The Day Before
The Day Before
Mac smiled awkwardly as he watched the Imperial inspector look over the small garden. The inspector was an alleged herbalist, the white and black pony was currently looking over one of the small buds that Mac was supposed to harvest. Smelling, looking, feeling the bud for details for reasons the red pony hadn't the slightest clue.
To his left, two more ponies stood, both unicorns. Each writing down on note pads as they took in the scene around them.
This was the inquisitorial team assigned to Shade's medical ganja case. The first thing they were instructed to do was to identify and observe the type of cannabis that would be used for the treatment. Second step would be observation of behavior pre and post administration. That was all Macintosh could understand about it, though. There were some other medical words and terminology thrown around, but he was both unable and uninterested in understanding it.
"These Zecorian Lifesavers are looking exquisite." The black and white earth pony declared dryly. He placed the bud into a plastic bag and returned it to his saddle bag. "For more in depth analysis." He clarified.
Honestly, Macintosh didn't care if he took one bud or a dozen. Annabelle was still bed ridden, the small brew that Zecora gave helped considerable, she wasn't suffering fever dreams and delusions like she was, but the mare was still too weak to get out of bed. All he wanted was for the team to leave so he could get back to her.
The unicorns called over the earth pony and the three spoke amongst themselves, pens scribbling like crazy, notebooks flipping page after page as more and more information was exchanged. They'd been out here for the past hour, it legitimately amazed Macintosh how they kept finding more and more to write about from such a plain area with a small green bud being the focus.
Finally, the troop closed their note pads and told the Apple stallion that they were ready to travel. Relieved that his role in this was just about over, Mac did a double check to ensure that the buds in his back were properly secured and began his trek to the Everfree. Using the off beaten path to avoid the townsfolk of course. If they didn't smell the stink of the ganja, they'd definitely notice the three white clad ponies following him.
The scientists were disappointed to say the least. Mac had failed to mention that he'd given Shade a bud already, so observing the behaviors of pre administered ganja would be all but impossible now. Still, they did have have some records of his psychological evaluation from Canterlot, so they weren't completely in the dark. Even if they weren't going to be able to observe inebriated responses to certain stimuli.
Not that the stallion was all that interested. Shade and he weren't on the best of terms at the moment and he had another pony on his mind.
"Hey Big Mac?" Granny Smith called from her chair as the red pony walked onto the porch. The marshmallow green mare gave the stallion a look. "Saw ya leadin' a couple o' ponies into the orchard this mornin' care to share why?"
Mac flinched and groaned. He'd prepared for this, he couldn't believe he forgot to specify the conditions for anything related to the plant. He should have told Celestia to be discrete about anyone coming by to visit about the plants. He should have specified that his family wouldn' approve of his growing of said plants, he should have said alot of things. And that's exactly what he realized as soon as he opened the door that morning to be greeted by the three ponies.
Still though, there was no point in lying about it. Granny suspected him, and if she was half as smart as he knew her to be, she saw exactly where he lead them. It was surprisingly relieving that he'd have to come clean about the drug plants, he thought this would send his heart racing with stress, but all he could think about was how happy he was that all the sneaking around was over and done with. Maybe a month of constantly being on guard was worse than a good lecture and disposal from the farm.
Even if he was thrown out, he could just go stay with Sin for a bit. He didn't say anything to Anna or his family, but he'd tested the waters about shaking up there if things went south at home for any reason. Still though, that did leave his marefriend to consider, while he was sure the Federalist would let her stay there as well, it was more on a matter of masculine principal that she didn't. Not so much fear of the two doing something behind his back, but a sense of failure to provide on his part.
"Big Macintosh, what's back there?" Granny asked, her tone wasn't as patronizing as he thought, it was actually blunt and forthcoming.
"Ah'll tell ya tomarrah." The stallion replied, the elder mare quirked a brow, obviously skeptical of the answer. "It's pretty important, n' Ah'm sorry fer hidin' it from ya. But Anna's still pretty sick n' Ah'd like to see to her 'fore Ah deal with that." Seeing that her grandson was promising her a future explanation and putting the ordeal on hold for the mare she'd grown quite fond of, Granny nodded her head in agreement.
"Am Ah to assume it's not somthin' Ah'll like?" Macintosh nodded and Granny sighed. "Well, at least yer bein' honest about it. Ah'll go witcha tamarrah. Righ' now, go see tah yer mare friend."
Complying, the red pony made his way into the house and past a distraught Applebloom. She was nervous, rubbing her right foreleg against her left with her furrowed eyes darting around in thought. Mac didn't know what trouble she'd gotten into, but if it wasn't bad enough for Granny to tell him about, than it wasn't worth knowing about.
He walked into his room to find the buttermilk earth pony reading a book, her eyes were wide and chest heaving. She was so enthralled she didn't even notice Macintosh enter. A little known detail about Anna was that she was a hopeless romantic who loved reading romance novels. Seeing her so captivated by the book made him smile, he always loved after she had some time reading, it always put her in a bit of a state.
Which meant that she was almost over her sickness.
Zebra medicine was truly an amazing thing. She'd been bed ridden for he better part of a week prior to getting Zecora's additive, and in only a day her fever broke, and with another, she'd be good to walk. Between that and healing Applebloom's Cutie Pox, Mac felt a great sense of shame for ever thinking ill of the zebra for her difference.
A sudden wave of exhaustion overcame Macintosh as he allowed himself to relax. He didn't even realize how tired he'd been, but with the stress finally lifted from his shoulders, he felt like a good nap was in order.
Slowly and carefully, he worked himself onto the bed to Spoon with Anna. Making sure not to disturbed her too much from her place. Nestling his muzzle in between the mare's neck and the pillow, the wave of exhaustion was quickly accompanied by a mild bout of light headedness and nausea. Had it not been for him slowly dozing to sleep, he'd have needed to fight down mid day lunch. A symptom that Anna herself had suffered as the beginning of the sickness took her.
Sin sat on his bed and looked over the bandages covering his front hooves, looking away whenever he'd grow just a little too miffed at how stupid he was for having done it to himself. By some ungodly miracle, he hadn't broken a single bone in his body, but both of his forelegs were pretty beaten up from his encounter with the tree.
Uppity would be by tomorrow, and she wasn't going to be happy about his current condition. His head was oddly fine, though. Thanks in no small part to Discord he was sure, supposing that everything that happened wasn't a dream of course. The case that it wasn't was pretty clear though, his irrational anger was gone now. Where even of a good day he could still feel a small tingling of annoyance in the back of his mind for the past month, he could think about his worst nightmares with emotionless ease.
Again, though, that might have been from the six or so times he'd attempted to merge his cranium with the core of that lovely oak.
'And they say trauma therapy does more harm than good.'
His inner critic was back too. Sin hadn't noticed his absence before, but he was happy enough to have it back. Kept some things in perspective, like how much of an ass he was to Spike a few mornings ago. Spike's mother's brother was getting married, it would have been who of him to cover Spike's shift so he could go.
The nightmares were still prevalent, each becoming a little worse with time, but that much he could live with for the time being.
With a sigh, the Federalist forced himself to stand, tilting his hooves ever so slightly in order to keep off his aching frogs and limped out of his room to get a glass of water.
When he came to, the oaken stallion found himself in a hospital bed. The doctor said a passing pegasus filly had found him in the woods and immediately went for help. Apparently Blade and Ax were the one's who'd dragged him to the medical facility. That was going to be an awkward conversation when he went back to work later.
And if nothing else, the bandages were at least proof he went to the doctor.
A series of knocks at the door startled him into dropping the glass he was holding under the faucet. Surprised to have a visitor, Sin looked at the clock as he walked to the door. It was too early for any of his co-workers to be getting off, maybe a nurse was coming to check up on him? The hospital staff was extremely insistent he stay for some two to three weeks. Like he had that kind of time.
He opened the door and his eyes shot wide. Uppity stood on his porch, beaming with foal like enthusiasm. "Good morning Sin!" She greeted cheerfully. "Are you ready toooo Oh my gosh!" In the blink of an eye, she pushed herself in and began examining the bandages around his hooves and legs, demanding to know what had happened.
Sin, feeling in quite the cheeky mood, replied thusly. "I tripped." Uppity tilted her head, gazing with confusion and skepticism at the stallion as if she knew he was insulting her intelligence.
"Twice."
'Brilliant! She'll totally buy that. It's fucking foolproof!'
As expected, she wasn't buying it. Sin knew she wasn't that stupid, but his answer was given in deadpanned jest. Uppity, now irritated and more than a little worried, demanded his honest answer as to what had happened.
'C'mon, just tell her the truth! That you were going mental and in a bout of undue rage, slammed your hooves, legs and head repeatedly against a tree in an attempt to calm yourself down from a bout of brief and totally not long lasting insanity.'
You must really want me in the funny farm, don't you?
'I would like to see how you handle it.'
The truth, as much as he disliked lying, wasn't an option here for that exact reason. So, he made up a story about receiving his injury during a work related incident. Keeping the details to a minimum, but just enough to make it seem plausible. A log wasn't lifted properly on his end, it slipped and he caught his hooves under as he tried to catch it. Straight, simple and too the point, all he had to do was make sure she didn't come into contact with anypony who would contradict his story.
Her fusha eyes switching between Sin's face and his hooves, Uppity shook her head. "You need to be more careful, Logging is a dangerous job, Sin."
'You lucked out.'
Damn skippy, I did.
Her nerves finally calmed, Sin asked for the reason for her visit. "Well, I came to get you, are you ready to go?"
"Get me?"
Uppity nodded. "The wedding's tomorrow. We need to get up to Canterlot tonight so we can get you fitted for a tuxedo."
Tuxedo? She wants me in a fucking monkey suit?
'Oh sweet Milikki this is going to be hilarious.'
"No, no that will not be happening."
The orange mare wasn't surprised from by his decline, instead she tried enticing Sin with how fun it would be trying on different clothing for the wedding. The marvels of shopping, walking around the capital and finally having a stay at a canterlot hotel!
'Does... does she think you're a mare?'
It was a legitimate question, did the unicorn really think he'd want to do everything she was talking about? Yea it was a little sexist on his part to say that stallions didn't like that kinda thing, but he was Sin. She knew how irritating he found walking around others.
And getting dressed up? Seriously?
Despite her best efforts, Uppity failed to get Sin to agree to anything she proposed. She was a little disappointed, but at least she wasn't resorting to pouting this time.
"Very well, I suppose we can just stay at the hotel for the day then."
We?
"C'mon, the train leaves in thirty minutes. Wait, you're not packed are you?" Sin shrugged, waltzed over to his kitchen and grabbed the coin purse from the counter. It was a five hour event that was being dragged out to a full day now, he wasn't really planning on packing anything for that.
"C'mon, dude, we got this!" Blade grunted, pushing the log aside Spike. The drake pushed with everything he had, this particular log holding not only one but two un godly sized knots. After strenuous pushing, the two finally managed to get the log onto the conveyor, with the playful earth pony rushing to his station to hold the log in place to be cut into thirds.
Spike stopped to catch his breath after seeing the large, pleat shirted pony descend his crane and throw the switch that closed the valves to the steam engine. He'd never needed a fifteen minute break as much as he did in that moment.
"How's it feel to be back log haulin', Blade?" Chopper asked, putting a small white cigarette into his mouth and lighting it up. A habit Spike had found most distasteful during his time at the mill.
Blade snorted, pulling out his own pack of smokes and placing one into his lips. "No different than when Sin started," He pulled out a lighter in his hoof and lit up. "'Cetp instead of helping that jack ass, I'm helping this jack ass." He pointed a lazy hoof.
Spike just rolled his eyes and gave the green pony the finger. He wasn't sure why, but it seemed like everypony was picking up smoking lately. There were more ponies with cigarettes in their mouths currently than those without. It all started with Tree Line and Potts, two well known smokers asked for a test from Ax and took off like mad from there.
"Hey Spike, you're friends with the guy, right? Any idea why he'd be knocked out with a bloodied up head and hooves in the middle of the forest?" Fiona asked, waving her hoof to deflect the incoming second hand smoke.
Spike shrugged. "Beats me, the guy isn't all there in the head."
"Ain't that the truth?"
Chopper chuckle snorted. "Blade, you are the last one to talk about being alright in the head, boy."
The chatter continued to fill the designated break space away from the machines. Word had it that they used to be able to smoke while working, but Jacker found too many cigarette butts on the ground, curtasy of ass holes who didn't know what an ash trey was. The topics varied from gossip to discussions on friends who were out of a job, thanks to the new cuts in government funding. That was a hot topic for a while, mainly for Potts, who had a friend in the industry who worried himself sick about work.
It did explain the cobalt earth pony's aversion to Sin though. He was the one responsible for it, after all.
While Spike wasn't fond of hearing of his alleged "friend" as the topic of conversation, what came up next made wish they had just stayed with it.
"Well, here's to Shining Armor!" Declared Chopper with a bitter sweet grin. "Luckiest son of a bitch in Equestria." He and the others held up their water bottles before taking a swig.
"Lucky is right. I'd give my left nut to rut that sweet, pink Alicorn ass." Blade sighed, his eyes glossing over for just a second. "Rut her to the point she couldn't walk straight for a week, I would."
That earned a chuckle from all parties present, though some for different reason.
"Boy, you can't even get a non-royal mare to rut you, you ain't gotta chance of gettin' with her." Fiona laughed, earning the ire of her victim. Spike's smile soon faded as he thought about the fact he wouldn't be attending. Part of him did want to go, he'd known Shining Armor and Cadance his whole life, it wasn't fair.
Why hadn't they given an earlier notice for their wedding date? It wasn't like either of them to make everypony they loved scramble around like this. Twilight was meticulous about that kind of thing, she'd be sure to get some answers about it. Still, that didn't change the fact he wouldn't be able to go and see it. Despite Sin's condemnation of the idea of marriage, the drake found weddings and commitments of everlasting love to be romantic and amazing.
A life long bond with another, one to always have by your side. To have and to hold, in sickness and health till death do you part? How anypony could condemn such a positive promise of devotion and care was beyond him.
"Spike? You with us, dude?" Spike shook his head, realizing he was being addressed. "I asked if you were heading up tomorrow. Twilight Sparkle is Shining Armor's sister right? Doesn't that make him like, your uncle?"
As if the universe had read his mind, so did Murphy pass it to be. That question was exactly why he didn't want it spoken about. At first, he tried to be cool about it. Saying it wasn't that big of a deal and shrugging the entire thing off, but Fiona and Blade pushed the issue; asking how he wouldn't want to attend such an occasion? Especially since it was someone from his indirect family that was getting married.
"Look, I just got this job." He replied with a faint hint of hostility. "Cranky's out, Sin's not coming in. Me and Blade are already struggling to keep the logs coming on. I think my time would just be better used here is all."
'Liar.'
What? No it wasn't a lie, it wa-
'LIAR! Don't lie to yourself. I am you, I know what's going through your head. You were angry about the short notice, that much is true, but you were more angry about Twilight trying to give you demands and trying to guilt you. You're bitter, you're bitter and angry that somepony else is trying to dictate what you do with your time. Using this job as a cover for your irritated feelings.'
Spike furrowed his brow. That wasn't true, yea he was irritated about the wedding coming up without the proper notice, but they needed him here.
For the past four weeks, Spike had spent more time with these guys than he did anypony else. Breaks were spent laughing at jokes, discussing family life and over all forgetting about the job at hand. Spike even elected to stay after for an hour every day to hang out with the guys in the break room after work. It was fun to stay, all of his co-workers were pretty interesting and laid back. Conversations were enjoyable in a way that Spike couldn't find with Twilight and her friends.
It was kinda like that card game with Sin and Macintosh when they'd pulled him out of his depression. The guys were playful, but in a way that was more rugged and challenging. It made his mind grow in a, for lack of a better term, masculine sense. It wasn't the individualist and self sufficient way that Sin had offered him, but a kind of brotherhood.
They'd give each other pointers about their previous work stations, little tips on how to deal with situations in life, or just be an overall inviting group that made everypony feel comfortable. Yea, they would poke fun at each other with insults and rude gestures, but that was part of the joke. It was like Chopper said on his third day working. "If they're giving you shit, that means they like you."
His co-workers liked him here. They knew he worked hard and gave 100% every day he came in. Blade, Chopper, Jacker, Fiona, Potts and everypony else had gone out of their way to help him out at one time or another. Why should he leave them high and dry because Cadence and Shining Armor's lack of consideration?
"You know, we did run this rig before you got here." Jacker said as he took a puff from his cigarette, answering the dragon's internal voice's question. "We ran before Cranky got here, we ran before Sin got here and we ran before Blade and Ax got here." He flicked the smoke in his mouth, allowing some ashes to fall freely to the ground.
Eyeing the pony with unsure eyes, Spike asked what the manager what he was getting at.
"He's saying we could run this mill without you for the day, geeze you're dense." Blade chuckled, pounding his now spent cigarette into the flowerpot serving as an ash tray. "It'll be a bitch, but between my brother and me, we can load up the logs dude, it's not that hard."
"Hmph, speak for yourself, rolling those things a bucking cun- ow! You bitch." Ax yelped, rubbing his now stinging side with Fiona giving him a glare.
It was an interesting development that Spike really wished he'd pursued prior to the argument that lead to the dressing down he gave Twilight two days ago. Though, that also wasn't really true either. He could have asked, she could have asked Spike to ask about taking the day off for the wedding. But no, she went straight for the guilt trip, pushing the biggest button the dragon had developed.
The voice in his head was right, his lashing out at Twilight was more so for her trying to send him on a guilt trip and dictate his time than the wedding itself. Still though, he couldn't go now, not after what he did. What would he even say to her once he got there?
A feeling of shame crept over the dragon, he could feel the eyes of his co-workers on him, eager for his answer. The shame from his hurtful words collided with his confidence in knowing Twilight brought it on herself, mixing in a confusing melting pot of confusion. He was still angry at her, but that didn't mean he shouldn't go see Shining and Cadance get married. They were his family after all.
He'd need to figure a few things out, but maybe going to the wedding wasn't out of the question.
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Defenestration is a great form of unsubtlety.
But... well... to be honest, most people who get 29 views on the day of posting will get no comments at all. They might get one or two after a few days. Usually you're looking at a comment per... fifty people? More?
I've also seen some observations to the effect that the more people you have, the less involved each viewer tends to be. With you at your 29 daily viewers, you've got two of us who are pretty involved with the story and comment nearly every chapter. I understand the desire for broader input though, I really do.
Yeah... I sorta figured that the guys at the mill would actually be like "this is... your family, right? Why wouldn't you want to go?"
6593026 The reason I find it funny was because that's pretty much always been the trend. Before you and God, it was DarkPhantom and Bronyhood of Steal, Than it was Starvitarion and DarkPhantom. I don't know why, but two was the number. As it has been, so shall it be I guess.
I feel kinda weird remembering those names in particular.
But yea, so Spike will be going to the wedding after getting a shock from his co-workers.
6593037
I can see the purpose of their argument, too. It's more strain between Spike and Twilight, and turning even amicable things "Hey! Let's go to my brother's wedding, sorry about it being on short notice!" into big arguments.
At that point it is time for Spike to move out. Reestablish boundaries. Before actual estrangement happens.
Oh, I forgot that Celestia approved the experiment.
Poor mare.
I wonder why? (sarcastic)
Oh fuck....
Looking at things from hind sight really is a painful process.
I'm inclined to agree.
Glad to see that she is being reasonable this time around.
I wonder what's going on with her. I would hazard a guess that it has something to do with Scootaloo.
A little known detail about Anna was that she was a hopeless romantic who loved reading romance novels.
Yeah, I remember those episodes.
That sentence sounds oxymoronic.
Would not put it past her.
CRITIC! GOOD TO SEE YOU!
Scootaloo! Great job!
Yeeeeeeeaaaahh..............
LMAO THAT WAS RICH!
I don't think it is going to be that simple.
Looks like she bought it for now.
I relate to that. I REALLY hate wearing monkey suits!
Yeah, that is very demeaning for her to say to Sin.
That could explain why some people don't allow smoking in working places. No respect for private property.
While I am a firm believer in freedom of speech, that....actually got me mad. I never liked those kinds of sexual jokes and I prefer individuals not say them around me.
I'm sensing an emergency came up.
Spike, you have no idea how many idiots exist out there who condemn the concept of marriage. Radicals like William Garrison and the extreme feminists who spend their lives attacking such institutions. *sigh* I'm single and don't want to marry, but even I value such concept both for sentimental and logical reasons.
Aha. Looks like Spike is going to be on the spotlight now.
Looks the voice struck gold.
Huh, I like that concept.
*nods in understanding*
I'll need to remember that in the future.
I can fully understand the sense of brotherhood Spike is experiencing.
oooooooo. Jacker just destroyed Spike's argument and excuse in one paragraph. Is Spike gonna be honest now or is he going to keep being an ass.
You know what, I take back every negative thought I had on Blade. I like him now.
Ax, SHUT THE FUCK UP!
It takes a man, or a dragon, to own up to their mistakes and pursue a resolution. The question is, are you a man Spike?
He needs to figure it out fast.
Well, this was certainly an enjoyable chapter. Gave me a lot of laughs.
I just met a golddigger on Skype I feel bad now. Now I know not to add random people though.