//------------------------------// // Skies Uncleared // Story: Into That Wild Blue Yonder // by CptBrony //------------------------------// The young man walked back into the house, shaking and trying his best to calm down. That was only the second time he had been in a fight like that, but this time, he had seen it coming and needed to prepare himself. It wasn’t a react-as-trained scenario, he was fully aware of what was coming the whole time. At least it was just some couple of mercenary ponies, nothing more. The young man walked back to the fire and drying rack and went about removing his gi and obi once again to finish drying. He would also have to sit next to the roaring flame so he would dry fully again himself. His arms were wet from the sleeves, and he really just wanted to be dry and clothed now. It felt like it had been weeks, even if it was just days. As the young man sat down with the towel around himself again, Gibbs came trotting up to the door and froze when he saw the young man sitting there, staring at the fire. He wasn’t sure what to say. He had never known anypony who had killed somepony, let alone three ponies. The young man’s face, though, betrayed no trauma. He just looked casually at the flame, as if he merely needed a nap or respite. He didn’t seem to register anything that had happened as important. “A-hem,” Gibbs coughed, getting the young man’s attention. The young man looked over. “Hey, Gibbs,” he greeted, and then sighed. “Sorry all this trouble had to come from my appearance here.” “Doesn’t it bother you?” Gibbs asked bluntly. He hadn’t even meant to ask at all, it just sputtered out. “What?” the young man asked, confused. “You killed three ponies,” Gibbs said. “How can you… I don’t get…” The young man frowned. “What, Gibbs?” “How are you able to just sit there like that?” Gibbs asked. “You took three lives. Three ponies are dead by your hand now, and you act like it's nothing!” “What, you want me to be traumatized? Incapacitated, from killing a few ponies?” the young man asked rhetorically. He turned aggressively to face Gibbs. “That’s what you want?” “What, you view us as lesser?” Gibbs asked, growing frustrated. “Our lives aren’t as big, is that it? You humans are so much greater, ponies don't matter?” “What the Hell is your problem?” the young man retorted. “Your village is safe, I’m safe, I even spared the griffon’s life. What do you want?” “I want life to go back to the way it was!” Gibbs shouted. “Your life was pathetic!” the young man shouted back. Gibbs felt his words catch in his throat. The young man had stopped him in his tracks, given him pause where none had ever done so before. Pathetic? For trying to survive? “Pathetic,” Gibbs repeated. “So. That’s what we are. I see.” He turned and walked out out. “Gibbs-“ the young man started. He started too late, though, as Gibbs slammed the door shut as he left. The young man sighed and looked back to the fire. He hadn’t meant to offend, even if what he said was very true. That was probably why Gibbs left; he didn’t want to face it. Either that, or he simply followed a different logic and didn’t appreciate the young man’s line of it. The young man thought about where Gibbs was coming from. He had always tried to see thing from another point of view, it was something his teachers and parents had drilled into his mind. It didn’t always work; in fact, it usually just made him less inclined to agree; but he had to try. Gibbs was trying to ensure the safety of his family and friends, obviously. That’s what the young man would do any day. But his way of doing it… It was flawed. Living like this put them in perpetual danger. Even if they were in good favor with the Tong, which they clearly weren’t, they could lose that favor in a moment. If he did fight back, and lost, everyone would be gone. It was a huge risk in that line. But either way, that risk was extremely real and close. Since both ways had to deal with that, it wasn’t valid as an argument. If he fought back, they could at least weaken them. By weakening them, someone else could come in and put an end to the Tong. Or, the village would stand successfully after sustaining some losses, and they could be free and recover over time. It would ensure their well-being and freedom in the future. So, if they chose to fight, it created the real possibility that they would all be killed. But what was worse? To live in forced servitude, slavery, or to die in the fight for liberty? To end the suffering now, or to continue suffering and living? One of the young man’s favorite authors, one Christopher Paolini, had an impressive counter argument that the young man had to consider. One of his characters once said how it is more courageous and strong to live and suffer for what you want than to go and die for it. In the context of war or fighting, it wasn’t quite as right, because that was suffering that came with a risk of death. So, these ponies were living and suffering. But what were they hoping for? Were they hoping the Tong would be taken out by an intervention force? There was no chance of that kind of military action coming their way, not with so few resources out here. At least, the young man assumed that, since no intervention had come in the decades of slavery they had gone through. Were they hoping to be freed, or that their numbers could be great enough to fight back? If their numbers became greater, so would the Tong’s. If they could acquire weapons in secret, that would help. Then they might stand a real chance, minimize losses. Of course, for those who lost, they would never view the battle as a victory. Maybe Gibbs was scared he would lose someone. Or maybe he couldn’t stand taking someone away from their loved ones. The young man killed three ponies. They were jerks, so it was likely they had no one except the griffon, Yafid, and he was awfully distraught over the loss. Especially since one was his own guy that he himself killed. But that guy, like the families of those in the Tong if there were any, knew about the atrocities being committed and did nothing, even profited off of them. Did their well-being matter, or was it null and void for their complacent or approving role in the suffering? Seeing as they contributed to it, the young man thought they didn’t deserve happiness themselves. So if somepony lost his or her spouse to it, too bad. That, naturally, left the children. They never deserve it, no matter who they are or where they’re from. So what to do about them? They need support either way. Of course, if taking out their parents means preventing the crimes from being committed, that helps more of the people, or ponies. But that leaves an innocent child in the darkness, all alone, to potentially evolve into a worse version of the parents. There needs to be a contingency. Which, naturally, is the villages. They have to take in the kids and raise them right to prevent more of the evil from spawning. The villages would have to accept the burden, but it would prevent the existing, much more severe burdens from continuing and getting worse. And if they could take these burdens, they could easily handle raising a few extras. Colm Winds seemed to come out fine, and he was born of tragedy, just like these kids would be. So, with the kids taken care of, and a plan for taking on the Tong, what was left to consider? There would naturally be recovery, a change in the routine of life, but it was a good change. There was just one thing left. Fear of uncertainty. The ponies in this village were too scared of not knowing what was coming. They were so dug into this routine that they were terrified of what may come without it. Just with the young man’s arrival, the ponies were always looking over their shoulders for the Boogey Man. Sure, some bounty hunter mercs came around, but it was nothing more than what they had already dealt with. They were fine. But that fear of the unknown, a fear of not knowing what may come the next day, it paralyzed these ponies. They were too scared of change to act on the problem. Hundreds of ponies from different villages terrorized and held hostage, by nothing more than a gang of thirty-something basic thugs. They could easily overpower them and kick them out. And it was pathetic. The young man sighed, discontented with his conclusion but finding no other way to look at it. No one could possibly help these ponies here, not if they kept up this crippling fear of independence. It was sad to think about, plain and simple, so the young man opted not to. At least he would be gone soon, and he wouldn’t have to deal with it. The ponies could live on their own like this if they wanted, for all he cared. It wasn’t as if they were real people.