Work & Play
Sin awoke in a cold sweat.
He didn't dream often, but when he did, he wished he haden't. Faces screaming in darkness for no apparent reason other than to vent themselves. Anger, fear, terror, pain, it didn't matter. All they did was scream and bring his mind a terror like nothing else. Well, he shouldn't have fallen asleep anyway, behind enemy lines wasn't the best place to get rest after all.
Gaining control of his breathing and heart, the stallion shook himself and stretched, popping a few vertibre in his back. Happy with the relieved tension, he remade the blankets on the bed for its next occupant and slowly approached the door. Opening it slowly, he peered out to make sure no one was going to jump out at him. The sun was shining through the small cracks in the air ship and gave the hall way a distorted sort of lighting that darkened the farther ends to almost pitch black.
He left the room and closed the door, trying to make as little noise as possible and walked down the hallway to the dinning area, constantly checking behind him.
Quit being so paranoid, if they were going to do something, they would have done it by now.
It was a half truth, he didn't eat the food they offered, assuming the worst of it. Fact be told, he would never know now, not that he took exception to that. Still he was getting hungry, once he reached Trottingham, he'd be foolish to forgo stopping by the market and getting a few carrots.
Sin entered the hall to find it almost as full as it was last night. It took him a moment to register that such a large number of ponies could be awake before he was, it was both inspiring and unnerving.
"Goliath!" Sin looked left to find Hot Wheel smiling and approach. "There you are, I trust you slept well?"
The federalist nodded, thankful his goggles hid what were probably blood shot eyes.
"I'm glad to hear that, come, let's get you some breakfast, yes? Blueberry flavored oatmeal today." The blue earth pony chirped and nudged. Oatmeal? What was so great about that?
"Sure."
Lead to the line, the two were handed two plates and sat at a table.
The aluring aroma of the oats was driving his stomach wiled. It screamed silently for the food to be consumed and satisphy his stomach's desire. Slowly, the Federalists resolve began to crumble, and he licked his lips. It was there, the delicious smelling bowl of stuff, it wasn't poisoned, how could the food distributer have known which one was his to be given? The older pegasus didn't seem to be paying mind to who she gave food to.
'Maybe she just played aloof, you know, to make you let your guard down.'
Was that it?
'Oh yea, dude. Everyone's out to get you. You see that spork over there? It wants to gouge your eyes out. And that pony over there getting a drink of water? She to throw you off the top of the ship.'
...
...
Go fuck yourself.
'I'm you, dumb nut.'
"Goliath?" Sin was broken from his thoughts to find Hot Wheel's wife siting beside her husband. "Any one there?" When did she get here?
"I think your beauty hypnotized him, sweet heart." Hot Wheel chuckled.
A bit of playful banter ensued between the two, ending with heart felt nuzzling.
"Sorry, I was just thinking." Sin offered an empty smirk. "Do you two mind if I ask you a question?"
"Not at all, young stallion, please ask away."
Their warmness and happiness was off putting, he'd never seen a couple act this way before. Was this whole Trotski thing really so bad? "Why is it that you joined Hurricane and the others?"
To this, both of their smiles dropped, along with their ears. "That's an-" The blue stallion hesitated, "interesting subject to ask about." He chuckled.
"Well, if you want the honest truth, I personally have no interest in being lead by Celestia or her incompetent policies." Sandy huffed, putting her nose in the air. "Let's be honest here, what has she really done for us?"
Sin didn't reply.
"Indeed. First her sister comes back, one whom she banished to the moon for a thousand years, because she became understandably jealous, and comes to take her revenge. Does Celestia confront her directly and take responsibility for her actions? No, no she does not, instead she sends her student and five strange ponies whom she's never met to fight in her place!"
Hot shook his head in disappointment. "I used to look up to her as our matriarch, a symbol of light and protection, but that day showed what she really was; a coward."
Well, there was something new. Sin hadn't ever thought of the story past face value. Why didn't Celestia confront her sister the night she returned? Why did she send Twilight and her friends to fight in her stead?
"Next, we have Discord. A draconequus with power enough to alter reality. Does our oh so brilliant leader confront the threat herself? No, yet again, she sends six little ponies to do her work for her." Sandy exclaimed, her voice raising and her eyes growing dark. "And then, there was the changeling invasion of Canterlot no but last year! The one time, THE ONE TIME she actually takes actions herself to protect her citizens, she is defeated by one single attack from the queen, JUST ONE! WHAT KIND OF INCOMPETENT FARCE IS BEATEN SO EASILY WHEN THE LIVES OF HER CITIZENS ARE AT STAKE!?"
Silence enveloped the cafeteria. All eyes were on the now fuming pegasus mare.
Both Sin and Hot sat dumb struck, the former more so, seeing as Sandy Shore had her wings flared and was standing on the table looking upon him with green orbs full of malice and rage, as if he were the one her contempt was directed at.
As realization slowly dawned on her, a dark crimson overcame her already pinked cheeks and she sat back down. "Sorry, I suppose I got a bit carried away."
'A bit? Tapio forbid you tell us how you really feel.'
While Hot Wheel placed a comforting hoof on his wife's shoulder and soothed her back to normal, Sin let the new information sink in.
Is what the mare said true? He knew that it was ultimately Twilight and her friends who defeated Nightmare Moon and Discord, but did Celestia really make no effort to do so herself? Did she honestly place the entire effort for stopping the literal end of the world on the backs of six ponies? Most of which had no experience in dealing with dangerous situation?
Was she really such a coward?
Spike sat stood in front of a book case within the fiction section. Working on the same dragon piece for so long became boring and tedious, but finding a new specimen to craft after would hopefully rejuvenate his will to sculpt. Well that would come after, currently speaking, he just wanted to do something else, and reading was always a failsafe for him, especially when there was something to learn that interested him.
Problem was that he'd read almost all the books in the section.
"The Daring Files" "Daring Do" "The Codex Equestria" all of them. Most of the new books Twilight had brought in were factual tomes for research and study, not pleasure and excitement.
"Hey Twilight." He yelled. "Do we have any new adventure books?"
"What?"
"I said, do we have any new adventure books?"
The dragon marched up stairs to end the shouting and met Twilight on the stair way. "What about adventure?"
It didn't take long for Spike to explain that he wanted to take his mind off of what he was currently doing and find something to read, maybe even learn about. Something that would inspire and help the creative juices flow.
The librarian put her hoof to her chin in thought for a moment when she beamed at a realization. "You should talk to Lyra!"
"Lyra?"
"Yes, the green mare who plays the lyre all the time in the park? Everypony knows that she loves humans and has done some delving into anthropology. I'm sure she could tell you a few stories about their time."
"Cool, but, what's a human?"
Twilight opened her mouth to answer, but nothing came out. She repeated the act a few more times with different poses but ultimately ended with a thoughtful frown. "You know, I'm not really sure, but she will. Just talk to her, she should be at Bon Bon's shop since it's so cold out."
Putting his own fist to his chin, the drake pondered the idea for just a moment before agreeing. With nothing better to do, he slowly trudged to the door, grabbed the remnants of his cloak, and bid his mother good bye. "I'll be back later Twi'."
He closed the door with his departure acknowledged and wondered through the town. The snow was the highest he'd ever seen it, coming up to his thighs. And Celestia was it cold, especially considering where it reached.
As he walked through the town, he found other ponies out and enjoying the final day of winter. Fillies and colts playing in the snow, having snowball fights or making snow angels, hay even a few adults were having fun. Tomorrow began the wrap up, and the day after, he would be taken to Canterlot to watch the Wonderbolts preform in a live derby. Even if he was bored today, he still had something to look forward to.
he walked into the recognized candy store, a small bell rung and alerted the current manager of his arrival.
"Welcome." Called a vanilla colored pony with curly pink and purple hair. "What can I get you today, Spike?"
"Nothing today, Bon Bon." he replied. "I'm actually here to talk to Lyra about something."
"Lyra? The store said, her head tilting. "Well, she's upstairs in her room right now. I suppose you can go and see her."
"Thanks."
Spike waved and proceeded up the stairs. Once ascended, it wasn't difficult deducing the room he needed to visit. A heavenly melody that only years of honed practice could produce began to encroach his ears.
The drake slowly wondered to the door and firmly knocked three times. The music stopped and a moment later to reveal the mint green unicorn more with golden eyes looking at him in surpise. "Oh, hello Spike." Lyra greeted, putting on a smile. "What brings you here?"
"Hey, I was hoping you could answer a few questions for me." The dragon replied, finding the sudden awkwardness of wondering over to a mare's home -one he'd never met formally mind you- knocking on her door unannounced, and asking questions. It didn't seem so bad until he was looking the lyrist in the eye. How would that make him look? Just wondering into a home and say: 'Hey, I wanna know about humans, now spill it.'
"Alright, I guess." Lyra offered him to enter and the two ended up on a pair of warm and cozy blue cotton chairs. "So what was it you wanted to know about exactly."
Gripping his claws, swallowing his fear, and stealing himself for the interrogation to come; Spike asked the question.
"Well uh," He chuckled nervously. "I've hit a road block in my sculpting and I could really use something to think about that doesn't revolve around... what I've been thinking about."
"Right... Uh, hey, how about I make us some tea?"
"That sounds good." The dragon sighed and whipped a few trickles of sweat from his forehead. After his host left the room, he began to panic.
Coming here like this was a very stupid mistake. He'd ever talked to Lyra once, and that was a cliche' conversation about the weather!
'Wow, she must think I'm a freak.'
'Well, what did you expect? This isn't a public place you know.'
Yea but I guess I'm just used to it and- Wait, I'm here to talk to her about humans! She probably doesn't meet to many ponies as interested as she is in it, hay, if the fact I'm her to indulge in her knowledge, than maybe she'll be happy I'm here. I've got nothing to worry about.
Relieved to come to that conclusion, Spike's tension began to wash out of him. He was just getting worked up over nothing, it was silly how his brain could be so irrational some times.
A few minutes later, Lyra returned with a tea pot and two white, ceramic tea cups. After a few polite sips, the dragon confidently asked: "So, Lyra, what can you tell me about humans?"
The Unicorn mare's tea cup froze mid way into her mouth, she closed her eyes and began a tyrade the likes of which Spike would never forget...
"R' ya sure ya wanna go alone?" Applebloom complained.
"Yea, fores's mighty dangerous." Applejack agreed. "Even fer you."
Big Macintosh chuckled and placed his cloak. He hadn't heard from Sin or Shade in quite a while, even if things hadn't ended well, they were still his friends and he wanted to make sure they were at least ok.
"Don' worry, Ah won' be gone long."
"All th' same. Ah'd rather ya didn't go alone." The elder sister said, grabbing a coat of her own. "Applebloom, yer tah stay inside and do what evah Granny tells ya. We'll be back later."
"But sis!" The youngest Apple complained. "Ah'm tired a bein' stuck inside. Can't Ah go tah see Scootaloo? Ah haven't seen her since Winter break started."
AJ was about to answer in the negative, but the big puppy dog eyes of the filly were slowly dwindeling her resolve. Unable to answer her way, the mare looked to her brother for support, but Macintosh also said he wanted to go alone, so he simple smiled lazily and leaned against the door frame.
"Alright, fine, but you stay with Scootaloo the entire time, ya hear?"
"Yay!" Applebloom quickly donned her scarf and a matching purple poofball hat and the three set off for town. In the town park, a decent sized group of ponies were enjoying the final day of winter. Playing in the snow, building snow ponies and so on, among the ponies present, Scootaloo was playing with two other fillies, one of them being Rarity sister.
"Hey you guys!" Applebloom shouted before being pelted with a snowball.
Mac stifled a laugh as the filly whiped the residue from her face and eyed the offender. "Oh so it's lik' tha' huh?" She smirked and charged forth, basking in the fun with her friends. Deciding the fillies would be fine where they were, the two older Apples marched onto the Everfree forest.
Surprisingly enough, Twilight Sprakle was just exiting through the main way and greeted the two with a smile. "Hello there."
"Hey Twi', what'er you doin' here?" Asked Applejack.
Apparently she'd just finished speaking with Sin about a new assignment in Trottingham, though she wasn't to sure how the stallion was doing physically, he seemed to be able to move around well enough. He was alive at least.
"So he n' Shade went to Trottingham already?"
"Shade? Oh you mean the bat pony he's always with?" Twilight furrowed her brow. "Come to think of it, I didn't see him there when I went. And Sin just up and left with out saying a word about him."
Sin left Shade? It really shouldn't be a concern, the bat stallion should have been more than able to take care of himself, he probably went to see Discord.
Shade smirked as a den of manticore slowly back away from him with their scorpion tales between their legs. Even though they backed into a darkened cavern, his eyes were serpentine and allowed him to see in the dark.
"Before this day is done one of you will be my kitty!" He barked before lunging himself at the chimera.
A loud roar and pained yelps echoed through out the land scape and into the world beyond.
Yea, he'll be fine.
Well, now that that's out of the way. The Appleclan had to find something else to do. Seemed like a big waste of time to walk all the way out here and just go back home.
The two walked back to town with Twilight, might as well enjoy the town with the rest of his friends, better than sitting in the farm with nothing to do.
Silvia fought of an oncoming sneeze from her place under the fallen air ship. She took covered under some dead debrise and used a small thermoblanket to keep herself warm. Though, it did little good.
She had a cold and she knew it.
Worse than that, this air ship was crawling with ponies that she had no idea what to make of, save one detail that lent to her current hidden predicament. Pony supremacy.
When she'd first arrived, she hid herself next to one of the stair ways used to gain entree to the gondola. After, two earth pony mares trudged by, complaining about all the minotaur and griffins the town had to offer. One line in particular told Silvia where she stood.
"I hope these atrocious creatures die off soon."
It was stupid, it was childish and it was the epitome of unprofessional, but the griffin had to restrain herself from marching out and slapping the mare silly. Who did she think she was berating an entire race like that?
Bitch.
Sighing again, the Triple M. agent grumbled to herself. Here she was back to being in solitude, cold and bored. And now she was sick. Malich definitely owed her an extended vacation for this one.
After dismissing himself from the eating hall, Sin bore fare well to his new acquaintances and took his leave from the wrecked vessel. As he wondered the distance between that and Trottingham, a last few words between he and the Trotski leaders echoed in his mind.
All in all he felt indifferently about their struggle with Celestia and Luna, and while it wasn't bluntly said, the implication was hardly subtle.
The windigos were drawn to strife on even the most minuscule of levels -assuming the old tales are true- to the point where just six (three technically) ponies fighting would draw their attention. But why not now? There were hundreds of conflicts all over Equestria on a daily basis, but not a frost single demon had been reported.
Same could be said for the Federation too, and any other nation with a tense populace. Yet, the only place the winter spirits were ever encountered were in Equestria and the Old World.
Why did Windigos only go after ponies? Why were they no longer active? Could the implication be true and... Well it would make sense, but at the same time not.
He entered the city and found the streets to be hustling and bustling with the usual livelihood that only Equestria could offer, plowing snow and preforming the winter ending ritual. Taking special care to avoid any unseen Triple M. agents, Sin quickly made way for the government building within the town. Surprisingly, it was quite a palace to behold, akin to that of Canterlot's own.
White spires with golden dome roof tops, balconies on almost every floor and a well sized fixture in the middle that made a perfect star type shape, truly a work of art, and waste of money; but to each their own.
Entering the courtyard with little caring from the guards, the stallion frowned at the sight of multiple ponies and griffins standing within it's confines, looking upon a white unicorn stallion with blond mane and an air of prestige and arrogance. It wasn't he whom spoke, but another unicorn clad in higher ranking military armor whom he whispered to.
"Subjects of Prince Blueblood!" He cried. "You have been called upon to dismantle the radicals whom lay just beyond his fair city!" The crowd stood in silent acknowledgement.
Sin quirked a brow, his city? Did he own all of this?
"The royal sister-" The prince cleared his throat forcibly. "The prince's aunts..." The office corrected. "Have neglected to end the undermining of the prince's rule for far too long!"
As the assumed prince began whispering the next line for his subordinate to speak, Sin contemplated exactly what the government planned to do. It wasn't hard to figure out who they were going after, but if he wanted to let them handle it or not was another matter.
On one hoof, this wasn't an environment he was used to, the ponies showed no shame for thier desires and barbaric pasts and in that respect, he had no idea and no place to solve the problem at present.
On the other hoof, Sin wanted a challenge. The last debate he was in made him fell alive and even excited, humiliation of another was a bonus, but it was for himself; to know he could prove himself right. Not to mention more knowledge about the princess's cowardice and the appearance windigos. If what was implied was true, he'd undeniably have to reconsider his obligations. The only reason he even considered following the sun mare's orders was out of respect for the fact that she allowed her subjects to be relatively free and unmolested.
If her rise to power was simply a cleaver plan threatening food stocks, then he had a great deal of thinking to do...
"WHY DOES EVERYPONY THINK I LIKE HUMANS!" Lyra bellowed for the twelfth time. "I have never said a word about them in my life. But every time somepony gets a wild hair up their flank about them they always come to me. Why? Why!? WHY!?!"
Spike felt his seat wobble on it's two hind legs due to the mare's face pushing his own back with proximity. He gulped, her eyes were on fire, a seething anger that only years worth of endurance and bottling could produce.
"I don't know." He shook his head. "T- Twilight jus-"
"TWILIGHT SPARKLE!" The pony's eye twitched. "She's the one spreading these rumors?"
'Wow, I think you just sold your care taker out.'
Gathering his courage the drake side stepped the question, following his care taker's lead in proclaiming that everypony thought she was an anthropologist. Yea, not the best move on his part.
"You think I don't know that?" Lyra chuckled sarcastically. "Hey Lyra, why do humans walk on two hooves? Oh Lyra, what do humans eat? Oh Lyra, do you wanna buck a human? For the love of Celestia; I'm a Lyrist! Is my name and cutie mark not enough to show that?!" She stomped an angry hoof.
Silence, a very intense and deafening silence filled only with the seething huffs of the enraged mint unicorn trying to catch her breath
Deciding he'd far over stayed his welcome, Spike quickly excused himself from the room and damn near ran down the stairs. Bon Bon had said something, but the last thing he wanted to do was give that maniac the chance to catch him where he wouldn't have witnesses.
He burst through the door and out into the snow, checking behind him to make sure he wasn't followed. When he was a safe distance away he placed his hands to his knees and caught his breath, "maniac" he breathed. "What the hay? Who answers a simple question like that?"
The more he thought about it, the more he didn't want to know actually. In the end it was still a bust and a waste of time. Well, maybe he cou-
And suddenly a cold and soft impact on the back of his head, with small bits of white powder slowly falling on his shoulders. Slowly he turned to see Scootaloo and Applebloom laughing, the latter congratulating the former on her aim. His previous dealings all but forgotten, Spike pouted for a brief moment before smirking and reaching down for ammo of his own.
Bam.
Two spheres one after the other, the once laughing fillies now lay in awe as the strike from Spikes own attack sunk in. Though, that too didn't last long.
The giggling school children (for lack of a better term) began running around and continued their snow begotten battle. He wasn't sure when, but Sweetie Bell had shown up and attended his side.
'Ha! That evened things up!'
And what was once Spike on the continual run and defense quickly turned into the farm and scooter bound fillies constant retreat. Between the drake's superior agility and Sweetie's magic, the two were more than a match.
As the small dragon took under a small sign for cover and chuckled at the vague threats of his opponents, he called sweetie bell over.
"This is fun." The white and lilac filly chuckled before peaking over the sign. Spike couldn't agree more, he couldn't remember the last time he had this much fun, just throwing caution to the wind and indulging in a simple pleasure of a good old fashioned snow ball fight.
The tingling feeling of excitement in his shoulders and the eagerness of mind to charge forth with out need for real strategy or care was liberating. Life seemed a lot simpler in that moment. Just friends having some fun, no over blown plans or life threatening fears or anything of true consequence... Why did he want to leave this behind?
"Alright, Spike." Sweetie ducked back down. "They're behind that bush over there."
The drake gingerly poked his head out and surveyed the area, sure enough, a snow disturbed bush lay only a few feet away from the duo's current position. "Good, alright let's make some more ammo." The sign they sat behind seemed well enough in terms of cover, if they just held here, the other team had little chance of hitting them. Two, four, ten and eventually twenty snow balls were made for their bombardment.
"Ready?" Sweetie asked with a grin.
The purple reptile nodded and the both shot up, two snow balls ready to be thrown. What they saw made them freeze in place. Both Applejack and big Macintosh stood with devious smirks on their face behind Applebloom and the rainbow maned speedster known as Rainbow Dash stood behind Scootaloo.
"Son of a-" Was all Spike managed before their barrage came upon them.
The two ducked back down. Now the odds were 5 against two. This wasn't good.
"FIRE!"
Suddenly, just as many snow balls were flying over head to the other team as there were at Spike and Sweetie. The two grinned happily to find Twilight and Rarity using their combined magic to shoot snow balls in rapid succession. And like that, the odds were once again evened.
The mares used the covering fire to join their younger family and crouched down. "Rarity!" Sweetie called with a slight nuzzle. "Thanks for the rescue."
Spike didn't care to hear the rest, as fun as this was he still had his feelings for her. But no, he was having fun, fun he hadn't enjoyed in months, and Celestia dammit he wasn't going to let her ruin that. So he pushed his feelings aside, the complete team stockpiled their ammo curtsey of the Bell sisters and steeled themselves for the battle to come.
What ensued next, past the constant threat of being pelted by the opposition, past his feelings of resentment and even past the events of the past few weeks; was the most wonderful time of his life.
These moments. These moments are what made life great.
Sin followed the large group of Equestrians out the town gates and towards the fallen air ship. The summoned group was apparently a mob of angry citizens who were tired of being harassed by the followers of Trotski, and were being led by Prince Blueblood -decent name- to arrest the conglomerate on accounts of treason and conspiracy.
It wasn't hard to let them do it, at the end of the day, the Federalist had no place to challenge the mob; nor their leader. Fact was, he had no place here to begin with, this wasn't a movement that was gaining steam it was simply a band of remnant loyalists looking for power in their traditions who just annoyed the populace.
As the mob slowly began to descend upon the structure, a few coward pegasi fled the encampment and soon enough, the entire Trotski movement crawled out of the ship to come and face the mob.
Sin sat back and simply observed the interaction, they were shouting well enough for him to hear, arguing about the rights to hold refuge in the make shift commune and the rights of other citizens to not be harassed. However, vocal skirmish ended once Blueblood's speaker ordered the entire commune under arrest and demanded the ponies come peacefully. To the tan clad stallions dismay, the traditionalists actually complied, ordered by their leaders to not fight.
Sin sighed. "So disappointing," he said with a shake of his head. They had the right to talk to others and live as they had, yet they didn't put up a fight to stay out of the cage? Spineless. Though it they had gotten the populace of Trottingham so riled up to the point where a mass of ponies were willing to arrest them, they weren't with out their part of the blame for this happening.
Still, this would not be the end of it, he had questions and he wanted answers...
"Tell me what you meant." Sin said, eyeing Commander Hurricane blankly. She and the other leaders had been sentenced to their own cell while the others were kept else where. The dark room was divided by a thick row of black bars holding the three leaders on the other side with only the faint torchlight behind Sin to see them with.
This was different, actually acquiring permission for visitation instead of just taking the initiative with prisoners in the dead of night to offer them tools to escape while avoiding detection. Sin still wasn't sure how he should feel about the simplicity of it all, but truth be told, he missed the adrenaline that could only be given to him by fear of being caught.
"I'm sorry?"
Sin repeated his question.
"In terms of?" Hurricane replied polity.
"The windigos." She nodded for him to continue. "You mentioned that they haven't appeared in quite a while, why is that?"
Hurricane and Pudding Head chuckled while Prince Platinum merely growled and shook his head. "You truly do not understand?"
Sin regarded the unicorn, "if I did, do you think I'd be asking?"
Platinum growled again, baring his teeth.
"Calm yourself, Platinum." Hurricane interjected before smiling pleasantly. "Truly, you disappoint me Goliath, I thought you more intelligent than this."
Quirking a brow the stallion voiced his interpretation on the matter, only desiring to seek confirmation on if what he thought he heard was true. The three ponies in the cell smiled knowingly and nodded in the affirmative.
"Perhaps he is smarter than he looks." Pudding Head chuckled.
Now that there was no chance of a misunderstanding, Sin thought over what he knew. Celestia always seemed so noble and honest, even by his standards; which was the primary reason he agreed to work under her. Yes rather annoyingly condescending in their previous dealings, but for the few hours he had to digest the information and as little time as he actually knew her, he just couldn't see her doing it; but as a government official himself he knew how deceptive politicians could be.
But the facts spoke for themselves, the fact of the matter was that all the history of the Federation, for all of the disagreement and a situation not too different from the founders of the Old World, his people were never plagued.
Unless, this was all a big lie.
Such history happened so long ago, and the frost demons were not but a myth now. Perhaps that's all they ever were? Maybe the whole story was just that! A story, a fictional comfort food that brought the three different races together. This land was based around positive social interaction above all things, would it be so far-fetched to suggest this kind of fiction become mainstream just to farther that utopian objective?
"Goliath?"
The only ones who'd know would be Celestia and Luna, only they were around all that time ago. Luna would be a back up resource if he needed her, but if it was a grandiose conspiracy the two of them would lie their plots off. No, no there had to be something else he could look into.
"Goliath?"
Perhaps a book on Windigos from way back when? Yea, finding a book from thousands of years old, good luck with that. Well, maybe the castle held some kind of archive? Yea, it had too, now to figure out how to find it and-
"Goliath!" Sin looked up in a start.
"Are you alright? You seemed distant, for a moment." Hurricane said in concern.
Sin's eyes narrowed under his goggles. If the old stories were a fabrication, these ponies were the biggest suckers of them all. He had no more time to waste with them if their entire movement was based on a lie. He had no farther business here.
"Thank you for your time." He stood from his place and cracked his neck.
"Leaving so soon?" Pudding Head said worriedly. "But, you've only just gotten here, and we have so much to discuss."
"Perhaps another time." He gave a slight nod of the head and walked past the lazy guard who stood half asleep at the door. Once he had exited the holding area, Sin shook his head, both at his new side project and at what the other point of visiting those ponies was.
"Alright traitors, lights out and shut up!" The pegasus jailer bellowed before slamming the door on the other side of the bars.
"Well, that was a waste of time." Platinum spat as he crawled into his bed. "It seems as though your champion isn't even capable of rescuing us from this prison cell; much less assist us in gathering a following."
"I agree with the prince." Pudding head nodded. "You said he would be our greatest ally, yet he leaves us to rot."
The two continued their insult session until Commander Hurricane broke out into small chuckles. Holding the other leaders attention for a moment the pegasus mare checked the door to make sure nopony was watching her than quickly made way to where Sin sat and reached to the wall and felt around. Before the other two could comment on the surreal character breaking feet she was displaying by laying on the ground... "There you are."
Slowly she moved back a small black piece of metal in her hoof.
"What in Unicornia?"
"Gentlecolts." Hurricane smiled with just a twinge of malevolence. "I give you the key to our salvation."