Unnamed II
Unnamed II
Seathing with indignity, Spike lead a pair of depressed fillies away from Sugar Cube Corner, empty hoofed and empty clawed.
Even he, despite his status as both a working dragon and home owner, did not qualify to purchase sweets under the new regulation in town. It really hurt to hear because of how happy and desperate Mr. Cake looked to have customers come into the bakery. Of course, the dragon was as civil as civil could be about the affair, after all it wasn't their fault that the law wouldn't let him buy sweet, delicious, cavitiy enducing treats, but he was still a trite miffed over the matter.
'I don't know about you, but I'm happy Colgate is getting kicked off of the council. This is some bull crap.'
Spike was in absolute agreement, he couldn't believe he felt pity for her over the way Sock had spoken to them before.
It really sucked because, if the law persisted, Sugar Cube Corner was at a dangerous risk of closing down. According to Mr. Cake, parents just didn't feel like bringing in their children as often as the children used to come in.
The only saving grace was that the bakery was starting to delve into alternative recepies to go back under the sugar limits to regain clientel. This could either go very well or very badly. Spike wasn't sure.
"Well that didn't work." Applebloom sighed.
Spike considered what other means of action they could take, but anything he suggested just didn't jive with either of the foals and was shot down with lack of interest.
Seeing nothing else, the trio made way to the only other place with comfort food that was readily available to them. Sweet Apple Acres. Spike had been meaning to give Macintosh his space every since that talk they had about Sin. It irritated the drake at just how convinced his friend was to believe their old friend alive. Yea, some things didn't add up, but that didn't mean the friend was any less dead. Spike had accepted this fact, and it annoyed him how unwilling Macintosh was to do the same.
"Hello!" Greeted a cheerful, bubbly grey pegasus mare as she made way back to town from the pathway that lead up to the farm.
"Hey Derpy." Said all three of them.
"Y'all work on Saturdays?" Applebloom asked, surprised to see the mailmare out and about.
Derpy stopped and gave her their attention. "Yeppers! Dinkie's birthday is coming up, and I'm picking up some over time to get her something really nice!"
Spike put on his best pleasent face while Applebloom and Sweetie Belle asked a few questions and gave a few hints to what Dinky had been talking about in School.
"Lucky Macintosh had a letter that needed to be delivered today. OH! Since you're here..." Derpy said, reaching into her loose mailbag and pulling out a pair of letters. "Here you go, Spike! You've got mail from Canterlot!"
"Mail?" Spike asked, genuinely curious as to who would write to him from the capital. His heart sank a little as one letter was from Twilight, and grew curious as another letter was from none other than Fancy Pants himself.
Why would he send me a letter? Wasn't he more on Rarity's side of the class isle than mine?
'Don't tell me you forgot that you're part business owner to one of his invested companies.'
Spike had completely forgotten about that, between Appleloosa, City Council, Scootaloo, and Uppity, the drake's mind was so occupied that the fact he held some stock in the new Everwood Mill had completely flown under his radar.
Of course, if memory served, Jacker would be handling all of that, but it did give him something to open up with Macintosh about.
Spike looked up and folded his arms, watching as Macintosh, a massive pair of sheeres in his forelegs, trimmed up an Apple tree in the mid morning sun. Applebloom and Sweetie Belle had forgone joining him in the orchard, instead seeking refuge within the farm house proper to find a way to pass the day.
Annabelle was with him, taking on another part of the same tree, though unlike Macintosh, she wore safety glasses to keep the small bits of tree and leaf from her eyes.
"Hey Mac." The drake greeted.
Macintosh was slightly startled by the drake's approach but was still happy enough to see the adolecent drake all the same.
"How's it goin' Spike?" He asked, lowering himself from the ladder, one eye quite a bit more red and irritated than the other for some reason.
Spike shrugged and mentioned how he'd run into Derpy on his way up and had delivered letters to both of them in pertinence to, what was likely, the Evermill. He'd need to read the letter from Twilight later, but suspected he already knew that it was just stating that she'd be spending more time in Canterlot and wouldn't be back in Ponyville for at least another few weeks.
If the look on Mac's face was any indication, he was just as absentminded on the matter as Spike was.
"Guess Ah'll need tah check up on that." Macintosh mused aloud before switching the topic to the emergancy election and inquiring if his younger associate knew anything about it. Spike smirked and told Macintosh everything that happened between the Arbiters and City Council yesterday. He expected Macintosh to be happy about it, but the stallion, if anything, looked a little off put than excited.
When asked, Macintosh put forward that he didn't know if getting rid of politiciains was the right course of action to take. Yea, they were pretty corrupted and what not, but... it was Sock who put the stallion on edge. Apparently, the pony had been crafting up some harsher regulation that Macintosh found to be a little too imposing.
"You mean the stuff about wearing safety glasses and stuff?" Annabelle piped up.
"Eyup." Macintosh answered.
The mare rolled her eyes. "I don't see what the big deal is, Macintosh. We've only been out here for a few hours, and how many times have you gotten small bits of branch hitting you in the eyes now?"
Spike quirked a brow. Annabelle was on Sock's side?
"Eyup, n' it's mah farm, n' mah decision not tah wear safety glasses if'n Ah don't want to." Macintosh replied with conviction.
Annabelle shook her head and mentioned how it was only common sense safety, and that the regulation wasn't really all that bad to have. "Remember about an hour ago? One actually did hit you in the eye and the shock almost knocked you off the ladder."
"Ah caught mah self!" The apple pony said defensively, rubbing his reddened eye. "Side's it's the principal o' the matter. Ah'll wear safety glasses if Ah want to, not 'cause the government tells me Ah should."
Shrugging, Annabelle cut off an entire section of dying branch. "Yea, but how much more pain are you going to have to go through? You've already got a bit of tree stuck in your eye and you still don't want to wear them. I just don't want to see you get hurt is all."
Macintosh waved his hoof and murmured dismissively. Yea, sure, there was some merit to safety glasses, and it may not have been a big regulation, but the fact still stood that it was the principal of the matter. Sweet Apple Acres was his private farm, his private property, and he didn't need the government to come in and tell him how to conduct himself on his private land. He didn't need the council or its inspectors playing nanny or mommy to him to make sure he didn't get hurt. If he wanted to do things in a less than safe manner, than that was his choice to make and his consequences to face.
"And a child with a one eyed father." Annabelle said equally as dismissively, contrasting heavily to Macintosh's long winded speech with a short, sarcastic reply.
"What's wrong with only having one eye?" Spike asked, crossing his arms.
Annabelle's casual attitude immediately shifted upon realizing the implication. "Oh, oh gosh, I mean, there's nothing that wrong with having... I mean, oh crap. Spike I am so sorry, I wasn't-"
Spike burst out into laughter, unable to hold it in any longer. "Oh man, oh, you should see your face." He said, pointing at the mare's frantic horror over the offense.
Annabelle's trepidation shifted slightly to indignant, but eventually she too broke down into small chuckles. "Oh ha ha, very funny."
Gaining himself back, Spike did want to point out that he'd gotten over what had happened, though losing an eye wasn't a laughing matter in general. Of course, he knew Macintosh was smart enough to know that, and decided to let the sleeping dog lay.
"Anyways, what have y'all been up to?" The apple pony asked.
Spike informed him of his little misadventure into Sugar Cube Corner, electing a groan from both ponies before him.
"That is ridiculous!" Pronounced Anna, jumping down from the ladder. Spike agreed, it was ridiculous, but since he wasn't the designated age, not much could be done about it.
"Well, I hope the emergency election puts some more reasonable ponies into office." The mare scoffed. "Honestly, telling foals they can't buy sweets because it causes cavities. What right does the government have to make such decisions?"
"Same ones that make it okay for them to force me to wear safety glasses." Macintosh pointed out, earning himself a disapproving scowl. Though, there was no argument to be made, and she knew it.
"Speaking of the elections, since I'm pretty sure they'll happen, does anypony know who they're voting for?" Spike asked, looking between the two. "Kinda important we figure it out now, since we wont have much time when the votes need to be cast."
Though, none of them did. Nopony had stepped forward in a bid for candidacy yet.
"Here's a thought, maybe you should run." Offered Macintosh, much to Spike's dismay.
"Hey yea! You were working with the Arbiter for a while, and you're really smart!" Annabelle agreed.
Spike put his hands out infront of him. "No, no, no. not me. I... I don't know the first thing about Ponyville politics." He declared hastily. Luckily, his horror was short lived as Macintosh pointed out another issue, that since he wasn't considered an adult, he would also not be eligible to run.
"How about you, Macintosh, why don't you run?" Anna asked, nudging her husband's side. Though, he too declined, his presence was needed on the farm, along with Annabelle and Applejack's.
"Sides, Ah still don't think electin' new members is the way to solve what's goin' wrong here. Ah mean, the council did do allota good fer Ponyville fer a long time. Taxes were reasonable, weather's good, n' crime was little to non-existant."
Spike felt his stomach drop at the mention, crime...
If what Inquiry said was true, and the refugees were going to attract the attention of the Black Talon, then crime rates were inevitably going to raise... Macintosh had no idea about the cooperation between the black market and the government nor its current break down. Spike bit his lip and cast his eyes to the ground in thought.
It sickened him to be the bearer of such bad news, but for Applebloom's sake, Macintosh needed to know...
THUD.
Sin smirked, the crossbow bolt striking the exact spot he'd intended on a piece of washed up wood he'd found in the ravine. Three bolts making an almost perfect triangle on the target a good seventy feet ahead of him, and the fourth hitting dead center. He looked down in admiration of his weapon.
The dark, polished oak of his Ragnarok II gleamed, even as the small clouds above overtook the sun. The Primary draw string was used, causing the upper bend of the crossbow to relax, but the blackened undertow of the quick load was still taught and tight. The strain of the tempered wood promising strength and speed of it's projectile.
It had a few scratches and nicks on the stock and limbs, the retention spring was a little dirty, and the improvised trigger mechanism he'd fashioned out of a belt did make it less than aesthetically appealing from it's original design, but still, it was a beautiful, dangerous tool of protection the pony didn't take enough time to appreciate.
With the morning chores done, the stallion had elected for some alone time to practice his archery and contemplate strategies in order to distract Krystal and Scootaloo while he went after the Trotski.
It was nice to have a peaceful moment to himself, putting up with his constant companions had caused the stallion more stress than he'd initially thought. With every shot fired, he could feel the tension leaving his body, bringing clarity to his once cluttered and overly constrained mind.
Both Critic and the Nightmare were quiet on his request, today, it was all about unwinding and getting his head together.
He walked forward and retrieved his bolts, placing them back into the quiver within his saddlebag, breaking off parts of the weakened board with each freed arrow, only to start the process over once again.
After a few more rounds of shooting, the stallion took a break to wax the bow string. He sat down upon the harsh rocks and retrieved the tin from his saddle bag and began applying the stuff to strained launch.
As he was working, a subtle shifting of dirt and rocks behind him made his ear twitch. Knowing he was being stalked by Luna's lackeys, Sin slowly placed the wax down onto the ground and picked up a crossbow bolt. The primary was resting for it's treatment, but the quick load was pulled, and with his assailant's hesitance, now armed.
He continued his motions, the Federalist acting as if he hadn't heard the suttle steps that grew closer and closer, lulling either of the ponies coming into a false sense of security.
"Sinbad."
The surprise of the sound sent Sin into action, he jumped forward and turned around, taking aim with his Ragnerok.
Gasping a foal immediately hid behind the pony standing before him, the stallion in question raised a hoof in a show of surrender.
"Woah, easy." Granite said calmly. "I know we got off on the wrong hoof, but... Really?" he joked in good faith, almost unshaped by the fact his life was a mere split second from its end.
Sighing, Sin lowered his weapon. "Sorry, old habit."
The cloaked pony heard the foal under the stallion whisper something, with Granite answering in a calm and soothing voice. "Scoria said he saw you out here with a weapon." The stallion declaired, his eyes scrutinizing the crossbow. "Care to explain why you have that?"
"Personal protection." Sin answered honestly.
Smiling, Granite turned to his son. "See, it's just for protection, he's not planning on hurting anypony."
Of course, the two stallions knew the truth to be otherwise, but foals were fearful creatures. Scoria looked back between his father and the Federalist before asking a few foalish questions about hurting others, with Granite explaining the obvious of hurting others who intend to do harm being okay.
"Now, get back to the house, I think Sandy should be finishing up Lunch." Granite encouraged, giving Scoria a small nuzzle of affection. The colt returned the gesture and scutteled away back to the house, leaving the two alone.
So much for a quiet day to himself.
"Crossbow, huh?" Granite said, approaching Sin. "So, you were in the military too. No point denying it, I knew plenty of vets who pulled what you just did."
The oaken pony shrugged, mentioning how the topic never came up.
"Deflections." Granite dismissed, his eyes locking onto the weapon again. "Two draws? Thing must be heavy."
"Yea, it is." Sin admitted. "But the added shot does come in handy, more than enough to justify the excess weight."
Granite asked how the second bow pull worked, since the top should interfear with the load and pull process, to which Sin explained the draw could be pulled through the top, but reccomended to leave the primary string at ease, as an accidental discharge would leave a nice welt on whatever caught on it.
Looking to the side, the elder stallion noticed the makeshift target and asked if he'd be able to take a shot.
Sin bit his tongue to auto-reply in the negative. Nobody, save for a single stallion now dead, had ever tried to shoot this crossbow but him. The crossbow was his baby, it was part of his identity ever since he'd gotten it from the Bloody Sky Captains so many years ago. Yea, he used it now only because his primary crossbow was destroyed, but still.
Though, he was also a little curious as to how Granite would do and unstrapped the belts around his fetlock. Granite took it and examined the bow, he looked at it in all the right ways before finally attatching it to his own leg. "What happened to the trigger?" He asked.
Sin made up some bull shit story about it breaking during an accident.
Granite took aim, grunting a little with effort to maintain a constant line. His breathing and slowly circling of the barrel was a testiness to his basic training retention. If Sin had to guess, the stallion was more of a marksman than he let on.
THUD!
The bolt missed the target and slammed into the canyon wall, digging itself in about half way into the dirt wall.
"Huh." Granite grunted. "Off to the right a little."
Sin smirked. It was, and that was intentional, just in case anybody else had taken the Ragnerok and intended to use it against him. While Sin himself could compensate with exceeding accuracy, nobody else would be inclined to test the weapon in that way before trying to use it.
Complimenting the weapon's design, the elder stallion returned it to it's owner and asked for a demonstration of Sin's own capabilities. Sin, feeling a little arrogant, loaded the bow's primary and secondary with practiced efficency and ease. He lined up his shots and haulted, getting a brilliant idea to show off.
THUD!
The arrow hit at the very top of the board, the force hitting above the pivot point of it's rock rest and flipping the target over, just to have his quick load bolt slam into the bottom-side (now up) and flipping the board over completely onto the ground behind.
It was stupid, it was irrational, and would likely result in a bent or broken bolt, but the look on Granite's face was more than worth the loss of the limited projectile.
"Damn." Granite said in astonishment, impressed at the timing and shot. Sin did his best to hid it, but he felt quite proud of breaking through the stallion's broken stoicism.
'Can you say: daddy issues?'
Fuck off.
Both made way to see what Sin suspected, the bolt that propped up the down side of the board was bent and un-salvageable. Still though, it was an impressive trick shot and did inspire him to think of how useful something like that could be in combat.
"Well, guess there's no point in being worried over Krystal's safety." The grey rock farmer mused. "You're pretty good, what kind of training did they give you?"
Sin pressed his lips. Triple M. didn't really give him too much to work with in terms of cross bow training. Most of that actually came from his time in the woods while he was with Tyken during SERE training. Of course that lead him to ask where the stallion had gotten the bolt, to which Sin initially tried to dodge by saying "you wouldn't believe me if I told you" but Granite declaired the stallion would be surprised how open minded he was.
And so, seeing nothing to lose, Sin recounted the story of if first run in with the Gonshinian and their crew. The story took a more than a few minutes to recount, but somehow, Granite found it all believable.
"That's quite a tale." The pony said. "I'm surprised your grandfather would put you in that position at such a young age, though. Didn't your parents have anything to say about that?"
"No." Sin said shaking his head, his smile vanishing as it always did when the topic came up. "No, he didn't."
"He?"
The Federalist internally cursed himself, why hadn't he said they? Granite may have been a rock farmer, but he was just as good as Sin was at catching onto the subtle things.
"If it's all the same to you, I'd rather not talk about it."
Granite quirked a brow, eying the stallion for a moment and nodded in appriciation. "I see, sorry." A small silence crept in between the two before Granite suggested the two head back to the house for something to eat, mentioning how he saw Sin not having touched anything at breakfast.
Seeing no reason why not, the pair of stallions returned to the house, Sin keeping his weapon secured under his cloak. Lunch was good, nothing special, but better than potatoes.
Krystal called him asside after the meal to talk in private.
"What's up?"
The mare cleared her throat. "I just wanted to let you know that I... am ready to leave when you are."
"Excellent." Sin smirked, happy to hear some good news. "We'll head out tomorrow."
It was then that Sin noticed that Krystal's typical air of light hearted innocence was absent, leaving a more melancholy and serious demeanor. "Though, prior to our departure I have... stipulations to make of you, Mr. Islander." She said, an obviously botched, but practiced line.
"Is that so?" Said Sin, smirking at the mare's forced assertiveness and articulation. He decided to play along. "And what would these stipulations be?"
"First, Sir. I am in want of an apology." She declared. "A real one, a simple 'I'm sorry' will not... umm, sufficient?"
"Suffice." Sin corrected, bringing her air of dignity down just a little. "And what exactly am I apologizing for?"
Salvaging her image as best she could, Krystal puffed out her chest and closed her eyes, demanding that he make amends for hurting Scootaloo, which he agreed was a fair point. Next, she also demanded that he make an effort to socialize better with both of them.
"And I mean it, mister. I want real, honest effort on your part in this." She realized her break in character and made a more sophisticated follow up.
Sin shrugged an addition. Really, it was an inevitable conclusion regardless of if he wanted it or not. He'd intended to keep to himself when traveling with Scootaloo in the begining, but ended up telling her a few things about himself after only a couple of weeks, so it really wasn't like she was gaining anything out of him.
"And thirdly..." She paused, her confidence waning. "I... I desire to visit the Crystal Empire..."
Aaaaand like that, Sin amusement was spent. The Crystal Empire was north, way way north. Like a good thousand miles from where they were going. The forced confidence Krystal was exuding would only get her so far, but to take them off track for a special trip down to see some stupid crystals? No. Absolutely not.
Of course, saying that would undoubtedly cause a confrontation, so Sin just gave the ambiguous "we'll see" and left it at that.
"Nope." The off white pegasus protested. "If... if you want me to continue traveling with you, you will... um..." She furrowed her brow in thought. "You will... darn it, umm."
"Adhere and acquiesce to your stipulations and demands?" Sin added helpfully.
"Oh, that's even better than- No, wait, I mean..." Krystal stuttered, her face burning with embarrassment. Sin could have taken the oppertunity to push his own side, but he had to take the time to appreciate all the effort his associate was putting into the attempt. She was honest to Tapio putting effort into her articulation and rhetoric, but he couldn't figure out why she was doing it.
"Because... when you talk you sound smart, and that's why I listen to you." Krystal admitted, pawing at the ground. "I just thought that, maybe if I sounded smart, you'd finally listen to me for once."
Adorable, that was the only word Sin could find for her actions. He felt bad, genuinely bad for how disappointed and depressed Krystal appeared to be. She'd gone through a lot of effort, probably dragged out a dictionary and practiced that little routine for a while before finally confronting him about it.
Well, he believed that effort and hard work was to be rewarded and met her in the middle. If she continued to put effort into impressing him, he'd be willing to travel with her to the Crystal Empire. After dealing with the Trotski of course.
"YAY!" The mare declared, jumping into the air at her victory. She swung down and embraced the pony in a hug, thanking him repeatedly before stopping mid word.
"Umm... one more stipulation." She said pulling away and covering her snoot with a hoof. "You need a bath. You kinda stink."
Sin frowned and pulled his limbs a little closer to his body, not wanting to think about how long it had been since he'd cleaned himself. "I'll take a shower, thanks."
"Umm... that's... not going to happen." Krystal said awkwardly. "Papa said the shower head's not working anymore..."
Cringing, the stallion begrudged his lot in life. He didn't like the idea of marinating in his own filth, which is what a bath was, but it sounded like there was no help for it.
"Very well." He said, allowing himself to be lead to the bathroom. Krystal took his cloak off for it's own cleaning later and stood beside him, blushing brightly for some reason. "What?"
The mare looked anywhere but at him for a time. "Well... Scootaloo said she's never seen you preen your wings, so... I was, you know, going to help? Maybe?"
Sin coughed at the offer before immediately declining, though, Krystal pressed him that hygienic was important, and that he should set a good example for his filly companion. Of course, the issue wasn't about hygiene, it was about... being cleaned by someone else!
Krystal rolled her eyes and started filling the tub with hot, steaming water, standing besides him and waiting until it was full. Sin hoped that her continued presence was only to turn off the water, but something told him that this cleaning wasn't going to come without at least a few words of bicker.
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In what chapter does Big Macintosh start being badass?
7131831 Angry Liberation (Chapter 5 I think)
Ouch. I imagine Spike's plan did not go so well.
I am in 100 percent agreement.
That's a huge problem.
Dammmit.
If only you knew Spike.
DERPY!!!!!
How Sweet.
Hmm. If it's from Twilight, I would rightfully assume Spike has stopped being a walking fax machine a long time ago. I admit, that does sound annoying.
I would imagine it is business related.
*sigh* Mission: Cheer the fillies up. Status: Miserable Failure.
Something must have caught him in the eye
I wonder why.
I think I may know why.
I forgot about that.
It's Big Mac's business on what he does with his personal property, not the government's. That's what the big deal is.
Hurah.
oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo.
Yup. It was funny.
He has you there, Anny.
Why not.
Should have figured.
Yeah. Family has to come first.
yeeeeeeaaah.
This ain't gonna be pretty.
Good to see you Sin.
Kind of figured this was gonna happen.
I like his sense of humor.
Um, what do you think the weapon is design to do, hit a tree?
Oh.
True.
I understand completely.
Smart.
I agree with Sin. Fuck off.
This should be an interesting conversation.
Pretty much.
All right.
Fair enough.
I find that reasonable, though that is up to Sin.
..........that is a VERY tall order she is asking.
I know it's wrong, but I find Sin's condescension towards Melody's vocabulary to be amusing.
oooo. That actually stings.
Fair deal.
I would agree.
Oh boy.