Earning Freedom

by Daxisle

Complacency or Death

Complacency or Death

Mac's thoughts were consumed by the empty blue pools of nothingness that captivated him. There was nothing, no hope, no dreams, no emotion, no forgiveness; cold emptiness. Big Mac's attention was pulled out of the void by the strange ponies voice. "Ya know mate, 'tween killin' yo' friend ovah tha' and wrestlin' with that little beast; yo' quite the heavy sleepah, you are."

Mac's eyes widened as he gathered the remainder of his wits. Sin was dead, Spike was bound and gagged, and this... bastard held something to his throat. "Whacha wan' from me?" Mac stuttered, his body beginning to tremble as his mind rushed with hopes that he could help his friends. Though the campfire was was dying down to embers, it still gave the petrified stallion enough light to see.

The pony's face was hidden between two black cloths over his mouth and his mane, he gave a sadistic chuckle before he dug the object deeper into Macintosh's neck. "Well, Ya see mate, yo' little friend there," He pointed a black hoof to Spike, "Gave me qui' a bit of trouble. N' so I says to mi' self: 'that little bastad' deserves to suffah' for given me a nice little cut on me face."

Mac felt a frost shoot up his spine, not for his own sake; but for his young friend. Spike was only a baby, and the idea that this cad would make him suffer, mad his blood boil. "And w'ats the best way to make him suffah', that to kill his best mate, in front of him?" Mac's fear and sadness for his loss had been overpowered by a strong sense of rage. His eyes flared and his teeth bore to a growl.

Instead of shooting his head up and taking his chances with what he thought was a knife at his throat, he decided to try to keep the conversation going and distract the assailant while he came up with a plan. "Why'd ya kill 'im first? It's obvious I'm the bigger n' stronger one here. If i'da woke up-"

The hidden stallion scoffed, cutting Mac off mid sentence. "Come off it mate, I was watching ya yesta'day. I saw that you couldn't hit crap with your bow, BUT HIM!" The pony pointed his hoof to where Sin's body lay. "He was a true ma'ksman, an' if he was a better ma'ksman, chances were he was a bettah' fightah' as well. I knew I had to off him first. But don't worry, since i had to kill 'em quickly, he didn't suffah... Much."

Mac tensed as the assassins words, and his struggled slightly only to have himself pushed down by his adversaries leg. "Ah, ah ah." He mocked, digging in the blade. "I wont have none of that now. Ya see, I like to take my time killin' folks when I c'n spare it." Mac's rage was growing now, not only had this pony... this, Creature killed his friend, but he enjoyed it? No, no he wouldn't let this happen to himself. Mac would get revenge for his friends, and murder this bastard.

"Whachya plannin' on doin' with meh?" Mac growled, narrowing his eyes so that his enemy couldn't see them dart around for something he could use to fight back. He could kick him off if worse came to worse, but even if he did succeed that with only a scratch from the knife; there was no guarantee that he would be able to hold his own afterwards. Especially with not only the disadvantage of being on the ground already, but being unarmed as well.

"Well, since ya' cooperation so well, I figuah' i might be lenient witchya." Mac felt the knifes tip slowly trace down his neck to his shoulder, now was his chance. He slammed his head up, hopefully knocking the pony senseless and off guard. After, he immediately rolled onto his back and bucked the disoriented ponies body off of his own, sending him flying to his side with an audible thud and rustle of dirt.

Mac drew himself upright and in a mad panic, turned to find his saddlebag. He wouldn't have time to use the bow, but as small and brittle as the arrows were, at least they would serve as a piercing weapon. Upon grabbing a few, Mac was kicked down to the ground, he threw his hoof at his attacker, and felt it hit home. After rolling back onto his feet, the stallion stood with three arrows in his mouth, ready for a fight to the death.

His opponent was already up and facing him, a long sharp piece of metal strapped to his hoof. Mac ready himself for that thrust he was sure to come, but the assassin merely stood there, with his dead eyes focused on Macintosh's own. Mac beheld his assailant for a moment, this was the pony responsible for his friends death. This thing was going to murder him in front of Spike and then do Celestia knows what to the child. He had to die, Mac would never forgive the evil stallion for his misdeeds.

Mac's adrenaline began to pump faster as his body tightened. Shreads of doubt began to creep into his mind. Could he do it? Could he kill a pony? Did he have it in him? Hurting the ass for what he did was one thing, but to slit his throat and watch him bleed out was another story. For the short time Macintosh had known Sin, he had grown to see the pony as one of his best friends. He understood him and allowed the farm stallion to move at his own pace. Not rushing him or making him feel inferior, and now he was gone.

The dark pony chuckled rubbing the side of his head where Mac's own had made impact. "I have to say, Mr. Macintosh, that was very well executed." Mac was taken aback, that pony knew his name? And his voice, it sounded so... Wait a minute. Mac observed as the pony removed his mask, revealing the pony Mac suspected it to be. Sin stood with a smile as he removed the blade from his leg.

Mac's mouth gaped, allowing the arrows to fall freely to the dead ground before him. Though Sin's lips were turned up, his dead and soulless eyes made it appear even more fake than when he had his goggles on. "My only complaint was when you went to retrieve the arrows, had I truly had the intention to kill you, it could have been done at that moment." He replaced the black goggles over his eyes, hiding the alien expression. "Never, take your eyes off the enemy, always watch what they are doing and react accordingly."

Mac stood in shock before enough time passed that he processed that the assassin was in fact his thought to be dead friend. Finally he found the words to speak, and the angry tone in which to speak them. "Why the buck did y'all do that to me? Ah was scared outta mah MIND!" He yelled, his body unsure of how to react to the fact that threat of death ending so abruptly. He wanted answers, and he wanted them now.

Sin shook his head and laughed under his breath.

"Now yer' laughin' at me?" Mac seethed, having half a mind to stomp the stallions face in.

"Macintosh, night's like these are not as uncommon as you might think." Sin replied, his smile fading. "There are no royal guards, there is no stone or wooden walls to protect you, there are no group of ponies looking out for you; there is only you, and your own abilities."

Mac grimaced at the words, part of his anger shifting to confusion. This was a lesson? "What's that got to do with you tryin' to kill me?"

"Big Mac." Sin deadpanned. "If I were trying to kill you, i would have done it in your sleep. This was only to see how you would react if you were assaulted at your most vulnerable state." He sat down and used his now naked hoof to gesture. "I have always spoken about the merits of freedom: the liberation, the ability to live the life you want to live, and the enormous prosperity that you can make for yourself. Go anywhere you want or need to go, do anything you want or need to do; the positive aspects are overwhelming in a sense."

Mac furrowed his brow before giving a nod off agreement, his body starting to relax from the initial shock.

"However, there are negative sides as well." Sin continued, certain he was now forcing the wheels in Mac's head to turn. "No, you don't have to deal with those who would restrain you, that much is true. But now you don't have them to protect you either. You have abandoned the security that your family and home had provided, for the ability to roam and do as you please. With freedom comes eternal vigilance, there will always be those who wish to steal your freedoms from you for their own gain; whether it be your property, your happiness or your life, there will be those who you must learn to protect yourself from."

"They wanna steal my happiness?" Mac inquired, his anger fleeting.

"You may or may not have been in a relationship, but imagine a mare that was the light of your life." Sin stated blankly. "She is everything you want, loving, caring, misogynistic if you're into that. And she loves you. Now some one comes up and abducts her. None of your property was stolen, nor was your life; but there is more to your freedom than those two simple things. For life is meant to be shared among we sentient beings."

"So, let me get this straight." Big Mac rubbed his temples. "You placed a knife to my throat, kicked me in mah side and scared me half to death; just to gimme a lesson?"

"Would you rather have another do it? One who might actually try to actually kill you, when you have had no experience with such a matter?" Sin quipped grinning. "To be frank Macintosh, I demonstrated the better aspects of freedom, I felt it would be unfair and irresponsible to leave out the negative consequences." Mac opened his mouth to respond, but thought better of it, instead only allowing a low groan. He shook his head and walked past Sin, who followed after, to go back to the camp.

"Oh... Right." Sin pressed his lips together looking at a very unammused dragon with daggers beaming from his eyes. Mac looked down to find the little reptiles claws tapping impatiently on the ground, waiting for the moment he may unleash his revenge.

"You gonna let 'em go?" Mac asked with a sly grin.

Sin looked down at the safely confined scale covered hate machine, he touch a thoughtful hoof to his chin as he pondered the option for a moment. "You're not that upset with me, are you?" Sin asked, his tone a bit nervous. Spike narrowed his yes, and stretched his claws out, digging them into the earth, and slicing the slashing four gaping rake lines to his palm. Sin looked back to Mac, his smile had all but faded. "I find releasing him a conflict of interest in regards to personal safety."

(Bit of a shorter chapter here. But I don't plan on ending this story for quite some time. Question of the Chapter: Is forcing an individual into a simulation of extreme duress, justifiable in accordance with a lesson to learn about freedom; and the the knowledge of its required protection?)

Comments

[DX-1118 C]

Lolz

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The answer is "no". The ends do not justify the means.

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sin run