//------------------------------// // Enter Bliss // Story: Earning Freedom // by Daxisle //------------------------------// Enter Bliss The subtle jostling of the moving wagon rousing him awake, Sin's opened his eyes slowly. He lazily lifted a hoof and rubbed his eyes before allowing a massive yawn to escape his maw. The first thing he noticed was how terrible the inside of his mouth tasted, along with the fact that it was as dry as the desert. Though, a fact that would usually put him into a state of irritation felt like nothing more than a barely registered inconvenience. Matter of fact, that small to moderate sense of irritation he'd been fighting for the past few weeks was no longer present either. There was no energy dedicated to keeping him awake, (for obvious reasons) no nagging annoyance, no sense of urgency or anything. Just a small sense of contentment, a calm the stallion hadn't felt in quite some time. Hell, even the fact he was put to sleep against his will and placed in a wagon he had absolutely no clue about, wasn't as alarming to him as he felt it should have been. If he were asked, he'd have told someone that he didn't even feel like standing up. It was childish beyond words, but his place on the floor, wrapped in his own cloak felt sublime with toasty comfort, like that of a child who'd awoken to a cold night and didn't want to get out of bed to close the window. Sin looked out the window, taking stock of the sun's place in the sky, it must have been a pretty long nap, the sun was starting to descend to the ground now. The stallion, dismissing his body's protests, pushed himself to his hooves and stretched out in an almost feline fashion, a series of cracks and pops in his neck and back erupting into a choarus of satisfaction and relief. He took a quick search to find his saddle bag and took a nice swig of water, wetting his parched throat. He felt the cold liquid travel down his throat all the way down his esophagus and into his stomach. Odd, he didn't remember going to sleep hungry enough to justify feeling lukewarm water in his abdomine... He stretched out again and entertained a pleasing feeling of light headedness, it was funny the wonders a good night's sleep could do for one's mental state and mood. He opened the door and jumped out of the moving wagon, not caring at all that Soarin and Sombra were somewhere behind. The first thing the stallion noticed was the distinct lack of trees around him, replaced by the long expanse of greening, yet slightly still brown, grass and rock lands. There was a slight mountain scape off in the horizone to the north and the slight sting of salt in his nostrals. He quickly found Mr. Cyan at the front of the wagon and approached. "Finally awake, Mr. Islander?" Value asked, offering the pony a polite smile. "Odd, I didn't even feel you leave the wagon." "Yes, I wanted to thank you for allowing me to sleep and apologize for lugging around the added weight." Sin answered looking around. "Ms. Melody and Scootaloo are flying about somewhere." Said Cyan in answer of his unasked question, apparently Scootaloo had been spending time inside the wagon with the stallion doing some concept work for her scooter and asked for a flight for some enjoyment. 'Not surprising.' Critic commented. "That little filly is quite the little innovator." Value commented. Sin listened with mild interest to hear about the foal's doings while he was asleep, apparently she was studying some of the books in the wagon, reading over some basic construction and engeneering material. When asked about it, she just said she wanted to reproduce the scooter she had back in Ponyville. That made some sense, Scootaloo's name pretty much conveyed that much, but since when did she like reading? Making her keep up on her geographical studies was like pulling teeth. 'Maybe because she likes math and engineering?' A female interested in two of the STEM subjects? Really Critic? Since when were you a feminist? 'Watch it, Sin.' Critic growled. 'Even a broken ideology is right once a day. More to the point, she has shown an affinity for engineering useful contraptions and utilizing abstract thought. I don't think it's surprising she'd be dedicated to something she cares about.' Perhaps it was just Sin's own disinterest and even aversion to mathematics and engineering, at least the mathematical portion of it, anyways. Bushcraft required an engineering mind at times, but he was more a fan of trial and error rather than using numbers to try and work out the specifics before hand. Feeling a little guilty for his laziness, Sin asked Value if he'd be permited to pull the wagon for a while and give the pony a rest. Cyan declined the invitation with a well meaning rejection, but Sin pressed that he wished to pay for the time he'd spent in the back. A few hours of walking with a passenger was surly taking a toll on the pony's body. "Poppycock, Mr. Islander." Value declared with pride. "I may be a business stallion, but I assure you that I am more than capable of my fair share of manual labor." "Not a matter of compitence, Mr. Cyan, it's a matter of repayment for services rendered." Sin countered with a smirk, eyeing the tan suited pony. "As a business pony, compensation and adherence to the laws of economics are part of your life view, are they not?" Cyan returned Sin's smirk with his own. "Like you and your companions, Mr. Islander?" Sin didn't know how to take that, most of their travels relied on his labor imput for the group's survival and comfort and he placed as little stock as possible on their own participation. Cyan's words did hit a little bit of a soft spot on the pony's pride and sense of responsibility, but if he took offense to that, Krystal and Scootaloo would be forgiven for calling in the same debt against him. "Come now, Mr. Cyan. Surely you might allow me to repay the kindness you've shown me in a time of need?" Sin declared, matching the unicorn's pitch and polite tone of voice. Though, Value wouldn't have it, sighting that their destination was much too close to justify switching off the wagon now. By his estimate, they'd reach Bliss before nightfall, which pleased Value well enough. Apparently the twilight was the best time to approach the city and get a full appreciation for the city. "Though, you're demand to compensate me for the labor I've expended upon you is happily noted, Mr. Islander. It has become a sad rarity to come upon ponies with strong moral principals to their obligations. I feel vindicated in my request of bringing you to my city, and if you wish to repay your debts, all I ask is that you indulge my company for the rest of the trip." All he wanted was to talk? Sin honestly felt bad about that, he did. Value was obviously a pony of purpose with strong moral convictions that deeply aligned with his own. The worst he'd feel was mutual benefit in such a conversation, hardly a suffering the like the unicorn himself had endured. Though, he wouldn't dare speak as such. Labor didn't need to equate to suffering or negative feelings at all. Labor merely needed to be assessed as such, the value of that labor was for Mr. Cyan to decide, not him. If Value was willing to accept simple conversation as payment for his services, who was Sin to object? "So, what is your primary guiding moral principal?" Value asked as the two walked on. One didn't usually start of conversation with such a heavy handed topic, but Sin could respect forgoing small talk and getting to the deeper and more meaningful subjects. He answered with the Non-Aggression Principal and voluntary association above all things, citing coersion of any kind, save the enforcement of the NAP and agreements made, as what they were. Immoral. As expected, Value was extremely pleased with this answer, giving his own words of agreement to the concept. Violence was the primary problem in the world, as far as he was concerned. He asked Sin what he thought was the root of violence. "In terms of?" Sin asked, multiple answers entering his mind. "In general." Value clarified. Sin took a moment to think over the question, it was one of those inquiries that was so easy to over complicate and give answers too specific to be generally true. Violence was caused by so many things: Some out of a sense of anger, some a sense of fear, some a sense of entitlement and others out of need. Self defense, protection, resource acquisition, cohesion, war, honor... what did all of these have in common? "I suppose all violence stems from existence." Sin said bluntly. "Existence?" Value said, quirking a brow. There were too many variables to count or to find a common denominator. Scarcity of resources, which was a primary theory in the cause of violence, could account for many instances of violence, especially larger scale conflicts like war and civil unrest. But scarcity didn't account for things like honor or conflict where dignity was infringed. What material wealth was to be gained through such a conflict? None, yet it was still a source of violence. What such a thing did attack was the ego and the sense of self existence. Sin had thought often about universal peace. Not to be confused with world peace where nations would no longer war with one another, but a universal peace, where violence of any kind was elemenated from the sentient condition as he knew it. A world where aggression didn't exist, where defensive violence wasn't necessary, a utopian planet where all crimes like assault, murder and rape were no longer actions taken in their entirety. He found that there was only one realistic way to achieve such a world, and that was the annihilation of the entire sentient population of the planet. Even if a post-scarcity world was reached, and every single organism of sentience was provided for in terms of food, water, medicine and other basic essentials to their life, the subjectivity of morality, things crimes for honor or desire would still take place. There was an interesting study done in the Federation a couple of years ago that many folks committed theft in general stores, despite the ability to pay and that payment having no suffer-able notice on their finances. Those caught and turned over to Triple M. mercenaries, were offered a pardon for their crime in exchange for an interview with a third party psychological research company as to why they'd committed theft in the first place. This was in the higher end part of Unitas where only the upper echelons were permitted access, and as expected, each one of the shop lifters were from a family of means and ability, yet despite this: ponies, griffs, bison and dogs each still committed theft. While diamond dogs were the highest percentage of offenders, there was no other indicative or correlating variables to consider. Each had the money to pay, they simply chose not to. When questioned, almost every single one of them could give no explanation as to the reason for their kleptomania. All they could say was "I don't know" or "I felt like it". Would kleptomania remain pervasive in a post-scarcity society? The evidence he'd seen would presume as much, and if crime of that kind would transcend a lack of need, why should he believe that the others wouldn't as well? Perhaps the larger scale conflicts would cease, which was a good thing, but if one was caught stealing in a post scarcity society, would the punishment for such an act not be met with violence? Value nodded his head in contemplative understanding. "I see, that is an interesting perspective, Mr. Islander." Krystal flew over head with Scootaloo, preforming a graceful arial stunt before speeding off again. The conversation continued on, settling on a subject that was mostly taboo amongst all but the most hard core of libertarians: Moral punishment and disciplinary clauses for failed agreements upheld. It was seen as the ugly side of contracts, the part that nobody wanted to acknowledge existed because: Well why would you make an agreement you didn't plan to uphold it? Sin wouldn't be the first to give his two cents on the matter this time and asked Cyan what he thought of such punishments should entail. "Prisons are such an ugly thing with the most reprehensible of unintended consequences, at least as far as the public is concerned." The unicorn stallion said, his face a stone, emotionless mask. "All they do is gather the immoral together to reinforce their beliefs of entitlement and disrepute, a house of association for larger scale acts of theft, coordination and leadership. Removal of an individual from society is well and good for his crime, but sooner or later, that individual will return to society. Incarceration does not make his mind more socially cohesive and amicable, but more anti-social and deceptive, thus running counter to the reintegration process. In order for a crime to occur, a victim must suffer. In Bliss, we do not believe in jails or prisons, the victims of the crimes are the ones who suffer, and it is for them to decide what the proper punishment and compensation must be." It was an eloquent and cohesive speech that voiced how Sin felt about prisons for the longest time. Prisons did not rehabilitate anyone and served no purpose aside from wasting years of life and drenching individuals in cultures of violence and anti-social behavior. Not anti-social in terms of not liking to socialize, like Sin himself, but anti-social in the disruption and aggressive counteraction against the norms of society. There was only one entity that benefited from the existence of prisons, and that was the state. Incarceration was almost a garentee of repeat offenders and money generators, the offender likely upping the severity of his crime, turning the small time, non-aggressive drug dealer into a being willing to kill to defend his "territory". The state benefited greatly from this. Showing the monsters it created as justification for its over all existence. Who would protect the common citizen from the horrible monsters the government had created through its breeding grounds called "prison" if not the government itself? Of course, crime occured outside of the influence of the cell and concrete complex, but Sin suspected that the majority of first time offenders were either petty offenses, often victims of arbitrary and pointlessly trivial laws that existed for little purpose other than revenue generation, or mentally ill individuals who were better off in a mental ward than prison. Not to say that there weren't criminally minded individuals in the world, organizations like the Trotski being a prime example. They did require violence to keep in line or death to fix the problem once and for all. The thing was "why"? Why were the Trotski willing to kill for their goals? Why did Soarin use the love potion to harm Macintosh? Why did Sickle threaten Uppity into betraying him! They must have known that doing these things was wrong, but something in their lives corrupted their senses of morality to the point killing innocent ponies became okay. As much self loathing and anger as Sin had for himself, and as much as he understood their anger and malice towards him but the organization and individuals who wanted him dead, he was still an innocent from wrong doing... In Equestria, anyways... Okay, aside from letting the Trotski out of jail, a mistake that would only be made once. It took a certain sense of... depravity to desire the death of one whom had not committed no acts of violence against them. The point was that prison was a short term solution to a long term problems, a short term solution that caused more problems than it solved. It turned petty offenders of illicit substance solicitors who conducted business peaceably in the privacy of their own homes into aggressive and violent criminals, often adding in racial bias as the result prison culture and the segregation of the races, who use violence in order to enforce their turffs and protect their consumer base from compeition. Prohibition of alchohol had been a short standing experiment in the Federation, with violent crimes and gang activity tied to it almost disappearing completely once it was lifted. The drink was a contributing factor in many crimes, sure, but it was a smaller agent to crime when leagalized than it was illegal. Sin wondered how long it would take for the Senate to get their heads out of their asses to realize that the same could be said of all drugs... Not to mention it was the biggest insult to the victim of the offense. For a father to know that his daughter's murderer and rapist was kept alive in prison off of the money taken from him in taxation? Was there any worse feeling than to know that the fruite of your own labor was used to preserve one who'd done the worst sort of harm possible? "No, in Bliss, we've taken a stance of compensation and restorative measures for what little crime we have. What purpose does placing a pony or grif or dog in prison serve? What benifit is given to the victim for their sufferings? None." Said Cyan in disgust. "It is a rarity in Bliss, but certain aspects of slavery have been used in order to hold-" "Slavery?!" Sin said interjected in shock. Both ponies stopped, Cyan giving Sin a serious look, more so than the stallion had given him previously, adding a few years to his face and more authority to his coming words. "Yes, Mr. Islander, slavery. Slavery only in the recompense for the victim. In order to compensate that which was taken, which is the right of the victim for time and property lost, damaged, or destroyed by the thief or assailant." The Federalist stood in a uncertainty of how to reply. Slavery... a practice all but abolished in the modern world. Of course, if done right among those disinclined to abuse of the system, it would be a better alternative to incarceration and destructive disciplinary actions... but if done wrong... Sin voiced his concerns, which were many. If the victim had become a slave owner of his assailant/looter, what was to stop them from accumulating slaves? Granted, violation of the non-aggression principal was an act against another individual, but how was the standard measured? How long was the punishment? How stringent were the rules for what constituted aggression? Could slavery be imposed for the most mundane of crimes as well as the most severe? As if the situation couldn't be any more surreal, Mr. Cyan's response wasn't one of dead panned explanation suited for such a topic, or even a humble, if not reluctant apology and justification. No, the unicorn had done the most disturbing thing he could do when faced with the idea of slavery. He laughed. He laughed in deep, roaring mirth as if he'd just heard the most comedic joke of his lifetime. "No, no, no. Mr. Islander." He said, catching his breath. "I assure you, you're concerns are completely unfounded and, and I mean no offense when I say this, completely ridiculous." Sin didn't feel that way, he didn't feel that way at all. Slavery was the very deffinition of oppression, it stood contrary to the fundimental concepts of libertarian principals and anarchy. Once the unicorn regained himself, he proceeded to explain that Bliss was not the run of the mill city. It wasn't the dwellings of the, as he put it, commoners dedicated to naive ideals of altruism and "the public good". Bliss was a city of values and morality, of intelligence and individual progress, where the individual did what was best for himself or herself and lived in accordance with that belief. That was all well and good, but it still didn't answer Sin's concerns. "Mr. Islander, you're a pony of reason, are you not?" Cyan asked, prompting the Federalist to nod. "Tell me, if you were to observe a gross amount of time passed by a victim unto their aggressor for slavery and recompense, how would you react within my society?" Caught off guard for a moment, Sin placed a hoof to his chin in thought. "I... suppose I would... umm..." It was a unique thing for him to be stumped in a libertarian ideological conundrum, but for all of the stallion's thought, for all of the scenarios and ideas that ran through his head, this was one of the few he had never once considered. It was a little invigorating, a new idea he could entertain and mull over, but for the present, he had no answer to give. Fortunately, Cyan did. Apparently, the system worked out rather well. Most thieves were disenfranchised workers who stole to get by, with their slavery terms being mutually beneficial. Not only for them, but for their masters, who usually either hired the aggressor or recommended someone for them to work under. Slaves could not be traded or sold, their penalty could only be served to the victims of their crimes and to nobody else under any circumstances. Cyan went on to claim that Bliss survived without government because of it's moral beliefs, that only those of principals were allowed access. Morals encouraging productivity and constructive competition, a culture of forgiveness and attaining the best in others, not exploitation and oppression. A society that encouraged free thought and individual rights above all things. And since was the culture, thus was the citizens. Sin grimaced in skepticism. Yea, it sounded nice in theory, really nice, like utopian paradise nice, but in actuality? In practicality? He couldn't believe it. Which was a funny thing, considering it was his ideal society. So why was he having such a hard time believing in Cyan's words? "Perhapse a story will help clear your mind." Value said, begining his trot again with Sin in tow. "There was a pony who did exactly what you are afraid of, a unicorn mare by the name of Violet Pearl. A young minataur who'd lost his job at the Fountain Fisheries had mugged her on one of the walkways between domes, he didn't make it ten steps before every magical horn, crossbow and spear was holding him in place by the citizenry. He confessed to his crime and Violet Pearl demanded he serve ten years of slavery to her in compensation. Many spoke out against her for the severity of the sentence, but she demanded he give the longitude of service." "And?" Sin asked, genuinely interested. Cyan gave him a smirk. "And not only would nobody commit trade with her for anything, but her boss threatened to fire her the day after he'd heard of her demand, reprimanding her for her abuse of the system we use for compensation and maintaining order within the city. She lowered the time of service to the more acceptable term of six months the next day and life resumed as normal for her." Sin slowed his trotting again until he stood stock still. With holding of voluntary trade for immoral actions? That... that was the ideal reaction! That was the best way he could think of that didn't involve retaliatory violence as a result of abusing victimhood... But just because it sounded ideal didn't mean it was true. Ponies... all races were greedy bastards in the end. They had to be, resource accumulation was a imparative of all species able to plan and think long term. This, this was too good to be true, it had to be, there was no way what Cyan was saying was possibly true, it just couldn't be. 'You mean much in the same way you didn't believe Equestria was a better nation than the Federation was? Or how utopian Ponyville was prior to living there and observing just how calm and tranquil the place was, despite the government's incompetence?' I... you can't just... that's a false... it's not the same! 'Isn't it, though? Look, I'm just as skeptical as you are, it sounds to me like there is a government in Bliss, a strange kind of... anarcho-governance based on individualism and stuff... I don't know, but the point is is that I'm not buying any of this either, however I do think it would be a good idea to check it out for yourself and see what he's talking about before jumping to conclusions about calling him a liar outright.' "I can see you are not convinced." Said Cyan, noticing the stallion's deep look of skeptical contemplation. "Yea, sorry, but with all the time I've spent around the different races, as well as pony-kind in general, I find it hard to believe that your city works as well as you claim." Value chuckeld again. "These are not the ponies and beings in which you are accustomed to dealing with, Mr. Islander. These aren't the types whom believe themselves entitled to the work and sweat of others, by virtue of need. Nor believe in the distribution of wealth via practice extraction via state sanction taxes. The citizens of my city are a different breed, a group whom understand the value of individual integrity and consequence, who are willing to fight and protect themselves and each other, as well as handle issues pertaining to the criminal element rather than sit idle as a government body comes and takes care of the problem for them. They are a group dedicated to themselves, for themselves for the sole purpose of their own pleasure. Though, it would be much easier to show you rather than try to convince you with words." And with that, the topic, as well as the conversation, dropped to nothing. It was a peculiar position for Sin to be in, being the one whom was lectured on the finer and more intricate points of a libertarian socioty, instead of the one doing the lecturing. It made him feel small and inferior by comparison to the unicorn, yet it also gave him a small sense of realistic superiority. He wasn't sure what to make of Cyan right now. Part of him genuinely hoped that he was telling the truth, but another part of him was resigned to cynical realism, and dare he even to admit, some small semblance of fear. Yet despite his fear and reservation, he was excited. Maybe it was his overall good mood that made him feel this way, but he looked forward to seeing the city, if for no other purpose than to observe his values in a socioty put to the test, even if they weren't spot on directly. Not long after, Krystal and Scootaloo returned, which brought Sin an odd sense of relief. Both greeting him with mixed responses. Scootaloo with chipper joy and Krystal with tranquil concern. He asked if they had a good time flying, which Scootaloo answered in the affirmative before scuttling off back into the wagon, with Cyan's permission of course, to jot a few ideas down she'd had while flying. "How about you? Have fun?" The Federalist asked the off white pegasus. Krystal also answered in the affermative, saying that flying had always made her feel good. "How about you? Are you feeling better? You seem to look alot better." Sin nodded, he was. Krystal beemed. "Well, of course you do. You've been asleep for the past day and a half." Wait, what?! Sin looked to the unicorn as if to gain some kind of rejection to the statement. "Oh, did I not mention that?" Value mused aloud. "We're almost to the coast line, you were asleep for the better part of thirty six hours, I believe." "Did you eat yet?" Krystal asked. And it hit him like the engine of the Ponyville express, a couple of pressures in his abdomine and loins that required his immediate attention for relief, and one preasure that demanded food. He'd been so preoccupied and enthralled with Value that he hadn't even noticed the callings of nature... After a couple more hours of walking, with the sun setting ahead of them, the powerful sting of sea water became almost unbearable, and not long after, the sight of the ocean came into view. Krystal gasped and looked from horizon to horizon, unable to believe the size of the water front. "Oh. My. Gosh!" She squeeled in delight before taking to the sky for a better vantage point. "OH MY GOSH!" She squealed from her point in the sky. "I take it she's never seen the ocean before?" Value whispered in ammusement. "No," Sin answered. In a blur of white and electric blue, Krystal shot back down, pointing and speaking in discombobulated noises of happiness and excitement. "It's so big! I've never seen so much water before!" Mr. Cyan chuckled. "Well, the planet's covered in the stuff." he looked ahead again. "We're almost there, not much longer now." Sin frowned. Maybe it was just the fact his eye sight wasn't the greatest, but with as dark as it was, he figured he'd see the lights of the city by now, yet there was nothing ahead of them but a long and winding pathway and the ocean. Well, there was a structure ahead, a sole spire he assumed to be a lighthouse, but Cyan surely couldn't mean that that was Bliss... The stallion's suspension of disbelief was called to task as they all approached the, from a distance, unassuming structure. Upon closer inspection, the light house was a thing of architectural beauty, and much more complicated than any light house Sin had ever seen. A giant tower of a building, made entirely out dark stone and metal trim that shined and glimmered in the fading sunlight. Patterns that the Federalist found almost reminiscent of his home's architecture engulfed the structure, a modernized look of marvel that had no place in Equestria. Meticulously chizzled stone steps upon the cobble stone path clashed in a culture shock that lead up to a well to do wooden door with a metal ring grab, small pillars of stone held a well chizzeled roof stop over the doorway, with a metal plate on it's front of a symbol holding a simple letter "a" with a small number 3 to it's right. "'A' cubed?" Scootaloo asked, scratching the back of her head. "Agorism." Sin answered, catching the Filly's attention. "A to the third power." "What's A to the third power?" Scootaloo asked. "Agora, Anarchy, Action." Sin and Value spoke in unison, looking at each other. Smiling as if vindicated, Mr. Cyan asked them to wait for a moment and took the wagon up the shallow ramp incline to the back of the large light house. He returned a few minutes later and stood with the trio of ponies infront of the door. "Umm, Mr. Cyan? Not to be rude, but when you said city, I thought you meant an actual city." Krystal said. "I mean, the lighthouse is big, but it's not, you know..." The unicorn gave her a sly grin. "Oh, I assure you, Bliss will... drown your expectation, Ms. Melody. This is just the entrance." Sin wasn't sure what to make of that, but before he could comment, Cyan's horn ignighted and and through a complex series of spells, opened the door to the structure, revealing a blackened darkness awaiting them inside. Something happened when the unicorn opened the heavy wooden baracade, as if all the hesitation Sin felt had compounded itself ten fold onto his shoulders. Something told him he didn't want to go in there, something primordial and defiant of all logic save the most primitive fear of all, fear of the unknown. He felt Krystal beside him, her body pressing hard against his side as if to draw comfort. Scootaloo was beside her as well, doing very much the same. Value told them to wait while he went and turned on the power. "I- Islander, maybe this wasn't such a good idea." Scootaloo said, staring up at tower's apex as a gathering fog began to consceal the structure slightly, giving it an almost ghostly atmosphere in the deminishing light blue of the twilight. "Yea." Krystal agreed. "Maybe we should just keep going to Manehatten." Sin took a breath and released it, no, no they weren't going to be cowards and run away from something that presented no obvious danger. Granted, he didn't know how far he could trust Cyan, but even if there was a chance the unicorn's promises were true, Sin knew he'd regret not going in for the rest of his life. Scootaloo pleaded, her venear of tom coltishness melting like butter in a hot skillet. She was afraid, terrified of what lay beyond the vail of darkness that stood not ten feet away from them. All of them were afraid, but Sin was going inside, and told the others they could wait out here until he returned if they wanted to. "Sin, this place is scary, and it's dark, and damp and EEP!" The power turned on, and the blackened room before them erupted into a fantastic and comforting glow of gold and orange light. Summoning his courage, Sin double checked his crossbow and gave his companions the closest thing to a look of reassurance as he could before pushing the door open and wondering inside. He froze, his eyes trailing up to a large statue of a bronze unicorn pony holding a large, magificent red velvet banner, within the banner, in gold trim, read: "No Gods, No Kings, Only Individuals." The sight captivated them all for a moment, each of the ponies reflecting on the banners words in their own way before turning to admire the inside of the building. Pale gold and bronze plate art pieces littered around the ground floor of the light house, depicting what Sin could only describe as hyper invention-ism. Unicorns reading what were, presumably, spell books. A griffon and minotaur worked together on some kind of machine, a pair of donkeys pushing forward on a log. He noticed three in particular that stood larger and more detailed than the rest, one depicting a group of dogs, with one holding a small vial above the rest in a show of triumph. Beneath them read the word: 'Science'. Another was of a pony who sat in contemplation, his brow furrowed in deep thought with the word 'Reason' etched beneath. Finally, the last plate depicted a pair of devices crossing over each other, one a rod with three plates going around it, ending with a small sphere at the top, and the other a well defined, hexagonal wrench with the word 'Industry' beneath. "Wow." He heard Scootaloo breath, taking in the subtle touches that the builders and artisens of the building had placed. Plate are wasn't the only thing present, statues of ponies, griffs, bison, minotaur, and even a zebra lay scattered about on plaques with various accomplishments ascribed to them. Each looked proud and admirable, not completely arrogant, but definatly not humble. "Marvelous, no?" They all turned to find Mr. Cyan standing near a downward starcase, watching them all with the amused smile of an adult watching a child open their presents at Hearthswarming. "This is incredible." Sin admited in awe. It was, even to a pony like him who didn't put much stock in asthetic appeals over utility, his mind couldn't help but appriciate everything around him. From the plates of praise to the larger pieces showing avian like creatures surounding the globe of the planet. "Well, as much as I do like seeing others enjoy themselves, I'm afraid we must continue on." Cyan declaired, turning about and beckoning them to follow. Sin convinced Scootaloo and Krystal to pry away from the forign architecture and follow the unicorn down the stairs. The clopping of hooves on stone echoed throughout the massive structure as the quartet descended, even down here, the walls weren't without something pleasing to look at. While the style had remained the same for the creations, each held their own sense of identity and individuality that distinguished each piece from the other. Reaching the bottom, Sin found a most unusual thing. A small sphere sat in the middle of the room, a door to the inside open and inviting them in with a warm and comforting interior. "Now, before we go into Bliss, I'll need each of you to read over this and sign your names." Value said, picking up some thick pamphlets and handing them to each of the guests. Sin took his small stack of papers and began reading it, shocked to discover it was a, literal social contract. A contract of adherence and conduct for the duration of their stay in the city, complete with disciplinary clauses and behavioral perimeters and specifications of those perimeters. "If you wish to enter the city, these are the rules you must abide by and the rules in which you agree to adhere to in terms of moral conduct and acceptance of ethical imposition. We do not believe in moral subjectivity in Bliss, and in signing this contract, you agree to adhere to our values regardless of if you agree or not." Sin couldn't believe it, this completely destroyed the moral relitivism argument that held against the concept of a stateless society. This... this justified voluntarily agreed to violence, it allowed for the denizens of Bliss to hold an aggressive party accountable for their actions with no reprieve in the realms of subjective beliefs. Had every single citizen signed this contract? Did they all understand it? It would take him the better part of an hour to read this, did Cyan somehow trick- "And now, I shall read the full terms to ensure that each of you understands the restrictions you will be under during your time here." He cleared his throat and began. The process was almost mind numbing, but the small presentation was full of small jokes and other things to keep the audiences interest, and he'd continually take a break to ask questions and ensure that each of them was paying attention. Bliss was a place of responsibility and accountability. The citizens present weren't there only because they wanted to be, but because of a system of checks and balances that allowed only those whom would fit the mold to be allowed access. Krystal and Scootaloo had a few questions that both Sin and Cyan answered as best they could, like the fact that there wasn't really a government structure, and that all places were private property, private property that was allowed access by the creator of the city in order to commit commerce and socialization. Obvious things like no aggression, don't commit theft, no allowance of sexual conduct in public view, the expectation that they understand the meaning of these things prior to being allowed inside The only thing Sin held much of an issue with that there was a certain part of the city in which none of them would be allowed entry. A district refereed to as Lowtown. Apparently there were some issues pertaining to some kind of water damage and they weren't allowed access. Seemed easy enough to adhere to, not like he wanted to wonder around too much, they were on a tight scheduled, after all. "So, umm, once we sign it, then what happens?" Scootaloo asked curiously. "Oh, well, after you sign the contracts and agree to the terms, we're all going to get into that little pod and be dropped into the water, which we will ride until we reach Bliss." "Dropped into the water?" Krystal asked in shock. "I don't know about this, Sin..." Krystal said, looking over the finally read contract. "Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all. Not that I mean to offend you, Mr. Cyan." She added hastily. The unicorn moved his hoof in a dismissive fashion, fact was he could understand her reservation, this was a new experience, the kind that few others had ever even concieved of. It only stood to reason that a pony would be a little nervous. "He's right, we're all a little nervous." Sin said, giving her a side long smirk. "Besides, it was your idea to come here, remember?" 'Umm, being dropped into water and sinking to the ocean floor doesn't sound like the best idea, dude.' Mr. Cyan said we were all going, him included. He doesn't seem like the sort stupid enough to allow himself to be killed, Critic. With excited nervousness, Sin took the pen provided into his mouth and signed his name. It took a little time, but Scootaloo signed soon after, with Krystal reluctantly following their lead. Cyan took the contracts and read over each and every page with mythodicism, checking each page to ensure that a signiture was present. Satisfied that they were, he lead them each into the "Hydropshere" and closed the door. "Alright everyone, hang on tight." He motioned to the lever beside Scootaloo. "Would you mind, my dear?" Scootaloo pulled the lever. The pod slowly began to fall below the surface, water claiming the large window that offered sight outside of he vessel. It was a terrible time to find out if anybody here was claustrophobic or not, Sin certainly hoped none of them were. Luckily, neither Scootaloo nor Krystal began hyperventilating, instead, both's fear of the fall was soothed by the words of Value and he turned their attention to the window looking outside. "Fishies!" Scootaloo beamed, cautiously stepping to the window and watching the aquatic creatures outside swim by lazily. The submarine continued to go down deeper and deeper, and a sudden jerk stopped it's decent and pushed them outwards to sea. "Relax, it's only the track." Value soothed. The feeligns of movement quickened somewhat and the ocean depths shifted from the rocks to be seen to the inky blackness of the ocean void. The sight wasn't to last, however, as a white screen shot up infront of the window, with classical music playing from the small noise horns surrounding the sphere. "Hello." Said a familiar voice. "My name is Value Cyan. Let me ask you question? Is not a pony entitled to the full sweat of his brow and the fruits of his own labor?" The voice asked, repeating the same speech Value had spoken to Sin. "And if not, how much of his labor does he owe to others? Celestia in Canterlot says we owe her money in taxes. Rex in Rabble says we owe he and the dog dynasty, and Monin in Laberinth demands we owe it to everyone. I reject all of these answers, and chose a new way. A way where the denizens of this earth may be free from the thievery and imposition of the state and the liberation from the masses who'd seek to control them." "I chose a way that rewards the industrial and the hard working. I chose a way that cut the world free of the parasite and their looting arm of enforcement, I chose to create at the bottom of the ocean that which could not be created above." "I chose... Bliss." The white screen retracted back down to the floor and revealed a sight that nearly stopped Sin's heart in his chest. The traveling trio stood with gaped maws and disblieving wide eyes. There, outside of the window, amongs the oceans depths, lay a gargantuan, illuminated conglomerate of enormous glass domes and walkways. Buildings large and small lay within them, some even using the glass as part of the structure. There, a large neon sign could be read as "Drippers Drink" another sign read "Hellion's Hair." And as if that wasn't enough, they saw ponies and beings of all races walking among the walkways, giving the submarine not but a passing glance of interest. Others sat inside the domes, some chatting away, others committing business commerce and some eating, and there looked like... no, no it couldn't be... was that an underwater forest?! It... it was! 'By Tapio's beard...' Critic managed. It was enormous, it was impossible, it... it spat in the face of physics and the realms of all things conceivable! Yet there it was, no matter how much time Sin looked, no matter how long he waited to see even the slightest hint of some kind of illusion magic, the city only continued to grow and expand, more and more bio-domes containing what had to be thousands of ponies, griffs, zebra, minotaur, diamond dogs, and all else was present. It was the most magnificent thing he'd ever laid eyes on. "... and with the sweat of your brow." Cyan said in unison with the recorded voice. "It can be your home, too." Scootaloo looked back at him in utter shock and disbelief. It took her a moment to push past the shock but eventually she managed to say: "Was... was that you speaking?" She asked in a whisper. Cyan gave her an encouraging smile. "When I said it was 'my city' I meant that it was my city."