//------------------------------//
// Family 
// Story: Earning Freedom 
// by Daxisle 
//------------------------------//

  






Family






"Well, there's my family home." Krystal said.

Sin peered off at the house in the distance. A adobe style redish grey building, matching the landscape that turned the Badlands into the Shrublands. It was quite sizable, standing at two stories tall and lined with a wooden bi-beam fence, and multiple sheds for rock storage. He was half expecting a broke down and rickety shack, but it looked well cared for and kept.

'Look, Sin, colts! Two of them! Guess she isn't alone after all.'

Sin had never thought she was alone, just that she might not have been the most mentally stable pony he'd ever encountered. The kind who might have parents who "slept" for months at a time, and had yet to decompose enough for their daughter to figure out that they weren't sleeping.

The colts, two small grey earth ponies, were pulling wagons of their own, out from a small quarry behind the house.

Well, Critic, guess we could still go with your theory...

'That was a JOKE! Damn dude, you've really gotta stop seeing the worst in ponies.'

I don't know, girl just comes up to a random stallion and... does that? Something tells me her and daddy might be getting along a little too well.

'Ugh, whatever. Once we get inside, you'll see.'

"KRISTI!" One of the colts yelled as they approached. 

"Hello Scoria. I hope you've had a good day today." Krystal said with a smile, Scoria slowed to a canter as he approached. He, like his sister, all chipper smiles and happiness that only the innocence of Equestrian youth could offer.

"Uh-huh! Obsi found a fossle while we were digging. Hey, who's that?" The colt asked.

"These are my new friends, Islander, and his daughter, Scootaloo."

Sin internally shuddered, he'd never get used to hearing that.

"Daughter? You sure about that, sis?" Scoria asked, looking at Sin. "He doesn't look old enough to be a papa yet."

"Ponies can have kids as young as a decade and three years, Scoria." Said the other colt as he walked up, this one much more subdued and somber. "If I had to guess, I'd say that was the case here."

Sin bit his tongue, he'd always been told he looked older than what he really was, and he thought he could use that to give credit to his story. He wasn't too sure about Scootaloo's age, but if he was right in his estimate, than the colt's analysis would be almost spot on.

"Obsidian! How could you say such a thing?!" Krystal chided, rebuking the somber colt for his assumption and how inappropriate such a thing would be at that young of an age.

Obsidian countered that his assertion was true and had books to back up his claim, but the colt was cut off by Krystal dismissing his unruly behavior and asking her new friends to follow her to the farm house. Sin could hear Scoria snickering, teasing his brother that Krystal had finally found a stallion to bring home to their father to be tried and judged to see if he was fit to join and expand the family. 

'You're going to be introduced to a farm father as the stallion trying to take his daughter away... Oh this just keeps getting better and better.'

So, this is how the universe is going to fuck with me today, is it? You know, you'd think this would make me angry, but I guess I'm just too distracted by the fact that I'm wasting time here when PUDDINGHEAD IS JUST A DAY'S TROT AWAY! And he could leave Appleoosa at any time!

'You just can't let me have any fun, can you?'

"O-Obsi, it isn't like that!" Krystal sqeeked, her cheeks tinting a deep crimson of flustered protest.

Both colts gave each other a look before bolting off to the farm house, shouting promises of breaking the news to the family patriarch, despite their sister's desperate pleas not to.

"Sorry about them." Krystal apologized, parking the wagon behind one of the sheds. "Scoria's always been a hoof-ful, and Obsidian only encourages him. I hope they didn't offend you or anything."

Sin liked to consider himself the most thick skinned of stallions, that his sensibilities were too covered in callous and experience to be rattled by such nonsensical things as children's teasing. Scootaloo didn't look all that rattled by it, citing that she used to be teased all the time in school by a pair of bullies.

She lead them back to the house and pushed the door open. "KRYSTAL!" Barked a harsh voice from inside.

Sin's reflexivly held out a hoof to protect Scootaloo, but found the danger regulated to his guide. Her ears now submissivly splayed and head lowered as she prepared herself to face the music.

Sin decieded to stay his place outside and let the family sort itself out, he observed as an earth pony stallion, accompanied by a single mare, marched into view, a pair of colts sitting besides the female and watching with foalish glee. "What in the world do you think you're doing? Since when did you have a colt-friend? And what's this about you being betrothed to him?"

"N- no papa, that was just a fib that Scoria told you. You know how he likes to lie and cause trouble." Krystal protested, scowling at the younger pony who was snickering behind the Family patriarch.

The imposing figure's hard gaze turned from his daughter to Sin, setting the stallion on edge a little. Her father was a bit older than he'd expected. He was stout, gruff and well worked. His unkempt, shaded pelt was peppered with differing hues of lighter grey and white, signifying his age, but his eyes were as lively and threatening as any angry father's would be. "Well, is this the case, young stallion?"

Unable to believe how gullible the old pony was was, the Federalist confirmed Krystal's side. Stating that he was a traveler from up north who'd come down to Appleoosa when he'd run into the blue maned pegasus and she'd offered them dinner.

"Really, and what business do you have in Appleoosa?"

"He's going to stop the feud between the buffalo and the ponies, papa." Krystal said smiling.

Wait, what?! I am doing no such thing! 

'And better and better.'

Sin looked down to the only pony who could give the mare such an idea, a little orange filly who found the ground very interesting to look at.

"Is that so?" 'Papa' asked, his hard gaze analyzing Sin for all he was worth, somehow making the oaken federalist feel just a little bit heavier for the wear.

Deciding that would just make life easier to stick with that, Sin nodded his head. "Yes, sir."

The earth father's eyes lingered on him for a moment then fell down to the orange filly besides him. "And you brought a filly with you? Do not tell me she is your daughter, you don't look the type to be that irresponsible."

"She is not." Sin stated dryly, placing a hoof upon the filly to keep her silent. He'd already come up with a story just incase something like this had happened. "She's my niece, my older brother Malich and his wife had both died a year ago, and none of our more established relatives were willing to take her, so I did."

"What?" Krystal asked. "But, you said-"

"I never said she was my daughter." Sin pointed out, placing a little pressure on Scootaloo's withers before the foal could make a peep. "That was an assumption on your part. Granted I didn't correct you, but I've been accused of being her father for so long that I've simply come to accept the assumption when it happens."

Sin had spoken to Scootaloo about this before to keep a coherent story, and the filly apologized for lying, siting that she was also tired of correcting others in their assertion about their relationship. Her inability to look others in the eye when lying worked out in her favor here, but her skills in acting were going to need some work.

Again, 'Papa' looked for something to criticize him for, demanding to know why Sin thought it acceptable to bring a foal along on what had to be a very dangerous diplomatic mission. The Federalist recalled what he remembered of the inn keeper's story, and pieced together some random BS on the spot and argued that she wouldn't be going with him to the meeting, that he planned to drop her off in the safety of Appleoosa and investigate the reason for the conflict himself. Determine if it was a slight of the Appleoosans against the buffalo or vice versa, and go from there.

"As I've said, none of the more well established family members are willing to take her, and the less reputable are the last ponies on earth I want her to be around."

The elder stallion's hard gaze softened a bit, playing the single parent stallion with a filly thrust upon them was always a good way to gain sympathy and look responsible.

"I see," he snorted. "What's this world coming to where families don't help each other out anymore." He turned her glare down to the two colts. "As for you two, I outta tan your hides for lying to me like that. You two will be going to bed with no supper tonight."

Both colt's smiles drooped to fearfully wide eyes. They begged and pleaded with the stallion, saying they were just having a bit of fun, but silence reigned supreme as the patriarch lifted a hoof and slammed it down onto the ground in a thunderous crack. 'Papa' told Krystal to keep their guests relegated to the living area until he returned from locking the two boys in their rooms the earth mare following close behind after whispering some calming words to her assumed husband.

"You lied to me!" Krystal said, scowling down at the filly.

'Oh lady, if only you knew.' Critic laughed.

Again Scootaloo apologized most convincingly. She gave Sin her own scowl to show her displeasure with the situation, but he just patted her on the back for a job well done.

"Are you even here to fix the buffalo problem?" Krystal asked pointedly.

"Yea, sure. Why not?" Sin gave Scootaloo a last pat, this one a little harder than need be. Who knows? Maybe that'll lead him to the Trotski's hide out. If nothing else, he could use that as an excuse to go around and ask ponies questions about hidden places and such.

Pouting from being deceived, Krystal offered the two the couch and a cup of tea, an offer Scootaloo accepted. Both took a seat and waited for Krystal to leave.

"What they hay, Islander?" Scootaloo whispered.

Sin wasn't about to let her flip this, though. She was the one who gave the impression that he was going to go and fix a problem he knew nothing about.

"Okay, I'm sorry, but did you have to make me into a liar?!"

"Yes, they weren't buying that you were my daughter, what did you expect me to do? Tell the truth?" Sin countered. "Besides, I didn't make you into one, we're both liars right now, that's just how this has to work."

Scootaloo didn't like to lie, she was terrible at it and she felt guilty for doing it, but that was the sad state of things for the moment.

"We're going with plan C, uncle and niece. Stick with the coming to town to fix the buffalo thing though. These are conservative types, no cursing, no rude noises, no scratching yourself, and most importantly, whatever you do, don't talk about the government in a positive light." The Federalist instructed.

Scootaloo protested, not seeing why she'd need to keep silent, but Sin did. Conservative types like these were a rarity in Equestria, but they were quite common back in the Federation. Patriarchs, and if he was reading it right, hard core ones at that. Equestria was a very egalitarian country from what he'd seen, with a slight favor to the female sex, it was actually a nice change to see a male in charge for once. Most conservatives didn't care to be told how to live their lives any more than libertarians did, but unlike the latter, the former were much more stringent in their social beliefs and traditions. It was the reason why ponies lived out in the middle of no where like this, to get away from societal pressures, as well as government regulations, or so he concluded.

"I could be wrong here, it doesn't happen often, but it does from time to time. Just... follow my lead and play it by ear."

Scootaloo was about to protest but Krystal returned with a trey and five tea cups before she could. She set them down onto the coffee table and gave a polite smile before replacing the trey and taking a seat on another couch. "Momma Gem will be out shortly. She was just in the middle of a bath. I asked her if Scootaloo may use it afterwards and she agreed."

'Really? Well, they are pretty family oriented, so I shouldn't be too surprised they'd accommodate a foal.'

Right, wait, didn't the mother go up with the father to put the colts in their rooms?

'And didn't she say her name was Sandy before?'

"Thanks." The filly answered, taking a ginger sip of the brew and grimacing. Krystal gave a polite chuckle and a moment to late's warning to the tea's strong taste.

The three sat in silence for a moment before cootaloo grew the courage to ask the pegasus about her family. Krystal was reluctant to answer, curling up a little and shifting nervously. "I'm sorry, I- umm, it's well... it's just that this is the first time I've ever been alone with a umm... She stopped, her eyes switching between Sin and her cup of tea with a growing blush. She caught on to his stare, squeeked in surprise and drank from her cup.

'Sin! You're making the poor mare nervous, stop that!

She's nervous just by my presence, what am I supposed to do?

'I don't know... Tapio I am so ashamed of you, look how adorable she is right now. You should be nice to her.'

I thought I already was.

'Papa' and the mare returned in short order, his harsh hazel eyes having not softened in the least.

"So, you've come to fix the buffalo dispute? Tell me, son, who sent you here?" He asked, sitting down on the largest chair in the room, keeping his head high in a show of dominance.

"I'm afraid I can't say." The Federalist stated, clearing his throat. 'Papa's' eyes narrowed at the assertion, but he made no protest.

Sin, using deductive reasoning and his knowledge of intra-national species-centric conflicts, elaborated that he was a solo agent with no ties to the government. His client was an apple merchant in Canterlot who had a vested interest in seeing the conflicts in Appleoosa resolved prior to any substantial loss of revinue could be had. The reason for the secrecy was to maintain anonymity, should the conflict be manufactured intentionally and his client gain enemies.

'Ooohhhh, nice.'

Too bad 'Papa' didn't seem to be buying it. He asked why Sin hadn't taken the train to get to Appleoosa, if he was going to solve the problem like he'd claimed. Sin replied that he was also a survivalist with only limited experience in the Badlands and found it a perfect oppertunity to practice his skills there in. 

It wasn't a good answer, it was very unprofessional to take a diplomatic job while simultaneously practice something that would slow down progress on said job, and the patriarch made sure to let him know that.

"I don't think you're being truthful with me, son." He said calmly, leaning in back into his chair with an air of self rightiousness to him. "I think... you saw my daughter out in the ravine while you were traveling by, and you're here to try and take her for your own."

"Papa..." Krystal started, only to be silenced by a raised grey hoof.

Sin was floored, out of all the replies he could have gotten to his story, that was one didn't even cross his mind. Seriously? Did this stallion really have such a narrow world view, to think a pony and a filly would travel all the way out here just so they could see a mare? Granted, she was very pretty and fine, but... seriously?

"I think-" 'Papa' continued. "You saw here in Twin Springs yesterday while she was out shoping on her own, asked around town who she was, and came here to ask my permission for her hoof."

The old stallion smirked, watching Sin's brow quirk a little.

"Ain't that right, colt?"

'... This guy's fucking delusional! Does he really think the world revolve around his daughter that much?'

I don't know.

"No sir, that is not what's happening here." The Federalist dead panned. 

Krystal was growing more and more distraught with the situation, fidgeting with her tea nervously. Scootaloo looked bewildered by the elder stallion's conviction in his story, the other mare, who'd yet to speak, would continually look between all three of them.

Suddenly, a door opened from the room over and a refreshed and happy sigh was heard. "Mmmm, nothing like a hot bath after a day of pushing rocks around."

Krystal perked up a bit, as did the other mare as a light green pegasus pony entered the room. Unlike the others here, who were more stern and serious, this mare was lively and upbeat. She stopped and took in the living room before her, noting the patriarchs accusitory glare at Sin, and Sin's own defensive expression.

"What's going on out here?" She asked.

"Colt caller came knockin' for your daughter, and he's trying to give me a load of horse apples." 'Papa' replied turning to look at her. "I was just in the middle of calling him out on it."

"Really!?" She she beamed turning to look at Krystal. "You've finally found a stallion, Kristi? Oh that's so wonderful!"

... This seriously isn't going away, is it?

'As Big Macintosh would say: Nnnope.'

The ensuing conversation challenged Sin's assertion of the family being ruled by Patriarchy. The mare, Gem, demonstrated a distinct dominance in the talks. Turns out that the family was polygamous, with the father, Granite, being wed to both Gem and Sandy.

"No! Gem, I will not stand for your encouraging this madness. Krystal is much too young to be allowed to be wed!" Papa Granite contested.

Gem gave her husband a flat look. "Granite, Krystal's hit her two decade mark a year ago. If it wasn't for the fact she was your daughter, you'd be wondering why she wasn't married already."

Granite was taken aback by the accusation. "W- well I- how dare you?! This is my house and I shall not have my own wife speak to me in such a wmwh!"

The stallion's words were lost to him, stolen by a smoldering kiss. Granite put up a small token resistance, but it vanished as quickly as it came before he embraced her affection and returned it in full, shifting the tone of tension to vast discomfort for all other parties present.

Gem broke the kiss and stared longingly into her husbands eyes, stroking his cheek with a gentle fetlock and whispered. "Why don't you go lay down for a while? You've had a hard day, let Sandy and I handle this, I'll be in later to help you get to sleep."

As if Sin couldn't feel any more social discomfort, the light pegasus began humming a soothing noise as she stroked the patriarchs mane. The Federalist's eyes grew heavy at her lulliby, the soft and gentle noise stealing all of the stress and tension from his muscles like a well practiced thief. Lovely, serine, and tranquil...

Yawning, Granite blinked sleepily, conceding the point. He was having a hard day, some rest would do him some good.

Her melodious humming done, Sin shook his head to regain his senses. What was that? One second he was fine, and then the next he was ready to pass smooth the fuck out.

Gem helped Granite from his chair and began walking him out of the room. He looked at her flank and caught sight of her cutie mark, a pair of trebel cleffs surrounded by a pink heart. Sin then looked back to Krystal, to see that she too had relaxed from the mare's song. Her flank adorned a similar mark to that of her mother.

"What was that?" Scootaloo asked, letting out a yawn that ended in a slight squeak.

Krystal's eyes shot wide at the noise and she bull rushed the filly, picking her up into a loving embrace. "Ohmigosh sooo cuuuuuute!"

"Ahem?" Sandy croaked, finally making an attempt talk. "Gem, umm, she has a special tallent of soothing others with her voice." 

Sandy's voice was small, quaint, feminine and almost impossible to hear. 

"Mhmm." Krystal agree. "Momma Gem is my biological mother, but I love both my mommas just the same."

"As you should." The topic said, strutting back into the room. "Biological or not, love for family is always real love."

Hey Critic? Do I have diabetes? Because all this sweetness is making me sick.

'Yea, getting a little sappy in here... I love it!'

Gem took her place on the couch with Sandy, taking up the spare tea cup that Sin had refused and asked him if he'd like one, the stallion declined and the next phase of familial interogation began. 

"Krystal never told any of us about her having a colt-friend, tell us about yourself." Gem said pleasantly, her daughter protested, trying to enforce how the notion was a misunderstanding, but Gem wasn't interested. "Kristi, there's no need to try and hide it. You're a beautiful young mare, it's only natural that you'd attract a stallion. And such a handsome one at that."

Sin groaned and looked away, he was never one for compliments...

After a fair bit of explanation and convincing, Gem reluctantly accepted that her daughter had, indeed, not brought home a gentlecolt caller.

"I see, well that's a shame." The light green earth pony sighed. Krystal dropped a little, seeing the disappointment on her mother's face, but perked up at suggesting the two guests stay for dinner. It wouldn't be any trouble, since her brothers were barred from the meal anyways.

"Ohh, I get you, keep him around and try to serenade him with food." Gem stated, giving her daughter a wink.

"N-no momma, I- it's not like that! I mean, he's handsome and I- Oh dear!"

Sin cringed from the admittance the blushing mare made, wishing he could just walk out the door and leave this entire humiliating situation behind.

'HA! Did you hear that Sin? You're handsome!'

Yes, Critic, I heard, thank you.

Sandy, thankfully, chimed in to rescue the two from any more blunders. "Umm, I finished cooking just before Obsi and Scaria came in, I'll go get everypony's plates ready."

Scootaloo's stomach rumbled, agreeing to the stomach filling affair, but her advance to the table was cut off by Krystal, who demanded that at least she wash up prior to the meal. There wasn't enough time for a proper bath, but clean hooves were healthy hooves.

Dinner itself was another affair Sin wished he could have forgone. The green been casarool and steamed carrots were delicious, but the conversation from the living room continued on as it was. He gave as vague and cryptic answers as he could, trying to avoid any incrimination that Gem could play off of, but the mare was cunning and deciptful.

"So, Islander... what do you plan to do after you've handled the buffalo in Appleoosa?"

"Probably head back to Canterlot and report to the client, after that, I'll see what other work needs to be done." Sin replied neutrally. 

Gem nodded and gave her daughter a look. "I don't suppose Scootaloo has an auntie in her life, does she?"

"No ma'am, traveling like I do doesn't leave much time for such things."

Sandy coughed and excused herself, grabbing a few discarded plates for washing.

Gem finished off the last of her plate and handed it over to her fellow wife. "You know, Krystal here has been meaning to do some traveling herself."

"Momma!" The off grey pony whined.

'Wow... she's really pushing this hard on you.'

Yea, and it's getting annoying!

"Really?"

"Oh yes, she doesn't leave the farm much, and her father forbids her to go anywhere alone. The first time she'd ever left the ravine un-escorted was two days ago when she went to town to buy groceries."

Bringing up her hooves, Krystal tried to hide the mortified expression on her face. Sin felt kind of bad for her, he knew parents liked to tease their children and all, but this just seemed down right cruel.

The meal finished up there, and Gem asked her daughter to fulfill the promise of giving Scootaloo a bath. It wasn't until after the filly agreed that she learned that the blue maned mare would be the one actually giving it to her, an odd display of hospitality, but the old ways were what they were.

While they cleaned the filly up, Sandy retired for the evening, leaving Sin and Gem to themselves in the living room. 

"Islander," The matriarch said, her voice now serious and devoid of any playfulness at all. "I must ask you a favor."

"Pretty sure I already know what it is, and the answer is no."

Gem sighed gracefully and explained that Krystal had never known anything outside of the rock farm. That despite how chipper and upbeat she appeared, the mare hated life here. Between her brothers constantly picking on her and Granite's views on how females should behave, the pegasus would never have the chance to leave the farm. It always hurt a mother to know how her daughter suffered in silence, putting up a conditioned front to avoid depressing everypony else.

"She's an adult, isn't she? If she hates it here so much, why doesn't she just leave?" Sin asked.

"Because she's got no where to go." Gem answered solemnly. "Her naivety and innocence aren't an act. She's afraid, and... I know there are ponies out there who would take advantage of her."

Sin quirked a brow, questioning Gem as to what made her think that he wouldn't be one of those ponies. A question answered with a sincere and knowing smile. 

"Because I can tell that you're not the kind of pony who would do that, Islander." She said. "A pony's eyes tell a lot about them, as well as their demeanor. Sandy told me how your first instinct was to cover the girl when my husband yelled at Krystal. I've seen you, you constantly look over at her, making sure she's safe, and I don't even think your realize you do it. You watch out for her like a father does, even though you lied and said she was your niece when she isn't."

Sin's eyes shot wide for a moment, and Gem's tranquil smile widened just a little... before explaining that Sandy was listening into their little whispering squabble in the living room.

'Shit Sin, these guys are good!'

"Alright, fine. She's not my niece, but I've lied to you and your family. Does that sound like something good ponies do?" He asked pointedly.

"I'm sure you've had you're reasons, Islander." Gem retorted.

"You haven't harmed her, she trusts you completely and... because of that, so do I." Gem placed an imploring hoof on his shoulder. "Please, I'm asking you, take my daughter with you, away from this place. She deserves a better life than this... she deserves to be happy and free."

Sin felt a button being pushed upon that word. Free, any one that wanted freedom was a friend to him... kinda. 

Then again, Krystal was an adult, she should find her freedom on her own, but that also warranted consideration to her upbringing. The young mare was weak, but her weakness was a result of the hyper traditionalism her family brought against her. That... wasn't her fault, so, maybe she was worth the effort? She seemed like a decent sort, a little naive, but ignorance could be expelled only through experience. What was important was that she had a good heart, and he couldn't deny that she had that. It would be a waste to have it grow bitter and cold because she was confined to this place.

"You realize that what I'm doing is dangerous. I cannot garentee your daughter's safety if she comes with me."

Gem's small smile grew wide. "If it's safe enough for that little filly of yours, I'm certain it's safe enough that little filly of mine."