Earning Freedom

by Daxisle

Confrontations Pt. 1

Confrontations Pt. 1

Sin grumbled in annoyance as he beheld the camp site he used during his last stay in Ponyville. The skeletal frame of the tarp holder was in ruin, the storage shelter for his food was ripped apart and, for some reason, all the grass in the area was now nothing more than dirt... No matter, with a certain mare being able to find him last time, moving the camp was only a common sense move. But it would have been nice to use some of those sticks he'd molded and broken before, save him some time.

He trudged forward passed the patch of dirt. 'No, this time I'll need a more permanent settlement. Probably a wickiup hut, if memory serves those trees over there should have the roots I need to act as twine.' He shook his head. 'I'm getting ahead of myself, It's late, I don't have time to construct the debris hut, might have to roll myself in the tarp if the temperature's going to stay this cold.'

Eventually, the pony found a suitable location a half mile past his previous camp and dropped his saddle bag.

Looking up at the canopy above, he snarled again. The sky had been was practically eaten by it, and subsequently, his only form of light and seeing. Luckily, removing his goggles had not only lost their darker tint on the world, but made his eyes sensitive enough to see clear as day in the blackness.

The stallion quickly dug through his cloth pouch and retrieved the insulation tarp. With as exposed and undefended as he was, the last thing he wanted was to start a fire and draw unwanted attention. What little wild life he'd come across in the forest was enough for him to take that lesson to heart.

He took in the land around him, making a point to scout for any tracks of animal runnings or possible insect colony/nests and sat down to think. Sleep could wait, right now, he had to fully assess his situation now that he wouldn't be disturbed.

Alright, so first the obvious: He was now confined to the Ponyville region to be watched over by her royal pain in the ass's lackies. The Federation, more importantly North New Equine was probably growing more and more restless due to inflation and the bond and stock games being played, his brother was in dealings with Princess Luna, and he was in a forest.

Well, not much he could do about the part of his confinement. The thought made him want to slam his head into a tree. Why on this green earth did he say that? He was hoping for the seven day sentence in the castle and then go on the next boat home, boy did that back fire. Still, he couldn't be grudge her for change of action. It was his own fault for demostrating his debate skill and making himself appear an asset.

The only thing that made him about his situation, was he served a matriarch. As far as she went herself, she allowed her subject a great deal of freedom. The taxes and regulations were low enough, and the currency of the land were golden coins. One traded a nice amount of gold for an apple for Tapio's sake!

As his friend told him before, it wasn't as bad as he made it out to be. Celestia was quite a fair ruler in comparison to the retards he'd delt with in the Senate...

Sin smirked at the memory. Ah, the Senate, the first day he'd attended the congrigation, the pony came dressed in ragidy clothes and a farmers hat.

None present were ammused, and when asked about his attire he smirked and said: "If I'm going to be rolling in the dirt with the pigs, I might as well dress the part." And that was the day he'd made a perminant enemy of the Centarian Arbiter; Spar Hawk. Though, his aid, Light Heart, found the comment commical at least.

Sin coughed, he really hated when his mind trailed off like that.

"Sin?" A very annoyingly high pitch voice called. "Sin, is that you?"

The stallion silently backed behind a nearby tree and crouched down. Her? Really? Out of all the ponies to find him, well she hadn't found him yet. If he was really quiet and really lucky, perhaps the pink annoyance would end up lost in the forest and never come out. It was a sick hope, but one that brought a smile to his face. It wasn't that she was a bad pony or anything, but damn did she get annoying... And if she got lost, it's not his fault anyway.

"Hey Sin! Who are you hiding from?" The stallion almost jumped out of his skin at the unnecessarily loud volume the question was asked. He spun around with his foreleg ready to strike, though the sheer shock of who sat behind him with a dumb smile plastered on his face, was simply too much to ignore.

"Star Shade?" The pony panted. "What the?" When did- How di- Fuck.

"Sin?"

The pony groaned, yea, might as well add insult to injury. "Yes Miss Pie."

A moment of rustling later, the expected pink mare exited the brush. "There you are." She beamed. The pony gave a sigh and inquired the reason for her visit, wanting her gone as soon as possible. "Oh, I wanted to invite you to: Mac and Spike's welcome back from traveling around Equestria and finding themselves party!"

"Fantastic."

"Oh." She blushed, her smile turning apologetic. "And it's a welcome to ponyville party for you too. I never gave you one when you originally came."

'A welcome party? You've got to be kidding me. This kid cannot be that whimsical.'

"You hold a welcome party for new ponies here?"

"Ya-huh."

"Every single one?"

"You betcha."

"And where do you get the funds?"

"I have a job at sugar cube corner." The giant smile and increased spread of speech only made her pride and joy apparent. "The pay isn't that great, but you know what they say: Do what you love and never work a day in your life. Oh that reminds me..."

'Ok, hold on a second here. What's with this mare? Last I saw her she was far more calm and quiet, now she's jumping around and acting as if she will only get one breath to speak. Sugar Cube Corner? What exactly do they put in their product?'

"... And that's why I left my family's rock farm!" A pair of blue eyes were some how only inches away from Sin's own.

"That's nice." he placed his hoof upon her forehead and gently pushed her from his personal space. Though the expectant look she was giving wasn't wavering. "What?"

"So, the party will be tomorrow at noon at Sugar Cube Corner." She chirped jumping to the air. "Oh, Star Shade, you can come too if you want."

"I think I'd rather cut myself and jump into a lake of parana."

Pinkie's mouth dropped as she looked into the dead panned face of Star Shade. None present spoke while the two stared in a contest of indifference and disbelief. For a while neither of them moved, but the tension only grew more palpable.

Sin smirked, he was actually very interested to see what came next.

"Oki Doki Lokie." Well, that was anti-climactic. "See you at the party Sin, I'll make a cake just for you." And like that the pink ball of annoyance bounced out of sight.

"Yea, good luck with that." The stallion stated turning his attention back to Shade.

"I don't like her." He seethed before looking around and whispering into Sin's ear. "She scares the monkey people."

...

...

"Good night, Shade." Sin deadpanned before wrapping himself in his tarp and laying down to a bitter slumber. The day was long and the circumstances stressful; now all he wanted to do was to rest his mind and pretend for a few hours that what ever grudge the universe held against him would end on the morrow.

---

"'Ah can't balive it!" A yellow filly with pink bow in her mane squeed with delight. "Mah brother when hoof to hoof with a bonified dragon! Wait 'til Scootaloo get's an earful o' this."

Mac watched with amusement as his sister bounced in delight. She was asleep by the time he and Applejack had gotten home last night, but the look on her face when she came down for breakfast and saw him there was what he'd expect her face to be when she got her cutie mark. Which, sad to say, still hadn't happened yet.

Regardless, it was good to see her again. Granny Smith's welcome wasn't as warm as he was expecting though, she seemed rather indifferent about his return and slammed him with a list of chores he had to catch up on. Yea, that conversation was going to be an interesting one to say the least. Not that he was solidified in coming back to the farm to work or not, but he hadn't given his life style from here on out much thought.

A big mistake on his part, and a thought that'd been haunting he and Spike ever since they were on the train back to Ponyville.

"Now, it wad'nt jus' me." He explained to the energized filly. There was no reason to think of those things right now. "Ah did have sum' held from mah friends."

"Yea, I've been meanin' ta ask ya. Ya'll kept sayin' something about somepony named Sin n' another named Shade. Who 'r they s'actly?"

Explaining Shade was simple enough, a pony who lived by his own rules and didn't much care for what other ponies thought of him...

Ok, so that's just what he went with. How does one explain insanity brought about by emotional instability being pushed past the breaking point by the ponies own matriarchal guard to a filly? 'I'll tell you how, you don't.'

The Federalist on the other hand... When asked for a description, all Mac could really do was say he was a former politician and nomad who hated authority. Luckily, the filly asked specific questions that narrowed down what he could describe and still feel like a filling explanation.

Of course there was the typical: Where was he from? How'd he come to Ponyville, why was staying in the Everfree forest, all simply answered questions. But then she asked one that he never really thought about.

"What's his cutie mark?"

Mac's mind went blank. He'd never really cared about cutie marks that much, but now that he thought about it, he'd never seen the stallions. His cloak was always hiding his body from shoulder to flank, what his cutie mark was would be a good question indeed.

"Ya know, Ah can't really say." The stallion admitted with a sheepish grin.

The filly didn't seem to appreciate the lack of an answer, but dropped it none the less. Electing instead to have the circus story told again. Chuckling, Mac told her that it might happen some other time, it was nearing noon, and the lot of them had a certain party to attend.

Any form of negativity melted away as Applebloom cheered at the prospect. Seemingly in a happy frenzy over the festivity, she ran out to tell her sister to clean up from the apple-fields and get ready to go; leaving the stallion alone in his chair.

But not in the house.

He heard the kitchen sink stop and let out a sigh. It was only a matter of time before Granny had her private words for him.

"So..." He said sagely, not looking where he knew she was.

"So, ya think yer jes gonna walk back in here 'n pretend everything c'n go back to normal?" He couldn't see her face, but Mac knew that tone. She wasn't really angry, but her displeasure was apparent.

"Jes gone sit ther' in yer father's chair like you have a righ?"

"DON'CHA EVA LECTURE 'BOUT PAPA TA ME!" Mac yelled. The outburst was more frightening to him than it was to his grandmother, considering the blank look on her face.

"Whatcha gonna do, sonny? Ya gonna hit 'n old timer?" She scowled. Mac's urge to do just that was becoming hard to repress.

"Yer grandpa 'n pa used to play big too, bu' th' minute I called 'em on it, they rolled over and played dead." She slowly but deliberately wander up to her grand son and poked him in the chest. "Just like you will."

The stallion tensed his muscles, he loved and respected his granny, he really did, but bringing his father into this was a button that neither of them wanted pushed. It took a moment, but he calmed himself along with his breathing.

The old mare smirked, "Yer Pa was a Stallion of the Field, he'd never have abandon' us. What righ' you think you have sittin' in his chair, and his pa before him?"

'Keep it calm Big Mac, keep it calm.'

'Calm? Screw that! She's asking for it! She knows how sensitive a subject it is.'

"Ah didn't abandon you." Mac said in the calmest voice he could muster.

"Oh? Then wha' do ya call up 'n leavin' like ya did? Hmm?" Granny gave her famous sarcastic eye quirk. "Dija think it would be fair? Stickin' Applebloom with yer chores?"

"Ya'll hired other ponies." The stallion replied calmly.

"Oh yea, thanks to a certain grandson leavin' we had no choice." She gave a wry smirk. "Had to pay a pretty bit to keep 'round the three ponies it took ta do yer job. I'm surprised we wer' able ta make enough ta' keep the farm in the Apple name."

The farm did make a good profit, especially in cider season, but Macintosh had to admit, they did only squeeze by with cost of water, taxes, fertilizer and what not. However, an apology is all he could give her.

To his annoyance, the old mare gave a harsh and mirthless laugh. "Sorry? That's all ya have ta say af'er abandonin' yer family?"

"Ah toldja, Ah did-"

"Horse feathers ya didn't!" It was the closest thing he'd ever seen her come to a yell. "Families stick together Big Macintosh. Ya left us, you left us ta go n' fool round with yer little colt cuddle friend."

Mac's eye twitched and he took a breath to give his granny a yelling she wouldn't soon forget, at least he would have if it hadn't been for his sister announcing their return inside the house.

"Woo wee, glad ah got a look at that last tree in west yard." Applejack said happily. "Caught a buncha tent caterpilars settin' up shop... Heya Granny, Mac, everythin' alrigh' in here?"

Mac's eyes never left his elders. He wouldn't be surprised if his sisters picked up on the tension, the attitude between the two had been solidified for now, no point in getting his siblings upset with him too. "We're fine, AJ." he looked to her and offered a fake smile. "C'mon, we're gonna be late."

Thankfully, Applebloom was all to happy to drag the blond farmer mare out the door before she could ask any questions, again, leaving the two ponies alone.

"Ah best get goin'." Mac turned away.

"Yea, ya best."

Mac paused, for some reason, those three words stung him far worse than they should have. It wasn't the words themselves, but the cold and threatening tone they came in. He continued walking with out a look back, an icicle piercing his heart and liberally poking at his stomach.

It was official, his fears were confirmed. One of his family did hate him for leaving.

He couldn't stay here, he no longer had a home.

Author's Note:

Next up, Spike gets his turn...

Comments

[Bronyhood of steel]

interesting

[DARKPHANTOM13]

I wonder how Twilight is doing with new Spike.

[Godiswithus3]

That is going to be hard to deal with. A family member that resents you for leaving.

[jlfran06]

Woooo go SPIKE!! FUKEM UP. DONT TAKE NO SHIT