//------------------------------// // No Hope // Story: Earning Freedom // by Daxisle //------------------------------// No Hope Spike sat at the library alone, charged to stay and be the one anypony would report to if they'd found Scootaloo. Though, the drake didn't hold much hope now. It had been one week since Scootaloo had run of into the forest, one week since Justice was thrown into jail by the Apple lynch mob. Had it not been for Applejack and Twilight, he was certain she'd have hung for what she did. Even after so much time had passed, heads were still too hot to decide what to do with her. After the pink pegasus was unceremoniously thrown into jail, despite the guard's measily resistance on the matter, and a few days of searching, many ponies took to city council, outraged over how such a thing could both happen and be sanctioned by the law. Mayor Mare received the brunt of it, after all she was the executive branch of Ponyville, but Spike saved her by explaining that it wasn't her fault, and that city council, being the legislative branch, were the ones who'd made the bill in the first place. It saved mayor Mare, but condemned Colgate, Leaf Spring, and Rain to the mob's ire. It all happened so quickly, so fast, Spike was a little scared at the ferocity and fervor the citizen of Ponyville were capable of. Insults, threats, demands for retribution. Some even began kicking and bucking the three mare's homes. Leaf Spring and Colgate did their best to reason with the crowd, but they were an emotionally charged throng of blood thirsty ponies. The three had no chance of placating the irate townsfolk who wanted nothing more than to make all three of them tree ornimates. Spike felt bad for them, he really did, but the mayor was a good pony, she didn't deserve to suffer the mob's wrath. Needless to say, city council was quick to amend the legislation to better handle foal custody cases. Threats and broken windows had a way of getting those kinds of results. Though, the treatment of the council continued to grow increasingly violent. Ponies protesting outside their houses and Colgate's dental business. It got so bad that some had even broken into the cobalt unicorn's house and wrecked the place, since it was leaked that she was the one who'd sponsored the reformation of foal custody last. That's when things got bad. A separate group of ponies, those whom found the protesters obtrusive and radical, formed in opposition. They claimed that it was the rules of law that held society together, that the law wasn't perfect, but it should still be respected and maintained for the greater good of civilization. By day, those with too much time on their hooves would often engage in animated debates about common sense/compassionate approaches vs common sense/fair approaches of the law. Yesterday, somehow, a brawl started right outside of city hall. A conflict that engaged about twenty ponies in total. It wasn't certain how or who or where it started, but somepony said something along the lines of one of the protesters against city council not caring about the welfare of children and not caring about their mistreatment, even going so far as to allege the pony wanted foals to be raped. Twilight had petitioned the Capital's aid to come to Ponyville to get the place under control after that. A decision Spike was in agreement with. As deplorable as the bill's effects were, things were starting to get out of control, ponies were being lead too much by their emotions. He'd read over the bill that prompted the attack on Colgate, and she had actually loosened the restrictions on foal adoptions. The ponies were just out for blood now, and it was only a matter of time before they got it. Though, Macintosh, Annabelle, and Rainbow Dash were the worst hit by Scootaloo's disappearance. The dragon sighed and closed the comic book he'd been attempting to read for the past hour. Macintosh wasn't speaking to anypony anymore. Every time Spike would go over to check up on him, the stallion was either in the Everfree forest, or had returned home just long enough to sleep and do some farm work. His ever stoic and impassive face didn't betray how distressed and distraught he was, but his mannerisms and lack of speech did. Annabelle was in a constant state of tears now, according to Granny the poor mare couldn't stop crying or looking like she was about to cry every time she looked at the couch Scootaloo had used as a bed before getting her her own along side Applebloom. Shining Armor and Cadance had to leave to see to the Crystal empire, but Shining promised to return as scheduled every Friday as usual. For cards of for exploration. As for Rainbow Dash, nopony mentioned Scootaloo around her again. She put up a tough face, like she always did, but that tough shell would always show its true cracks whenever the filly's name was mentioned. She wouldn't completely fall into depression like she did the second day after he filly had left, but her typically boisterous attitude did deflate to a calmed and forced enthusiasm and optimism. The door opened and Twilight walked in. "Hey Spike." She said. "Any news?" The drake asked with mild hope. Twilight shook her head and he felt himself sink. "Not about Scootaloo, but Celestia did say she wants us to bring Social Justice to Canterlot tomorrow so she can explain herself." Despite how calmly Twilight was explaining the situation, the name sent cold blood pouring through Spike's veins. Though, the voice of reason was just as quick to point out the facts as they were. Scootaloo ran for no reason, no reason what so ever... Spike heard what Macintosh and Social Justice said. They both agreed that Scootaloo would only be taken into government custody momentarily. That the filly was just to be questioned and interviewed about how she felt about the family, and absolve the government of any negligence charges should something have happened to her. Justice didn't even seem to want to do it either, she saw how badly Scootaloo wanted to stay and Spike could see the sympathy in her eyes. But apparently there were a few cases in Canterlot that she'd dealt with where foals were conditioned to act as if they loved their abusers, and she was appalled at how inefficiently the government there had handled the situation, abandoning the foals to unworthy and abusive caretakers, resulting in one foal being beaten to death. It did explain the heavy guard presence. When one is powerless to stop an issue before, the power they wield to fix it is almost always over reaching. To the rest of the town, it was a black and white issue. Justice came knocking and demanded Scootaloo be taken into custody, causing the filly to run screaming into the woods, but to Spike, Macintosh and anypony else who'd heard what was said behind the farm house that day, they knew better. It was a sick dellema, on one claw: you've got ponies who bemoan the law because not enough was done to protect colts and fillies, and on the other, a bunch who complain because too much was done. It didn't help, though. Even knowing that Justice's heart was in the right place, she was still the reason for Scootaloo's disappearance. Her involvement was the reason a little filly was gone, and that's all anypony would ever come to understand. Her virtues and desire to protect foals and maintain order meant nothing, the consequences of her actions were the sum of it all. "How's Uppity doing?" Spike asked. Twilight froze over the tea she was making for a moment. "She's not doing well, Spike. She blames herself for what happened, for recommending Justice in the first place." Spike agreed with the mare. She was partially responsible after all. Again, her well meaning didn't really amount to anything compared to the consequences and results, but alot of the blame was also on Celestia for approving the mare as Arbiter in the first place. The town's arbiter wasn't elected to office like the council or mayor was, they were appointed, apparently. And Celestia had to have approved the mare's authority in the matter. The door to the library creaked open, allowing a sullen looking Applejack entery. "Hey, Twi, any news?" The unicorn shook her head, causing the earthpony to slump. Everything that could be done was being done. Fliers were put up at every train station in the country, the Everfree was being combed for all the pony power they could muster, Twilight even sent a letter to Princess Luna in hopes she could locate Scootaloo through her dreams. "Ah'm worried, Twi." Applejack admitted, removing her hat and taking a seat at the library table. "Macintosh, Annabelle, Rainbow, all of 'em are becomin' more n' more depressed. Mac won' even talk t' me no more. Ah'm at the end of muh rope here." Of course he didn't. Mac was fully ready to fight off all four of the guards ponies who'd come to the farm that day, convinced that if he'd allowed Scootaloo to be taken, he'd never see here again. Spike would have been right by his side, too, he still owed the red stallion for his part in the conspiracy on Spike's trial. The drake didn't have a doubt in his mind that Macintosh would have taken out every single guard to keep Scootaloo safe, had it not been for Applejack coaxing him into giving the filly up. As far as Spike was concerned, alot of the blame fell onto the cow pony's shoulders for that. "I'm sorry, Applejack... I don't know what else I can do." Twilight said apologetically, pouring each of them a small cup of tea. The apple mare rubbed her eyes with irritation, asking the million bit question that plagued all of them. "Ah jes', it don't make no sense! Ah heard what all was said! Ah can't figure out why Scootaloo ran away! Ah gah!" Spike eyed the mare with a glare more intense than he'd intended. He wanted to be angry at Justice, he really did, but after hearing about the foals who were beaten and abused because of government negligence, he just couldn't be. The pink pegasus was just doing her job and wanting to keep foals safe, this whole thing wasn't really anypony's fault, just the result of a crack in the system. Twilight placed a hoof onto her distraught friends own and offered her as close to a reassuring look as she could muster. Applejack took a second of token reluctance but eventually sighed. "We'll find her." "Ah hope so, not jest fer Scootaloo's sake, but fer Macintosh too." Applejack took the tea into her hooves and sipped loudly. She was scared, scared that her brother would wander into the forest someday and never come back out again... AJ knew the dangers of the Everfree Forest, a might bit more than she cared to admit to, and as much as she wanted Scootaloo to be found, it killed her inside every time Macintosh ventured in to find her. Annabelle wasn't taking well to his exploration either, which wasn't only harming her but could have indirect effects upon the young foal in her belly. "She's scared silly, Twi. All of us are. Ah'm not sayin' we should give up on Scootaloo r' nothin', Ah'm jest... Ah don't know, Ah jest..." She began to quiver with emotion, calling Twilight to embrace her, and allow the blond pony to sob gently on the unicorn's shoulder, Twilight cooing with soft words of comfort and reassurance. "Ya can't take her! Ah wont let ya! "Macintosh, please be reasonable. The law has a responsibility to- "NO! Ya ain't placein' a hoof on her! "Mr. Macintosh, if you will not hand over the filly willingly, I will have you arrested!" "N' A'LL BUCKING KILL YOU!" "WOAH WOAH WOAH! Let's all just calm down. "SCOOOOTALOOOOOOO!" Big Mac shouted, only to be answered by the ever present silence of the darkened forest. The red pony took a gasping breath, and looked around, hoping to hear shuffling of brush or anything that could be interperated as hoofsteps. Nothing. "SCOOOTALOOOOO!" He called, venturing farther inwards. Mac wasn't sure how long he'd been in here today, six hours, maybe seven? The sun must be going down by now, but even as his hope began to wane, he had to know he did everything, everything in his power to find what he'd lost... what he'd so foolishly let slip through his hooves because of his fear. "Yes, Spike, I do see her, but you have to understand where I'm coming from here. I've seen too many foals who I knew were absued but conditioned to show attatchment like that... foals who were beaten and neglected." "Does she look beaten and neglected to you!?" "No, no she doesn't, but I have to be sure. I have to know with 100% certainty. For protocol as much as my own peace of mind." "FORGET YOUR STUPID PROTOCOL! Can't you see how distressed she is, that's what you're doing to her!?" "And how am I to know that it isn't because of her fear of Macintosh? That is exactly how little Bucky acted with a mare who beat him silly every night! "SCOOTALOOOOOOO!" The conversation haunted him, again and again, over and over like a reoccuring nightmare. Mac tried to analyze it, he tried to figure out where everything went so wrong, how it all came to this, but no matter what angle he looked at it with, he just couldn't see where he'd gone wrong. Pushing past a brush, the pony sidestepped a protruding root and peaked around some bushes, coming up as empty hooves as he did the last million bushes he'd looked behind. "I'm sorry, I really am, but the laws were put in place for a reason, you can appreciate that, can't you?" "I can, but this case isn't like the ones your describing. Ponyville isn't like Canterlot, or Manehatten or those other big cities." "Look, I wish I could take your word for it, Spike, but I have to follow the law." "No you don't! You can do the right thing here, Justice!" "I am doing the right thing." Macintosh called out the name again, and again, and again, his voice growing horse and more raspy. The past six days were a sickening blur to him, each day just melting into the next as nothing but dark foilage and a single name echoing through the day. His legs were wobbling from exhaustion and his eyes were blood shot and eyelids heavy. The pony wasn't sure how much more of this his body could take, but he didn't care. Everypony else had given up on her, Shining Armor left, Twilight and them were useless, Spike wasn't coming out with him anymore... He was all that was left, he was the last one with any hope that Scootaloo would be found. He couldn't give up on her now. "SCOOootalooo!" "Macintosh, I promise, she'll only be in custody for a little bit. All I wanna do is ask her some questions while you and Mrs. Apple get your certificate officially authorized." "NO! YA CAN'T HAVE HER!" "Big Mac, brother, Ah love ya, ah do, but ya heard what she said, Scoot's is jest gonna have to answer some questions is all. It wont take that long, n' it'll be legal." "Sis?" "Ah don't like it no more n' you do, but fact is that this'll be alot easier n' go alot smoother if'n ya let 'er go..." Another brush, another ding of discouragement to his already wilted hope. Again and again the process repeated itself, the thoughts from before offering no where near the amount of will and determination they once did. 'Macintosh, Scootaloo's been in here for the past seven days... even if she was still in here, there's no way she could have-' NO! No, don't you turn on me too! Ah can't give up hope now! The stallion burst forward in a show of energy and force, challening the forests creeping depression and charging into the unknown to show that it wouldn't break his spirit. "Scootaloo? Ah want ya ta listen to me, okay? Shhh, it'll be alrigh', Ah'm sorry, but Ah have to let them take ya fer a bit, alright? Won't be long, okay? Ah promise ya, all ya gotta do is answer some questions, n' you'll be right back in the farm. No foster care, no orphanage, no nothin'. Ah'll only be an hour or two, then we can all head back to the farm n' be a proper family... but Ah gotta let em ask ya few questions first, think ya can do that?" In a sudden bout of realization, Mac failed to see the root ahead and tripped on it, the force of his forward motion sending him tumbling to the ground. He never checked to see if she understood what was happening. For all of everything that was going on, Macintosh didn't stop to ask Scootaloo if she really grasped the situation, or if she was listening at all. She clung to his neck like she would die if she dared to let go, how could he miss that she may not have even had her facilities about her when she was taken? Sighing as a few things finally began clicking into place, Macintosh gagged as a sudden and putrid odor permiated his nostrils. Grimacing, the stallion opened his eyes from his place on the ground to a see a foul and terrible sight. He jumped up and stumbled away from what he saw but slowly and cautiously approached with a slowly increasing sense of dread. No... no, no this... it couldn't be... the dark of the forest had to be playing tricks on him again. With each and every step, Mac's nerves doubled again and again. His breathing deep and sparatic. Tentitivly, he reached out his hoof and tapped on the thing he'd found, a hollow echo confirming the hollowness of the blood stained skull. It was big, too big to be any normal critier, but to shapely to be something like a bear or mantacor... 'Mac, you know what it is...' NO! No, no it can't be! It has to be something else, like a timberwolf or something! 'Mac, timberwolves are wood and they don't have blunt teeth. I'm sorry, but-' NO! NO! NO! NO! The stallion fell to his knees and wept, there was no point in denying it any longer. He knew the type of skull he was looking it, the flat teeth, the large head, and most importantly, the rounded muzzle... this was a filly's skull, a filly who died all too recently.