Earning Freedom

by Daxisle

Nike

(Warning: This chapter contains suicide and aspects not typical to the subject.)

Nike

Mac sat in his room, an uncharacteristically naked Sin sleeping in his bed.

Night had fallen a while ago, bringing with it the still cool winter's eve. Applejack helped Macintosh bring his friend in to rest, with no small amount of question from Applebloom or granny. Once he was placed down, his cloak and goggles were removed to check on his eyes and breaths. Though his pupils were a bit dilated, they weren't unresponsive, the Federalists heart however, was going a mile a minute. Applejack suggested taking him to a hospital, but Mac insisted to wait and see if his heart would slow.

After a few minutes, it did. Once the situation the elder apple mare offered her brother to wake her up if she was needed.

"Thanks, but Ah think he'll be fine." Mac smiled solemnly. Applejack returned the smile for a moment before giving one last look to the pony on his bed and retiring.

Concerned as the apple farmer felt, Sin's slow and steady expansions of breath brought slight bits of comfort. He was still alive, but why did he just pass out like that?

His green eyes scanned over the pony for a moment, his attention continually sticking to the bandaged wings and blank flank. It was so strange to see a grown pony with out a cutie mark, and with as long as Macintosh had never seen his friend fly, were those bandages necessary anymore? Surly enough time had passed to the point they must have healed to be usable again. Right?

One would think, but the more he studied the wings, the more weak and underdeveloped they looked, compared to most adult pegasi. And the lack of a cutie mark? That was just perplexing. Sin had no shortage of talents -even assuming his tales of being a politician were false-. A crossbow? A mark of freedom, a flag, anything! Something should have been there!

Knock knock.

Mac drew his attention to the door. "Come in."

The door slowly opened, revealing Granny Smith staring indifferently at him. "How're ya'll doin'?" She asked.

Mac hesitated a moment before noding. "Doin' fine, jes' tryin' tah figure ou' wha' happened." The Apple Matricarch's eyes slowly shifted from her grandson to Sin, a small sneer for only the briefest of milliseconds took her eyes, leaving almost undetected.

"Well, don' ferget." She smiled, "Ya n' Applejack r' goin tah tha' Wonderbolt's show tamarrah. Best get some sleep while ya can."

Her sudden shift unnerved Mac for a moment but the fact he'd completely forgotten about the show tomorrow overrode it. Applejack would be participating some how and he promised to attend. Still, leaving Sin like this didn't sit right with him, so he asked if Granny would look after him until he got back.

The marshmallow green mare smiled almost mischievously. "'Course Ah can." She proclaimed happily. "Now, ya'll get down stairs n' get some shut eye. Yer gonna have a busy day tammarah."

Nodding, the applestallion cast one last glance to his companion and yawned. More tired than he thought and he'd have to be up early to catch the train. Mac stood from his place, bid his grandmother good night and made way down stairs to the couch.

The olden mare returned the gesture with a kind smile and once she was sure her grandson was out of ear shot she turned back to Sin. He eyes narrowing to the the Federalist and her smile collapsing into a sneer. "So, yer the colt cuddler'who took my grandson from the family eh?" She whispered with malice, observing the lump for a moment before smiling wryly. "We'll, we've got all ah tommarah ta git ta know each other, now don't we?"

---

"Finally!" Rainbow Dash groaned. The train's engine sounded as it entered the Ponyville platform. He, Spike, his sister and her five friends had been waiting the better part of fifteen minutes. Out of all the impatient ponies, the sky blue pegasus was obviously the most frustrated with the rail cart's tardiness.

"ALL A BORED!" Cried the conductor.

The cyan pegasus shot in like a bullet followed closely by Pinkie, Rarity, Twilight and Applejack fallowed with slightly less enthusiasm and Mac and Spike were last with even less, joined only by a few ponies who also littered about the platform. They were most likely commuting to work though, anypony who didn't have a personal invite to the show was probably camping out in front of the stadium all of last night and this morning to get in to get tickets.

"This is so exciting!" Cried Pinkie Pie, jumping up and down in her seat. "Thanks for inviting us Dashy!"

Rainbow smiled and played the comment to her cool side. Macintosh wasn't a fan of her ego, but the situation did warrant it.

"Yea! We haven't been to anything this exciting since you're young fliers competition." Twilight agreed. For some reason, Rarity had a distant and fond look on her face about the ordeal.

"Yes, it was quite the specitcal." She said wistfully.

Shaking his head, the apple stallion walked past and found Spike sitting with his typical file and a new gemstone. He looked up and gave a small grin, then for what ever reason, his eyes shifted behind Mac and his reptilian eyes narrowed for a moment.

The sudden change made Mac hesitate for a moment, but still pushed on and took a seat.

While the girls continued to chat, Spike and Mac sat by themselves in the back and awaited the train to depart. "So how did Winter Wrap up go for you?" The drake asked. "Aside from, well, you know."

Mac nodded, wanting to avoid the subject for now. "Was alrigh'. A lil' behind at first but got it done." While Sin may have been a hot button, there were better things to talk about. "So, who do you bet's gonna win this race?"

Spike grinned and placed a claw to his chin. "Not sure, Rainbow was talking to me about it a while ago and told me that Spitfire won the Wondebolt's 500 last year, so my bits are on her. You?"

Mac had no idea. He wasn't even aware that the performers had races until he was invited. Guess it makes sense, but still that didn't change much. "Guess I'm gonna have tah go with her too." He shrugged.

Spike gave him a look. "C'mon Mac, it's no fun if we're both betting on the same pony." It was true, but he didn't know any of the others. "Well, you could go for Soaron." Spike suggested. "He came in second."

Soaron... Mac's blood began to boil at the pony's name. That arrogant prick, threatening him and his sister. Acting like they were traitors while foolishly believed himself doing what was best for the nation. Who did he think he was?

"Nah, thin' A'll jes enjoy the show."

Luckily, Spike didn't push the issue any more and just chuckled with a shake of his head. Still the stallion felt a kind of cold forcefulness to the drakes pleasant tone. Mac still couldn't believe the bad luck he had for himself to be caught with Rarity in such a situation.

He wanted to explain himself, but while knew that now wasn't the time. All he could do was hope to speak with the dragon a little later on.

---

Sin sat at the top of a high roof top overlooking the hustle and bustle of the city of Northwood. He felt no wind and smelt no cooking food, which was an nonnegotiable custom to his home town with all of the stands that littered the streets. And when did he get here? Last he remembered he was pulling a snow shovel some where.

This strange relocation meant one of two things, either he was killed and this was the afterlife, or he passed out and was dreaming..

Before he could differentiate, his head turned of it's own accord and addressed a light red earth pony stallion looking at the city below. "And that's you're decision?" Sin's mouth asked, completely against his instruction. Yea, that settled it, it was a dream and not only a dream but a memory. One he wasn't to keen on reliving.

The stallion nodded and turned his head. "I've grown tired, my friend. This world holds nothing of interest to me any longer; and it is time to move on."

Sin smirked and humphed. "You believe in that after world crap?" An arrogant and demeaning question, one he half regretted.

"Oh please no." The pony shook his head and chuckled before look down to the ally way to his left, away from the city street. "But I don't want to be here anymore."

Crasus was one of Sin's oldest friends, dating to before the stallion had dropped out of the education system. The two were alike in many ways: Always maintaining a still and stoic composure while chasing more intellectual pursuits and valuing mental strength over physical, but the disconnect came from a place most could never understand. Stimulation and satisfaction.

While Sin didn't much care for either, Crasus had failed time and time again to feel fulfilled. When he'd reached Stallionhood, the unicorn pony tried to accept a life of hedonism and indifference, but as time went on however, his weariness and misery became more and more clear. Soon, his stoic and confident demeanor gave way to sadness and depression. Suicide had been a topic the two discussed, but only once.

No matter what Crasus did to try to make life even the slightest bit more enjoyable, any feelings of joy or happiness were lost on him. Sex, dancing, fighting, rock climbing, and even flying via chariot gave him no pleasure of life. Not but a black hole of indifference and sadness. Sin could empathize in a way, but while Crasus tried to bring about his happiness, the current senator tried to repress it. Convincing himself that such feelings would only lead to the desire for farther indulgence and wasting time while his goals went unfulfilled and possibly compromised.

The fallen pegasi pressed his lips, while he considered the maroon stallion his friend, he knew there was no help to be given; and no right to stop him from ending his life.

"Well, if you don't want to be in this life anymore, that's up to you." Sin nodded and looked forward again. "Were you planning on using euthanasia services?"

Scoffing, Crasus shook his head with an empty smile. "And deal with the bureaucrats in that? Ever since they moved the suicide requirement from three days of attempted therapy to thirty days, that shit became ridiculous. I want to die because I don't want to be conscious anymore, I'm not looking for help or attention."

Sin shrugged, common sense did dictate the obvious, 'no pony no taxes' philosophy. "Is that why we're on the roof?"

Crasus nodded, taking a steeling breath. "I- uh- was hoping you could make sure I didn't half ass it this time."

Sin quirked a brow. "You've attempted before?"

The pony nodded again. "You use crossbows, don't you?" Sin gave his friend a side long look, verbalizing his concerns of how it would look more like a murder than a suicide. "I guess you're right." The stallion sighed deeper and took a breath before looking over and down the alleyway once more, checking if there was anybody in there.

"I'd recommend you jump head first." Sin blurted as he began to walk back to the entryway of the roof. "Death is more certain that way." The stallion closed the cold iron door behind him, gaining one last, the last, look of Crasus alive he'd ever see.

---

Shade lay against a tree, his mind drifting from irreverent topic to irreverent topic at it's leisure ranging from 'why were clouds white' to 'why the symbols for letters in the Equestrian language were used when more simple options were available'. His peaceful smile slowly gave way to a sneer as more organized matters forced their way into his thought.

Why was he still here? What farther point was there in living for him now? One of the two goals in his life was not ascertainable and the other he felt he'd already achieved.

He tried to stroke Discord Jr. -sending the formerly peacefully sleeping feline like creature into a start, but even stroking the back of such a chaotic being couldn't sooth the moment of introspective comprehension.

There was no farther point in his life. Despite what Sin said, Shade had reached a point of being free of consequence, well some days anyway. It was really more apathy of consequence than being free of it though, but isn't it the restriction of thought that made such perceptions not free?

Perception of consequence and reality being what makes it all real in the end. To reject the perceived repercussions of his actions is what would lead to his eventual freedom, but that would require an existential existence where his consciousness could not interact with the world around him. But was that what he really wanted?

"I'm hungry" The night pony blurted, his stomach grumbling in agreement.

The two mantacore each stiffened in fear of their new master's proclamation. Fortunately for them, they were not his meal of choice. "I'm going to get something to eat," and with that the stallion left, allowing both his pets to collapse in utter relief.

As Shade walked through the last trees that constituted the forest's entrance, he found three fillies conversing with a pink haired pegasi mare. As he came closer, the four ponies acknowledged his presence with wide and uncertain eyes, but the stallion was too busy trying to recall the mare's name. Butterfly or something like that? No it was Butterfly he was sure.

Indifferent to them all, Shade walked by wordlessly, aiming to find nourishment.

"Excuse me." The mare squeaked.

Shade stopped in his tracks and turned to look at them.

"Uh, are you Star Shade?" He didn't reply, electing to continually look at them with bored eyes.

"Well if ya are." One of the fillies spoke, her voice tittering with uncertainty, it amused him. "Ah was just commin' tah tell ya that Sin's at the farm, Granny said he's overworked himself and needs tah rest."

A moment of silence passed with the four looking at him expectantly. Figuring they weren't going to say anything else, Shade gestured with his hoof. "And...?" It's not like Shade was surprised, Sin was always working in one way or another, him being exhausted was inevitable.

The filly looked at him with confusion, as did the rest of them. "Well, we figured that ya'd be worried 'bout him. So we'd let ya know."

"Kay..." He motioned with his hoof again, trying to make the filly get to the point of why she so rudely interrupted his journey. "Anything else?"

"Wait, he's overworked himself?" Butterfly interrupted.

"SILEEEEENCE!" Shade shouted, startling the four who now look at him with varying degrees of fright. He had to say something, he wasn't sure why, but he wanted to say something cool. He drew closer to them, their eyes beginning to bulge from their sockets in the fear he relished. The closer he drew, the closer the fillies drew to each other and their elder. Five feet, four feet, two feet and closer, he towered over the fillies, his face contorted into a sneer. He was inches away and his eyes scanned each of their terrified faces before slowly and quietly muttering one single word.

"Mahogany."

And with that, the bat pony turned to the left and continued down the road to Ponyville, leaving his fellow Equestrians in a state of terror and confusion that would have made Discord proud.

Comments

[Daxisle]

3247407 No, they'll be along in later chapters.

[Linkerman]

Ah, confusion.
One of the best emotions to see on someone's face, other than being dumbfound.

[Mark_the_electrician]

3380227
Or better yet, the look of being bamboozled.