Final Respects
Macintosh and Scootaloo threw small bits of hay, straw and other flammables onto the blackened wood on the far side of the orchard. The Sun would be descending soon, and the time was near for the funeral to begin.
The Everwood, according to the letter from Fancy Pants -who oddly enough said he was going to come- stated that his research team had pursued the lumber and, while it would take quite a bit to light the log, it would burn easily and for quite a long time. He also said not to inhale the initial black smoke that came out of it, said it had some toxic properties or something.
The tree wasn't very big, they'd just picked up one of the shorter but stouter trees. When Mac told Spike about the plan, the dragon immediately went to the lumber mill and told his associates about it. Mac had originally planned to cut the thing down by hoof and carry it home via wagon, but was pleasantly surprised when a crane with a rather rugged lumberjack type stallion behind the controls approach his position, along with a full dozen ponies with other industrialized equipment.
Spike lead them.
With the help of the crane and archno-powered chain saws, cutting down a healthy sized tree was simple work and bringing it back to Sweet Apple Acres was a breeze.
The drake also promised to bring something personal to burn. Mac wasn't sure what the dragon had, but if worse came to worse, he'd offer up the original letter from Sin during his first trial.
"Hey, umm, Big Machintosh?" Scootaloo asked.
"Eyup?"
The filly threw on a bit more hay and twigs. "I was talking to Annabelle yesterday. Well, Annabelle, Applejack and Applebloom. I told Applejack and Annabelle about my parents, you know, dying."
Mac nodded, feeling a small sense of pride in the filly. He'd kept his mouth shut on the matter, such things weren't his place to talk about until she was ready for them. He knew the younger fillies had reconsiled their plight, he could hear them talking and crying from his room, apologizing to one another for misgivings and pain. He liked Scootaloo, she was a sharp filly, she just had a tom foolish pride to her.
The two hadn't really talked too much before, but the past few days, they'd spoken almost daily. It started off with her apologizing for what she'd done and swearing she'd never run away or be mean to Applebloom again, also that she'd try to salvage their relationship with Sweetie Bell. It warmed Mac's heart to see the unicorn around the farm again, the three of them running around and playing like they used to. The tension in the air between his sister and her friend was gone now, and they were finally acting like happy foals again.
Seeing them run around and play brought him back to the reality of the situation, though. What would happen to Scootaloo if she was taken into FPS? Would she be sent to live with other family members? Family who outwardly rejected her and forced her to live in the woods? Would she be given to a foster family? Would the foster family be good to her?
The questions continued on, and Mac found himself more worried about it than he should have been. He worried for Scootaloo, a filly he knew for a very short period of time, as if she was family.
"And, they were saying that they'd need to report that I didn't have a perminant place to live. You know, tell the police and stuff."
Mac chewed on his lip, that would need to be done soon. He'd put off doing it personally for fear that they'd come and take her away. If what Annabelle had told him about Foal Protective Services was true, than it would be a potentially bad situation for her. However, the law was the law, and he'd abide by it, not matter how much he may disagree.
"And I was... you know? Wondering, maybe if I could stay here with you guys?"
Mac stopped his work and regarded the nervous filly for a moment. She would occasionally look up at him from time to time, but continually look away. She was still ashamed of what she'd done and Macintosh felt bad for her for that. She could stay with them as long as she needed as far as he was concerned, of course, but he knew that's not what she really wanted.
"Ya sure ya wouldn't rather live with Rainbow Dash?" He asked. Scootaloo tilted her head.
"Rainbow Dash?"
The apple pony nodded. "Y'all praise her alot, ya admire n' look upta her."
Again, the quickster's ears flattened down against her skull and she looked away. "Well, I mean, I uhh." She sighed. "I can't face her now, Macintosh. She's an awesome pony, the fastest and most awesome mare in town, maybe the world. I haven't even talked to her since I came here, I can't ask her to let me live with her."
It would be a rather odd request, Mac didn't know Rainbow all that well, but there was really no harm in asking. Scootaloo sighed in dejection. "Okay, well thanks for letting me stay as long as you did."
It took a second for the dots to connect from that statement, but Mac immediately clarified himself. "Ya can stay here if ya want to. We'd be happy ta have ya"
Scootaloo's eyes lit up with hope and Mac smiled down at her. She was smiling, he liked when foals were happy. Though, it wasn't really the truth now that he had a moment to think about it, and had to make a depressing correction.
Though, his initial affirmation seemed to have been a little too well received, because Scootaloo was now clutching his foreleg and thanking him repeatedly.
It was a mistake, he shouldn't have told her that, but how could he say no? Or be realistic of the situation without sounding like he was wanting her gone? Scootaloo had already been traumatized, abandoned and rejected enough. He'd talk to Applejack about it later tonight, same with Granny and Anna. The last two he knew would say yes, granny always loved foals, but AJ might take some convincing.
'Doubt it. If anything, she's got every reason to let Scootaloo live here.'
That was true, there was a certain kind of understanding between foals who'd lost their parents. Though, that left the biggest obstical of all. The government.
'I don't think you need to worry. Even if the government does make a scene over it, she wants to be here. The Apple's have a pretty good reputation around town, I don't see any judges denying your request. Besides, if worse comes to worse, you can just make an appeal to Celestia. So try not to worry about it.'
Mac relaxed a little and hugged the foal, placing a single fetlock around her body. Yea, there wasn't anything to worry about. His family would say yes, the government would say yes. Everything was going to be okay.
"Alrigh nao." Mac said, straightening himself up. "The funeral will be startin' soon, why don'cha go in n' help Granny 'n Anna with Supper? Ah'll be along later tonight."
Scootaloo nodded up at him and gave his foreleg on last squeeze before happily galloping back to the farm house.
'Well, at least today wasn't totally depressing.'
Macintosh stood next to the roaring flames of the pyre, watching as the log burned.
He pressed his lips and averted his eyes, the torn cloak Spike brought burning to a crisp along side the black goggles Uppity provided. The drake stood beside him, with Twilight on Spike's other side, and Uppity besides her. The turn out to the final respects was bigger than Macintosh expected: He knew Sin's friends and Co-workers would come, but there was also his family, Rainbow Dash, Fancy Pants himself, Fluttershy, even Shining Armor had come.
There were quite a few ponies he didn't know, a darker green unicorn mare he'd never met before who introduced herself as Shady Oaks, a pair of pegasi mare's he'd seen around town a couple of times, and of course, the City Council.
The scene was somber and depressing. He and Spike gave a eulogy, but neither could really say anything on the pony himself other than his politics and love for freedom, the drake did add a few stories from the mill, though. So, at least there was some good experiences to remember Sin by.
He felt Anna lean into him from his other side comfortingly.
Mac wished Shade was here. The stallion was making good progress in his recovery with Zecora's help, but with his disappearance there was no way to tell him. He should have been here, he's known Sin the longest of them all.
His ears perked as he heard the council behind him begin to talk to each other. They were explaining to new Arbiter why the tree was being burned and how it was an Apple family tradition. It had only been done one other time on Sweet Apple Acres, with two trees present...
Macintosh felt annoyed by the constant chatter from behind, it was the final moment of silence for a dead friend, and those five were busy chatting it up. He held his tongue though, as much as he wanted them quiet, it was only out of ignorance that they spoke now. Well, that was until he'd heard one of them laugh.
His head snapped back to look at them, the the forest green earth pony of the bunch was chuckling about something with Justice looking at her.
She stopped giggling and cleared her throat as soon as she noticed Mac's emerald orbs glaring daggers at her. He turned back and looked at the pyre, his anger beginning to burn like the fire infront of him.
"Just ignore them." Spike whispered.
Annabelle pressed a little closer into him and nuzzled his neck, smiling sadly up at him. The apple pony sighed and looked up to the cloud of smoke that wafted up into the air, hoping that whatever awaited Sin in death would give him the peace he desperately wanted.
With the moment of silence done, the attendants began to file out after offing their apologies.
Mac and Spike thanked everyone for coming and waited until the small group had thinned down to the ponies he knew. Save Jacker, who Spike asked personally to stay behind.
Fancy Pants had some documents he needed Mac and Spike to sign, along with Uppity and Twilight as per Sin's final will and testament. Twilight was a little surprised to find that she was included in the will, but agreed to hear out Sin's final request of her.
Macintosh lead the remaining troop into the house for some food and mourning. He'd had his time to grieve, now it was time to handle business affairs. Twilight and Uppity signed their portions of the documents, the former reading over the contract and asking more than a few questions while Spike and Macintosh signed onto the Everfree Lumbermill. They would have some control over the production and such, but had both agreed to place Jacker in charge. He knew more about the lumberjack business than either of them did.
Jacker was stunned at the proposal. He knew Sin had joked about putting him in charge of the mill the day they'd found out about it, but to actually have the owners offering it to him? The brown earth pony didn't know what to say.
The mill was close to ready for production, but not yet. It would take another few days for construction to be complete. Apparently, Celestial had called in for all of the latest and greatest in equipment for the endevor. Multiple Archno-tech conveyor lines, magical automated arms used to stabilize logs for sawing, saw dust collection spells, the works.
The earth pony shook hooves with Mac and Spike, thanking him and promising to make something in the new mill in Sin's memory. Both of them returned the thanks and watched him leave.
With the funeral finally done with, Mac felt at peace with his friend's passing. It felt right to let go now, he could finally focus on the living instead of the dead.