclaimed with a grin, before he continued walking with out elaboration. After a few more moments of walking, Mac's curiosity got the better of him.

"What's 'yayz' fer?" he growled, raising a skeptical eyebrow.

The black pegasus looked over with a mildly interested smile. "What?"

"You said 'yayz'." Mac replied, his annoyance of repeating himself showed in his voice. "Why?"

"Cold times." Star quipped happily facing forward again.

Mac opened his mouth to speak again, but thought better of it. He couldn't tell if Shade was trying to get under his skin or if he was genuinely that random and unprecedentedly confusing. Either way, he knew that if he continued the conversation with his current stress, he would be digging a six by six hole where nopony would think to go.

As the three made their way forth, the wind began to pick up more and more. Levels of annoyance and audible cursing rose while the party fought nature to press forward. Spike was not a light creature, but he wasn't heavy nor strong enough to handle this kind of weather on his own. He lost his footing and fell backwards from the wind resistance his cloak had caught. 

Mac pulled the young dragon upright and gave him a stern nod and continuing on. Spike wrapped the light brown cloth around himself to minimize the resistance it gave, mentally kicking himself for not considering the extra warmth such an concept would bring. 

"BRING IT ON!" Yelled Shade in challenge of the wind. "You can do better than that, can't you?!" He held a daring hoof to the direction the wind was blowing from. A sudden gale had sent the he and Sin to the earth in what Mac could only describe as; Pegasus nature to accept the young stallions request. Though his earthen birth had given him enhanced strength enough to withstand the onslaught.

Mac looked over to find the leader of their escapade giving a snark look to the now lively and exited Star Shade, who was to preoccupied by thrill and excitement to acknowledge. "I've met FOALS who could boil water with their eyes bro, DON'T MESS WITH ME!" He cried. Another gale swam through, the pegasus opened his black wings and flew back with the wind. "WEEEEE!"

Mac's temper flared, he couldn't explain why; but this pony's voice just irritated him to no end. He made his way to the cause of his anger, "Will y'all SHUT UP ALREADY?" 

Star's happy babbling ceased almost immediately, he flow forward and landed infront of the red pony before he turned around and tilted his head to the side, his eyes narrowed as he judged the offending stallion before him. "Do you WANT me to preform acrobatic stunts?" The the pony proclaimed throwing his hands in the air. "Cause I'll do it, don't think I wont."

Mac stood in awe of the ponies statement, his mind strained to comprehend what he was hearing as some sort of threat. "What the buck are you on about?"

His mouth a gape in disgust, Star walked until his face was only inches from Mac's "I will have you know sir." He growled. "I have smacked DIAMOND DOGS for less."

Mac slammed his hoof into the dark pegasus' face, sending him toppling to the ground. He snapped, he couldn't take this ponies shenanigans any more. (Yes i actually put "shenanigans" in here, you cannot convince me there is a better term) He was already aggravated beyond reason for leaving Anni, and somepony had to put this colt in his place.

As the wind began to grow increasingly violent, he looked around to check how his friends were doing. Spike had both of his claws planted firmly in the earth as his eyes were wide and beaming at him. Mac's gaze shot to Sin who bore an unreadable expression. Mac turned back to find the pegasus had already lifted himself from the ground, his eyes baring daggers for Mac. "You got a problem pussy cat?" Mac clenched his jaw, the wind whipped his orange mane around his unblinking and hateful eyes.

"If you did, now you have three." Star growled, flaring his nostrils. 

Mac scowled at the challenge, who did this pony think he was? In a fit of unintelligible rage, the red stallion threw up his bow leg, aiming it directly at the black pegasus' chest. As he centered his shot, something slammed into his crossbow, shattering the contraption into pieces on the ground around him. Mac recoiled from the sudden destruction of his weapon and turned to find Sin holding his own unloaded bow up at him.

No words were muttered from the four as the wind began to die down, Mac looked in shock and awe as he came to terms with what had just happened. Sin shot him, he shot and destroyed the very mechanism that helped Mac escape imprisonment. The stallion hadn't thought about it until now, but the once in tacked crossbow had given him a great feeling of confidence and calm. Having such a powerful and strong weapon shatter in his grasp, Big Macintosh couldn't help but feel a little bit of his heart shatter with it; and the fact that Sin himself was the one who did it, didn't do anything to help his shock.

After what seemed like hours, the wind started to pick up again, Sin broke the awkward staredown with a disappointing shake of his head; before he walked forward again. Mac watched him go, before his ashamed gaze found their way to Star Shade, he saw the pony shrug blissfully before he turned and followed the free pony, leaving Spike to stand next to Mac. "C'mon." The dragon sighed, his eyes had shown sympathy for Macintosh, but determination to keep up with the others. Before long, the red stallion shook himself from the initial bewilderment enough to continue. Slowly but surly he followed the lead ponies, a slowly growing sense of shame and despair in his heart. 





Applejack raised a hoof to remove the sweat that was dripping her brow, she looked at the last barrel of apples that she hulled into her cellar. It was the last of the apples for bucking season to be put into storage for Winter. The product had come up a bit short this year than usual, but she knew that the two farm hands she had hired were doing the best they could to have the apples bucked in time.

The orange mare sighed. Still, she never liked when apples went to waste, and with all the fruit that was still in the far edges of the orchard; the apple mare couldn't help but be left longing for her brother. Even when it was just the two of them, they could have had the whole farm done with time to spare, she never realized how much his absence would make the work suffer.

"Hey Applejack!" Called a voice from above the shadow enclosed basement. Applejack looked up to the light, and with a deep breath she perked a smile and made her way outside to find a grinning Rainbow Dash. "What do ya think?" She asked smugly, gesturing to the naked trees around. "I'd say we cleaned this place up pretty good."

Applejack chuckled. Not wanting to offend one of her best friends she simply play to the the truth, being the element of honesty was something the mare found quite annoying at times. "Ya' sure did partner." She looked around and admired all the work that the Rainbow had done. It's true, the work was nothing to scoff at; bucking apples for most of her life, the orange pony knew that.

"Sooo..." Rainbow said with an expectant grin.

Applejack quirked a brow. "So wha'?"

"Come on." The rainbow mare demanded playfully. "how awesome am I?"

AJ rolled her eyes before she began to stroke Dash's ego. "You're the fastest flier in Equestria."

"And?"

"And ya' cleaned this place up good."

"And?" 

The orange mare's ear twitched in annoyance, "'and wha'?"

Rainbow slammed a hoof against her face dramatically, her bright and egotistical grin deadpanned. "AND!" She began. "It was all done just in time for Winter! Pretty impressive huh?"

"Oh, uh. Yea." Applejack chirped nervously. "You betcha, hehe" She gestured her hoof.

Rainbow quirked a skeptical eyebrow, "Yea, so." She scratched the back of her head, a sore feeling assaulting her pride. "Did you wanna get started on the preservation stuff?"

The apple mare shook her head. "Nah, that can wait. I was thinkin' 'bout goin' n' visitn' Twi. Ever since Spike left, she's been hold up in the Library more 'n usual."

Rainbow found interest in a rock on the ground, she gently kicked it in the dirt before her mind began to recall not seeing the lavender pony around lately. "Yea, I have kinda noticed that too."

"sides," Applejack proclaimed with a smile walking back into he house and grabbing an envelope from the table. "Pinkie said she was s'posed to give this to 'er."

Rainbow glanced at the envelope a moment before she recognized what it was. "Why didn't Pinkie Pie give that to Twilight herself? I mean, It's something that could really help her nerves wouldn't it?"

AJ shrugged before placing the parchment into her saddlebag. "Can't say exactly, Twi' probably wouldn't answer the door for her or sumthin'."

The two ponies closed and locked up the apple cellar before making way into the town proper. Applejack noticed a few clouds casting shade overhead and began to question her Multicolored friend about it. To which the cyan mare simply shrugged it off as being a job for a later time.

Applejack quirked a brow, from what Rainbow had told her earlier; the weather team was supposed to keep the sky clear for the next week. She knew that her friend liked to procrastinate in the form of downtime and naps, but she always finished her work when the schedule called for it.

After a brief back and forth between the two, they finally arrived at the library with Rainbow shrugging off Applejack's concerns of her her overworking herself. 

"Al'righ, bu' Ah still say, ya need'a take it easy." the farm pony said skeptically.

A quick scoff from Rainbow caused Applejack to roll her eyes and knock on the door. After a few moments, it creaked loudly and opened only a small amount. "Hello?" A voice called from within.

"Umm, Twi'?" Applejack called.

The door opened a little more to reveal a rather apathetic looking purple unicorn. "Oh, hi Applejack, hi Rainbow Dash." She muttered dryly. 

"Umm... Hey Twilight." Rainbow called, her voice mixed with concern and skepticism. "You alright? We haven't seen ya around lately."

Twilight merely shrugged and made a sound of indifference. A moment passed before she realized her answer wasn't received with satisfaction before she continued with a sigh. "Oh you know, just reading and being an egg head." 

Rainbow flushed a little at the teasing nick name she had given to the lavender mare. It wasn't meant to be as insulting as she made it out to be.

"You alright there sugarcube?" Applejack asked.

"Fine, absolutely wonderful, Fan-bucking-tastic." Twilight began, he apathy giving way to sarcasm. "I'm sitting here, minding my own business, and the next thing I know; my basic small brother ups and leaves me for somepony who I have never even met. Claiming that he wont be happy as long as he stays here, giving ME the impression, that I am not making him happy. And not only that, but I was the one making him miserable!" 

Applejack and Rainbow stood in shock to see the unicorn huffing and gritting her teeth at the end of her tangent. They had seen her angry and even a little crazy after a few incidents of imperfection and tardiness. But this was a whole new kind of anger that scared them both. Typically when Twilight was angry, her emotions were clear and what attempt she made to hide them failed miserably. 

But this was different.

The way Twilight Sparkle was behaving wasn't just angry, her words weren't just ones of hurt and emotion; they were cynical and hateful. Her calm tone and seething eyes were very distinct to her true feelings, and they weren't subtle.

"Feel like asking anymore stupid questions?" Twilight asked flatly.

Applejack cringed at question before her cyan associate stepped in front of her. "Hey back off there Twi'."

Twilight's flat eyes slowly fixated on Rainbow before a smirk played to her face. "I'm sorry Crash, I didn't think you'd mind hearing that question directed at somepony else for a change."

Rainbows eyes widened before she snarled and lunged at her friend. They both toppled into the Library with Rainbow pinning Twilight against the ground. "What's your problem?" The rainbow maned pony demanded.

Twilight glared soullessly, "Gee, I knew you were dim, but deaf too?" She finished with an evil smile.

Dash's mouth gaped before she rose an offending hoof and slapped the smirk off the unicorns face. 

"RAINBOW!" Applejack yelled coming out of her shocked trance. She ran over and pulled the cyan pegasus off, her friends thrashing body making her exert more strength than she anticipated. "Calm down."

"NO!" Rainbow cried, he eyes beginning to fill with tears. "Did you not hear what she just said to us?"

Applejack held her restraint against the aggravated pony. "I heard her, and she don't mean nothin' by it. She's jus' upset, n' ponies say some messed up things when' ther' upset."

"What's the matter AJ?" Twilight said still laying on her back, her eyes fixated on the darkened light fixtures above. "Your marefriend becoming to much to handle?" 

The farm mare flinched at the insinuation, her mind briefly toyed with the thought of letting the enraged Rainbow mare go and thrash Twilight for saying such a thing. "Twi', Imma turn the othah' cheek on that one." She finished her statement before realizing that Dash had stopped struggling to get free from her grip. "Rainbow?"

Dash held her head down, her rainbow mane covering her eyes. "That was low Twi." She growled, "That was not cool." She pulled her arms from AJ and turned her back before walking out the door and flying away from the Library.

"Alright Twilight, What's your deal?" Applejack stomped an angry hoof onto the ground. "Y'all know Rainbow's sensitive on that kinda subject."

Twilight abrubptly sat up, her head flinging forward and down with her lavender main covering her eyes. Applejack bit her lip as a few moments of silence lingered between the two, causing the air to become thick with tension. "You know Applejack..." Twilight finally broke the silence, her tone even and thoughtful. "It's kinda funny, don't you think?" Smiled before her head lifted up.

"Wha's funny?"

"Oh you know," Twilight chuckled, "He said I was a 'stallion hater' when I never hated them. Until he showed up and took our two boys away from us."

Applejack let out a sigh and took a seat on the floor. "Ah know how ya' feel, Twi'."

"Do you?" The purple unicorn asked.

"Ah do." The farm mare replied sympathetically. "But, Sin didn't take our boys, he just gave them the option to leave with 'im."

Twilight scoffed sarcastically. "Oh he did something to them." She gowled standing up. "You know he did too. I've been thinking about what he claimed to have told them. And it's complete CRAP! He took them from us, and we will never see them again! Don't you get it?"

Applejack eyed her friends rage before shaking her head and standing up again. The farm mare walked over to her friend with tears threatening her eyes. "Sugarcube, I think it's time we talked about it." She stood in front of Twilight, her friends angry eyes softening at the sight of the tears. "Ah know you're angry n' hurt. But, they both left on their own. Mac 'n Ah were talkin' before he left. He said he was levin' 'cause he wanted to, not 'cause some stallion told 'em..."

The explanation dragged on for the better part of half an hour, Twilight's stone angry face softening the more her friends spoke. She listened with interest as the farm mare gave her opinion on the perspective of Mac and how she had never really looked at much from his point of view. A particular cord resonated when Applejack mentioned the farewell that Twilight had missed.

After the explanation the orange pony reached into her saddlebag and pulled out the envelope. "Pinkie sai' that she tried to give this to ya." She held out the envelope which Twilight took and looked over a few times, noting the name and location on the front. "She told me that was Sin's promise that he would look out fer Spike."

Twilight's shoulders slumped, a twinge of guilt pulsing through them. "W- What is it?" 

"Pink said it was some important pony's letter, and that Sin would come back fer it cause it is important." Applejack shrugged. 

Twilight furrowed her brow in thought and guilt. He was going to look after them until they came back? He mind transitioned from her own pain to the needs of her practical son. He was a dragon after all, it really shouldn't have been that surprising that he needed more than what: She, her friends, and this town had to offer.

Tears welled up in her eyes as the lavender unicorn began to sob. She berated herself for her selfishness and assumptions, though a small part of her clung to the thought of some kind of psychological manipulation. She felt a warm pressure constrict around her form. Twilight's eyes opened to find AJ holding her in embrace. "It's alright Twi'."

"I'm terrible." Twilight squeaked, burring her face into her friends shoulder.





After a few minutes of trek in the wind, Mac, Sin, Spike and Shade found themselves in an small cave and cold cave. After getting the fire lit, Spike sat with a very bleak and lifeless Macintosh. He looked over to find Sin looking out of the caves mouth, observing several dark clouds that had began to descend from the north. 

"How long will we be here?" Shade complained laying on his back, with his rear pressed against the wall. "I'm BORED!" 

"I'll be here until the storm passes." Sin replied quietly, strangely, the wind that bellowed outside oft he cave was nothing more than a quiet whisper when heard from within. "You may do as you wish."

"Sin." Spike called walking besides the stallion, Sin looked over slightly to view the nervous look on dragons face. "Why did you shoot Big Macintosh?" He eyed Sin for an answer.

"What happened was between myself and Mr. Macintosh," Sin replied before turning his gaze back to the encroaching storm. "I am not at liberty to discuss the matter with you." His voice dripped with ice and venom causing the baby dragon to furrow his brow. He opened his mouth to retort but thought better of it and walked back over to his red friend. 

After a few minutes of awkward silence, the young wyvern finally spoke. "You alright Mac?" 

Mac looked over to his young friend, confusion and sadness littered his features. In a way, it stung Spike himself. He had never seen much from Macintosh aside from his typical somber smile and working cheer. To see what Spike considered the closest thing to a role model in such a state was almost devastating to look at. "Mac, I think you should go and talk to him."

"Who wants to play Tic tack toe?!" Star Shade exclaimed drawing a crude 5x5 diagram on the dirt ridden ground. "I've only ever gotten four in a row, but dammit all if I don't win one game in my life!"

"Anyway..." Spike continued, ignoring the random outburst. "I don't know exactly what happened, but you can't just mope around like this. Now get over there and settle it!" The dragon pushed the red stallion away from the wall, breaking him from his shocked state of thought. The next thing Macintosh knew, he was face to face with Sin; the young dragon wondered away to give the duo privacy to speak. Sin eyed Macintosh expectantly, after a few moments of nothing, the stallion turned his attention back outside.

"Ah um..." Mac started before his eyes turned down in discouragement. He found the destroyed crossbow still strapped to his foreleg. His green eyes shot wide before they formed into a scowl, a deep feeling of anger coming with them. "Why'd ya do it?" 

Sin sat in silence, pondering over Mac's question. Mac awaited impatiently, his anger beginning to bubble within himself just waiting to explode into some thing his rational self tried to control. After what seemed like an hour, the enigmatic pony finally spoke. "You know why I did it. Why are you asking?" 

"NO!" Mac hollered at the unsatisfactory answer. "Why did'ja have'ta ruin it?" He pointed his hoof, Sins hidden eyes trailing down to the desolated contraption before he made a sound of acknowledgment and turned his gaze back to the now sprinkling weather. 

"Above all things, Mr. Macintosh, I value freedom and disdain authority." Sin looked down to see the annoyed stallion locking onto his, he lifted his hoof and pointed to the crossbow. "That was meant to defend your own freedom from those who would perpetrate violence against you, the minute you turned it into a tool of self appointed authority to impede on Star Shade's own free and nonviolent actions; I had the responsibility to put it to an end."

"Wha' the buck are y'all talkin' 'bout?" Mac demanded slamming his hoof to the ground, "Ah didn't use it ta-"

"You weren't going to use it to threaten him to be quiet?" Sin interjected his tone emotionless and calculated. "Or, You weren't going to shoot him out of anger for his insensate babbling?"

"You're Insecetant!" Shade yelled from the background. "And don't use words you just made up!"

Mac shook his head and let out a sigh. "Ah didn't plan on-"

Sin held up his hoof to silence the Stallion, a gentle smile claiming his face. "I understand your frustration." He said calmly, his face turning back to the light drizzle that was now growing strength. "But you must understand something about Star Shade. When I first decided to lend my hoof at assisting him in the ways of freedom, I didn't know he would go as far as he did with the concept."

Mac quirked a brow and stared skeptically at the explaining stallion. He was still angry about what had happened, but as he thought on it, it began to dawn that Star didn't really do anything but get on his nerves. No reason to go off and threaten a pony with something that could kill him over something so minor, or so he found in retrospect. Not to mention he did give Star a good punch in the face before he drew the bow.

"Star Shade had always found himself rather," Sin paused thinking of the correct way to phrase it. "Unstable with this world." He finished looking over to see he still had Mac's attention. "Once I showed him that his life was his own, and there was freedom in the world to call his own." Sin's smile became a little brighter. "He relished in the broken chains of his master, beyond ecstatic at his new found liberty."

Sin looked back to the the fore-mentioned dark stallion to see him drawing something that represented a multi headed snake in the dirt. His face turned from thoughtful to sad before he leaned down and hugged the art he made.

"After he discovered the freedom from your princess." Sin continued, bringing Mac's attention back to the conversation. "He wanted to take it a step further than just being free of his personal servitude." 

Mac pulled his head back in surprise. "What do ya mean? How could he take it ah step farther?" His question was met with silence as Sin shook his head and chuckled lightly. 

"He did something I never thought any individual in this world would do." Sin smiled and looked back to find Shade writing the letters "F L U F F Y" over his creations head. Sin drew his attention back to Mac. "He wanted to be free from Logic and Sanity."

(A/N, Yea been a while since I uploaded. I would say sorry, but I don't think to many care. Any rate, Question of the story: Should I make the chapters longer to include all three archs? [The senate's politics, the Mane Six's struggles to cope, and Mac, Spike, Sin and Star's little escipade], or just stick with two at a time?)