Deception
As Spike walked along, his mind was repeatedly pulled back to Sugar Cube Corner. Not the questionable tactic of dating Blade had pulled, though he'd be lying if he said the less than orthodox method of askance was bizarre enough to warrant attention, but the little white rabbit he'd caught a glimpse of as they were leaving.
He'd spoken to the stallion about future plans not too far away, and kept his remaining eye on the establishment to see what the rabbit was doing. It didn't take long for Angel to leave the bakery empty pawed and scurry about elsewhere. Once Blade had left, he'd gone back in to ask Pinkie what the little angry ball of fluff had wanted from her.
To no surprise he'd come in for baked goods and said some rather... choice words when his aggressive request was denied. Pinkie was a little emotional over the encounter, but Spike was sure she'd be fine.
As he continued his day, now on track to the market district to find a wedding gift for Macintosh and Annabelle, he spotted the rabbit yet again, this time pouncing up and down on little Applebloom and pointing to his mouth.
It wasn't hard to see what the critter wanted, Fluttershy had taken care of him his whole life, if she was to be believed. Angel had no survival skills of his own what so ever, outside of hardly used instinct. His procument of food in nature would be the most difficult thing he'd ever tried to do, and if left to it, would likely leave the bunny to starvation or worse.
Spike stopped walking and slumped, looking up sadly and taking in the large and imposing structure of City Hall.
'If Angel dies, it'll devastate Fluttershy.'
Yea... I know.
'Look, I'm sorry about what I said before. I was out of line, it's just... What Sin said made a lot of sense, ya know?'
Wait what?
'About how ponies complain alot yet do nothing to fix problems? How when things suddenly become difficult they just don't care anymore?I get it, it'll be hard, but as Sin always said, it's the results that matter. I know he told you to have a happy life, but I think what you're doing right now is for the best for everyone.'
Spike felt a small sense of indignation for a split second, but it subsided as quickly as it had come. Sin had spoken to him on multiple occasions about, what he called, the "God of Apathy". One of the three "gods of government". Spike, unlike the Federalist, didn't see the government as inherently immoral. As far as he was concerned, ponies should be able to be apathetic to the numerous laws and such that govern the country. If every pony was so busy worrying and bemoaning the laws, nopony would be happy, and what was the point of anything if nopony was happy?
Maintaining intellectual honesty in those kinds of debates was difficult to say the least. Spike didn't want Equestrians to just not care about the laws, which is what Sin had initially thought of him, but he didn't think ponies should waste too much time thinking about them. They couldn't change the laws without going through local governments, a process that took no small amount of time, effort, and stress, so unless it was really that big of a deal, he believed others were only wasting their time worrying about it; especially if they had not plans to try and put in effort to substantially change it, substantial change being the Federalist's main point.
But ponies had lives, ponies had families, ponies had other things to do. Why should they have to devote such thought and stress when their representatives were elected to do it for them? Or the Princesses in place to do much the same? The laypony couldn't understand the law in its entirety anyways, so what was the point?
'Apathy.'
Spike hefted a sigh of annoyance. Yea, he indulged the god of apathy. He indulged the god of apathy and he supposed that what he was about to do was his punishment for it.
'You're going a good thing.'
Yea, whatever.
Spike opened the door to the hall and walked in, taking extreme effort to keep the scowl from his face.
'It's for the foals and for Fluttershy.'
That helped, but not by much.
"May I help you?" The receptionist asked, looking more bored today.
"Yea, I'm here to see Social Justice."
The mare looked up at the adolescent drake and shrugged. "She's not in today, she's down at the inn down the street."
Spike couldn't stop his eyes from rolling, typical.
"You!" He heard the obnoxious shriek and knew immediately who it was. "I told you to stay out of here!"
Spike waved Leaf Spring off. "Yea, yea, blow it out your plot hole. I wasn't here for you, anyway."
He heard her say something else, but was beyond caring at that point.
Spike knew where the inn was and made a bee line there, wanting to just get it over with. He entered the main lobby of the inn and looked left to find an extremely bored looking Inquiry standing guard over one of the doors.
"May I help you?" The inn keeper asked.
"No thank you, I'm just here to see a friend."
The drake made way down the hall and was greeted by Inquiry. "Well, this is a surprise."
Spike shrugged. "Yea, I umm, I need to talk to Justice."
"That's an even bigger surprise." Inquiry declared, adjusting his fedora. "As funny as it would be to watch you take another bite out of her flank, I don't think I could stand another three hour round of bawling from her."
Cringing, the drake felt a rather large pang of guilt. He didn't mean to make Justice feel that bad. Yea, she was out of line with her questioning, but to elicit that kind of response just made him feel like a cruel jack ass. Spike crossed his arms and explained his plan to Inquiry in hushed whispers so that they wouldn't be heard. The dark stallion was understandably reluctant to accept Spike's help, gently declaring the drake an unacceptable body guard for his charge.
"I appriciate what you're trying to do, but you're not part of the Ponyville Police Department. You're not qualified to handle this situation."
Spike quirked a brow. "Look, if what you're saying about the Red Market is true, than you need to be out there with the others and keeping the town safe. You're not doing any good being cooped up in here."
Inquiry leveled a challenging gaze at Spike, a glare the cycloptic dragon was happy to return. "I don't mean to sound like an ass, but I care about the foals of this town. Three of them in particular. They're my friends and I care about them, if you can help protect them and keep them safe, I'll handle Justice here."
Inquiry shook his head. "And where's all of this coming from all of the sudden? Last I checked, you couldn't stand her."
Spike pressed his lips and looked away. "It's... personal. Look, I just had the idea, alright?" The two stared eachother down for a tense few seconds. "But I wanna know, are being honest with me?"
The detective frowned. Spike cleared his throat and clarified that he wanted to know if there really was that kind of crime in Ponyville. Pedophile sex rings and violent drug syndicates. The drake's sole eye locked onto Inquiry's own in full and unyielding challenge, determined to see any trace of a lie that the stallion was thinking on telling him. It didn't really matter at this point, Spike's interests were also to protect the entirety of Ponyville's law structure and curtail the damage Justice was doing.
"Yes." Inquiry nodded, his eyes dropping to the floor as he slumped. "It wasn't often that they'd try to take root, but whenever they did, I'd find out and quietly handle the situation before things got bad. That's why I'm the sole detective of Ponyville, not a lot happens here. Well, not without your friends having something to do with it. Twilight and them, I mean."
Spike chuckled, yea, that was true.
"Aside from the occasional domestic violence dispute, petty theft, or world threatening catastrophe, we're a quiet and peaceful town. Small towns have rumors, rumors that I look into and stop problems before they begin..." He paused and his eyes became glazed over and unfocused. Spike didn't speak, he knew when someone was reliving a memory and was content to let him have a moment. "Rumors I haven't been able to look into every since this skank came into town. Alright, if you can convince her you're up to taking my place, I'll leave you to it."
Spike nodded his thanks and Inquiry knocked on the door to announce his arrival.
Justice didn't reply and the dragon slowly walked into the darkened room.
The lights were all off, save a small nightlight on the bed side stand. A small, silver, cylinder can with stars and moons cut out that cast the shapes onto the walls with the escaping light. The mare he'd come to see lay curled up in the inn's bed, surrounded by little plushy teddy bears, a rather large bear clutched tightly in her hooves.
If Spike had felt bad for her before, he felt like an utter peice of garbage now. The display was almost as pathetic as the wailing he'd heard from Fluttershy yesterday. Not quite as bad, but still.
"Justice?"
The pony on the bed curled even tighter to the light brown teddy in reply.
"Justice? Can I talk to you for a minute?"
Again, no verbal reply, just a small sniffled to show acknowledgement. A sniffle that stabbed Spike right threw his chest. He didn't mean to do this to her...
Summoning his patience, the dragon told her the biggest lie of his entire life. "I'm not mad at you anymore for what you said to Twilight, okay? But I need you to talk to me, okay?"
Even with his alleged forgiveness granted, Justice still made no attempt to talk to him.
'I think you broke her, dude.'
Shut up!
"Social Justice? Are you okay?"
...
...
"Fairness."
"What?"
Justice took a shuddering breath. "I jus- I just want fairness." She said in a dry, raspy voice.
"I- I just want ponies to be fair to one another. I just want ponies to be fair and kind and treat each other with respect."
"Well, do you think you made Twilight feel respected with what you said?" Spike asked, he regretted the words as soon as they left his mouth.
Justice whimpered and sniffled a few time, curling even tighter against the teddy bear she held. Emotional manipulation, that's exactly what it was, but even so, it didn't mean her feelings of sadness and remorse weren't genuine.
"I'm sorry for that, I was... I don't know, I was just trying to make her understand..."
"Through emotional manipulation."
Justice sniffled. "We're emotional creatures, all of us. Emotion is part of how we communicate, it's who we are as ponies..."
Spike wasn't sure how to respond to that, she was correct in her assertion, but it didn't feel like the whole truth, but he didn't know how to convey the whole truth either.
"Rape is an emotional thing, I know from experience..." She curled up even more, and Spike's reluctance melted to pity.
She'd been raped?
'Dude...'
"H-he didn't know..." She continued. "He said he didn't understand, that he was convinced I was into it, despite me being drunk. I... I couldn't..."
'Wait, what does her being drunk have to do with it?'
Spike listened patiently to Justice recount her story. She was at a party with some of her old friends when some jack ass had sex with her while she was sluing drunk. The stallion she was with was tartarus bent on telling her that she was into it, encouraging him all the while. She couldn't remember the night and believed that, because she couldn't consciously consent, that she was raped.
Initially, Spike was both confused and a little irritated that she'd said she'd been raped. Whenever he thought of such a grotesque act, he'd always thought of kicking, screaming and crying, yet what Justice was describing here did technically fit the criteria of unwanted sex, in that it was sexual contact that she consciously didn't and couldn't consent to, it just didn't seem the same to him.
"They kept saying it was my fault, blaming me for what he did. I didn't want to have sex with him, but he got me drunk and took advantage of me..."
Unsure of what to say with such a delecate issue, Spike pondered what he should do next.
'Tread lightly, remember, we're supposed to be here to get in good with her.'
I know, but this just... doesn't feel right.
'She's pouring her heart out to you, here. I think it's a pretty good way for things to go.'
Not that, I mean what she's saying. I mean, I guess technically it is rape, but... it's not at the same time. I'm more irritated that she's using the word where it's not appropriate. I mean, when most ponies think of rape, they think of a mare or, Luna forbid, a foal kicking, screaming, crying and begging thier attacker to stop.
This? This where she's drunk and asking for it, but technically not being able to ask for it, and calling a stallion a rapist? I don't know, that sounds like she's just trying to garner sympathy to me. It's really a disservice to real rape victims.
'Be that as it may, you came here for a reason. Who knows? Maybe you can curtail her while presenting your own logic on the matter.'
I don't think so, she's emotionally manipulative. We've both seen it with her and Uppity, and she's trying to do it right now.
'Just trying to be optimistic here.'
But you're right, I came here for a reason. If nothing else, fight fire with fire.
"It wasn't my fault though!" She cried, turning to face him. "You believe me, right? That what he did to me wasn't my fault? I couldn't consent, I couldn't do anything! I- I was drunk, it wasn't my fault, right?"
Spike stood for a moment before shaking his head. "No, I don't think it was your fault."
It was the second biggest lie he'd ever told, but if he was going to become Justice's assistant and curtail her behavior in the council, he needed to make her believe that he was on her side.
Conno and his team stood beneath a lone tree sixty miles outside of Canterlot. He'd told Silvia to report back here once the new orders had come down from Malich for their mission in observing the vice presidents brother.
The griffon was worried, he'd never show it, but he was very much beside himself. Whatever happens would happen, ultimately, but he'd failed. Conno had never failed a mission before in his entire career as an agent. He'd altered tactics, killed innocent by-standards, tortured foals and cubs for information, and done everything within his power at any given time to complete his objective.
Conno was considered one of the most competent leading agents among the Triple M. recon squads, this black mark on his resume did not please him in the slightest.
"Sir, movement at your six."
All the black clad griffin's perked up and turned. Conno observed as a small wing of pegasi and griffons approached, coming in low and fast. He told his subordinates to ready themselves until he saw the black jackets on the group.
Conno's eyes widened as he saw one of the pegasi draw closer. His or her red visor telling him exactly who he or she was and making the initial fear the griffin felt expand into out right terror. He wouldn't show it, but the agent was seconds away from wetting himself. They'd brought a Tribune.
"Tribune, at attention!" He barked. All of his agents stood at the ready, unblinking and statuesque.
Silvia landed first, followed by three pegasi and seven other griffons. "Conno, I-"
"You and your men are relieved of duty." Said the Tribune, marching past the female griff and standing only a few inches short of Conno.
The lead agent had to surpress a shudder, the pegasus mare's icy voice from within her respirator sent chills up and down his spine. The black helm and red visor covering her head betrayed the no doubt blank face held behind.
Tribunes were the elite of the elite of Triple M. Agents. Masochists who'd willingly undergone psychological torture beyond anything that any ethics committee would allow. They did not know fear, they did not know empathy, they did not know anger, they only knew the mission and undying loyalty to their contracts. Their training had made their lives and sense of self preservation inconsequential when placed next to the contract, and the lives of any who stood in the way of their objectives.
Conno wasn't sure, but he'd heard stories that the females of the group were far worse than the males.
"Relief code?" Conno asked as per protocol.
"Relief code: Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Seven, Seven, Sigma." The Tribune replied monotonously.
Conno's eyes narrowed. "As squad commander, I... surrender my command."
He didn't want to do it, there was drastic measures and then there was absurd. Tribunes had no place outside of the Federation, they were only called in for suicide missions that didn't yield good returns on survival probabilities vs resource costs calculated. These things were barely sapient creatures anymore, what could his boss have possibly been thinking to send one here?
Once the official protocols of relief were done, including a rather extensive debriefing, Conno evoked the right of Safe Track, which was to see the orders of his relief in order to debrief more properly and emphasize relevant information.
Reluctantly, the Tribune unzipped her front jacket pocket and pulled out a small, folded, golden piece of paper. Conno read it over and his eyes nearly bulged from his head. The new orders were to find and protect the target at all cost until the target was returned to the Federation?! Was Malich insane?!
"Thank you." Conno returned the contract and turned to his men. "We are relieved of duty. You've all been away from your families for the better part of a year, report to the Dead Head HQ for Subordinate debrief. Dismissed."
The group looked between themselves for a moment. "You're not going to lead us home, sir?"
Conno shook his head. "I request to be allowed to serve under the Tribune, my relationship with Princess Luna is not one I am able to abandon while the mission is ongoing."
"And why is that?" The Tribune asked.
The lead griff retrieved his notepad and handed it to her. "Princess Luna's cooperation has been called into question. Her continued support is vital to our presence in Equestria. She is volatile and brash, she lacks foresight. Which has benefited us so far, but could also serve to be detrimental to our interests if she is pushed to far."
The Tribune read over the notes for a while before finally closing the note pad. "You're request has been denied, Sargent. You are to report back with your squad."
"I urge you to reconsider. I have valuable insight an-"
Conno's words were cut short as a streak of black pain slammed his body to the ground. He tried to jump to his paws and claws out of instinct, but a hoof slammed down onto his neck, making the cold agent squawk in pain.
"Insubordination will not be tolerated, agent Conno." The Tribune seethed, applying force to the back of his neck, causing the griff to squawk again. "Should you fail to follow my order again, I will end your life, is that understood.
Conno's breathing came in grunts and groans, it was an unfamiliar position for him to be in, on the ground with someone else holding his life in their hooves. Reluctantly, the griffon nodded. "Understood."
The Tribune removed her hoof and he stood, there was an intense pain in his neck, but he could ignore that for the time being. He looked back to his subordinates and ordered them to follow him back to the Federation before taking flight.
Once a good distance away, Conno landed and rubbed the back of his head.
"Sir?"
Turning back, the lead agent gave his best attempt at a snarl.
"That fucking bitch."
"Sir. We were ordered to-"
"I am aware, corperal. You guys go ahead and get home. I'll be staying here."
"Sir?"
"Malich has made a mistake sending a Tribune here. I know orders are orders, but my loyalty is first and foremost to the protection of the Federation." He sighed. "As was all of our oaths when we were graduated from basic."
Conno turned to his subordinate. "I have worked on this project for too long to allow that bitch to come in and fuck it all up now. If she pushes Luna in the wrong way and exposes us, our work here could very much lead to a war between the Federation and Equestria." He turned back to the direction where the Tribune stood. "And I do not intend to let that happen."