Krystal Melody
The path through the badlands had taken an unexpected turn that Sin's map had no indication to give. The rail road passed over a vast and extensive gorge, a good one hundred foot drop at it's best. Down below was a a small ravine, precious life giving water allowing plant growth in such a harsh enviornment.
Had the Federalist been alone, he'd have chanced crossing the bridge, but with a foal at his side, Sin felt his responsibility to her safety superseded his haste and took a small and winding trail that lead down to the bottom of the valley. Accrossed from the forest and the ravine lay another pathway back up, he calculated that the detour would only add an hour to the trip at most, plus a few minutes to refill water was never a waste of time.
'Oh! Oh! I've got one! So, you know how you're no fan of the prison industrial complex, right?'
Correct. Wasting years of someone's life in prison for crimes like theft and drugs do not turn out well. They are networking centers that create career criminals and immerse petty offenders in an environment where they need to become extreme in order to survive.
'Right, okay, so how would you handle something like... say, murder?'
Ehhhh, my view on it isn't really all that popular, especially amongst other Anarchists and Libertarians.
'... Oh fuck this is gonna be good.'
The stallion looked down over the slope's edge, hearing a slight creaking from down below.
Slavery.
'WHAT!?'
Hear me out, here me out-
'Wha- I don't even- SLAVERY!?'
I know, I know, just hear me out. Alright, so the crime is murder, right? Well, I'm just as much about compensating the victim as I am punishing the criminal. I don't believe in "the killer being off the streets" is good enough for the victim. Such a system doesn't compensate the transgressed, and let's face it, three hots and a cot, the murderer isn't suffering all that badly. And I certainly don't do that whole "but they now have a debt to socioty" bull shit. A murder didn't kill society, they killed an individual, and the individual is the one who deserves compensation.
Unfortunately, the victim's dead, so the reparations would need to fall to those most effected. AKA, the victim's family, right?
'Okay? So wait, what's wrong with sending murderers to prison?'
Because it's actually one of the most disturbing ways to hurt the surviving victims of the murder.
'Eh?'
Critic, let's say you were a stallion outside of me, for a moment. Let's also say you had a son or daughter, Scootaloo for example. Now, let's say that Scootaloo, being your daughter, was murdered in a brutal manner. Right?
'Tread lightly, Sin. I like her just as much as you do.'
Yea, no. I want this to hit home with you. Now, the criminal's in government custody and a government prison, right? Prisons are funded by Who? Tax payers, right? You are a tax payer. So, in a sick way, the government is forcing you, a father whose daughter was murdered, possibly raped, to give them money to keep her killer and possible rapist alive. You are literally paying for the life style of someone who took something precious from you.
'...'
Yea, pretty twisted when you consider it that way, isn't it?
'Your solution?'
Well, when it comes to murder, it's the ending of a life, a life that cannot be given back. If the killer could be killed and resurrect the innocent, I'd do that, but that's not the case. So, I'd have them put in slave camps and have their earnings paid to both sustain the camp and the surviving members of the family, or have the family decide what to do with them from there. If they'd feel better having said criminal murdered for his or her transgression and such.
'And what if it was an accident? The killing, I mean.'
That's another issue, you specifically said murder, murder implies intent to kill. Accidents would require more context and thought. But as for the surviving victims of the murdered, financial compensation would be in order. No point in throwing away perfectly good labor if it can be used to help the surviving victims. Granted, it's not a perfect system, and money is no substitute for a father, mother, daughter, son, brother, sister and what not, but it's a million times better than what most systems have.
'That is one of the most disturbing thoughts you've ever presented to me... and I cannot find a way to argue it. Tapio help me, I cannot find anything to say to you right now.'
The two reached the bottom of the chasm and Scootaloo awed as she looked up. Sin was also a little impressed with the sight, he didn't peg the crevice to be this deep, but now that he was at the bottom, he had to admit, it was pretty impressive.
"Hey Islander, do you hear that?" The filly asked. Sin's ears perked, another squeak and a grunt, accompanied by a low murmur. The stallion dismissed the noise as another traveler and not their concern.
The two walked onwards towards the water front. A small bridge linking the two shores. Sin's body grew tense as they approached the bridge, the sounds of creaking and grunting growing louder and louder with each step they took. It was coming from the other side of the bridge, hidden behind the dense foliage.
He placed a hoof out and told Scootaloo to stay close to him.
'You think the Trotski set up a trap?'
He didn't know, the Trotski themselves had probably just crossed the train tacks bridge, or maybe even took the train itself. Still, it was better to err on the side of caution.
Sin took a few tentative steps on the wooden planks of the land connect. It was sturdy enough, he backed off and craned his body down to see beneath the planksfor anything there, but nothing out of the ordinary was found.
The two crossed and made it to the other side without issue.
"Oh please come on!" Cried a voice to their left.
A light grey pegasus mare with a white bandanna atop her head and sky blue mane pulled into a ponytail was pulling on an old wooden waggon that looked to have somehow fallen half way off a steep incline. She jumped down to get a lower bit of leverage and pushed with all her might to get the thing back onto the path, flapping her pegasus wings as hard as she could, but to no avail.
'Well, that's a shame.'
Indeed, all well, sucks to be her.
Sin made way for the pathway that lead up the other side but was stopped by Scootaloo, who suggested that the two help the mare retrieve her wagon.
"Scootaloo, I would advise against that, we don't know if it's just an act to rob travelers or not." Sin stated, his head swiveling around just in case he was right.
The filly, too well nature for her own good, persisted. "Islander, she's just trying to get her wagon out. Why would you think she'd put on an act like that?"
'Ohh, I could think of one reason, but I don't think it's bandits or anything. We're kinda in the middle of bumbfuck no where, dude. Most ponies would take the train rather than walk down here. If bandits did plan this, than they are really piss poor about time management and priorities.'
"Oh, oh you... thing!. Oh goodness, father is going to be so upset with me." The mare cried frantically before resuming her efforts. It was kinda sad to watch.
Regardless, Sin didn't want to get involved one way or the other. Scootaloo, though, had different ideas and made way for the pegasus mare to help her out.
"Scootaloo!" He barked, but she didn't acknowledge him. "Tapio dammit all, that kid's going to be the death of me."
As he approached, Sin took every opportunity to look over the surrounding area for any signs of other ponies. He found nothing, but that didn't mean that there wasn't something there.
Scootaloo helped her push but it wasn't until Sin arrived and assessed the situation that they finally got the wagon out. He moved beneath the wagon and pushed up with his legs to get it level while the girls pushed on the back, using the leverage the stallion provided and the wheels to bring the wagon upright and back on the path.
"Phew!" Said the blue mane'd pegasus mare, wiping some sweat from her brow. "That wagon is so heavy. Thank you for your help, I greatly appricia-" She stopped, her amber eyes locking onto to Scootaloo with sever interest and regard.
"It's no problem, anypony would have- woah!"
Sin reached back and placed his hoof into his crossbow, as the mare snatched up Scootaloo in an embrace, but his draw halted upon hearing her words.
"Ohmigosh you are just the cutest thing ever!" She declared rubbing her cheek against the fillys own in a display of unbridled and unashamed affection. She looked to be barely aware of the discomfort and confusion her new plushy suffered from as she began flying absently into the air.
"Umm, thank you?" Scootaloo said, awkwardly.
Amber eyes opened and she regarded the filly with a beaming smile. A smile that dropped as soon as she saw the foal in her entirety. "Oh my goodness, look at you! You poor thing, your mane's all matted and you're all dirty and covered in dust! When's the last time you had a bath?"
Sin allowed himself to relax a little at the display, but kept his crossbow ready. Scootaloo didn't look like she was in any danger, but she did look a little off put by the mare's affections. He'd allow her to suffer, serves her right for disobeying him. Well, that was until the mare turned her attention to him anyway.
"How could you let your daughter suffer like this?" She scolded, lowering herself infront of him, placing Scootaloo down and pointing. "What kind of father are you, dragging such a sweet and innocent young filly out into the middle of the badlands like this. What do you have to say for yourself, mister?"
What the fuck? Sin thought, regarding the pouty pony before him.
'Bahahah! Oh man, that's funny. She's funny, I like her.'
You would.
"Right then." Sin retracted from his weapon. "Alright kiddo, you've done your good deed for the day, now let's get going."
Scootaloo in tow, Sin began walking but his path was bared by the object of Scootaloo's assistance. Her once accusatory gaze now much softer and apologetic. " Wait," she pleaded "I'm sorry, that was rude of me. You helped me without being asked and instead of being thankful I acted in petulance, please let me thank you properly."
Wait what?
The mare smoothed out her coat and the large bandanna that hung from her shoulders before introducing herself. "My name is Krystal Melody. My father owns this ravine for rock farming and smoothing out stones. Please, wont you join my family and I for supper and amend for my behavior?"
Her voice was gentle, slightly higher in pitch than most females, but very soothing and inviting, despite the odd way she spoke.
"Ms. Melody, as appreciative as we are for the offer, I'm afraid that we cannot waste time on-"
Scootaloo cut him off with a sharp elbow to the foreleg. "I say we go with her. I'm tired of cold carrot soup." She whispered.
"What? Scootaloo, we don't have time for this." Sin countered, though when asked why he was in such a hurry, he didn't reply. He'd told the filly about his past in the Federation, but never about what they were moving for here and now.
Her eyes told him she knew they were moving as quickly as they were for a reason, and that if he was going to continue on without indulging Krystal's offer, than he'd need to explain it to her. An explanation he wasn't ready to give just yet.
Sighing, the stallion shook his head and submitted. "Fine."
Scootaloo and Krystal, who'd been waiting and listening in, both cheered. The noises of happiness already grinding on the survivalist's nerves. Something deep inside told him he was going to regret this.
"It's so nice to see somepony from out of the area coming to visit the farm for a change. I hope you two like green bean casserole, momma Sandy is a great cook." Krystal chirped. Scootaloo walked beside her as she pulled the wagon, while Islander walked a few paces behind with Angel, who'd elected the stallions company once he'd suffered a similiar fate to that of his foal mother.
The pegasus mare had stopped by the ravine's waterfront to deposit some cobble stones and allow the water to smooth them out before sale, a final chore she preformed at the end of every work day on the farm. Fortunate that her wagon had gotten stuck after she'd deposited the rocks.
The promise of tastey and hot food lifted Scootaloo's spirits, making her very chummy with the mare, it also helped that Krystal was much more for conversation than her other companions were. Even the overly loving affection was appreciated on some level, not that she'd admit to that out loud.
Scootaloo agreed that it was a nice change, making the mare giggle and asking the younger pegasus about all the places the two had been, which wasn't many really. Ponyville, Trottingham and Dodge City, but that was more than enough to entice Krystal's attention and lead to a whole bunch of questions about said towns.
"Eh, Dodge is actually kinda boring, Ponyville was alright though, so was Trottingham. Well, until this weird pony tried to ponynap me anyways."
"Ponynap you?" Krystal said in shock. Scootaloo nodded, but explained that her "father" had saved her before anything too bad happened, keeping up the appearance that the trip in town went better than it really had and resting any worries the mare may have expressed. Krystal gave some token skepticism, but allowed the issue to die.
"It must be nice, to travel around like that. Free to go where ever you want, life out in the world wherever you wish and please." She said with a far off and dreamy look in her eye. Scootaloo could imagine how she'd romanticize the idea. Rock farms didn't sound fun or exciting.
"Yea, we're heading to Apploosa next, I'm not sure why, though."
"Oh? The desert apple town? Don't you and your father know about the dispute between they and the buffalo?"
She had, but allowed a confirming second account. To the old in keepers credit, the story that Krystal told was very much in line with his own. Scootaloo wasn't sure what to make of it, though. She remembered Rainbow Dash telling her about her and her friends settling a dispute between the two in Appleoosa a few months ago, so why would they be fighting now?
"I guess maybe Islander's heading there to fix it?" She offered.
"Islander?" Krystal asked, tilting he head.
Scootaloo nodded and pointed back to the pony in question.
The off white pegasus gasped and covered her mouth with a hoof.. "You call your father by his name?"
Scootaloo grinned and chuckled sheepishly. "Yea, we umm, we've got a very professional relationship."
"I can see that." She looked back again. "Pardon me for being intrusive, but why does your father look so irritated? He's had that scowl on his face ever since the ravine."
Scootaloo shook her head and smiled. "That's just how he is, Islander's always grumpy."
Krystal furrowed her brow and asked if Scootaloo had done anything to try to make him less of a grump, to which the filly gave the sky blue mare a side long look of confusion. "What do you mean?"
"Well, you're his daughter, aren't you?" Krystal asked pointedly. "It's the job of daughters, when the mothers aren't around, to make fathers less grouchy and irritable."
Finding the entire concept utterly baffling, Scootaloo grimaced and eyed the mare for an explanation. Krystal giggled playfully and elaborated that all stallions were grumps by nature. Life was much harder on fathers because they not only had wives and children to look after, but society treated them like work horses compared to mares. That was why stallions were stronger than mares as the general biological rule. Stallions were the ones who had to protect and provide while the mares and foals stayed around the house and did less labor intensive chores.
The duration of Krystal's lecture, Scootaloo felt her sensibilities become more and more offended. The way the light grey pegasus spoke, it almost felt like she thought mares were inferior in terms of protection and provision. Like their place was in the home and raising foals, and the world was a dangerous place where only the big strong stallions dare to roam.
Though, she also said that this was what her father had taught her, boasting a "father knows best" mindset, and as much as Scootaloo wanted to argue her and inform the young mare of the feats females were capable of, she didn't want to ruin her chances of a nice meal. Still though, what exactly were daughters supposed to do to make their fathers less grumpy?
Krystal shook her head and parked the wagon. "This, silly."
Watching with morbid curiosity, Scootaloo felt herself grow lightly anxious as she watch Krystal unhook herself from the wagon and waltz back to Islander.
'Well, this was an unexpected turn. Think it's a trap?'
I don't think so, Puddinghead and Clover have had plenty of opportunities to ambush me already. If this was a trap, I'd be dead by now.
'And what of those two stallions?'
That was something else entirely. Unlike the Trotski, Luna's subordinates wanted him alive, all it took to push them back last time was the aura, but Soarin didn't become a pony able to trifle with dragons by giving up or being stupid, and when Clover saw that black stallion, she was terrified. Sin had no idea who this "Sombra" was, but from what he knew of magic, being able to move through moving dirt with a magical shield keeping up hundreds or thousands of pounds of collapsing earth, he knew that the red eyed pony was more than your run of the mill unicorn.
Which was strange why they'd yet to make a second attempt on him. Was it because the black and grey unicorn was too weak due to all the magic he'd expended? They knew he was magically immune, so that probably had something to do with it, along with the fact Sin was able to use magic against them... but in the end, that was only conjecture and speculation. What he was sure about was that the two were tracking them at the very least, and likely communing with Luna to maintain his position.
That was half the reason he didn't want the filly knowing where exactly they were. If Luna was using her as he figured she was, keeping Scootaloo away from known land marks that could give away their position was a priority.
Eh, fair enough. So, what's the plan then?'
Go with this Krystal pony, eat, thank her for the food, head back to the ravine, camp out for the night and head out in the morning. That's all that can be done, I'm afraid.
'Huh, speaking of her, she and Scootaloo seem to be getting along.'
Is it too much to hope that Scootaloo would just wanna stay here?
'Wow, okay, A) Yes, that's a lot to hope for, and B) You'd leave her in the hooves of complete strangers? Really?'
Critic, I've almost died twice, and I'm going in for round three. I'll keep chasing these fuckers as long as it takes to see Puddinghead writhing and begging for death or die trying. What do you think will happen to Scootaloo anyways if I don't come back for her one night?
It was a thought Sin didn't care for, but one that did need to be addressed. Without him, the pegasus filly was alone, alone with no way to care for herself, especially in the harsh environment of the badlands. Another thought, this one even more terrifying, was if her association with him became known and she became a target of the Trotski.
His enemies had proven themselves more cunning and capable than the Federalist had first realized, and with every failed attempt made, their knowledge of his tactics and abilities grew, as did their means to counter them. It took him the better part of the past two days to figure out, but he theorized the reason Clover was wearing sunglasses and kept the cave so well lit was so that she could shield her eyes from his own, believing that eye contact is what made the Nightmare enhanced aura work. Luckily for him, that wasn't the case, but it also showed they were adaptive and willing to take time to study and plan for him.
Face it, I likely wont be coming back at some point, I think it best if we find somewhere to set her down.
'Well, now call me crazy for this idea, but you could just... you know... not try and kill Puddinghead?'
That wasn't an option. The plan to save Macintosh may have worked, but if the Trotski got wind of the apple pony's survival, they'd try to kill him again, and likely succeed on the second attempt. Sin couldn't live with himself if they'd killed one of his friends, it was his fault they were free and had caused so much damage, and as such, it was his responsibility to fix it; and put the bastards down for good.
'Eh, plus there's a conventional problem with that... If you try to settle Scootaloo down, Luna may send an agent to pick her up and send her back to Ponyville...'
Wha- FUCK! That's right! Tapio dammit all!
'And so long as you keep her around, Scootaloo's a direct link to you... Damned if you do, damned if you don't.'
And that about sums up my life.
The stallion's thoughts were interrupted by Krystal, who, for some reason, had unhitched herself from the wagon and was now walking towards him, smiling all the while.
"Why'd you stop?" He asked.
"Because you're being a grump." She stated matter of factly. "And all grumpy stallions could use a hug."
"Wait, what?"
Before he could even react, a pair of light grey forleges enclosed around his neck, pulling the pony into a hug. If that wasn't bad enough, a pair of pegasus wings soon joined them around his withers.
So there Sin stood, too shocked to move or even comprehend what was going on. He was being hugged... he was being hugged by a mare he didn't know... for reasons he couldn't begin to logically piece together.
Scootaloo, for her part, stood just as much in shock as he was. Angel, on the other hoof, was watching with a wicked and conniving smile. Happy that Sin was finally suffering the blue pony's loving wrath.
"And another thing that father's appreciate is a kiss on the cheek."
Wait what?!
And like that, a pair of grey lips found themselves upon Sin's cheek as promised, offering him a gentle peck of suction, complete with a cheery and happy smile to finish.
She let go and made a motion. "And that is how you make grumpy daddies less grumpy."
Krystal, with a great deal of pride in her lesson, made way back to the wagon. Sin, now regaining his senses, wiped away at his cheek with a folded fetlock, eyeing the mare in disgusted confusion. His gaze went down to Scootaloo, to find the filly grimacing to hold back her laughter.
'So Sin... you're the mac daddy now, huh?'
So help me Tapio, Critic, I will find a way to hurt you.
'She's pretty cute, that's all I'm saying.'
Scootaloo hiccuped, her forced grimace failing to mask the silent laughter her heaving shoulders and barrel so easily displayed. He looked to find Angel on the ground now, pointing and laughing silently as only a rabbit could.
'And this entire thing is going under the "use for later" category. This will bring many laughs to come, legends will be made by what happened this day, LEGENDS I TELL YOU!'
Yea, I got a better idea, let's pretend this didn't happen and preserve some of my dignity.
'Yea, you see, I could do that... but I'm not. Oh man, the kid's going to love this!'
"Just so were clear." Sin said, eyeing Scootaloo, who's silent laughter stopped. "That didn't happen, and everything else that doesn't happen, moving forward, is entirely your fault."
Scootaloo hiccuped again, nodded, and scurried back to Krystal's side, where her guard dropped and the giggle fit she fought allowed itself in its entirety. Sin sighed, as bad as that was, something in his gut told him that the worst of this ordeal was yet to come.