//------------------------------//
// Freedom. 
// Story: One by One 
// by DreamWings 
//------------------------------//

Freedom

They can’t hold me here anymore. There’s no proof that I could have done it, apart from the names of the victims just happening to be on a list I had in my house. What’s the chance that they should find that? Unbelievable. I’m usually so careful. Twist just had to go and be found dead in my house didn’t she? She always ruined every single plan I had. I’ll never know why Applebloom used to demand to keep her around as a friend. All she was is a pest. A large parasprite feeding on our friendship and tearing my mind in two. It’s not my fault she died; it’s hers.

Anyway I didn’t do it. At least they can’t prove that I did. Why would I be so stupid to leave her body where they could easily suspect me? I was busy that night, very busy. The only good thing to come out of my short arrest was that I didn’t need to go to work. No work, no boss, no fear. And now that I’ve been suspected he’s going to be wary of me; he could leave me alone—or he could want me to do it even more. I guess I’ll find out soon enough. 

So, a new body found in an alley. Can’t say I’m surprised. There’s some very dangerous deranged ponies out there. I know who I mean. Some of my colleagues who work on my mission with me are that kind of pony; it takes all our effort to stop them when they have an idea to do that sort of thing. It takes no effort to stop myself; I just do what I do when I do. Even if it’s wrong I’ll do it. I follow social reality, not the social values that Equestria represents so dearly. 

I can’t help but wonder what pony’s lost their life now. He was male, that’s known, despite a castration attempt by the killer. His cutie mark was a bit torn up apparently, so nopony could recognise who he was. An hourglass-y thing of some sort, maybe. Doctor Whooves? Master Trot? They both have that. Though many other ponies do as well. You’d be surprised how many Hourglass ponies there are. Clock worker is an extremely common talent around here. Celestia knows why. Hopefully it was the Doctor; that would be the right one to get rid of. As much as killing hurts he’d been hanging around our agents far too much recently. He needed to be stopped before he found out too much about what we were doing and went to tell the Princess—or worse, the Elements of Harmony.

Ha! Good luck doing anything with the Elements now. I think you’re short of one Element of Generosity, aren’t you? Little Belle’s still not come home for that. She missed the funeral and everything. Big Mac’s funeral was pretty empty too. Everypony was too scared to leave the safety of their homes to go to any of the funerals that have happened recently. Friends? Yeah right, they wish. They pretend to be so caring and yet when trouble comes they do nothing to help. I notice none of my supposed ‘friends’, as they call themselves, came to help bail me out of jail. Even the ponies I help all of the time, and risk my life for, didn’t come to help me. Loyalty isn’t very strong in Ponyville. Loyalty—Loyalty—

But for now, I suppose, I have been given my freedom. Freedom to be stared at from the opposite side of the road because all of the ponies are suspicious and in fear of me. Those that I have grown up with shiver when I walk up to them. I’m not the little filly they once knew anymore; I’ve suddenly been recognized as a monster. There’s no doubt that crazy stories will soon circulate about my evil acts as a foal, even though if they think back I never really did anything wrong or bad unless it was an accident. I was just like them—Now, I’m just like me instead, and that’s the only difference. I bet they won’t recognize that. They’ll only see me as a freak. A freak being stalked by the police.

They think I don’t know that they’re watching my every move but I can see them behind the boxes and standing next to walls. It’s hard to make ducking behind an apple sack seem nonchalant. Idiots. If they think I’m going to lead them where they want me to go they can forget it. I’m not taking them anywhere. For the next few days I’m going to be a model citizen—by then they should’ve got bored and left me alone. Then I can carry on with my work.

The only question is do I really want to carry on doing what I was doing? It seems like a pony eat pony world right now, even with those that want to stop it. Am I doing what’s right? Probably. Who am I kidding, I need to do this. It’s imperative that I finish what I’ve started. For Applebloom, for Little Belle, for myself and for every other pony I’ve stayed loyal too. Loyalty—Loyalty—My love for loyalty scares me sometimes. Loyalty is so important to me.

I don’t understand why I care about loyalty so much. Nopony is loyal to me; that’s been shown a lot recently. Still, I suppose I should carry on going eh? No Twist to get in my way now. Only Snips, and if this murderer has any sense he’ll be the next target. Or—No Scoots, out of respect for the past I shouldn’t think things like that. It’s a pony eat pony world out there. Griffon verse Griffon. Turtle verse Turtle. Me casa et su casa. Wait—that’s not right. 

I’ll be on my way then dumb Police-stallions and mares. Not you two, you’re fine. I have to go find somepony. A certain little filly is in trouble, and I’m going to find her and put a stop to it.
Bye idiots.