//------------------------------// // Exposition // Story: Earning Freedom // by Daxisle //------------------------------// Exposition Mac and Annabelle walked in an awkward silence through the Market district. The sun was now covered by a thick layer of clouds, curtisy of the Ponyville weather team. The mare had tried to make light conversation a couple of times, asking about Macintosh's family but fell flat with the apple farmers less than elaborative responses. He wasn't really interested in talking about his family at the moment. The only one he wasn't angry at was his younger sister, and Celestia knew what she was up to. Finally having enough of the dead end stallion, Annabelle stood infront of him. "Mac, why aren't you talking to me?" Sighing, Mac answered, "sorry, jest thinkin'." "About?" About how I slept with another mare three times kinda against my will, cheated on you even though we were never together, how my sister is probably getting rutted by a stallion who'd broke my ribs, and how my grandma hates me. "Stuff." 'Oh, Macintosh, what a poet you are.' His inner voice mocked. 'So, you going to tell the truth? Or are you just going to keep playing this 'Oh I'm such a tortured soul' game? She's going to get tired of it eventually you know.' Macintosh didn't reply. What was he supposed to say? He knew, and he knew the inner voice knew he knew. I know, it's just hard, okay? 'Hard, yes. But which will be harder? Continuing this torture or just getting the truth out of the way?' And what if she doesn't want anything to do with me after this? 'Hate to sound cliche as Tartarus, but it wasn't meant to be. Best get it out of the way now and quit wasting both your and her time.' "Stuff?" The mare replied flatly. Sensing her patience running thin, the apple farmer took a long deep breath and steeled himself for the explanation to come. He lead her to a stall to grab a quick berry pop and sat down in the park, spilling everything that was bothering him. What he meant to be a well thought out and guilt emoted explanation started off as more of an awkward and stuttering ramble. "A-a-after left you... uh, went to Canterlot and... uh, friend set up, Shade made babies... Rutted Luna and FAMILY HATES ME!" He bellowed, his nervousness causing his voice to raise the more he talked. "Woah, woah, easy there." Annabelle said soothingly, placing a calming hoof on his shoulder, making the stallion shutter. "Alright, start from the beginning." And so he recalled the night from Hooftrot and how he came across the Dragon: Golvec. He had a little trouble remembering exactly what happened after that in detail. So he just mentioned that Princess Luna had come to save he and his friends after the four failed to bring the Wyvern down. After that, Luna had treated their wounds and informed them that one of their friends was to be put on trial for acts against the Lunar monarch. After a few weeks treck, meeting a caravan of griffins, being abandon for a few days in the Black Lagoon Forest by Sin and Shade, him being caught in said Black Lagoon and Shade, Spike and Sin rescuing him from it, and reuniting with the other stallions, they finally made it to the capital. Once present Shade's trial was exposed as a lie and Sin's trial was being set. Once that was done was when Luna had... taken him for his first time. He didn't go into graphic detail but did make it known that his participation was initially reluctant. Though, some gentle coaxing had lead to him accepting her advances and ultimately their copulation. He took a nervous shudder and looked at the mare's face. Annabelle didn't look angry or disgusted with his actions or the actions taken against him. Matter of fact, she looked more sympathetic and concerned. What she said next made him feel even more confused. "Your friends just let you be taken like that?" "Eyup." Mac replied with a depressed slump in his shoulders. He still couldn't believe it to this day that Sin and Spike didn't try to stop her. Made only worse when he'd found out that she was having sex with him for the sole purpose of getting pregnant. At this, Annabelle's curious start took on a darker and more menacing tone. "She did that just to- Are you bucking serious? I can't believe she'd do that! Why I have half a mind to go to Canterlot right now and-" The rest of Annabelle's threat was lost on the red stallion as he stood in shock. She wasn't mad at him? she wasn't mad at him at all? No, her anger was directed at Luna. Mac couldn't believe it, somepony was actually on his side on this. She wasn't dismissive about his shame, nor was she angry for his acts of sex. Finally, finally somepony who understood him. And for the first time since the kiss they'd shared, Macintosh looked upon the mare with no shame nor guilt as relief flooded his mind. Seething with rage, Malich violently tossed the news paper from his person, knocking over a pen holder and a few knick knacks from his desk to clatter onto the wooden floor below. His jaw ached something fierce from grinding his teeth throughout reading the head line story. Fatchitaz and Islander Marriage, to be Continued? The press had wasted little time in reporting on the events at Centaur Palace. His public image was held in comedy for the public proposal of the walrus and her antics that nearly burnt down the building. The papers said he was "so overwhelmed by the proposal" that he could not reply. It was a load and anybody present would, or had, attested to it. His own paper, The Unitas Harold had already made a PR counter strike. Claiming his lack of response was due to the fact the building was on fire. But the idiots down at the Muffington Boast had downplayed that little detail in favor of the gossip of such a juicy story. All in all, it was a mess. It didn't help that Elsa's cooperation was short lived and she continually came from her orientation on Project New Wave to complain about one thing or another nearly every other hour. Not to mention he was still trying to prepare for the Sigma III Inquiry, The Liberty Syndicate's constant interference, tracking down the Gonshinian, keeping tabs on his Changling project, and finally the plan to return his brother home. Reserving himself to the most dignified and sophisticated forms of stress relief, Malich unceremoniously slammed his head against his desk and grumbled profanities. He was half tempted to forgo the conclusion of the plan and just bring about the destruction of the world for the sake of ending all of this stress. Though, luckily his friend Captain Morgain, was there to talk him out of it. A good three or four shots had soothed the Executive enough to where he could think about everything and not repeatedly think about slicing his own fetlocks. "Sir?" Well, for the moment at least. "This had better be good news, Radcliff." Malich grumbled. "It is, sir. We've heard from Princess Luna. Our agents have secured the Discord statue before the reformation could begin and have relocated it fifty miles outside the wasteland town of Apploosa. Celestia knows nothing and has just now found out about the Statues absence." Malich smiled. Finally some news that made his heart a little lighter. "Good thing I kept the crew of the Judgement in Equestria." He said proudly. "And what of the offer?" The aqua pony pressed his lips. "The target has been... hesitant to accept, sir." "Oh?" Malich tilted his head. "Yes sir, he's skeptical about the effectiveness of the weapon to do as you've claimed." Malich smirked. Of course the target would be, who wouldn't be skeptical if you were told you'd found a way to kill and immortal being and were offering it up for an unspecified favor. Though, it was just as much a test of the product for Triple M. as it was a token of good faith. And besides, he knew that no matter how much of a pain the target may be, gaining his favor would prove useful for Malich's own aims. "It's of no consequence." Malich dismissed. "Discord's relocation and rescue will be more than enough to ensure our target's cooperation. The weapon we offered was just a token of good faith." "As you say, sir." The old pegasus replied, unsure of himself. He had a feeling he knew what this "Discord" was, but didn't want insult his employer by entertaining the thought. Malich wasn't a good pony by any stretch of the imagination, but even he knew better than to mess with that can of worms. He simply dismissed it as code-names for a couple of field agents attempting to bribe a farmer or something. "Indeed. Is there anything more?" Radcliff breathed a sigh. "It's the press, sir. They want a statement about the proposal from Lady Fatchitaz." "No comment." Malich replied flatly. He knew better than to engage the press. And with that his assistant excused himself from the office, leaving the ashen earth pony to his own thoughts yet again. At least some good had come out of today, he thought to himself. A small and genuine smile gracing his muzzle. It was an expensive piece of the puzzle to get, but it was one more item to get one of his brother's closest friends on his side. And by extension, his brother. Malich glanced around the windows of his office before drawing them closed. He withdrew a key that he kept on a necklace and tucked under his shirt, inserted it into one of the draws in his desk, opened it and lifted a bright red folder from it with the words: Project Mortality, Sector Medical Research Facility His smile deepened as he opened the file to read over the brief synopsis on the beginning page. "Test results conclusive: Destruction of Alicorn DNA accomplished."