Chapter 2
The sun slowly rose over the horizon of the mountainside. The light radiating from the peak of the mountains began seeping through the blinds of the main window in the master bedroom. I was soon graced with a slight annoyance of it finding its way to my face. A few moments later and I found myself out from under my covers and standing at the side of my bed. With a quick glance I noticed that Fluttershy was still peacefully sleeping in the bed. I smiled and pulled the covers over her, making sure not to wake her. With a mental nod of my head, I turned to my dresser and grabbed a new pair of clothes. I then headed into my bathroom and turned on the shower, letting the water warm up. Passing the time until it did so, I opened my cabinet next to the sink and pulled out a toothbrush and some toothpaste. Running the toothbrush under the water, I squirted a glob of toothpaste on it before beginning the task of brushing my teeth. I then proceeded to step into the shower and let the warm water wash over my body, relaxing my muscles with every passing moment. Taking the soap from the shelf, I began to wash my body followed by using shampoo to wash my hair. I then let the water wash away any remaining soap on my body. I waited a few more minutes before turning off the water and standing in the warm vapors that linger in the shower. Thoughts of my past filled my head, but I soon dismissed them and took a step out of the shower, pulling a towel around myself. After thoroughly wiping myself clean of water, I dressed myself and stepped out into the bedroom. I looked towards the bed and noticed that Fluttershy was still sleeping. I smiled and slowly crept to the front door, opening it quietly and slipping out without a sound. Once in the hallway, I made my way downstairs and into the kitchen. I opened the fridge and pulled out some jelly and butter. Within a few minutes I had made myself a quick breakfast. Taking a seat at the kitchen table to eat my breakfast, I was greeted with the soft clatter of hoofsteps coming towards me. Looking up, I was met the sight of Twilight standing in front of me. She stood still for a few moments, silence plaguing her tongue before I offered her a seat. She nodded her head and sat down across from me.
“Would you like something to eat?” I asked.
“If you wouldn’t mind,” she hesitantly replied. I could tell she was still getting used to her newfound freedom. Being a slave for years has a profound impact on a pony’s psych. I smiled as warmly as I could and slid her a plate with a few pieces of toast and jelly on it.
“I hope this is enough for now. It isn’t much and I need to go shopping for some more groceries,” I calmly said, Twilight smiling at me and nodding her head.
“It’s fine. This was usually a full days rations,” Twilight lightly said, chuckling slightly. I nodded my head before a serious expression came to my face.
“Hey Twilight, I have a favor to ask of you,” I said, Twilight looking at me with a puzzled look.
“I know you have been through a lot over the past few years. I have seen what my people are capable of, and I am sorry that you had to go through it. I just wanted to say that if you ever need to talk to anypony, you can come talk to me,” I offered, waiting for her response. She looked down at her toast before looking up at me with a small smile.
“Thank you,” she said, her voice slightly above a whisper and almost as gentle as Fluttershy’s. I nodded my head and finished my food, picking up the empty plate and placing it in the sink. I then turned back to Twilight.
“By the way, how did you sleep last night?” I asked, trying to form a light conversation with her.
“I slept well. It was actually very weird believe it or not,” Twilight said, followed by a slight giggle.
“Don’t worry, you will get used to it in time,” I said, trying to reassure her. Twilight nodded her head in agreement.
“So anyway, did you need anything else beside from what you have? I'm not sure if you have gone through all your stuff, but if there is something special you need, just let me know,” I said, Twilight nodding her head, putting a hoof to her chin in the process.
“I don’t really think I need anything at the moment. I have all the quills and parchment I need, along with enough ink. I think I should be fine,” Twilight happily responded. I smiled and started to walk towards the entrance of the kitchen.
“Alright then. Help yourself to around the house. I only ask that you stay inside, just in case there are any unwanted visitors. If that does happen, Luna will know what to do,” I said, waving a hand in the air as I left for the front door. I then slid on my shoes and grabbed my large rucksack before making my way out the front door and to the garage. A minute later, the garage door opened and the high-pitched revving of my Yamaha TZR 50 resonated through the small garage. Though it was an older model, most likely about forty years old, it was in great condition due to the replacement of almost every part. Within a few seconds, I had made my way down the dirt driveway and onto a side road that was rarely ever traveled or known about. Luckily I had switched out my regular tires for tires more suited to retain traction while on dirt and other similar surfaces. Now it was a smooth ride to Canterlot, the largest city in Equestria, and also the largest dealer of slaves.
An Hour Later
I stepped off my bike and took the keys out of the ignition. Looking around, I could tell the city was just beginning to become lively. It was still early in the morning, so I figured I had around an hour or so before it became overly crowded. With an eagerness to avoid the crowds, I opted for buying groceries first. Turning in the direction of a large general store, I started to make way towards it.
The walk took around five minutes or so, but was mostly uneventful. Along the way I noticed a large stage that was being crudely assembled near the center of Canterlot, most likely for an announcement that our beloved president has prepared for us. This was a common occurrence in Canterlot though, so I didn’t pay it much attention. The only oddity I could see was a strange device being assembled on the part of the stage that was already constructed. Pushing the thought out of my mind, I walked through a pair of sliding glass doors and found myself in the lobby of the store. Grabbing a shopping cart, I began my journey up and down the aisles, stocking up on numerous foods and vegetables. Walking along the outer rim of an aisle, I looked towards the deli where there were a few people standing in line, waiting to be served. I gave a look of disgust and continued shopping for food that was meat free. After visiting several aisles, I made my way to the candy section. Since sugar cubes were always in high demand, being used as rewards and rations for slave ponies, candy was relatively expensive. Knowing full well that this was a special occasion for coming one step closer to my goal, I went down the aisle and grabbed many assortments of sweets. After filling my cart up with about ten loaves of bread, I made my way to the checkout. Everything in my cart was emptied onto the conveyor belt and scanned for the price. The cashier eyed my and all of my items before she attempted to make small talk.
“So, are all these things for your slaves?” she asked, me looking at her and shaking my head.
“Kind of. It’s around fifty-fifty,” I replied, the women still scanning the items and bagging them in plastic bags.
“Why would you feed your slaves this type of food? It is more expensive than just regular feed,” she said, making me chuckle slightly.
“Alright. I will answer your question with another question. Is it better to be feared or loved?” I asked, waiting for the women to formulate her response. She kept scanning the remaining items and shrugged her shoulders.
“I don’t know. It’s hard to decide on one or the other.”
“Precisely. It is hard to decide on either one or the other. That is what makes it a ‘black and white’ so to say,” I replied, the women finishing up scanning the items.
“I don’t fully understand what you mean by that,” she spoke, tallying up my total as I reached for my wallet.
“What it means is that the question has no definitive answer. We tend to see options and choices in two ways; either fully one way, or fully the other. That is why I call these questions, ‘black and white’. It is because we only see two options. But what about the other options that we can take. You can be somewhat loved and mostly feared. You can also be mostly loved and only feared slightly. It all depends on what your goal is. For example, I found that it is best to offer my slaves decent food. This boosts their morale and at the same time, their work efficiency. They like me a little more because I am feeding them food that is normally only eaten by humans. But at the same time, if they start to slack off or produce insufficient results, then they fear what will happen to them, whether it is a loss of food or even physical punishment. You just have to balance it in the right order to produce the best results.” The women had now finished bagging all my items and taking my money for them. She returned my change and nodded her head.
“I think I understand now,” she said, giving me a small smile. I nodded my head and took the change from her, stuffing it into my wallet. I then grabbed my cart full of bagged groceries and bid the women a farewell. I pushed my cart to the entrance of the store and began unloading the groceries into my large, military-grade rucksack. It was large enough to accommodate everything, but left almost no room for anything else. Once I had positioned everything in my bag, I walked out of the store and headed down the center of Canterlot, towards the slave auction house.
My stomach churned at the sight of all the malnourished ponies. Some were near the brink of starvation while others had brutal marks and scars covering them, most likely from beatings from their previous masters. I quickly found my way to the main room of the auction house and walked up to the booth I had been so many times before. It was a booth that everyone had to go to in order to conduct trades of slaves. It had files of everypony being sold, bought, or moved from city to city. It was wonderful how easy this made it for me to track down certain ponies. Scanning through a logbook, I found the transaction sale of three ponies to a place called Ulta Farms. Among the names listed was one that immediately recognized and rather happy to see. It was Applejack name, and to further my point of confirmation, a cutie mark of three red apples was placed on her next to it. This assured me that I had found her. Mostly, pony’s cutie marks are used as a symbol of identification, if a pony ever happens to escape. They can then be returned to their rightful owners. I smiled and wrote down the address of the farm, stuffing it into my pocket. Closing the logbook, I walked past the main auction area and out the door of the auction house. I began to make my way through the crowded streets and back to my bike. I was stopped when I heard announcement being yelled from the center of the stage I saw earlier. Turning my attention towards the stage, I was in state of shock at what I saw. Standing in the middle of the stage was a man in shackles, bloodied and bruised all over his body. His clothes were in shambles and he had long-overgrown facial hair. He was then dragged to the right side of the stage and stood up by two guards. An overly dressed man appeared in front of the crowd and began to issue his speech to the crowd.
“This man has been charged with aiding and abiding escaped slaves into the territory of Ponyville. He has been found guilty during his hearing and sentenced to death. Let this be an example to all who help fugitive slaves and accomplices.” The man then motioned for the convict to be hoisted up and noosed around his neck. I watched in stunned silence as the man put up little resistance as the noose was around his neck tightened. Standing off to the side of the stage was a large man whose hand hovered over a lever to release the stage underneath the convict. Noticing the man about to pull the lever, I turned my head and began to walk away, hearing applause from crowd when the man’s neck made a grueling snap. I continued forward with haste and didn’t stop until I had reached my bike. I paid my parking fee as fast as I could and bolted down the road with utmost haste.
Fifty Minutes Later
I parked my bike in the garage and turned off the ignition. I took the keys out of the ignition and ran towards the house. Entering the house, I immediately made my way into the kitchen. I set my bag down on the kitchen counter and took a seat at the table. I sat in silence until Luna came into the room looking happily at the large bag of food, until her eyes fell upon me.
“Leon what’s wrong?” she asked, trotting next to me. I shook my head and looked bleakly at the ground.
“Can you gather everypony? There is something I need to discuss with all of you,” I said, Luna nodding her head and walking back upstairs. I started unpacking everything I had gotten today and placed them appropriately in the cabinets and pantry. Once everything was unpacked and in its rightful place, I went upstairs and set down my backpack before coming back down into the main living room. Everypony was sitting idly in the middle of the room, chatting with each other. Everypony stopped when they saw the distressed look on my face. I walked to the fireplace and turned around so I could see and address them all.
“I have some good news and bad news. Which do you want first?” I asked, waiting for everypony to reply. Everypony was silent, even Luna. I took this as a sign to continue with any order I wanted.
“Alright then, I will start off with the good news first.” I paused for a moment before a small smile appeared across my face.
“I have found where Applejack is. Within a few days I will have her back here safe and sound.” All the ponies began to cheer lightly, nodding their heads and smiling at one another. My face then turned to one of seriousness. Everypony settled down and began to listen again.
“That was the good news. The bad news is that something is happening with our ‘perfect’ government,” I said, emphasizing the perfect part. “This afternoon, I witnessed a pony sympathizer hung in the main area of Canterlot. His crimes were aiding and abiding fugitive slaves. Normally, they would slap him with a heavy fine and put him in jail for a month. This time they decided to kill him in front of the general populace, as a moral booster for people who have come to rely on slavery and a warning for those who wish to end it. That was the general message it sent, but I think there was something else too it.” I put my hand to my chin in thought.
“Yeah, there must be a reason why,” I said again, nodding my head. I looked up to see all the ponies had confused, or somewhat scared looks on their faces.
“Is that going to happen to you if you get caught?” Rainbow asked, the others also interested in the answer. I nodded my head and everypony remained silent.
“I would most likely be put through a mock trial with no chance of winning. Then I would be put on display for public humiliation before I was hanged,” I finished. Everypony look shocked and even slightly angry at my response.
“You, you can't keep doing this then. What happens if you are caught?” Rainbow yelled, receiving a small smile from me.
“Then it will suck to be me then. You ponies have endured so much at the hoof of my people. Sacrifices must be made to achieve our goal and if I happen to be one of them, then I hold no grudge against anypony at all. We all have to fight for what is right, and if I die for that cause, then at least I will rest easy knowing that I did everything in my power to help change this world,” I said, looking away from everypony. Rainbow was about to say something else, but stopped and hovered back down to her seat. She knew I was right, and trying to dissuade me was unlikely to happen.
“Alright everypony. I have restocked the kitchen with fresh food and vegetables for you. I have also included some candy in there for everypony. Now if you will excuse me please, I have to research on where this farm is that is housing Applejack,” I stated, walking away and then upstairs to my room, closing the door behind me. Sitting down at my desk, I began to paw through countless map of the area, looking for my destination. It wasn’t until about an hour later that I had finally located the area on the map. It was around a half of days trip by foot and was mostly on an unused dirt road. What struck me as an obstacle, were the natural surroundings the farm had on it. It was protected on every side by thick walls of rock and made escaping a very dangerous. I sat in silence for another good portion of the day, thinking of a strategy to get back A.J. with the most success. With the plan’s outline already in my head, I started to write down every idea and possible situation in which I could rescue Applejack.
The Next Day (10:00am)
“Alright, I got everything I need,” I told myself, looking over my backpack to double check everything. I then grabbed my sidearm and placed it in my hostler that was hidden under my jacket. I looked up to Luna and smiled.
“I will be back early tomorrow morning with Applejack. Please watch over everypony while I'm gone and try to worry. I will be fine,” I said, strapping on my backpack and walking to the door with Luna in tow.
“Everypony will be fine. Just... just be safe ok.” Luna said, looking worried as I opened the front door.
“Don’t worry about me. I have done this type of stuff before. I will sneak in during the night, grab Applejack and the other ponies, and sneak out undetected,” I boldly claimed, Luna still looking concerned.
“I know, but I just have a bad feeling about this,” she stated, me laughing in response.
“You always say that. But don’t worry, I will be fine. Tell everypony I said goodbye and that Applejack will be reunited with them shortly,” I yelled, running down the road while I waved to Luna. Luna waved a hoof to see me off and when I was out of sight, she let out a deep breath she didn’t know she was holding. With nothing else to do but wait, she proceeded into the house and tried to find anything that would keep her mind off of me until I returned.