//------------------------------// // Plea to Insanity // Story: Earning Freedom // by Daxisle //------------------------------// Plea to Insanity Lunacy, absolute madness! How could they really think this was a good idea?! Mac sat and watched the newly freed Discord as he sat and spoke with Fluttershy. Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Cadence and Celestia sitting by to keep an eye on the draconaquiss during his initial release. Mac was torn between walking with his sister and Shade, who was a bit more animated than usual, but ultimatly found himself better off keeping an eye on the god of Chaos. It was his family's property they were on, after all, and Twilight's magic was more than capable of handling the insane pegasi. "Ah don't like this." Mac humphed and shook his head, his green eyes dripping with venom. Discord, the god of chaos was to be rehabilitated in the hooves of the most dainty and skittish mare in all of Equestria. He liked Celestia and never truly questioned her judgement until today. Though, there was some credit to be given to the former lawn ornimate. Instead of using Shade's powers for any nefarious purposes, the elder attempted to reason with the pony, saying that he needed help that Discord could not give. If what he heard was true, than many therapeutic techniques had been preformed on the pegasi in Canterlot, each failing worse than the last. Ultimately they turned to alternative means of healing and got in contact with the zebra Zecora to see if she had any ideas. Still though, Discord was crafty and deceptive. Him feigning compassion for Shade wouldn't be unreasonable to assume in order to gain the trust of those who could imprison him again. "Why not, Big Mac?" Pinkie asked, much to chipper for the few nerves he had left. "Celestia thinks one thousand and one years is long enough to be imprisoned in stone. Imagine how cooped up somepony would feel being frozen in place that long." It didn't matter to him how long the trickster was locked up, he had no problem using his powers to harm others and that was a problem. Pinkie tried to appeal to his empathy but Mac wouldn't budge. His friends were scattered, his sister was still dating somepony who he hated, he couldn't find Annabelle and now this. Empathy was not his strong suit at the current moment. "Macintosh, are you alright?" Rarity asked, looking concerned. "You've been glaring daggers at Discord for the past twenty minutes." The stallion was about to respond with a deathly sarcastic rant, but was cut short as he saw a black blur speeding through the sky, a faint but quickly growing proclamation preceding it. 'Uh oh.' "diiiiiiiiiissssssCOOOOOOOOOORD!" Everypony in the area looked just in time to take cover before the pegasus dive bombed his master at a speed that would have undoubtedly broken any other pony's neck. "Discord! Baby, how ya been? They didn't hurt you any more did they? I hope not, I don't think I can fix you if they messed you up too bad." His smile immediatly vanished and he jumped to all fours and bared his teeth; challenging any who dared approach with a vicious snarl. "You get going, I'll hold them off!" "Dear Star Shade. Old Pal." Discord said sweetly. "Didn't I tell you that I would be fine and to go with the nice Unicorn and her friends?" Shade nodded vigorously and pointed out the absolute fact that his god wasn't in his right mind. That the ponies had attempted to taint and corrupt him into their ways of sanity and feelings. The lunar pegasus proudly proclaimed that no matter what the wreches had done to him, he could fix whatever they had broken. Discord, while unable to deny his delight in the utter chaos the pony was creating, attempted to explain that his decision to become more orderly wasn't done by force, but by his own free will... kinda. Shade countered the point by pointing out the fact that it was the ponies keeping him by force, not allowing his free will to choose but using his stone prison to coerce him into conforming with their beliefs. It was at this point that both Celestia and Cadence had had enough and used their magic to restrain the maniacal pony. "Come on, Master! Is this what you really want? To be restrained and castrated by those who seek to rule you?" The elder grimaced at the question. Technically that is exactly what was happening here. Discord was submitting to their rules and and abiding by them as if he were any other citizen, but it was for the good of his own freedom. Between being stuck in a stone shell or under the hoof of Celestia, the latter seemed like the better option. "Where is my student and her friends?!" Celestia barked, bringing Shade to eye level. Her prey smirked at her. "Last I saw, all three of them passed out with the Zebra." The sun goddess's eyes widened and she immediatly dismissed the allegation, claiming that Twilight was more than capable of handling him. "Than why am I here?" Shade asked, his smirk growing wider. Tossing the Stallion aside, Celestia made way into the Everfree forest with as much speed as she could muster. Leaving only Cadence, Pinkie, Rarity, Fluttershy and Macintosh to deal with the threat. "Shade, please." Candace cooed. "I know that things don't make sense right now, but I'm begging you. Please trust us, we're not trying to hurt you or Discord." Mac watched silently as Shade barked out in laughter. He knew that there was no point in trying to calm Shade down now, what he needed to be was restrained. And for all the incredible things he's seen the bat pony do, he was in just a bad enough mood to try his hoof at bringing him down. Seeing her attempts at talking fail, Cadance moved in closer. Her horn alight and trying to influence Shade's behavior with her magic. It seemed to be working well too. The blackened stallion was visibly relaxing with each calming word and step the princess of love took. "It's okay. Everything will be fine, you see? Nopony's trying to get you." As she drew within reach, Shade immediately spun around on his front hooves and bucked the pink Alicorn right in the chest. Sending her flying a good thirty feet and would have been a devastating landing, had it not been for a last second save by the one he'd come to collect. Growling at his master's betrayal, Shade had only a second to notice the red blur before it slammed into him and tackled him to the ground. "That's enough, Shade!" Big Mac barked, pinning his friend's hooves behind his head. Shade stared up in shock. "You too, Mac?" He spat before using his hind legs to kick the stallion off. Getting to his hooves, Shade dusted his shoulder. "So, they got to you too huh? Don't worry, I can help Discord and I can help you too." Mac charged forth, huffing angrily as he went. Shade returned in kind, spreading his wings for maximum speed. The two collided and began wrestling one another for dominance. "Why can't ya see they're tryin ta help ya?" Macintosh demand, as he held Shade in a half nelson. Shade twisted his body out of the hold and swung around knocking the apply pony on his side. "Help me? Help me?! Since when the flying buck did anyone ever give a crap about me!?" His questioned was answered by lost ballance, both front hooves swept aside by Mac's own. Using the momentum of his foe's fall forward, Macintosh twisted, flipping the stallion onto his head and back. "Ah care! That's who. Why do ya think everypony was tryin tah talk to ya back in Canterlot?" The apple pony seethed, using every last bit of strength he had to hold the pony in place. "To, ugh, get me, grrr back under theiiiiiir HOOF!" The last word was punctuated by Macintosh's strength finally being outmatched and the lunar pegasi pushing him off and beginning the wrestling match a new. However, before they could begin, a bright golden flash of light interrupted them. Soon followed by three angry looking mares and one very upset alicorn. Shade saw that his level playing field was gone and attempted to escape the situation, though the thing about magic users is that if they are in range of you, they can catch you in their telepathy. He found this point exceedingly relevant as the golden aura around his body quickly brought him face to face with the magical horse lady. "Buck." He sighed. Celestia simply eyed him for a moment before checking to make sure everypony was ok. Aside from a pain in her chest, Cadance was fine, Discord had cushioned her falling back to the ground. The rest had been in hiding, so aside from some mental trauma they escaped the episode unscathed as well. Macintosh, for his part, had a split lip and sprained ankle, but the physical exertion left him more drained than anything. His sister came to check on him, so he was in good hooves. Deciding it best for her to be the one to take the pony for treatment, Celestia commanded that her ponies stay put and watch over Discord and Cadence. She wanted to have a few words alone with the eccentric pony in her grasp. "Please, Auntie. Don't hurt him!" Cadence called out, stopping the sun goddess in her tracks. "He's scared and confused, Discord is the only thing he has left that makes sense. He only attacked me because we were taking all he had left. Please don't hold him responsible for this..." Heeding the words of her niece, Celestia continued on into the forest; determined to give the stallion a tongue lashing he'll never forget. Nopony hurt her little ponies like this and got away with it. Nopony.